I purchased 2 new tires at Pep Boys on Pleasant Valley Road but was overcharged $22.00 on the tires. I am a poor person and 20 bucks is a lot. They lied and they stole from me. Lied to me about costs and service and then charged me more which is what I call stealing.
The sales person told me "mounting is extra and costs $10.99 per tire". This is not true as I read a sign later on the wall that said mounting was free. After I figured it out, they said I asked for mounting and balancing which costs $10.99, which was a lie. The clerk was also quick and confusing about costs. She changed the words she used several times. There is no service PEP Boys provides called "mounting and balancing", there is just mounting for free and balancing $10.99 per tire. It was right on the sales slip when I finally got it, just as I left.
I complained but all the clerks would say was "mounting and balancing for $10.99". I kept saying but mounting is free.
And of course I signed a contract which I never got a copy of. I supose they would say I declined my copy.
What they do is get people to agree to the high balancing change by telling them it is for mounting except mounting comes free at PEP Boys. I would never pay someone $10.99 to balance truck tires for my old truck. It is not needed and just wastes their time and my money.
The way it appears to work is you go to the counter and say I need the cheapest tires for my truck/car I can get. This is their key to try and stick you with the extra charges. So they say mounting is extra to get more money out of you. They never say mounting is free. It is as if they were told to never say "mounting is free" in the training videos. I don't know why they need to rip off their poorest customers but this is what they appear to do. So this is a warning. They all keep saying "mounting and balancing", "mounting and balancing",
"mounting and balancing". I wanted to say shut up and close your mouth. MOUNTING IS FREE!
Another issue I have is I bought tires years ago from them and I did not buy the extended road warrenty and the tires had large bumps on the sides as if they were seconds. This time I bought the warrenty (okay kick me in the ass for being stupi twice, $4.95) and the tires look perfect. It may be they save the second tires for the cheapest customers. They also charge extra for valve replacements if you ask for them. Last time I skipped balancing but they got me for valves.
Pep Boys is just a little to organized in the "stick it to the customer" department for me to go there again. They never tell you mounting is free, always say "mounting and balancing costs $10.99 (all the clerks say this), quote confusing prices and change terms, get you to sign a contract, don't give you a copy, print out a sales slip for you only at the end.
What I am saying is it is planned and they make a lot of money from it. Thats what a rip-off is.
You know how food at discount stores often does not ring up at the sale price but you pay full price. You know how KMART never seesm to have the best bargains they advertise in the Sunday newspaper. These are not accidents they are rip-offs and well thought out.
Pep Boys backs theirs up with contracts and careful wording of sales pitches. They might say hey he should know it was written on the wall. Actually it was and thats how I found out.
I also waited 2 hours for two new tires. Since they print the sales slip at the end it said in at 12:03 and out at 12:03. Talk about fast service.
The solution is Eddies Tires. Right over on Valley Avenue. I bought 4 tires there this week and was out in 20 minutes time. I hate to even mention these guys on the same page as Pep Boys. The price they quoted was reasonable (remember I am cheap) and it included mounting, balancing, and new valves all for free. They were fast and efficient and I am sure they did it right. Two men worked on my car. No lies, no stealing, just fast service at a low price. It was all included in the price.
By Pep Boy standards it would have taken 4 hours and cost a little more.
Remember EDDIES TIRES, Valley Avenue.
Joe
Winchester, Virginia
U.S.A.
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