Monday April 12th,
My passenger side rear tire was a little low and the sensor had gone off in my 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. I attempted to remove the valve stem cover and couldn't. On my way to work I stopped at Auto tire at approximately 9:10 am. The manager Ken came to me immediately I stated my problem that I only needed a cover taken off, thinking that a tire place would be able to get the cover off without damaging the tire.
After a couple minutes the phone rang and Ken started booking another person's appointment. I needed to be working on working and I told him I would try back later. While pulling around I noticed a few guys in the bays and asked one of them to help me. One guy did and said it anything happened it wasn't his fault. He brought over Vice grips and proceeded to snap the valve stem and all the air went out of the tire. I was stranded.
I went back and talked to Ken and he said they could fix it. Since I was close to 36k miles I asked him to rotate the tires and check one that may have had a small leak when the weather was very cold. I then left my car there and walked the half mile to an office. Ken called me later told me he replaced all my lock nuts on the tires, found a screw and patched it, and he got a new sensor and valve stem and I was ready to go.
Naive me. I went there expecting a patch and vavle stem, which was broken there, probably no more than $30. I was flabbergasted when the guy told me $240. I didn't have that in my account but needed my car. Got two overdrafts because of this. All I needed was air in a tire. I drove back to my office and then home.
When I woke the next morning one of the tires was flat. So the day after I paid $200 plus dollars for tire repair I come out to a flat tire. I changed the tire and drove to work, late. On my way in I stopped at two different places and they offered to fix the tire and I took their cards.
I took the tire back to Auto Tire to get my old lug nuts they had replaced and told him of my tire being flat in the morning. Ken said he would take care of it for free. I said ok and gave him the tire. He later called me and told me my tire had dry rot and needed a new one the least expensive one he had was $75. I said I will be right down there.
When I got there he told me it was leaking out of the side because of dry rot and he was surprised he didn't notice it earlier. I decided to take my tire and he then said he would get it done right there for $70. I still left. Today I took my car to a competitor. He dunked the tire and found a pin or needle sized hole that, and I quote, "The cleanest tire puncture" he had ever seen. The new tire was half as much. They too didn't understand why I needed the lock nuts removed and replace or the caps. They also said if they broke the valve stem they would be the ones responsible for fixing.
Now I will let you come to me with what you think is appropriate retribution.
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