Tri-County Tire & Automotive Center, Inc

I had a nail in my front right tire and took vehicle to this company to have plugged. It was plugged and since I needed two front tires I was told to come back the next day and have the repair done, 08/19/14. I came back and once the job was done my daughter and I went to the mall because it was her birthday. On the way the to the mall a light came on and when my daughter looked up the meaning in the manual it stated it had something to do with the air pressure of the right front tire. I called the shop and was told to bring the vehicle back in and left the vehicle running so they could see the light. They stated they checked it out and the light never came back on after driving it six or seven miles. I got in the car and went home, only a few miles away and the light came on again. I called the shop and was told to bring the car back in. [redacted], the gentleman at the front desk stated he thought it was small black piece that had something to do with the tire pressure. When he changed it out, it was the problem. I did not have any problems with that light until the technician at that shop changed the tire and I do not believe I should have been charged. I talked to [redacted] about this but he wanted me to pay for that piece and I did because I did not want this to go against my credit.Product_Or_Service: TPMS MONITOROrder_Number: XXXXXXXDesired SettlementI would like to be refunded the full price. I truly believe that this chip/piece was damaged during the replacement of my tire and I do not believe I should have to pay when someone else did the damage. I have never had this light come on in any vehicle I have ever owned. I did speak with my mechanic and he told me that it is a piece that is very delicate and can be damaged easily. I think it is wrong and bad customer service to charge me for a piece that they caused the problem.Business Response /[redacted]/Contact Name and Title: [redacted] MANAGERContact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@nc.rr.comON 8-18-14 MRS CUSTOMER ARRIVED AT OUR SHOP AT CLOSING TIME FOR A LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ON, SHE HAD A SCREW IN IT, WE REPAIRED BUT ADVISED HER THAT BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE REPAIR AND CONDITION OF HER TIRES SHE WOULD NEED TO GET NEW TIRES, SHE DECLINED NEW TIRES BUT ASKED IF WE COULD INSTALL USED TIRES ON HER VEHICLE. I SAID WE COULD BUT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE MORNING. 8-19-14 SHE ARRIVED WE INSTALLED THE USED TIRES ON HER VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO TPMS LIGHT ON HER VEHICLE WHEN SHE LEFT. ON 8-21-14 I RECEIVED A CALL THAT HER TPMS LIGHT HAD COME ON AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. SHE ARRIVED LATER THAT DAY WE LOOKED UP THE CODES FOR THE TPMS SENSOR LIGHT AND FOUND MULTIPLE CODES RELATING TO MORE THAN ONE SENSOR. RANDOM FAULTS AND MISCOMMUNICATION TO TIRES WE DID AND DID NOT TOUCH. WE CLEARED THE LIGHT AS TO FIND OUT WHAT CODES WOULD COME BACK SO WE KNOW WHAT IS CURRENT AND WHAT WAS OLD. WE DROVE THE VEHICLE 7 MILES EXACTLY AS WE RESET THE TRIPOMETER PRIOR TO LEAVING THE SHOP. THE CUSTOMER HAD Stated THE LIGHT CAME ON ORIGINALLY AFTER LEAVING THE SHOP ON HER WAY HOME ONLY 3 MILES AWAY. YET WE DID NOT HEAR FROM HER FOR NEARLY 48 HOURS. WE DROVE 7 MILES AND THE LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON. WE PROMPTED MRS [redacted] TO DRIVE AND IF THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON TO BRNG IT BY AND WE WILL RECHECK FOR CODES. SHE DROVE FOR ANOTHER DAY AND CALLED US BACK NEARLY 24 HOURS LATER AND SAID LIGHT CAME ON. WE ASKED HER TO COME IN AND WE WILL CHECK SHE ARRIVED A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER AFTER MISSING AN APPOINTMENT SHE MADE, TO HAVE CHECKED OUT. WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION ON THE FRONT WITH ONE OF THE TPMS SENSORS, WE PULLED THE TIRE AND FOUND NO VISIBLE SIGNS THAT THE TPMS SENSOR HAD BEEN DAMAGED, SCRATCHED, OR ALTERED IN ANY WAY. THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A TPMS SENSOR IS 7 YEARS, THE VEHICLE IS 9 YRS OLD. WE PROGRAMMED A TPMS SENSOR AND INSTALLED THE SENSOR ON THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE SENSOR WAS TECHNICALLY WORKING WHEN WE CHECKED IT. WE WENT STRICTLY ON THE FAULT CODE. WE HAD FULL TIRE INFLATION READINGS, SENSOR ID, COMMUNICATION AND TEMP READINGS THROUGH THE COMPUTER. HOWEVER ITS LOCATION WAS THROWING A COMMUNICATION CODE. AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW TPMS SENSOR WE ADVISED MRS [redacted] THAT IF SHE COULD DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE IF THE CODE CAME BACK ONCE AGAIN. IF THE CODE CAME BACK WE ASKED HER TO COME BACK AND I WOULD SWAP SENSORS BACK WITH HER AND SHE WOULD NEED TO GO TO DEALER TO HAVE THE MODULE CHECKED AS I CANT CHECK IT. IF IT STAYED OFF I ASKED THAT SHE COME BACK BY AND PAY FOR THE SENSOR. AS I COULD SEE NO FAULT OF OURS RELEVANT TO THE CONDITION OF THE TPMS SENSOR. IT IS OUR POLICY IF WE BREAK IT WE BUY IT. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE CASE. WE SPENT OVER 2 HOURS FROM THE TIME WE PLUGGED HER TIRE TO GET HER HOME TO THE TIME SHE LEFT WITHOUT PAYING INITIALLY FOR THE TPMS SENSOR. WE TRY TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR EACH OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND ONLY ASKED THAT SHE PAY FOR THE PART. NOT THE LABOR OR TIME SPENT ON IT JUST THE PART. I FOLLOWED UP WITH MRS [redacted] A COUPLE DAYS LATER TO SEE IF THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND SHE SAID IT HAD NOT, I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED AND ASKED HER TO COME BACK BY AND WE COULD SETTLE UP SHE SAID OK. A WEEK WENT BY AND I STILL HAD NOT SEEN HER AND SO I CALLED AGAIN TO MAKE SURE SHE DIDNT FORGET, MRS [redacted] PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT SHE THOUGHT IT WAS ALL MY FAULT AND THAT SHE SHOULDNT HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR IT. I SAID THAT I COULD SEE NO FAULT OF OURS ON THE TPMS SENSOR, AND WOULD PREFER TO HAVE HER PAY FOR THE PART. I HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL TPMS SENSORS AS THEY ARE EASY TO DAMAGE, HOWEVER THERE WAS NOT A RUB MARK, SCRATCH OR ANYTHING LOCATED ON THE SENSOR IT WOULD READ FOR ME EVERYTIME I SCANNED IT. INDICATING TO ME IT IS JUST ON THE END OF ITS LIFE AND HAPPENS TO BE COINCIDENCE THAT WE WORKED ON HER CAR AROUND THE SAME TIME. I FEEL WE WERE MORE THAN FARE AND DID NOT CHARGE AN UNFAIR AMOUNT. Consumer Response /[redacted]/The reply is not completely accurate. When I can to the shop there was a nail and I asked about getting my tire plugged. I enquired about tires because I saw them displayed on a shelf and I new I needed to get some because I had to take my daughter back to school that weekend. I was told to come back the following morning because it was to late in the day for the tech to put on two tires. After the tires were placed that morning, my daughter and I went to the mall for her birthday and the light came on while we were enroute. I had my daughter look in the manual to see what the light meant and it stated something about the tire pressure and I had just gotten tires put on. When we left the mall it was late and I called and left a message on tri county's voice mail. I called late in the afternoon the next day waiting for a return call but never received one. I let [redacted] know that the light had come on and I was told to bring the car in. I brought the car in again and they stated they drove the car for miles and the light never came on, but everytime I got in the car to drive it the light came on so I have no idea how it never came on for them. I was at my mechanic the light was on and he and I asked him about it and was told that the device is very sensitive and could have been damaged if the light was not on before. I had to take my daughter to college that Saturday and he told me the light would not cause me to break down. I called Tri County again and told them that the light continued to be on and was told to bring the car in. [redacted] stated his opinion due to the age of the car, but prior to tires being placed on my car the light had not been on. When I took the car back I was told that they would replace the sensor and to call back the next week to give an update and if it did not work they wanted their sensor back. Once the sensor was replaced it resolved the issue of he light coming on. I received a call prior to the week I was supposed to call back asking about the sensor and I let [redacted] know that it had resolved the problem. Then he asked me to come in the following week to pay for it and I let him know that I did not agree with that. I called him again trying to resolve this issue but he still felt it may have been due to the age of the car and I let him know that I did not agree, but he wanted toget paid and I did not want to have my credit screwed up over this so I went down and paid it. I do not feel I was treated fairly because I had no issues until they put the tires on my car. I do not believe the age of the car caused this light to come on because I have had vehicles for longer than this and have never had to deal with this particular issue. I do not feel that I should have had to pay for this service because I believe it is their error and that is why I filed this complaint. I do not feel like Tri County was trying to hear what I was saying, I was told it was an expensive part and they did not feel like it was their fault. I think more consideration should have went into it since the light was not on prior to them servicing my vehicle and it had to do with the tire pressure for a tire that they just put on the car. I would just like to be refunded the money I paid.Final Consumer Response /[redacted]/(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)Final Business Response /[redacted]/In response to Mrs. [redacted] request for refund, we will be happy to refund her money. We will send a check out today to her at the address we have in our system, to include the full amount of the tpms sensor and taxes. I hate her expierence with us was less than satisfactory as we try to make sure we not only perform quality accurate repairs but also try to be honest and communicate with our customers. Although Mrs. [redacted] has stated she has her own mechanic and has had a less than satisfactory experience with us I hope that this experience will not be her last with us. We value her business and will do whatever is necessary to meet or excede her or any other customers expectations. In closing thank you for the chance to make it right with you, we hope you are happy with the end result. Thank you Tri County Tire and staff.