OT; Tire store rant Long

[Ross]

Another story that illustrates why you should avoid NTB and it's ilk.

These asshats sold grandma tires for the Oldsmobile 2000 miles ago, clobbered her for about $90 worth of extra BS fees too.
Well, the thing shakes like a mixmaster over 50mph from the right front.
So back it goes for a rebalance, I did not specify which wheel. Now I know better than to go there, even for "free" but it angers me that these jokers pile on all this extra crap and can't even balance a tire properly. So I go. I watch through the window.
They only check the front wheels, rebalance the RF (wrong weights) and try to sell me a center link, idler arm and a pitman arm which is not even a wear item on this car. They also tell me the balance was fine.
I reminded the salesman that the pitman arm on this car is not a wear item, I watched the RF being rebalanced and the rears weren't even off, so he gets all defensive. The pitman arm is a hunk of steel with two holes in it, no moving parts, it will last forever.
This "safety check" missed worn brakes, a badly leaking pinion seal and an obvious exhaust leak. Tires pressures weren't even checked.
I figure I've maybe a 50/50 chance of proper balance (no chance to check due to traffic) and then need to hope the weights will stay on.
I will keep telling myself; never again, never again, never again.
Even for "free", never again, never again, never again.

[Tiger]

That's why I really hate tire stores. That is why I have my own tire changer... and finally got my uncle to buy new balancer... Sweet!

[txp135]

Unfortunately, a lot of places are like that.

My brother stopped by a Meineke in Florida to fix his noisy exhaust and they putty/weld it up.

When he arrived in El Paso, TX, the problem came back and he took it to Meineke there. The guy couldn't believe what the dumb*** in florida did. He said that this thing cannot be repair because it's Stainless steel, it has to be replaced. He asked for the receipt, got my brother's money refunded and reported the shop in florida. He said that the way my brother's car was, if he took trips longer than 40 miles there's a danger of the fire cause by the exhaust gas.

So my brother was lucky and so was Meineke. Maybe you can go to another NTB since they are a national chain?

[Ross]

No chance of going back, it is the company's (SEARS I believe)culture to gouge at every opportunity.