Tire Rama Corporate Office

They're Gillette and Montana corporate offices do not stand behind their work back in October of 2019 I took my car in which was a Mercedes 2008 C300 I have worked with this office for over 10 years with all of my cars their head manager was not in there and as always I just left Mercedes have the work done 3 months before that having warranty work and some other stuff on my car at the Mercedes dealership in Colorado so I went to their office Tire Rama in October to have a oil change a new battery and a tire rotation when I left I thought everything was fine I came back three or four times because the oil Tech did not tell anybody that he had spilled oil all over my car Mercedes are highly technical and one thing after another fell apart and so a sensor of me needing a break pad came up I don't know why I just had it back from Mercedes they checked all that I have a paper that says that none of that stuff was wrong but I had the brakes put on the brakes they ordered the first time we're wrong the second time they were correct and in the meantime the assistant manager also have their mechanic tear apart my car to clean up the oil that was done by his oil Tech so his cleaned up the car by Karen apart everything on Saturday I went and picked it up unfortunately my car was missing two gears one of which was drive and the other was its fifth gear I did not take my car home that day their manager came in and fix my car I knowing that it was his mechanic that had tore it apart and charged me $283 on top of what I already paid to put the wires back together after that it was one thing after another my number one spark plug went out and then my alternator went out my alternator the night before it went out I had went there they finally ran some kind of scan that said oh yeah you need alternator by the next day I was in town it was snowing and my alternator went out which threw a bunch of codes I had my car towed back to Tire Rama it took them over a week and a half to do cuz they wanted to pull the alternator first before they ordered it the alternator got done and I drove it home the next day when I went to get in it my alternator belt fell off I formed them of what happened and my significant other went ahead and put the alternator belt back on month-and-a-half later my security unit went out I had it towed back to Tire Rama they waited three weeks for part that they had ordered which never came in on the fourth week I called them and that part couldn't be sent so they sent my part out to be rebuilt it came back and the manager put it back in my car of which did not work he believed that it was the key so they took my car to a foreign car place and dropped it off for them to re-calibrate my key it was not my key it was my ESL unit that had been burnt out and when they put it back in it still was fried this was back in June it is now October and the foreign car place after all of this time searching and going back and forth finally got my car finished I asked Tire Rama to cover my bill I certainly covered my bill when I bought a new battery and oil change that ruined my car and the tire rotation which my car tires ended up going bad they did fix a hole in a tire that had a nail and since then the sensors have always been on showing that I have low pressure this went on until June before I took it back to Tire Rama I went to a different tire place of which they told me it was not about a bad valve stem and a bead and because I ran low profiles on my Mercedes it had ruined the tires so when I gave Tire Rama the ruin tires off my back end for put in the back of the car of which they take no responsibility for either today I have called both the shop that the work was done and the corporate office the shop only wanted to pay me $283 for the wiring that they fixed of which I shouldn't have had to pay because of their mechanic tearing apart my car due to an oil change at their office now the wires obviously we're not put back correctly and from the alternator going out obviously not all the codes were taken out either there corporate office manager over the area where my car was at offered me $1,000 off of my 2784.00 bill from a foreign car that they took my car to have the key reprogrammed normally I would think from an oil change that went bad and they're . Technician not telling the mechanic who had no business probably tearing apart my car clean up all the oil to the manager having to put back all the wires because I'm it's missing two gears after the oil change and after he cleaned it to that tune up to the alternator that went out ultimately took out my ESL unit and because they that didn't want any responsibility anymore they took it to the foreign car place and left it I'm grateful that they're willing to take $1,000 off the bill but that was either take it or we won't pay anything I do not believe this place honors any of work performed by their mechanics nor there oil technicians when you take your car in for an oil change you shouldn't have to go back for five times to get the oil cleaned off because the car looks like it's on fire nor have a mechanic tear it apart and tell you that it runs great and when you get in it you put it in reverse and it feels like the transmission dropped out of it and two of your gears are missing I do not believe that when you have an alternator put on that the alternator belt in the morning should fly off it's a good thing that it has a diagram to put the thing back on I did not return it and then a month or so later the unit ESL due to wiring issues caused from there shop Burns it out so beware of a businesses that do not back up they're employees screw-ups and tried to blame it on the customer of which I have been a customer for over 10 years I won't tell you what I paid to have a tune-up an alternator I also paid for wiring to be done new brake pads all from a simple brand new battery of which they ordered wrong the first time and had to order the new one the regional manager of who I called and got his cell phone number from his secretary on my first call interrupted me and told me that he would call that office because I had made him Miss three important calls while he was on his cell phone to me after a couple of days the manager of the office where I had my work done he was generous and offering to pay me back the $283 for the wiring that he should not charged me for that was not sufficient I called back the corporate office and that's when I was informed to take the thousand dollars that they would cover off of my car or lose it personally I probably won't ever use this business in town again I find if they don't stand behind their work done by their mechanics or their other employees then they really have no business being in business because for us the consumer we get stuck with the bill and reading many of the reviews on this website it doesn't surprise me of how they cover their s[censored] work and don't stand by it this is a business that I personally have done business with for 10 years I've never once not paid my bill and have never complained that's what good customers with this Tire Rama values their customers at

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: Since this customer representative is well aware that this is a year old vehicle, the representative should not assume any problem with this vehicle is obviousAnd therefor, should have "pressure check the system" in the first placeYes, I agreed to the terms that they said was the problem, but since they did not pressure check the system in the first place, it is obvious they did not know the problem in the first placeIt was my mistake to take my car to tire rama to get it fixedEveryone I have talked to since my incident has told me they are terrible, and I will continue to pass the word along Also, to say that "the current issue was not completely related to prior work," admits that the issue IS related to the prior workTherefor, I do feel a refund is warranted for the mishandling of my vehicle Sincerely, [redacted] ***

I came at my Ford econoline e 350 everything was very good, I can take a left and right, now I cant take a left all the way and when I push a break pedal my car start shaking, also they scratch my passenger side mirror , I almost got into an accident after them and I dont recomend any one to go through this , the Tire Rama on 7777 N Division st Spokane WA

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:
they for one did not put the nitrogen in the tires to begin with when asked from the very start to do that
the lug nut issue was addressed with in an hour maxMy wife drove home complaining it felt like the tires were flat, they had not test drove, shake down of the car when askedyes she agreed to the higher mileage tire not knowing that the tires would have more rubber, be harder and not handle as well in the snow/ice.if they test drive felt smooth at the end of an alignment and the nitrogen added to the tires I'm not sure they understand that this car doesn't handle like a car should, the bouncing on take off has been there that explains why the front passenger tire had bald spots in weird areas that the manager could not really explain, that is our biggest scarewe will take it into a 3rd party shop and see what can be found,Sincerely,*** ***

Revdex.com,A customer of ours came into our shop with a complaint of having antifreeze leaking from his vehicleIt was very obvious that the leak was coming from the water pump as it was dripping fairly fast when he reached our storeThere was no need to pressure check the system as it was obvious where
the leak was
Customer was quoted a new water pump, cleaning of the coolant system, which is included in the installation of new water pump, labor and fresh antifreezeThe customer agreed to the quote and the work was completed and paid for
A few days later, as customer stated, the coolant light came on againGenerally when a coolant system has been completely emptied there will be pockets of air that need to purge, it sometimes takes driving to pass that airWe checked the system, and it was low on coolantWe added coolant to the fill line, and let the vehicle idle for a few minutesBecause the technician had some extra time he decided to pressure check the system to make sure that it was just purged air being the reason for low coolant levelUpon pressure checking the system, he found that the heater core was leakingThe heater core is in the cabin area and related to the coolant system of course, but not related to a water pump replacement.A new heater core was quoted, $780.00, to the customerThe customer wasn’t very happy as he stated and told our customer representative he would take the car elsewhere and they would be hearing from himOur customer representative was a little flustered through this process and inadvertently worded the closing invoice with “needs water pump est$780.00” instead of stating that it needed a heater core
We understand that the wording on the closing invoice is confusing, but the customer was made well aware of exactly what part in the system had started leakingThe customer was also informed in the conversation that in some older vehicles, this one is years old, that when the coolant system is cleaned, as was done, that other components within that system may have some decaying or corrosion on them, could be compromised by the cleaning of the system
We understand the frustration, but these were two totally different incidents that happened to coincide together through the actions taken.We would be glad to visit, or correspond with the customer about this situation and try to resolve this unfortunate issue
We do not feel that a refund is warranted, as work was completed as quoted, and the current issue was not completely related to prior work
Steve B***Regional Operations Director

** Documents redacted by Revdex.com***

In response to Mr***, Complaint # ***.
Not sure what Mr*** wantsIf we had pressure tested the vehicle at time of first service, and if the heater core would have leaked at that time, his water pump still would have needed to have been replacedThe dollars he spent for the water pump replacement would still be the same!If the heater core was found to be leaking at the initial inspection he would have faced a quote that would have been the water pump and heater core totaled togetherThe $for the water pump and the Estimated $for the heater core would have been $Either way the water pump needed changedWhy a refund is requested is beyond usThe diagnosis was correct at initial inspection, even if we had pressure checked the system the heater core may not have leakedAs stated in our previous response, after cleaning the system, the cleaning agents may have scoured the heater cores internal scale and opened a small hole that allowed coolant fluid to leakA pressure check at initial inspection may not have yielded a leak in the heater core because the water pump leaked so bad that pressure could not have been attained to force the heater core to leak!
Bottom line is, the water pump needed replacedThe heater core needs replacedWe don't understand why a full refund is warranted when parts and labor were provided for a service that was needed.
Steve B***
Regional Operations Director
Industrial Ave.
Billings MT
CELL 406-***-***

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:First off, you assume that I knew the risks that having my water pump replaced would cause my heater core to need replacement after not even a week of driving my carI was never made aware by the mechanic of said risksI was under the impression that the $I put into the repairs, would in fact fix the problemSecond, if your first diagnostic had been correct, and I was quoted the $1,for the fix, I would not have gone with the repair as my car is not worth $1,000.
I work in the service industry and understand that if I do not get something right the first time, I want to make it rightI know that everyone makes mistakes, your mechanic made the mistake of assuming the problem was just the water pumpI do not put much ware and tear on my car, just from work and back a couple milesTo develop the exact same problem a week later is unreasonableI expect you to be the respectable company I thought you were, that brought you my business in the first place, to admit that you did not do all the necessary tests that I brought my car in for, and therefor did not know the full extent of the issue, and therefor charged me $for an unnecessary fixI would not have authorized the change if the full diagnostic had been done and my bill was $1,
Thanks,Sincerely,*** ***

At Tire Rama we always strive for a high level of customer service and we do take complaints very seriously, we also appreciate having the opportunity to make things right if a mistake is madeThe tires mentioned in this complaint were purchased from our store located at North Division Street
in Spokane on 04/01/I went to that location on the afternoon of Thursday the 18th to investigate what happenedI began by looking over both pieces of paperwork kept on file for all vehicles worked on, the work order and the finished invoiceI also spoke with the technician that worked on the car and to the counter salesman about what happenedThe work order was written for the installation of the customers summer tiresAfter pulling the vehicle in and inspecting the tires that were to be installed the technician told the salesman that the tires looked like they were close to the legal limit and questioned whether or not he should put them onThe counter person then instructed him to get a tread depth gauge and measure the remaining tread on all tiresAll of the tires measured at 3/32nd of an inch tread depth which is only 1/32nd of tread life remainingThese tires were in need of replacementAt that point the sales person informed the customer of their findings and reccomended new tires and gave a total quote for new tires installedThe customer agreed to have the tires replacedAt that point the technician installed the tires that the customer chose and hand torqued all of the lug nuts on all wheels to ft lbswhich is the manufacturers recomended torqueThe vehicle was then pulled out of the shop, the customer paid the bill and signed the invoice (copy attached)We did not hear back from the customer until they filed a complaint on 05/Even though We do have an excellent warranty and stand behind our work 100%The customer bought the tires along with our hassle free warranty which covers the tires for a period of three years and offers Free replacement of all tires should anything go wrong with them although I didn't see in the complaint that anything was mentioned about a problem with the tiresUnfortunatley we do get a lot of corrosion from our harsh winter environment and all of the de-iceing agents that are put on the roads, this is why we always recomend re-torquing aluminum wheels and offer to do this at no charge

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS:
On Monday, 4/4/16, I received the call from *** *** regarding his concern for the services he received at our Glasgow store on 3/16. He reported to me that he had taken his vehicle in to our store to get tires put on and an alignment done. He
said that his used tires were put on his vehicle but that we could not do an alignment for him because he needed new ball joints and a tie rod replaced. He proceeded to tell me that his tires have considerable wear now because we couldn't do the alignment. I mentioned to *** that the tires would not/could not show "considerable" wear in two weeks' time. However, I asked him why he did not address his concern with Stuart at that time. Stuart is the manager at the location. *** said that he figured he would have to pay another $to have the tires taken off, so he didn't say anything.
I directed *** to give Stu a call or to go back to the store and see what could be done, if anything. He then hung up saying that he wouldn't work with us.
I called Stuart and asked him about the customer. Stuart informed me that *** had us put the used tires on because the old tires were "wore out." Stu said that *** understands he needs the front-end work done in order to have a proper alignment done and to protect the tires; however, he elected to not do the work. *** acknowledged the work that was done and the work that was recommended and signed off on the work order. (A copy is attached)
I'm sure *** is filing this complaint so that he can get the $'s necessary to either buy new tires and/or get the front-end work done that is required at this point
Regards

Revdex.com, ID# ***
On July 25th a customer came in to our store located at NHamilton street, Spokane in need of tires for her Ford FocusShe stated that one of her tires had a hole in it and that they were all worn down so she wanted a price quote for four new onesShe said that her husband had instructed her to ask for a 40,mile tire but that she “lived in the car”, and puts a lot of miles on it so she wanted a good tireOur store manager explained to her that we didn’t have a tire that is warrantied for 40,miles but that our 80,mile tire would be a better choice if she drives the car a lot and would also be much better on ice and snow than the cheaper tireShe was then given a quote of $for four new tires, installed with tax, out the door which included our Hassle Free Warranty that insures the tires if anything should happen such as road hazardThe quote also included a $discount (10%) which was over and above the sale price on the tiresTo compare with the cheaper tire they were $more per tire so on four tires the total cost was about $additional plus taxBefore starting the work the store manager once again confirmed with her that this is what she wanted do and she said yesThe customer also asked for us to check the front end out and align it if possible while it was in the shopWe then pulled the car in, installed new tires and checked the front end and found out that the front struts were worn out and in need of replacement so we were not able to perform the front end alignment at that timeShe then paid for the tires and left
Within two hours of the time she left her husband came back to the store and said that the lug nuts on the left rear wheel were looseWe double checked the work order and asked the technician who installed the wheels if he hand torqued the lug nuts and found that he did torque them to manufactures specsWe then removed the left rear wheel and inspected it for damage or signs that it had come loose and found that the wheel studs, nuts and the wheel were in good conditionWe then hand torqued the wheel to specs (ft lbs.) and checked the other three wheels as well
At this time the husband mentioned that there had been a noise in the front end of the car and our store manager told him that it could be the worn out struts and that he would look up a price and call him back with itThe next day we called him back with a price quote and the customer scheduled the work to be done on 07/When the car arrived on 07/the technician installed the front struts and aligned the front end of the car but during his test drive he noticed that there was still a noise in the front endHe pulled the car back in the shop and got in up on a rack and it was then that he discovered the front sway bar links were worn and in need of replacementThe total cost for parts and labor to replace the links was $but because we didn’t catch it on our initial inspection, we told the customer that we would not charge them for it, we did it for freeWe also took another $off the bill for the front end alignment to help compensate for the error
Within a few days after the strut installation the man called me and complained that the tires were low on air pressure and that the car didn’t seem to handle well and there was still a noise in the front endI asked him what would be most convenient for him as far as getting the car back in to inspect and he said that he would prefer to take it to a different locationI told him we have stores right in the Spokane area and he chose our store on North Division street so I called the manager there and made an appointment for 08/for the car to be looked atWe also discussed putting nitrogen in the tires which could help with the loss of air if the tires had slow leaks
The customer showed up on 08/as scheduledthe lead tech inspected the car and found that all of the work that we had performed up to that point was good with no issuesHe did however find that the toe settings on the alignment were slightly out of specs for both front and rearThis is not unusual to get different reading from two different machines, also factoring in that a vehicles suspension has a tendancy to “settle somewhat after being driven for a whileSo at that time the tech went ahead and made some minor adjustments to the alignment and fine tuned it to exact specsHe then test drove the car over to our store at east Holland which is where our nitrogen machine is and he filled all four tires with nitrogenHe then returned to the North Division store at which time both he and the store manager there test drove the carDuring this test drive they both agreed that the car handled perfectly and seemed to ride smoothThey did still notice a sound in the front end however that the technician said sounded like a wheel bearingEven though the inspection didn’t reveal a loose bearing with play, the bearing could still be pitted and make a growling sound so the store manager informed the customer of this and gave him a verbal estimate of approx$to replace the bearing, the customer declined the repair, thanked us and drove away
At this point it is my understanding that the car now has a new issue, that it bounces upon take off which it had not done in any of our test drivesWe did not find play in any of the tie rod endsAs far as the replacement of the rear struts I would agree that at 120,plus miles they are most likely wore out and it would improve the overall ride and handling performance if they were replaced but this is not in any way related to any of the work that we have done, it’s a separate issue entirely
So in summary, we couldn’t find anything wrong with the car that was related to the work that we did however, if the customer still feels there is a problem I would suggest that the car be inspected by a neutral 3rd partyWe would even be willing to pay for the inspection if it is found that we did something wrong or were negligent in any way with the services that we performedAlso, If the issue of the tires is still in question, I would like to offer to take back the now used set of 80,mile warranty tires and give 100% refund of the difference to switch to the cheaper 40,mile rated tiresThe amount of refund to the customer would be $and we would also waive the labor fee of $for swapping them out and rebalancing
Please let me know if either of these options is acceptable
Greg H***
Regional Operations Director

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
Since this customer representative is well aware that this is a 15 year old vehicle, the representative should not assume any problem with this vehicle is obvious. And therefor, should have "pressure check the system" in the first place. Yes, I agreed to the terms that they said was the problem, but since they did not pressure check the system in the first place, it is obvious they did not know the problem in the first place. It was my mistake to take my car to tire rama to get it fixed. Everyone I have talked to since my incident has told me they are terrible, and I will continue to pass the word along. 
Also, to say that "the current issue was not completely related to prior work," admits that the issue IS related to the prior work. Therefor, I do feel a refund is warranted for the mishandling of my vehicle.
Sincerely,[redacted]

At Tire Rama we always strive to offer the best possible customer service but we also know that sometimes errors can occur that result in a less than perfect experience for our customers. As long as we are aware of a problem we always try to do our best to rectify the situation in a manner...

that is satisfactory to the customer. I was not aware of this particular situation until now so if we did something wrong we would like to have the opportunity to make things right. I would like to extend an offer to Mr. [redacted] to meet with me, look at the tire in question and offer a fair resolution based on the remaining life of the tire(s). Please understand that I cannot just give a set of 4 tires valued at $900 without first conducting a proper investigation and gathering all pertinent information. At this point there remains several unanswered questions such as: how old where the tires? How mush tread did they have left? What kind of tires are they and what is their value? Please let me know if this is acceptable. I am available all of this week and will do what ever is most convenient for Mr. Whidden's schedule to meet with him. My cell number is [redacted].
 
Thank You,
Greg H[redacted]
Regional Operations Director
Tire Rama, Spokane

Review: I took my car to Tire Rama to have the front end aligned. When job was complete I was informed all they could do was set the toe in as the camber was not able to be corrected. I was charged $55.55 for this repair. I was told if I purchased some camber bolts, they could align the vehicle correctly. I purchased the bolts for $28.00. I then called Tire Rama and asked if they could now complete the alignment. I was told they could but it would cost me an additional $80.00. I thought this was unreasonable so e-mailed the Tire Rama headquarters to see why I would be charged this much. I never received a response. I stopped by to talk with a competitor who told me they could install the camber bolts and align vehicle for $69.99. They also indicated that if they were not able to set the camber, I would not be charged. I took my vehicle there today and was informed that there was nothing wrong with the camber or castor settings. They did let me know that Tire Rama did NOT set the toe in correctly. My car was aligned today and there was no need to have the camber bolts installed as Tire Rama had informed me.I want to file this complaint due to Tire Rama charged me for something they did NOT do and for their improper advise which led me to purchase items that were not needed. In addition I would like to file this complaint due to Tire Rama telling me they would charge me an additional 80.00 to complete the job. Please note that there was nothing wrong with the camber setting and that Tire Rama did not properly set the toe in on my vehicle. Either their equipment needs calibrated or is defective in some way or their technician does not know what he is doing. Maybe both. In addition, if this happened to me it is likely other customers have had their vehicles aligned incorrectly.Desired Settlement: I should get a refund but am not necessarily asking for this. I just want this complaint noted so other people who may be researching where to take their vehicle for repair will know about the incident that happened to me. I would also like Tire Rama to be informed of my complaint about how poor their service was. In addition, I would like it to be indicated that the Tire Rama headquarters did NOT respond to me when I contacted them about this matter.

Business

Response:

In response to Claim number 9593814 I have taken a little longer than normal to get back as I was checking out 3 different parts of the complaint. The first part has to do with the claimant stating he sent an e-mail to our corporate office, and working with our IT dept. and going thru all spam blockers and all other channels we cannot find an e-mail ever coming thru our system from Mr. [redacted]. he sent it we do not show ever receiving it thus no answer from us. The second part I was tracking down was when our last alignment machine recalibration was done, thru out all 45 stores we recalibrate our alignment equipment from a 3rd party vendor every 6 to 7 months. it is a very important piece of equipment and I feel our readings are accurate. We promote free alignment checks to all customers and in this instance it was not followed at all. The process should have been we inform you what is out or not and what it will take to make it right and give you the opportunity to decide what to do. If you decide to do nothing we back it off no cost to you, if you decide to fix it we go from their, if you say make it close we inform you that is not possible and back it off. our normal procedure was not followed and this whole frustration would not of happened. As to Mr. [redacted] buying his parts and wanting us to install them, Tire Rama as a corporation has taken the business approach of not installing used or new parts that customers buy else where and bring into us. A check to Mr. [redacted] is being sent to his PO Box as a result of our poor service and communications to him. A copy of the alignment print out is being sent to Joel under separate e-mail for this file.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 9593814, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

I appreciate the response. I do want to repeat that I did e-mail the corporate office about this. Not sure why they have no record of this. Also, the Tire Rama employee DID tell me they would install the camber bolts if I purchased them. They did NOT give me any option of purchasing the bolts from Tire Rama.

Review: I had brought my car in for the aftermarket wheels to be switched to the OEM wheels and tires. Also to have a flat repair done on one of the aftermarket wheels and that was it. Well they called me after a bit and stated that the lug nuts I had used on the aftermarket wheels damaged the thread pattern and the OEM lug nuts would no longer bite and had to be replaced. Fine go ahead how much will that be I said? They then informed me that the lugs were around 40-50 and I was looking at and hour to two at the most he said in labor. I then inquired what there labor cost was and he told me $80.00 and hour so I figured great 160 at the most for labor not bad. A little while later he called again and said that the front brakes were almost metal to metal and said that if I had the front brakes done now it would save me $96.00 since they were already in there. Ok I said go ahead now we were looking at roughly $310.00 give or take 10-20 dollars. Now today I get the call the vehicle is complete with a bill of $620.00???????????????? NO WAY this is robbery and I in no way authorized that much money to be spent. They were misleading with what needed to be replaced and what didn't now i'm being charged for the OEM lugnuts when I already had my own that weren't damaged at all. I can't pay this much and now me and my family have no family car please help.Desired Settlement: I would like to pay the original estimate I was given and not this new crazy amount. This is unfair and I am being taken advantage of because of my age. If not age then its just the way they do business I suppose. I can't believe this is happening I just want my car back for not double the original estimate please thank you.

Business

Response:

Dear Handler:

RE: [redacted]

Review: This store claims that corporate policy is to charge $40/tire to mount and balance when they are new and brought in from another distributor. I purchased mine from Tire Rack and they specifically said we are charging more because they are from Tire Rack, and then the story changed to 'because they were just new and not their product'. When I went in they quoted me $15/tire to mount and balance, and after they pulled my car into the bay they came to me with this new-found information. I didn't quite understand the price hike and they only explanation I received was that they had to charge more because they couldn't guarantee the tires I had, (they were brand new) however if they were used they could charge me the $15/tire which only makes me assume they would guarantee the used tire? In the end when they set to bill me I refused to pay the price increase as there was an inconsistent reason for the higher price. They pulled a fast one and said that corporate policy was to charge $40/tire and that they gave me a break. Between their shifty eyes and inconsistent responses, I marveled over the fact that someone would pay $160 to mount and balance tires, better yet I was charged/paid $100 after they raised the initial price from $15/tire to $25/tire. These are just 215/50/17 winter tires which isn't anything special and isn't any more of a hassle to install. They admitted that there was no difference in the process of installing new versus used tires, which is obvious, just that they had to charge more. I am disgusted and appalled by this experience and want Tire Rama to realize that no one is in their parking lot, especially during such a busy time here in the Inland Northwest, because their customer service lacks, and their employees, [redacted], are inconsiderate and rude. What happened to taking care of the customer? The only reason I went to this venue was because they didn't seem busy. I guess the same goes for restaurants as well when it comes to answers about the quality of services rendered.Desired Settlement: Because of the hassle, because of the lack in the lining up of reasons and explanations, because I went to another Tire Rama location and they verified that $15/tire no matter what is what they have always charged and that they have never heard of charging $40/tire, because I went to Perfection Tire with another vehicle that had 235/65/17 tires mounted and balanced for a final bill of $60.65, I seek 100% refund for the run around and deceit as well as a face to face apology from [redacted].

Business

Response:

November 13, 2013

When Tire-Rama performs their routine market check on pricing, the

review extends to all our markets: Wyoming, Montana, northern Idaho and eastern

Washington. We call or send shoppers to see what is going on in our markets

pertaining to types of services, price of services, or tires, warranties and

inventory availability. Why do we do this? We want to assure that we remain

competitive in the market and have adequate inventory to serve our customers.

We also evaluate our policies and procedures in relation to other avenues of

competition.

The Internet has created a whole different style of competition. Local

businesses everywhere have had to review how they will respond to this buying

option. If our customer has elected to purchase product elsewhere and knows

precisely what is needed, this works. Conversely, if the consumer has no idea

what is needed and makes a purchase anyway, then we see a whole lot of wrong

sizes, styles and load indexes or speed ratings on product. Add to that the

concern we have as a provider of automotive products and service: are rotations

included (?), flat repairs (?), road-hazard warranties (?). These are things the

customer may not even think about.

Generally, Tire-Rama is able to make a sale using product that we have

on hand and are able to get it quicker than is available from the Internet and

at a very competitive price. Also, we do offer the services mentioned above so

that we know our customer's safety and security is also managed.

Tire-Rama has a proven track record over the 35 years we have been in

business. This formula works for us and for our customers.

If someone brings their own new or used part(s) in for us to install,

we opt out of taking care of them - our choice. If someone brings in new tires

purchased elsewhere, we do have a different labor cost for them. We normally

inform customers at the counter if they tell us what we are working with; or

when we find out in pulling the car in the shop, we then inform them. Why do we

do this? Well, why does [redacted] charge their customers $75-$100 annually to shop

in their stores? Why do grocery stores give discounts to customers with

frequent shopper cards? Why do airlines treat people differently who pay more

for seats or travel more often? I am not able to speak for all of the above. I

am able to speak for Tire-Rama. If we know up front what we are working with,

we tell the consumer how much it will cost. If we find out it is something

different than what we were told or what we understood, then we tell the

consumer the difference. The consumer always has the option to accept our

pricing or to go somewhere else - their choice.

In our market analysis on dismount and mount of tires, we learned

this: If the store knows they are new tires purchased somewhere else, they may

do nothing and move on. They do have a different price structure and do allow

the consumer to decide. Actually, quite a number of service providers today

will not change the tires at all. Tire- Rama has developed a separate pricing

structure for new tires purchased elsewhere and have followed the guidelines

for years.

I would like to thank you for discovering the shortfalls in our

training at the North Division store. There is a whole new crew at this store

and they are still learning our

procedures. I am also retraining our crew at the Holland store for

even offering a discount off the $40 labor charge.

Again, when we inform our customers of the cost difference of our

services, they have the option of paying it or going somewhere else. Mr. [redacted]

elected to have the service provided at our store and to pay the price.

Therefore, Tire-Rama feels there is nothing more due.

Best regards,

Vice President - Tire-Rama Store

Operations

Spokane WA 99212

[redacted].com

###-###-####

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

When confronted about the change, contrary

to my confusion and asking what the reason was for, [redacted] challenged me

to call other places telling me that some wouldn't even take the tires I had.

[redacted] mentioned Discount Tire wouldn't even take them which is wrong

because I called the nearby location here in Spokane Washington, the next day

(11/9/2013), and they quoted me approx. $17/tire. This was the same price after

I explained where the tires came from and what they were. They simply replied,

"We want your business, why would we charge you more?" [redacted]

flat out lied and invoked a slandered and misrepresented comment! I believe you

are wrong in saying that some places won’t take them because the handful of

places I called Saturday didn’t hesitate to say they would never charge more

because the tires came from another distributor. In that handful were other

Tire Rama locations that didn’t seem to know why they would charge more when I

asked what the install price was along with mentioning that I had tires from

Tire Rack.

I never saw a change order and never

agreed to the changes, but the work had been done. If more is to be charged,

the price should be disclosed, the terms should be disclosed, and a better explanation

should be given. I still don’t understand why a new tire would be $40 to

install but a used tire is $15/tire. What is to stop someone form rolling a new

set of tires in the dirt? How can a set of tires be proven to be used better

yet new? It was obvious that my tires were new as I had the tags and shipping

labels still on the tires as I was in a hurry when I loaded them up that

morning and just left them on. I went in

and was told $15/tire and was charged more in the end.

The reason I asked what the price is was

because I had just come from Perfection Tire on Division St. which quoted me

$15/tire, but were too busy to take the car in that night. Again, another reason

why I asked what the price is was because I knew some places might have a fit

about bringing in other tires from another distributor as Tire Rack provides

instruction on places to go to have their tires installed. Like I said, the

Holland store didn’t look busy and it really wasn’t busy as they took my car

and had it out within an hour.

When [redacted] checked me in, he asked if

the tires were mounted or dismounted to which I replied dismounted as I didn’t

bring them in on rims. I also brought up the question if they would put the current

tires in bags as they were dirty and I didn’t want a mess in my car. Following

this, I said the snow tires are in the back and within the same comment I referred

to the tires as clean and new, as they were not making a mess in the back of my

car.

I paid because I wanted my car back and an

argument over the charges wasn’t going to be settled in the store.

Again, I seem to still not understand the

reason behind charging $40/tire when they are not your tires. Like mentioned,

the reason that I received was that the tires couldn’t be guaranteed, but this

raises the issue that I could assume that if I had brought in used tires not

only would I receive a lower price to install them, that they would be ‘guaranteed’?

So you charged me more to install a tire

that ‘might not’ perform they way a tire should, and if it did misbehave, you wouldn’t

do anything about it. I brought in tires

that were the right size as I made sure they were before I bought them. They

were they exact same size as there OEM tires on the car. The store I was at

didn’t say anything about the size for any matter, just had that they had to

charge more when they realized they were new. In my opinion business is business,

I would have gladly gone somewhere else if the higher price had been initially

disclosed. Maybe to another one of your stores that doesn’t charge $40/tire to

mount and balance.

[redacted] seemed to not know the answer to

my question when I asked if rotations and flat repairs would be included since

I am paying the higher price. I am pretty sure he said those things were

included as long as it was a minimal amount. He seemed hesitant to respond

which raises concern, but also the answer wasn’t straight forward. I guess I don’t

see the value in my purchase of service. I did not find satisfaction and feel I

was treated unfair and with ample disrespect to the regards of having a simple

service done that should be a straightforward cost when it comes in question.

If the store is being retrained on charging me $25/tire instead of $40/tire,

thus a discount from the supposedly actual price, but won’t budge on coming to

terms on their mistake, this tells me that your stores can make up prices.