Just got back from a tire store that I've spoken highly of in the past. Basically I bought a set of four (very expensive) tires there back in August, and was told by their salesperson that they quoted all their prices out the door with mounting, lifetime balancing, lifetime free rotations (which I'll never use) and road hazard coverage. When I got my invoice it had a line item for "total care package" which I assumed was what he was referring to. Well last week I got a cut in one of my sidewalls and actually scratched one of my rims. So I took the rim up to a wheel repair place in Elkridge and got the old tire back. Took it down to the tire store tonight and was told that it would cost me $125 to get another tire and the guy acted like he was doing me a favor since the price had gone up since then! I then asked about the road hazard coverage (I had my receipt) with me and he showed me a little chart (which I'd never seen before) showing three levels of service that they offered. Apparently the "total care package" doesn't include road hazard but the "total care plus" does - which cost $7 more!
Needless to say I was rather upset, and told the guy so, and as politely as I could manage told him that I would be buying my replacement tire from the Tire Rack. I've already called my credit card company although I don't think they will be much help, and plan on writing the store a letter explaining my disappointment, and sending a copy of the letter to these newsgroups as well as a few automotive mailing lists to which I subscribe (which would actually be more appropriate as some of them are local clubs) and the local Better Business Bureau and their corporate office, if I can find it.
I'm basically very disappointed in the whole situation as the guy that I talked to tonight, who I believe is the manager, has been very nice to me in the past, "comped" me a couple of mountings, always been friendly, and based on my previous experiences there I even convinced a female friend to buy a (fairly expensive as well) set of tires for her car there (I hope they didn't screw her the way they screwed me! You better believe I'm going to tell her to check her receipt!) and like I said before, I've always spoken highly of them if anyone asks me where to buy tires locally.
But anyway, now that I've got that off my chest... WHY are they doing this? Are they losing money on road hazard coverage, and hoping to save money by not selling it? And more importantly, what else can I do to make their lives miserable?
Oh, yeah, the name of the place is Merchant's Tire on West Street in Annapolis, although they seem to be doing business under the name Tire Kingdom now (even though the sign out front says Merchant's still.)
nate