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This one's a bit older, but still annoying to this day.
Background: I'm a classic car owner. Those of you who aren't need to understand this about our "type" in this story: My car was my first love. I baby it like I would my own son. I hate letting ANYONE touch, drive or look at my car unless I know and trust them explicitly. The only thing that comes before my car is my wife (no, I'm not a daddy either). For this reason, it annoys me to have to turn my keys over to mechanics.
When I first moved here, I had to pay to have the suspension replaced as I had neither the tools nor the time to do the repairs myself. (tools were still in limbo somewhere with the moving company, and was still more or less homeless living in a friend's basement in a new state, starting a new job, and looking for a place to live.)
After this was done, my bank account was shot, so I couldn't afford to have the tires aligned. I later pulled an airhead move and let it slip from my mind. Fast forward a few months, and I notice my tires are bald, and remembered I never had the alignment redone after the suspension replacement.
I went to my trusted guys for new tires (Discount Tires - highly recommended, and have always done me right.) then went looking for someone to do the alignment, since they don't do that.
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I made the mistake of going to a nearby place that I should have known was shady. I get the car back, and after a few days, stuff isn't right. Every so often, while braking, the car pulls to the right, and steering isn't what it should have been (took more force than normal). I took the car back, and the following happened:
Manager: It wasn't us. You must have done something to it. Hit any curbs recently?
Me: There's no way in hell I've hit a curb in my car. It started acting up all on it's own. Maybe your tech got sidetracked and forgot to tighten down the locking bolt after adjusting things?
Manager: No way this happened.
Me: Explain the symptoms, and the excessive tire wear for the tires being less than 1 month old.
Manager: Your tires should have been replaced at 2,000 miles.
Me: Given. This car is rated for rotation every 6,000. The tires have less than 500. Therefore they aren't scheduled. That is excessive, no?
Manager: Well, I'll have them take a look, but there's nothing we can do for you.
*20 minutes passes*
*Manager hands me a paper showing everything was to spec and nothing was changed*
Me: This shows nothing was done.
Manager: Right. Everything was to spec.
Me: Ok...what about the symptoms, and the tire wear? You guys were the last ones to work on this car. I haven't so much as replaced oil in this car since.
Manager: It's all correct. You should rotate your tires when you're scheduled to.
Me: ...I do. Once again, the tires have LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THEM. Are you saying I need to rotate tires every time I drive around the block?
Manager: What was the mileage when you came in here last?
Me: *gives mileage from log book*
Manager: Well, I saw that there was excessive wear on the inner shoulder of the tires. You should keep your tires inflated.
Me: Err. You obviously know nothing about cars. Overinflation shows as wear in the middle of the tire. Under is on BOTH shoulders, not just inner. Inner shoulder wear indicates misalignment, which I do believe is YOUR job, no?
Manager: Well there's nothing else I can help with then. *leaves before I can reply*
I gave up and just rotated the tires when I got home. When I pulled out of the parking lot, I tested things, and everything was as it should have been originally. Someone screwed up, then lied to cover their tracks, but there isn't much to be done sadly, beyond go to the BBB. Definitely won't go back there again, though.
Background: I'm a classic car owner. Those of you who aren't need to understand this about our "type" in this story: My car was my first love. I baby it like I would my own son. I hate letting ANYONE touch, drive or look at my car unless I know and trust them explicitly. The only thing that comes before my car is my wife (no, I'm not a daddy either). For this reason, it annoys me to have to turn my keys over to mechanics.
When I first moved here, I had to pay to have the suspension replaced as I had neither the tools nor the time to do the repairs myself. (tools were still in limbo somewhere with the moving company, and was still more or less homeless living in a friend's basement in a new state, starting a new job, and looking for a place to live.)
After this was done, my bank account was shot, so I couldn't afford to have the tires aligned. I later pulled an airhead move and let it slip from my mind. Fast forward a few months, and I notice my tires are bald, and remembered I never had the alignment redone after the suspension replacement.
I went to my trusted guys for new tires (Discount Tires - highly recommended, and have always done me right.) then went looking for someone to do the alignment, since they don't do that.</background>
I made the mistake of going to a nearby place that I should have known was shady. I get the car back, and after a few days, stuff isn't right. Every so often, while braking, the car pulls to the right, and steering isn't what it should have been (took more force than normal). I took the car back, and the following happened:
Manager: It wasn't us. You must have done something to it. Hit any curbs recently?
Me: There's no way in hell I've hit a curb in my car. It started acting up all on it's own. Maybe your tech got sidetracked and forgot to tighten down the locking bolt after adjusting things?
Manager: No way this happened.
Me: Explain the symptoms, and the excessive tire wear for the tires being less than 1 month old.
Manager: Your tires should have been replaced at 2,000 miles.
Me: Given. This car is rated for rotation every 6,000. The tires have less than 500. Therefore they aren't scheduled. That is excessive, no?
Manager: Well, I'll have them take a look, but there's nothing we can do for you.
*20 minutes passes*
*Manager hands me a paper showing everything was to spec and nothing was changed*
Me: This shows nothing was done.
Manager: Right. Everything was to spec.
Me: Ok...what about the symptoms, and the tire wear? You guys were the last ones to work on this car. I haven't so much as replaced oil in this car since.
Manager: It's all correct. You should rotate your tires when you're scheduled to.
Me: ...I do. Once again, the tires have LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THEM. Are you saying I need to rotate tires every time I drive around the block?
Manager: What was the mileage when you came in here last?
Me: *gives mileage from log book*
Manager: Well, I saw that there was excessive wear on the inner shoulder of the tires. You should keep your tires inflated.
Me: Err. You obviously know nothing about cars. Overinflation shows as wear in the middle of the tire. Under is on BOTH shoulders, not just inner. Inner shoulder wear indicates misalignment, which I do believe is YOUR job, no?
Manager: Well there's nothing else I can help with then. *leaves before I can reply*
I gave up and just rotated the tires when I got home. When I pulled out of the parking lot, I tested things, and everything was as it should have been originally. Someone screwed up, then lied to cover their tracks, but there isn't much to be done sadly, beyond go to the BBB. Definitely won't go back there again, though.
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