Input needed on tire repair gone wrong

[crummer]

Looking for some perspectives on what to do.

 

Facts:

--Approximately 30 days ago I was pulling out of the garage when the tire pressure monitoring system gave me a warning. I was thinking maybe the cool temperatures had dropped the air pressures and just needed to maybe add a few lbs of pressure, so I stopped at the nearest air stop and began to check pressures. While checking pressures I found a screw in the right rear tire, didn't seem to be leaking a alot of air so I put a few lbs in the tire and continued on my way to work downtown.

 

--Since it was a Thurs and I was heading out of town the next day, I did a quick search of tire dealers in the DT area and found a national chain which was within walking distance. So I called up, told them the situation and they said drop it on by and we can fix it by early afternoon.

 

--Dropped off the car at the tire shop and walked back to work. The shop called back early afternoon to let me know my tire was done, so I walked back over, paid the $48 bux for the repair and went on my merry way. However, when I got it back to the parking garage I noticed there was a big quarter sized chunk out of the rim which had been worked on. I quickly called up the shop and told them what happened. The manager quickly apologized and said they would repair the wheel, just drop it back off the next week.

 

--Early next week, I drop off the car in the morning and the mgr tells me they will take the wheel off and have it repaired by 5pm that day. So I go off to work and come back at 5pm where the mgr promptly tells me that he is not happy with the work the company did on the wheel. They wheel repair shop created a flat spot that made the repair even more obvious and no where near the quality of a wheel that has less than 8000 miles on it. The mgr of the shop says drop it back off and I will take it back to the wheel repair shop.

 

--So my schedule permitting I drop off the car a week later to repeat the process. Going back at 5pm that day the repair was not up to standard as now there was a flat spot in the lip of the wheel. The mgr was again apologetic and said he would talk to his regional mgr to figure out the next steps, which eluded to the fact it would more than likely be a new wheel.

 

--The shop mgr calls me back the next day and says he spoke with his regional manager and the next course of action was that the wheel company would need the wheel for TWO days to completely refinish the entire wheel to make it right. The shop mgr told me they would get a rental for the two days so they could get the wheel to the repair shop. At this point I am EXTREMELY frustrated and told the mgr that I would need to figure out my options because I was not a fan of leaving my car in someone else's hands for any period of time.

 

--So a week goes by and I call the tire shop mgr. back and tell him I will bring my winter tires by to have them put on for the two day repair. So I drop the car of on Tues and they put the winter tires on and quickly call me back to let me know. When picking up my car the mgr says it should be no later than Wed. or Thurs at the latest.

 

--Not receiving a call by Thurs afternoon (5pm) I call the mgr to get a check on the status. His reply was that the wheel would be ready on Friday.

 

--So on Friday, I call and get the asst. mgr (mgr was off that day), the asst. mgr calls the wheel repair facility and tells me they are baking the paint and they are not open on Saturday to pick it up so the wheel will be ready on Monday. By this point I am pissed, because I am using my winter set up for a supposed two day repair and now I won't have my car in shape for the weekend.

 

--So today I called first thing in the morning clearly venting my frustration with what had taken place with the mgr. At this point he told me the wheel would be ready by the end of the day and he would give me a call around 4pm. Mgr called and I stopped by to get my wheel. However upon inspection the wheel had significant overspray, tiny air bubbles in the paint, and still had a flat spot. I was LIVID by this point and wanted a resolution! The mgr quickly called his regional mgr who said he would be down there tomorrow to inspect the wheel. So I leave empty handed again.

 

At this point what should I expect? I have taken the car to the shop three times now, four times if you include the original repair. This last time, I passed on the rental car for what I thought was a two day repair which has now been a week. At this point I see 3 options, 1) I'm screwed 2) new wheel $550 3) wheel goes back for more repairs. Sorry for the long post, just looking for some advice.

[Cordell]

Can you just take the wheel to a reputable place and just stick them with the bill?

[STEVE-O]

scott had my thoughts either give them the option to get you a new wheel at their cost or get the wheel refinished properly and have them pay for it. If you need just keep going over their heads and i garuntee someone will make it right for you. Dont let them push you around

[Rocky31186]

I would demand a new wheel. Tell them if they're not willing to replace that wheel you will be contacting a lawyer about the time that you've spent messing with this issue.

 

Other option is to take it to wheel medic and have them do it RIGHT and stick this shop with the bill.

 

And find out what shop they've been using so we know not to use them.

[nurkvinny]

One option at this point. New wheel. Period. You went out of your way multiple times, enough is enough. Firm and to the point until they get you a new wheel or hand you $500.

 

On a side note, what tire repair costs $48? Damn.

[stangsn95gt]

what place was this

[04SVT]

Demand new wheel. You tried their way over and over. Your way now. New wheel, and don't accept anything less. I wouldn't.

[Crossle]

I would say to quit fiddle farting around with this messed up wheel and just get a new one. Have they told you who is fixing the wheel supposedly? I am not asking you to name names, but do you at least know who they are outsourcing it to?

 

I would not only want a new wheel, but I would also demand to keep the one they have apparently destroyed. No sense in leaving it with them to try and make a buck back on their own mistake.

[BDHG940]

what place was this

 

+1 and get a new wheel

[TurboRust]

Facts.

-it was my store

 

-we chipped the wheel

 

-I sent the wheel to wheel medic, as we have 100 wheels in the past.

 

-4 visits later and 1 pissed off customer and i'm buying a new bmw wheel because wheel medics inability to refinish a wheel back to factory

 

-i'm not sure who their new management is, but I dont care for them. Tomorrow they will have the option to split the wheel with me.

-flat repairs on 265-35-19's arent cheap for liability reason

 

- I appreciate Josh not directly coming on here to bash me as he easily could have, but I'm not trying to hide from what has become a horrid situation.

 

- I have plenty of positive feedback from the board but this is evidence that shit happens, i'm just pissed that my service manager Matt and I have been making countless excuses for wheel medic.

 

Josh,

we will be in touch by 930am as Matt told you today..

sorry again

Edited October 11, 2011 by TurboRust

[MrMeanGreen]

In reality, Derek let the Ginger chew on the wheel to shut him up at work.

 

This is what happens when you have a Ginger in the garage.

[Crossle]

Hmm, interesting. Nobody is perfect that's for sure and mistakes happen in the automotive world.

[crummer]

Facts.

-it was my store

 

-we chipped the wheel

 

-I sent the wheel to wheel medic, as we have 100 wheels in the past.

 

-4 visits later and 1 pissed off customer and i'm buying a new bmw wheel because wheel medics inability to refinish a wheel worth a shit.

 

-i'm not sure who their new management is, but I dont care for them. Tomorrow they will have the option to split the wheel with me or get slandered until i'm blue in the face.

-flat repairs on 265-35-19's arent cheap for liability reason

 

- I appreciate Josh not directly coming on here to bash me as he easily could have, but I'm not trying to hide from what has become a horrid situation.

 

- I have plenty of positive feedback from the board but this is evidence that shit happens, i'm just pissed that my service manager Matt and I have been making countless excuses for wheel medic.

 

Josh,

we will be in touch by 930am as Matt told you today..

sorry again

 

 

Thanks for the support Derek, I look fwd to bringing this to a close. Your store's reputation on CR is what made me not even think twice about having the repair done there.

[oh8sti]

I seem to hear mixed reviews about wheel medic.

[Patterson]

I've fubared my fair share of stuff when refininishing parts. Sadly it happens. I did a set of BBS's for a fellow member earlier this year. We were on a super tight schedule, and tried my best to get him a quality job. After the hell of stripping (3 days in the chem bath) and refininishing all four in less than 24hrs. the wheels looked okay, not to my own standarts, and certainly not his. He took them to WM to get them reshot and they came out great.

 

It happens for what ever reason but some jobs are jinxed from the get go. Derek and WM are both reputable companies, I personally have no doubt that they will make good on this.

 

Am I allowed to say all that?

[KennyFKINPowerz]

Wheel Medic used to be good back in the day but they seem like they are falling apart.

[TurboRust]

I said some things about wheel medic that i shouldn't have from the get go without talking to the boss man.. they are going to do what it takes to fix this

[nurkvinny]

-flat repairs on 265-35-19's arent cheap for liability reason

 

 

What's your shop's steps in fixing a 19" tire? I don't want to bust your balls man, but I am curious what parts and labor go into a $50 tire repair.

 

P.S. Nice edits.

 

:gabe:

[Rocky31186]

Probably dismount the tire, patch from the inside, and rebalance. 45$ is normal for a tire repair.

 

 

Glad it's all getting takin care of.

[nurkvinny]

Blah, edited. Not worth it.

 

I will simply disagree with the above.

[TurboRust]

I simply edited the unneeded shit talking in my post, it was unneeded. In the end wheel.medic.is.refunding us for the repair, and we are getting josh a new wheel..

 

 

 

 

 

Vinny no need for a pissing match but are you going to tell me dismounting, patching a tire and remount/balance will take the same amount of time and effort on

A Tempo

A truck tire

A performance tire?

[BDHG940]

In Derek's defense, I think he's a stand up guy and will continue to buy tires off them.

[nurkvinny]

I simply edited the unneeded shit talking in my post, it was unneeded. In the end wheel.medic.is.refunding us for the repair, and we are getting josh a new wheel..

 

Vinny no need for a pissing match but are you going to tell me dismounting, patching a tire and remount/balance will take the same amount of time and effort on

A Tempo

A truck tire

A performance tire?

 

Nope, no pissing match intended, or wanted man.

 

But, as someone who has done more tire work than *most* folks on here (notice most), I never charged more to dismount, repair, mount, or balance a 19" tire than others. I would think modern tire machines and balancers should handle a 19" just as easily as any you mentioned. Maybe we were undercharging people and leaving some profit on the table.

 

If your shop has pricing policies different than that, and your shop and the paying customer are happy, that's cool, I was just asking what was involved in a $45-$50 repair. I thought maybe he needed a lot of bead cleaning, or a new bolt-in stem, or stick-on weights, or who knows what else.

 

In full disclosure, our shop was in a smaller city, with much lower overhead and employees with smaller paychecks.

 

I've seen the countless "+1 for Derek" threads here, so you obviously must be doing things right. I know firsthand that no matter what your work ethics and policies are, eventually a bad situation pops up, and kudos for resolving this one.

 

BTW, no jab intended about the edits. Shows maturity that a lot of folks wouldn't have had. I just enjoy reading the before and after edited posts.

[Archie]

I said some things about wheel medic that i shouldn't have from the get go without talking to the boss man.. they are going to do what it takes to fix this

 

You spoke the your mind and had every right to. WM has gone down hill a little bit, I was treated good when Metro Mike was there but I'll probably never go back. Whenever I had interaction with the owner(s) or whateverthefuck, I was not shown the slightest respect as a customer. That's not good business practice - treat the guy who fillls your pockets like shit.

[Farkas]

I think you need to quit being a little baby about the situation.

 

Derek is obviously doing his best to accommodate you. You're not left without transportation and unfortunate for derek, he isn't getting the service he expects from a sub-contracted job.