[joeflies]

I've had substandard service at way too many tire shops, it seems that everybody in this business is incompentent.

I tried a major tire store near my house this week and they have a big sign up front "Customer Guarantees", and one of them said hand-torqued bolts. Well, I noticed my brakes are pulsating ever since I got the car back, so I broke out the torque wrench and found I couldn't even loosen the bolts without a good whack on it. I dunno if I could have even got them off with the l-shaped stock tool. There is NO WAY that this is 81 ft/lbs, it feels more like 100+.

Well, I'm fairly certain that the bolts were airgunned on and they warped my rotors. Now I have to go complain and waste more of my time on just another bad tire shop.

Other things I've had go wrong at tire shops include:

1) Curb damage from the technician parking my car
2) Shop unable to dismount a set of tires I was planning to keep without ripping two of four of them
3) Bogus charges (i.e. disposal fees when I was keeping the tires, "alloy rim handling fee" for steel rims)

I hate tire shops, how difficult is it to do tires right?

 

[Booch]

Recommendations of good shops in Cambridge/Boston Mass would be appreciated. I've got some of the same gripes, and when I put some performance wheels on I'd like it to be at a trustworthy place!

 

[Sleepyheadzzz]

you tell them joeflies!the worst fee i had to pay was from the volvo dealer
it was called "advertisement fee" it aws 500$
what the heck?! we have to pay for volvo to advertise whe we buy our cars?!
thtas BS, i've never seen an s40 ad in myy life!

 

[mike_c70]

quote:

Originally posted by joeflies:
I've had substandard service at way too many tire shops, it seems that everybody in this business is incompentent.

I tried a major tire store near my house this week and they have a big sign up front "Customer Guarantees", and one of them said hand-torqued bolts. Well, I noticed my brakes are pulsating ever since I got the car back, so I broke out the torque wrench and found I couldn't even loosen the bolts without a good whack on it. I dunno if I could have even got them off with the l-shaped stock tool. There is NO WAY that this is 81 ft/lbs, it feels more like 100+.

Well, I'm fairly certain that the bolts were airgunned on and they warped my rotors. Now I have to go complain and waste more of my time on just another bad tire shop.

Other things I've had go wrong at tire shops include:

1) Curb damage from the technician parking my car
2) Shop unable to dismount a set of tires I was planning to keep without ripping two of four of them
3) Bogus charges (i.e. disposal fees when I was keeping the tires, "alloy rim handling fee" for steel rims)

I hate tire shops, how difficult is it to do tires right?

Go to a different tire store. I've been going to the same tire shop ever since I owned my car with no problems. They also do 2 other cars that my family owns, so technically all of our lives are in the hands of this tire shop. The one I go to has always been good about my car. I ask them to use weight tapes (to preserve the rims) and also hand torqued to 81ftlbs. They've always done it. I don't look over the techs shoulder but I drop in and peak from time to time and see him clicking away on the lugnuts.

 

[Lisa62]

quote:

Originally posted by Sleepyheadzzz:
...the worst fee i had to pay was from the volvo dealer
it was called "advertisement fee" it was 500$
what the heck?!

Sleepyheadzzz,
Hi. Yup, I hear ya, but you know what? I'm pretty sure that all dealerships have an advertisement fee, not just Volvo. (At least I know for sure that Ford and Lincoln Mercury do, too!)

The advertising fee you pay varies depending on what region you live in, but it's equal throughout your region. If you buy your S40 at Joe's Volvo, you'll pay $500, and that won't change if you go across town to Mike's Volvo, you know? It's just one of those things... It's done everywhere. I'm not saying I like it, just trying to let you know you weren't ripped off or anything. Everybody ends up paying that advertising fee.

 

[Sleepyheadzzz]

quote:

Originally posted by Lisa62:

Sleepyheadzzz,
Hi. Yup, I hear ya, but you know what? I'm pretty sure that all dealerships have an advertisement fee, not just Volvo. (At least I know for sure that Ford and Lincoln Mercury do, too!)

The advertising fee you pay varies depending on what region you live in, but it's equal throughout your region. If you buy your S40 at Joe's Volvo, you'll pay $500, and that won't change if you go across town to Mike's Volvo, you know? It's just one of those things... It's done everywhere. I'm not saying I like it, just trying to let you know you weren't ripped off or anything. Everybody ends up paying that advertising fee.

yeah but the thing is i've never even seen an s40 ad in my life! its like if car dealers wanna sell cars they should pay for ad fees themselves! or atleast embed it in the msrp and not tell us. that would make me feel a lot better. oh well~!

 

[Lisa62]

You know, I never noticed that. I wonder why we don't see S40 ads in the US. ???

 

[cs40racing]

They advertise it in magazines, at least they used to, I haven't seen any recently, either way their advertising SUCKS so I don't think we should pay for shotty advertising. Now Infiniti on the other hand, if I got one of those I wouldn't mind paying the fee, their commercials (second only to Audi's) are amazing!

 

[Spearzy]

I see a lot of Volvo ads in newspapers. I'm willing to bet the $400 of the $500 goes to newspapers and car traders. Seems shady to pass that on to the customer in a direct fee though?! Shouldn't that be tacked onto the sticker price to begin with? Or can they advertise it for $500 less this way!!!??

 

[Spearzy]

Oh, the tire shop thing, I had the inside lip of new 17" rim stratched deep enough to leak air when installing a new tire on a new rim! The shop said it couldn't have been them! I ended up paying the repair to get the rim machined despite the glaring evidence. I'll just take my business elsewhere...

 

[jone]

I use my local NTB store, which is owned by Sears, and I found them to be quite professional in the installation of my new Bridgestone Potenza S03s on new 17X5" wheels that I brought in to the shop to them. Have since used NTB for my "free" rotation, and the same great service was given to me!

Being owned by Sears, one could have some leverage due to their "customer satisfaction guarantee", which I have taken advantage of in their non-automotive stores; never an argument!!

 

[Poritz]

I have always had good experience with NTW then NTB. Although I could seem a little partial because I am a Sears employee, I know very well how deep the customer service ideals run. Sears has built their business on those principles and been successful. Evidence that you can have a successful business without haveing to cheat the customers. If you live in southeast Houston and need anyother work done I would recommend Benson's in a heartbeat. They are honest people that charge very fair prices.

-Poritz

 

[psycho-]

Costco! You can special order tires and they're cheap.

 

[volvo5spd]

quote:

Originally posted by Lisa62:
You know, I never noticed that. I wonder why we don't see S40 ads in the US. ???

Lisa62,
I don't see many ads for S40's but I do hear radio ads about them. Granted, we're not talking about the music stations but like the talk radio stations, every once in a while, a Volvo ad pops up and they're on the S40 too!

 

[Lisa62]

I sure don't hear radio ads for them (and I'm an avid NPR listener-member, as well as a talk-radio junkie)! Nor do I see print ads. However, I ought to add that I *do* have a theory as to WHY... I live in Southeast Michigan. The Big Three are KING here, so I'm not surprised at the dearth of Volvo advertising. You don't see many Volvos on the streets, either (unless you live in one of the posh suburbs, I suppose). At times, it's kind of nice to be the only Volvo around, and it makes "Volvo-spotting" on the drive in to work a fun activity (because they ARE kind of rare here).