TIRE EXPRESS [redacted] Revdex.com of Western Pennsylvania [redacted] ***May 3, 2015Dear [redacted] I am writing in response to your letter dated April 22, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted] ***, ID # [redacted] brought us 4of his tires that he wanted mounted on wheels that were also hisNeither the tires nor the wheels were purchased from usThe tires were actually several sizes smaller than should have been mounted on the rims that he brought with himWe explained that to him, but he said the car that they would be mounted on was a “show car”They set these cars up with very large rims and small tires to give the appearance that the car has almost no tires on it, just very large rimsIt is supposed to give the car an exotic, eye catching lookOur understanding was that the car was a “show car”, and that it would not be on the roadsAssuming that it was a “show car” we would not have expected him to be driving the car miles per hour on the highways with such small tires on such large rims.We did nick the bead, which we discovered the second time [redacted] brought the wheel backAt that time we applied a bead sealant, again thinking that it was a “show car” and it would not be on the highwayUnder those circumstances the bead sealant should have worked.When [redacted] brought the flattened tire back and told us what had happenedI inspected the tire and rimThe tire had a nick in it, but the wheel had no visible damageI offered to replace the tireI originally thought that I would be able to locate a replacement tire, but none of our suppliers had that tire availableAs [redacted] had not originally purchased the tires from us, I suggested that he contact whomever he had originally purchased the tires from to get a replacement tire and I wouldreimburse himHe purchased the tire, brought it in and we mounted it on another wheel that he had, charged him nothing for that and reimbursed him for the cost of the tireHe also wants the wheel replaced, but on inspection the wheel showed no damage or any reason for the wheel to be replacedWe were under the impression that this was a “show car” onlyI am certainly glad that [redacted] had above average driving skills, but we had never expected that car to be on a highwayWe have mounted tires for several other people that have show cars and have never had any problemsThose cars are usually transported to shows on trailers.We have already replaced the tire and, while we feel that the wheel was not damaged we are willing to reimburse the wheel and the fees as a gesture of good willWe are sorry for the misunderstanding, but we assumed that the car was a show car only.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, but I do have a few words to put in before this is overI never, and I repeat, NEVER told Tire Express that this car would not be on the highwayYes, this car goes to shows and is in one currently, but I DROVE it thereI never said anything about it being on a trailerEven if it was, the tire went flat in a matter of hours while sitting in my garage, so it didn't matter anywayAlso, I don't know how much you guys know about tires, but when there is a tear in the bead the tire is junkIt has nothing to do with the width, diameter, size or wheel- a tear in the bead instantly destroys the tire and 100% compromises it's ability to hold airI am absolutely appalled that Tire Express KNOWINGLY gave me a tire back with a tear in the bead, expecting it to be okayAs I've been learning in my Safety Science courses, that would be a case of Gross NegligenceThey knew it was dangerous, but they wanted to save a few bucks by not replacing itAlso, they did not put bead sealant on the tireThey spread this special chemical used for rusty steel wheels that is corrosive to the skin and paint, and it does not assist in holding air for alloy wheels such as mineThis damage 100% compromises every last bit of integrity of the tireTire Express should have IMMEDIATELY shown and/or informed me of the damage and offered to replace the tire, as it is beyond repair and the fault of whomever mounted the tireA tear like this in the bead is due to an improperly lubricated tire being mountedThe machines that mount tires put a lot of stress and force on the tire, and if there is no lubrication it will cause damage like thisThe damage had nothing to do with wheel or tire size, and everything to do with a tire being improperly mounted and severely damaged, yet still given to the customer as "perfectly fine".On a side note, my wheel was not "perfectly fine"When the tire went flat, the wheel came in contact with the ground and scuffed up both the inside and the outsideSince the weight of the car was forced upon the bare wheel, there is a possibility of hairline fractures throughout the wheel that the naked eye cannot seeAlso, as stated above, the car is driven to shows all around the state, and why should I have to display my car with a scratched up wheel because of someone else's negligence? These wheels were in perfect cosmetic condition, and I work very hard to keep them that way.Yes, the tire size is slightly smaller than what is recommended, but it is 100% functional and works just fine as it shouldI just took a hour drive this weekend across the state and not a single tire had any issuesThis was not a wheel size or tire size issueThis was damage inflicted to a tire by the tire mounting machine, and the shop trying to cover up their mistake to save a few dollars at the expense of my safetyI have friends who have had flat tires on the highway and rolled their cars several times because of itI have attached a picture of the tire with the damage (and my car too so you can see what they look like on the vehicle)The cut is about 4" longAgain, this is not something that could simply be "missed" or "looked over by accident" when the shop had my tire FOUR timesThis is gross negligence, and I will never be taking my vehicles to Tire Express again, and I am letting all of my friends know about the incidentAfter all, nobody should have a flat tire on the highway due to the negligence and lack of integrity of a shop trying to save a couple bucks.If you have any further questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me Regards, [redacted] ***
Dear Ms [redacted] I am writing in response to your letter dated November 23, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted] , ID # [redacted] .In reviewing Mr [redacted] ’s complaint, I see that he has left out many of the details concerning this event.When Mr [redacted] called to ask about the price of the alignment and changing the bolts, he failed to mention he had installed a lift kit on the truck and that he had already tried to change the bolts himself but had been unable to do soThe labor guide we used to quote the price calls for the bolt removal to take a little over an hour to complete, but also states that this time estimate does not apply if the bolts are rusted and frozen in placeAs Mr, [redacted] states in his complaint, he has automotive serviceexperience and in light of the fact that he stated he had already tried to remove the bolts himself, I'm sure that Mr [redacted] was aware that this particular job was going to take longer than usualThe bolts were so rusted and gaulted into the truck frame that it took Matt G [redacted] the mechanic, hours to remove the boltsThe labor rate for this job is $per hourFor hours this amounts to $Our service manager did reduce the labor charge to $because Matt had to take a couple of breaks because his arms were aching from trying to loosen the rusted boltsWe also had to rebook some of Matt’s scheduled appointments so that he could have the time he needed to complete the work on Mr [redacted] 's truck.Mr [redacted] ’s wheels were painted, gunmetal custom alloy rimsWe have a large sign prominently displayed behind the sales counter that states “Tire Express is not responsible for any damage done to custom rims.” Our policy follows the same policy as most tire shops concerning custom wheels.They are difficult to change and the potential always exists to scratch these wheelsMr [redacted] said he was aware of the sign and its meaning before we began the work on his vehicleHe also stated that we did not use a torque wrench when tightening the lug nuts on his wheelsOur technicians use torque sticks to tighten the lug nuts which is just a more efficient way to tighten the lug nuts, but it’s also a process which Mr [redacted] may not have recognized.Mr [redacted] claims that the bolts on the top of his strut had been left loose causing a potential hazard, however, that was work that Mr [redacted] had done himself when installing the lift kit on his truckOur mechanic only worked on the bottom of the strut.Mr [redacted] also complained about employees smoking in the sales and waiting roomsWhile I am not sure what smoking in the waiting room would have to do with the service work we were performing, the sales room and the waiting room are the same room which is a smoke free zoneWe have an absolute no smoking policy in this areaI am a non-smoker with allergiesCigarette smoke is one of the things that most easily aggravate my allergiesAs my primary work area is in the middle of this room and in light of the fact that I usually spend at least hours a day there, I cannot allow either customers or employees to smoke thereAlso, as many people now find smoke offensive and there are often children in our waiting area with their parents, we made the decision long ago not to allow smoking in our sales/waiting roomWe ask that customers and employees that smoke do so outsideThe few employees that we have that smoke do so outside or in one of the designated areas far from our sales/waiting areaAt no time does the smoke “drift “ into the waiting area.He also states that our employees were smoking around oxidizing, dangerous and flammable chemicalsThis is also falseThe materials we store and use in our business are not dangerous chemicalsWe have tires and auto service items such as motor oil, windshield wiper fluid and a small amount of anti-freeze, all of which are stored and labeled properlyWe store several types of motor oil: a bulk tank stores the most common oil used, then we have several of the specialty oils that many of the newer cars require stored in gallon drumsThese are all delivered in new drums with large labels on the sides so the contents and specifications are all easily visibleThe oil, as it is stored, is not flammable, it needs to be aerated firstWe buy anti-freeze one case at a time (gallons), also in containers that are well markedWe usually have to gallons of windshield wiper fluid on the premises, all also well marked.There are older oil drums on the premises that house waste oil that we use in waste oil burners to heat our buildingsThe labels are taken off of these barrels and they are all relabeled as waste oilThere are also two barrels with the lids cut off that we use to put scrap metal parts like brake rotors and drums taken from some of the service work we doThis is all then recycledWe have pictures of these drums that we can produce if neededIn our business we have no need for chemicals.Mr [redacted] also states that we were charging him for hours of labor when in fact he was charged for hoursOur service manager adjusted that by $to allow for the time our mechanic needed for breaks because the bolts were rusted so badly, so in reality he only paid for hours of laborHe was still unhappy with the charges, saying he would only pay the bill if we lowered the labor charges furtherHe felt we should adhere strictly to the estimate, however with as badly as the bolts were rusted and gaulded, that was an unreasonable expectationAfter some further discussion we agreed to lower the labor charges another $50.00.In response to the desired settlement, we have already given Mr [redacted] an initial cost reduction of $and an additional reduction of $50,The rim has only a minor cosmetic mark on the paint in one spotIt does not need to be taken out of serviceIt can easily be touched up with matching paint.Mr [redacted] has also [redacted] in three conversation we have had with him he has threatened us verbally.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.SincerelyPaul [redacted] N***
TIRE EXPRESS [redacted] Revdex.com of Western Pennsylvania [redacted] ***May 3, 2015Dear [redacted] I am writing in response to your letter dated April 22, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted] ***, ID # [redacted] brought us 4of his tires that he wanted mounted on wheels that were also hisNeither the tires nor the wheels were purchased from usThe tires were actually several sizes smaller than should have been mounted on the rims that he brought with himWe explained that to him, but he said the car that they would be mounted on was a “show car”They set these cars up with very large rims and small tires to give the appearance that the car has almost no tires on it, just very large rimsIt is supposed to give the car an exotic, eye catching lookOur understanding was that the car was a “show car”, and that it would not be on the roadsAssuming that it was a “show car” we would not have expected him to be driving the car miles per hour on the highways with such small tires on such large rims.We did nick the bead, which we discovered the second time [redacted] brought the wheel backAt that time we applied a bead sealant, again thinking that it was a “show car” and it would not be on the highwayUnder those circumstances the bead sealant should have worked.When [redacted] brought the flattened tire back and told us what had happenedI inspected the tire and rimThe tire had a nick in it, but the wheel had no visible damageI offered to replace the tireI originally thought that I would be able to locate a replacement tire, but none of our suppliers had that tire availableAs [redacted] had not originally purchased the tires from us, I suggested that he contact whomever he had originally purchased the tires from to get a replacement tire and I wouldreimburse himHe purchased the tire, brought it in and we mounted it on another wheel that he had, charged him nothing for that and reimbursed him for the cost of the tireHe also wants the wheel replaced, but on inspection the wheel showed no damage or any reason for the wheel to be replacedWe were under the impression that this was a “show car” onlyI am certainly glad that [redacted] had above average driving skills, but we had never expected that car to be on a highwayWe have mounted tires for several other people that have show cars and have never had any problemsThose cars are usually transported to shows on trailers.We have already replaced the tire and, while we feel that the wheel was not damaged we are willing to reimburse the wheel and the fees as a gesture of good willWe are sorry for the misunderstanding, but we assumed that the car was a show car only.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely [redacted]
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, but I do have a few words to put in before this is overI never, and I repeat, NEVER told Tire Express that this car would not be on the highwayYes, this car goes to shows and is in one currently, but I DROVE it thereI never said anything about it being on a trailerEven if it was, the tire went flat in a matter of hours while sitting in my garage, so it didn't matter anywayAlso, I don't know how much you guys know about tires, but when there is a tear in the bead the tire is junkIt has nothing to do with the width, diameter, size or wheel- a tear in the bead instantly destroys the tire and 100% compromises it's ability to hold airI am absolutely appalled that Tire Express KNOWINGLY gave me a tire back with a tear in the bead, expecting it to be okayAs I've been learning in my Safety Science courses, that would be a case of Gross NegligenceThey knew it was dangerous, but they wanted to save a few bucks by not replacing itAlso, they did not put bead sealant on the tireThey spread this special chemical used for rusty steel wheels that is corrosive to the skin and paint, and it does not assist in holding air for alloy wheels such as mineThis damage 100% compromises every last bit of integrity of the tireTire Express should have IMMEDIATELY shown and/or informed me of the damage and offered to replace the tire, as it is beyond repair and the fault of whomever mounted the tireA tear like this in the bead is due to an improperly lubricated tire being mountedThe machines that mount tires put a lot of stress and force on the tire, and if there is no lubrication it will cause damage like thisThe damage had nothing to do with wheel or tire size, and everything to do with a tire being improperly mounted and severely damaged, yet still given to the customer as "perfectly fine".On a side note, my wheel was not "perfectly fine"When the tire went flat, the wheel came in contact with the ground and scuffed up both the inside and the outsideSince the weight of the car was forced upon the bare wheel, there is a possibility of hairline fractures throughout the wheel that the naked eye cannot seeAlso, as stated above, the car is driven to shows all around the state, and why should I have to display my car with a scratched up wheel because of someone else's negligence? These wheels were in perfect cosmetic condition, and I work very hard to keep them that way.Yes, the tire size is slightly smaller than what is recommended, but it is 100% functional and works just fine as it shouldI just took a hour drive this weekend across the state and not a single tire had any issuesThis was not a wheel size or tire size issueThis was damage inflicted to a tire by the tire mounting machine, and the shop trying to cover up their mistake to save a few dollars at the expense of my safetyI have friends who have had flat tires on the highway and rolled their cars several times because of itI have attached a picture of the tire with the damage (and my car too so you can see what they look like on the vehicle)The cut is about 4" longAgain, this is not something that could simply be "missed" or "looked over by accident" when the shop had my tire FOUR timesThis is gross negligence, and I will never be taking my vehicles to Tire Express again, and I am letting all of my friends know about the incidentAfter all, nobody should have a flat tire on the highway due to the negligence and lack of integrity of a shop trying to save a couple bucks.If you have any further questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me Regards, [redacted] ***
Dear Ms [redacted] I am writing in response to your letter dated November 23, 2015, concerning a complaint submitted to you by [redacted] , ID # [redacted] .In reviewing Mr [redacted] ’s complaint, I see that he has left out many of the details concerning this event.When Mr [redacted] called to ask about the price of the alignment and changing the bolts, he failed to mention he had installed a lift kit on the truck and that he had already tried to change the bolts himself but had been unable to do soThe labor guide we used to quote the price calls for the bolt removal to take a little over an hour to complete, but also states that this time estimate does not apply if the bolts are rusted and frozen in placeAs Mr, [redacted] states in his complaint, he has automotive serviceexperience and in light of the fact that he stated he had already tried to remove the bolts himself, I'm sure that Mr [redacted] was aware that this particular job was going to take longer than usualThe bolts were so rusted and gaulted into the truck frame that it took Matt G [redacted] the mechanic, hours to remove the boltsThe labor rate for this job is $per hourFor hours this amounts to $Our service manager did reduce the labor charge to $because Matt had to take a couple of breaks because his arms were aching from trying to loosen the rusted boltsWe also had to rebook some of Matt’s scheduled appointments so that he could have the time he needed to complete the work on Mr [redacted] 's truck.Mr [redacted] ’s wheels were painted, gunmetal custom alloy rimsWe have a large sign prominently displayed behind the sales counter that states “Tire Express is not responsible for any damage done to custom rims.” Our policy follows the same policy as most tire shops concerning custom wheels.They are difficult to change and the potential always exists to scratch these wheelsMr [redacted] said he was aware of the sign and its meaning before we began the work on his vehicleHe also stated that we did not use a torque wrench when tightening the lug nuts on his wheelsOur technicians use torque sticks to tighten the lug nuts which is just a more efficient way to tighten the lug nuts, but it’s also a process which Mr [redacted] may not have recognized.Mr [redacted] claims that the bolts on the top of his strut had been left loose causing a potential hazard, however, that was work that Mr [redacted] had done himself when installing the lift kit on his truckOur mechanic only worked on the bottom of the strut.Mr [redacted] also complained about employees smoking in the sales and waiting roomsWhile I am not sure what smoking in the waiting room would have to do with the service work we were performing, the sales room and the waiting room are the same room which is a smoke free zoneWe have an absolute no smoking policy in this areaI am a non-smoker with allergiesCigarette smoke is one of the things that most easily aggravate my allergiesAs my primary work area is in the middle of this room and in light of the fact that I usually spend at least hours a day there, I cannot allow either customers or employees to smoke thereAlso, as many people now find smoke offensive and there are often children in our waiting area with their parents, we made the decision long ago not to allow smoking in our sales/waiting roomWe ask that customers and employees that smoke do so outsideThe few employees that we have that smoke do so outside or in one of the designated areas far from our sales/waiting areaAt no time does the smoke “drift “ into the waiting area.He also states that our employees were smoking around oxidizing, dangerous and flammable chemicalsThis is also falseThe materials we store and use in our business are not dangerous chemicalsWe have tires and auto service items such as motor oil, windshield wiper fluid and a small amount of anti-freeze, all of which are stored and labeled properlyWe store several types of motor oil: a bulk tank stores the most common oil used, then we have several of the specialty oils that many of the newer cars require stored in gallon drumsThese are all delivered in new drums with large labels on the sides so the contents and specifications are all easily visibleThe oil, as it is stored, is not flammable, it needs to be aerated firstWe buy anti-freeze one case at a time (gallons), also in containers that are well markedWe usually have to gallons of windshield wiper fluid on the premises, all also well marked.There are older oil drums on the premises that house waste oil that we use in waste oil burners to heat our buildingsThe labels are taken off of these barrels and they are all relabeled as waste oilThere are also two barrels with the lids cut off that we use to put scrap metal parts like brake rotors and drums taken from some of the service work we doThis is all then recycledWe have pictures of these drums that we can produce if neededIn our business we have no need for chemicals.Mr [redacted] also states that we were charging him for hours of labor when in fact he was charged for hoursOur service manager adjusted that by $to allow for the time our mechanic needed for breaks because the bolts were rusted so badly, so in reality he only paid for hours of laborHe was still unhappy with the charges, saying he would only pay the bill if we lowered the labor charges furtherHe felt we should adhere strictly to the estimate, however with as badly as the bolts were rusted and gaulded, that was an unreasonable expectationAfter some further discussion we agreed to lower the labor charges another $50.00.In response to the desired settlement, we have already given Mr [redacted] an initial cost reduction of $and an additional reduction of $50,The rim has only a minor cosmetic mark on the paint in one spotIt does not need to be taken out of serviceIt can easily be touched up with matching paint.Mr [redacted] has also [redacted] in three conversation we have had with him he has threatened us verbally.If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.SincerelyPaul [redacted] N***