On April 22 I balanced, rotated and aligned the tires of my 2000 Toyota Camry at The Tire Choice and Total Car Care at 8600 Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers, Florida. When my wife picked up the car, she was informed that the tires showed considerable wear and should be replaced, but she decided not to replace them at that time. This was the only problem told to my wife when she picked up the car on April 22.
On April 29 I noticed that my back right tire was very low and losing air. On the morning of April 30, I took the car to Sam's Club to replace all 4 tires. Once the technician got the car up, he informed me that I was missing a lug nut from my back left wheel, and that two of the studs were broken from the same back left wheel. After putting on my new tires, he informed me that he had been able to put one lug nut on (but that it was cross threaded and should be replaced), but that I should get both fixed as soon as possible. He recommended a place close-by for me to take the car, as it was not very safe to drive it with two broken studs, one missing lug nut, and one cross-threaded lug nut. After my tires were replaced I immediately took the car to Lou's Total Car Care and they changed both lug nuts and studs. They conferred with Sam's Club that two studs were broken, one lug was missing, and another had been cross-threaded.
After leaving Lou's Total Car Care, I returned to The Tire Choice and Total Car Care at 8600 Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers, Florida to inform them of the incident. I spoke with Sean, one of the managers, and he spoke with the technician who worked on my car. The technician admitted that my back left wheel was missing a lug nut, but he did not report it. Sean then informed me that before any decision could be made he would have to speak with Dave, one of the co-owners. After waiting 20 minutes for Dave to return his call, Sean informed me that I had been "ripped off" in what I paid Lou's Total Car Care to replace the two lug nuts and studs, that there would be no cash reimbursement, and that the best they could do would be a discount toward some other service at a later date.
Not satisfied with this, I spoke with Dave over the phone, who proceeded to verbally insult me by saying that I was "out of my mind" for paying what I did to Lou's for the work, that he was being nice even offering me a discount on my next service, and that it made "no sense" to him that I would hold The Tire Choice and Total Car Care responsible for the missing lug nuts and broken studs and nuts. When I told him that the technician did not inform me of the missing lug nut on April 22, he then told me that I should hold responsible the tire company that originally put my old tires on the car!
Throughout the entire call, not once did he apologize for the mistake or speak to me in a professional manner whatsoever. After I ended the call with Dave, Sean proceeded to tell me that there was nothing else he could do, and then went so far as to say that it was nice that they were even offering a discount, that they have to watch out for people trying to "scam" them by accusing them of problems that they didn't do.
I am extremely disappointed in the way in which this situation was handled by both Sean and Dave at the store on April 30. As a customer, I should be treated with respect and consideration, and I received neither from Sean or Dave, and I was treated with outright hostility from Dave, who I was told is a co-owner of the SW Florida area.
Their website lists the first of their "3 Keys to Satisfaction" as "We hire & train the highest quality management staff to ensure your 100% satisfaction. You can trust your car with us... We Guarantee It!" Well, I am completely unsatisfied with both the management staff and the service, and I cannot trust my car with them, as I was not informed that my wheel was missing a lug nut, and when I pointed this out to Dave, he said that this was not their responsibility. What is the point of a guarantee in which you do not stand by?
0 comments