naucrx

iTrader: (19)

Sorry this rant is kind of long. I know I'm not the first person to complain about Discount Tire Co. either.

/rantmodeon

Okay, it's been about 2 weeks since Discount Tire mounted my new tires. I've had mixed thoughts running through my head about if I should file a complaint and make them fix their **** up.

Here's what happened:

I ordered tires from Tirerack.com and I called a Discount Tire store across town near where I work and got a quote on mounting/balance for 4 tires size 235/45-17. They quoted me "around $20 per tire." When i asked for specifics, they broke it down for me to $18.99 plus tax on the valves. Figuring that Discount Tire Co. is a nationwide chain, the mounting estimate should hold true for all their stores right? (Wrong.)

Well, I showed up at 8:00am on Saturday Jan. 17th to get my tires mounted at the Discount Tire near my house. I was tired and cranky, and didn't pay attention to what they were charging me for each tire. (Which as I found out later was $32.95 per tire) I knew I was paying more than I was quoted at the other store but at the time I figured the extra cost was to cover for the extra care that my vehicle's wheels would receive. HAHA! Yeah right.

I got home around 10:00am and started washing my car like I do every Saturday. As I hosed down the wheels and started to get in the grooves of one wheel, I notice some nicks on it. Then I look at the outer edge of the wheel near the tire and notice that the spot where the nick is at is the exact spot the factory wheel weights were at. I make note of this and look at the other wheels...Exact same thing. I go inside and look on my receipt for the phone number to call the store back and complain.

I called the manager and complained about the extra charge I ensued as well as the damage to my wheels. He said to come back down to the store and he would check it out.

I brought the car back to Discount Tire by 11:00am, and showed the manager the damage to my wheel. It looked as if the old weights were pulled off with a pair of pliars or something. He informed me that weights on the outer rim of the wheel "will cause scratches and nicks during installation and removal of the weights." I told him if that was the case then I did not want weights on the outside edge of my wheel and that I would prefer the adhesive weights on the inside instead. The manager offered to refund me $52 or so, (which brought the total cost of mounting/balance to be the same as if I had gone to the original store that I called a week before to get an estimate from.) He said that they would also remove the weights and rebalance them using adhesive weights.

This offer had only accomodated 1/2 of my complaint. Now I had the adhesive weights at the original cost I was quoted, but the damage to my wheels was still there.

When I got home I inspected the wheels a little more closely, and not only did I have scratches from the original wheel weights that Discount Tire removed. I now had a matching set of scratches and nicks for the weights that they just added and removed that same day.

To be honest, the scratches are not horrible and some could probably pass off as rock nicks from normal driving, but the fact that Discount Tire exibited NO care whatsoever for my wheels really pissed me off.

If you ever get some Volks for your EVO, steer clear of Discount Tire Co.! They don't give two ****s about your wheels.

/rantmodeoff

Tristar

iTrader: (7)

Understand that there are very few tire places that will mount low profile tires and balance them without screwing up your rims. The only place I have has success with is Tire Rack. The only problem is that a drive to South Bend Indiana isnt always the easiest solution.

Ive likened trying to find a good tire place to fighting a losing battle. Sorry to hear about your rims.

HobieKopek

iTrader: (8)

Check Tire Racks' suggested local installation centers. Mine were about $25 a tire for 205/45/17 Yokohama Parada Spec II's, but the local installer did a phenomenal job, no scratches, and installed adhesive weights. I went back to them after my blown tire, had them install a new Parada and they did a great job the second time too. 5 tires, 5 successes and different guys each time (all friendly) so I'm assuming it's not a fluke experience.

It's a feature of their site worth checking out. Plus you can have your tires shipped there and just bring wheels down to have em mounted. Very cornvenient.

Invoice EVO

iTrader: (32)

Same thing happened to me. Went to get my winter tires put on the Enkie's, they took the weights off with pliers. Of course upon the removal I knew that there'd be scuff marks. By the time they were finished I asked to go look at the wheels, inspected the wheels saw some of them had a few scuff marks, turn around and see the last wheel getting weights, hammer in hand he pounds the weight on. D'oh. I didn't want the weights on the lip. They said I should have told them, "do you want us to replace the weights with the stick on?" NO! That would just cause more damage. Oh and they put one of the tires on backwards.

KazzEvo8

iTrader: (2)

Took mine to the shop the dealership recommended. Scratched all four wheels with dismount/mount equipment, let alone the fact that they used external weights. I ranted at the tire shop and the dealership both. Refused help from the inept fools at the tire shop.

Tire Rack recommendations are best. The local import repair shop does impeccable work here. I'll never go anywhere else!

Good luck and lesson hard learned!

mikec

iTrader: (3)

Maybe they would have taken better care of you if you had purchased the tires from them? Btw, Discount Tire will price match any internet price. The store near me also did a great job with mounting & balancing too.

Neal@tirerack

iTrader: (25)

With lower profile, stiffer sidewall tires it's becoming harder and harder to perform an install correctly. In some cases, it takes extra staff training so they don't damage someone's wheels/tires. We do work with a lot of installers in your general area. Even if you don't purchase the tires from us (The Tire Rack) it might be valuable to check who we do have in your area. Discount might do a better job next time, I don't know. However, if you need an alternate location, it might be beneficial to check our installer list. Hope everything turns out ok

Tire Rack Installers

Bogie

iTrader: (11)

It's too bad about your wheels, we all can relate, however, the guys at Discount Tire in Mt. Prospect, IL have been as gentle as installers can be on my wheels. Especially tough, considering that I'm on my third set of tires, and, as Neal stated, it's becoming harder to mount and dismount low profile, stiff sidewall tires.

sblvro

iTrader: (2)

stick on weights is the way to go. it doesn't scratch the lip and has the same effect.

stvbreal

iTrader: (17)

Being dificult to install lower profile tires and expecting some damage is bullcrap. If low profile tires are being sold then the proper equipment should be available to install them. If I pay 2,500 bucks for a set of Volks and tires the tire shop sure as hell better not scratch a damn thing. Honestly we shouldn't have to be afffraid of them messing our wheels up or being extra careful in telling them to make sure they don't scratch or ding anything. Because they install tires professionally, right? They should know this already, right?

Neal@tirerack

iTrader: (25)

All the more reason to research installation facilities for the best equipment. The proper equipment is available, however not every store can afford a $30K mounting machine, so they manage with the equipment they have. Some places wont even touch lower profile tires or expensive wheels because their machines are too old. Even if they have the correct equipment, they have to train employees how to use it. If you cant run the machine, there's no point in having it.

Research around for the best equipment. Ask if they can handle, or have done installs like yours before. How long have they been in business, or what kind of cars do they usually work on etc etc These are all very valuable questions you need to ask prior to the install, especially on higher end product.

xtnct

iTrader: (33)

FYI!!!! You are talking about the damage done by the crimp on weights. The FACTORY did that on your orginal rims. Stock EVO comes with crimp on weights. When you take them off, no matter how careful, it will usually leave a few knicks there. Blame the factory for that, not the person that put the tires on your rims (unless they added damage not related to the factory crimp on wieghts).

The failure to mention that you want sticky weights initially is your fault, not theirs. They just put back on what was on the wheels initially. Not their fault. You did not specify otherwise before the tire installation. That is your fault, not theirs.

I did specify to use sticky weights when they put the tires on my rims and the only damage I had on the rims were knicks from the STOCK crimp on weights that were put on by the FACTORY.

Please be reasonable. I think Discount Tire went way beyond what they needed to do to make you happy.

FYI, not associated with Discount Tire in any way, never even used them or bought from them.

naucrx

iTrader: (19)

I understand that some damage to the wheels was caused by the factory adding the weights to the wheels. However, there was ADDITIONAL scratching caused by the techs at Discount Tire, that were near the areas covered by the weights, not related to the factory adding weights. This leads me to believe that the damage was caused by carelessness during the removal of the weights.

As I previously stated, the weights that Discount tire added and removed the same day also left damage to the wheels. There were also indention marks and scratches left near the lug area of the wheels from their impact wrenches. That was also their fault.

When a franchise shop like Discount Tire quotes a mount and balance of $18.99 at one store, why would it be different at another store?

Just to clear up some confusion: the store I called for the quote was a store I had used before to mount 35 series tires on OZ F1 wheels. This store used sticky weights, so I did not think to "ask" for them when I brought my EVO in to Discount Tire. Although, my OZ's did not have any weights on them when I brought them in. This Discount Tire also did not scratch my wheels. The Discount Tire store I used before is 40 miles from where I live, so I did not want to drive that far to have my tires mounted on a Saturday when there was a Discount Tire near my house.

If I had gone to the store I had called for a quote on mounting the tires, I would have been charged the CORRECT amount from the beginning.

Next time I go to Discount Tire, I'll just get it out of the way and ask for them to be careless and scratch my wheels. Then on top of that, have them overcharge me.

Above and beyond, huh?

xtnct

iTrader: (33)

My post was refering to the damage done by the crimp on weights - nothing else. If you did not tell them to use stick ons, they used crimp ons. Naturally, the new crimp ons they used would also leave damage just like the stock ones did. No rocket science here.

As far as other damage, lug area, rim scratches, etc, I was not referring to that at all. Please reread my post.

Good luck!

hueman

iTrader: (17)

neal,

the goodyear location GOODYEAR AUTO SVC CTR #0277 in Alexandria VA on your recommended install list left some scratches on my wheels as well. i don't really care, since i'm getting em powder coated black anyway, (and they'll eventually get knicked with or without careless technicians) but there were several pretty noticeable scratches away from the weights.. and some on the face.

oh well... wanted to get some volks anyway (which won't be mounted by said service center)

sorry to jack your thread... just wanted to put that in about the recommended dealers list.