Cross posted in NSXSC Off Topic as well...
I have a personal experience I would like to share with anyone planning on doing business with the folks over at The Tire Rack.
I recomended The Tire Rack to a female friend of mine who was looking to purchase four new all season tires for her 98 Prelude (I know, this is an NSX board, but the content of her experience is pertinent to all car enthusiast; potential customers). I assumed that they had their business together due to the amount of time they have remained a staple in the Auto rags, and as a presence on the net, I assumed wrong.
She called to place an order for tires we had found using their website sizing guide. When she spoke with a representative on the phone, he recomended a different tire to meet her needs. The tire he recomended was a 55 sidewall tire. My friend, who knows very little about tire sizing accepted the recomendation, paid via credit card, and the first part of the transaction was completed.
Upon reciept of the tires, something struck me as odd. They seemed WAY to tall for her car. Upon taking them to the install location, we set one of the new tires next to one of the old tires still mounted on the rim. The new tires were incredibly tall by comparison. My friends Prelude was about to become a monster truck.
My friend then told me what had happened when she ordered, so I whipped out the old Cell Phone, and placed a call to customer service. I explained that these tires were not factory spec, and that we were dissatisfied with the recomendation, furthur, I looked up the recomended tire sizes for the Preludes 16" rim, and there was only one size listed: a 50 sidewall.
I ask if we can return the tires.
They tell me yes, I can.
I ask directly if our shipping cost will be refunded (**important later**) I am told it will be taken care of when they recieve the tires.
We scoot over to the shipping company, dish out $80.00, and return the tires.
Next day comes, my friend gets a phone call. They (Tire Rack) just called to clarify that we will not be refunded our shipping cost... Wait a second.
Why call back to clarify? Maybe because they knew they had already given us false information the night before? Me thinks that is it.
But the tires are already shipped...
A week goes by, She (my friend) gets a call to assure her that a credit has been issued to her card.
But what about the shipping? Asks my friend
I'll call you back. Says Customer service.
Two days, no call.
My friend calls again: "I was told shipping would be refunded."
TireRack: We never said that. (These are not direct quotes, but you get the drift right?)
I get a phone call, my friend is very upset, asks me what she should do. I tell her to have them call me, since I was the one they told that shipping would be refunded. I never recieved a call.
My friend gets an email from the Tire Rack stating that the only way she could have gotten a refund for shipping is if she had sent two tires back FedEx, and Two Tires back UPS, instead of sending them all together.
What kind of B.S. is that? Now they are saying she coould have gotten the shipping refunded? And they still aren't admitting to telling me that shipping would be refunded in the first place.
Finally, my friend gets a supervisor on the phone. The supervisor tries to tell her the tires would have been fine (aside from "The Great SideWall of China" they might have been) and that the installer lied about the tires not fitting since he hadn't gotten to sell her the tires. (If you remember, it was me who looked up the proper sizing, not the installer)
My friend asked about the refund on shipping, and was finally granted half of her shipping charge refunded, although they still wouldn't admit to haveing promised a full refund. The manager also accused me of lieing about what I was told. (I am still waiting for my phone call...)
Lots of liars in this scenario don't you think? Everyone but the Tire Rack if you buy their side of the story. We have crooked installers, and crooked friends, but their is always the altruistic Tire Rack, they couldn't have mistakenly told me that the shipping was refunded, nope. I am a liar, and that is the mistake! (According to them)
My mistake was in ever recomending such a backward company to a friend. My mistake was in ever doing business with them.
I won't ever make that mistake again, and i suggest you save yourself some heartache, and avoid my mistakes as well.
Phil
------------------
I have a personal experience I would like to share with anyone planning on doing business with the folks over at The Tire Rack.
I recomended The Tire Rack to a female friend of mine who was looking to purchase four new all season tires for her 98 Prelude (I know, this is an NSX board, but the content of her experience is pertinent to all car enthusiast; potential customers). I assumed that they had their business together due to the amount of time they have remained a staple in the Auto rags, and as a presence on the net, I assumed wrong.
She called to place an order for tires we had found using their website sizing guide. When she spoke with a representative on the phone, he recomended a different tire to meet her needs. The tire he recomended was a 55 sidewall tire. My friend, who knows very little about tire sizing accepted the recomendation, paid via credit card, and the first part of the transaction was completed.
Upon reciept of the tires, something struck me as odd. They seemed WAY to tall for her car. Upon taking them to the install location, we set one of the new tires next to one of the old tires still mounted on the rim. The new tires were incredibly tall by comparison. My friends Prelude was about to become a monster truck.
My friend then told me what had happened when she ordered, so I whipped out the old Cell Phone, and placed a call to customer service. I explained that these tires were not factory spec, and that we were dissatisfied with the recomendation, furthur, I looked up the recomended tire sizes for the Preludes 16" rim, and there was only one size listed: a 50 sidewall.
I ask if we can return the tires.
They tell me yes, I can.
I ask directly if our shipping cost will be refunded (**important later**) I am told it will be taken care of when they recieve the tires.
We scoot over to the shipping company, dish out $80.00, and return the tires.
Next day comes, my friend gets a phone call. They (Tire Rack) just called to clarify that we will not be refunded our shipping cost... Wait a second.
Why call back to clarify? Maybe because they knew they had already given us false information the night before? Me thinks that is it.
But the tires are already shipped...
A week goes by, She (my friend) gets a call to assure her that a credit has been issued to her card.
But what about the shipping? Asks my friend
I'll call you back. Says Customer service.
Two days, no call.
My friend calls again: "I was told shipping would be refunded."
TireRack: We never said that. (These are not direct quotes, but you get the drift right?)
I get a phone call, my friend is very upset, asks me what she should do. I tell her to have them call me, since I was the one they told that shipping would be refunded. I never recieved a call.
My friend gets an email from the Tire Rack stating that the only way she could have gotten a refund for shipping is if she had sent two tires back FedEx, and Two Tires back UPS, instead of sending them all together.
What kind of B.S. is that? Now they are saying she coould have gotten the shipping refunded? And they still aren't admitting to telling me that shipping would be refunded in the first place.
Finally, my friend gets a supervisor on the phone. The supervisor tries to tell her the tires would have been fine (aside from "The Great SideWall of China" they might have been) and that the installer lied about the tires not fitting since he hadn't gotten to sell her the tires. (If you remember, it was me who looked up the proper sizing, not the installer)
My friend asked about the refund on shipping, and was finally granted half of her shipping charge refunded, although they still wouldn't admit to haveing promised a full refund. The manager also accused me of lieing about what I was told. (I am still waiting for my phone call...)
Lots of liars in this scenario don't you think? Everyone but the Tire Rack if you buy their side of the story. We have crooked installers, and crooked friends, but their is always the altruistic Tire Rack, they couldn't have mistakenly told me that the shipping was refunded, nope. I am a liar, and that is the mistake! (According to them)
My mistake was in ever recomending such a backward company to a friend. My mistake was in ever doing business with them.
I won't ever make that mistake again, and i suggest you save yourself some heartache, and avoid my mistakes as well.
Phil
------------------