Honestly, I wasn't going to say anything because I'm not usually a confrontational person but after what happened, I feel a responsibility to warn others. This experience was not only disappointing, but also costly and frustrating, and the way it was handled was completely unacceptable.
About 2.5-3 weeks ago, my tire exploded while I was on the freeway on my way to work. I was in a rush but still wanted to get to work safely, so I looked up the nearest tire shop. The first shop I visited didn't have the right size, but they kindly referred me to Big O Tires and even called ahead to confirm the tire size was in stock.
When I arrived, everything seemed to go smoothly at first. I explained my situation and said I needed to replace one tire. A staff member named Byron took my info, did an inspection, and I very clearly informed him that my driver-side door had minor damage due to a previous break-in. I explained it still worked perfectly fine as long as you shut it firmly.I was asked to sign a packet of paperwork and pay upfront before the car was returned to me. mind you this was a $216 service just for 1 single tire. Once the car was ready I made the mistake of not inspecting it immediately after since I was in a rush to get to work. But once I got to work and exited my vehicle, I immediately noticed my driver-side door was completely misaligned and crooked. It will not properly shut nor will the locking system trigger that specific door to look nor unlock. I immediately called the shop and a worker named Alex answered, I explained the problem and he apologized to me informing me to come back and they would fix it for me. I told him the soonest I would be able to return would be the next day since I wouldn't be able to get there before closing. I took time out of my day to return. But when I arrived, Byron acted confused about why I was back. After I explained, he immediately got defensive and told me that since I signed paperwork, they weren't liable and that my only option was to take them to court. The two mechanics who worked on my car flat out denied causing the damage, even though it was very obvious the damage occurred during the service. The door was literally hanging off alignment and unusable.
To his credit, one mechanic named Giovany even offered to help pay for the repair himself, I politely declined and told him I was so frustrated because I had spent the last of my money to cover this emergency expense just for it to turn into a financial burden and spend more money to have it fixed, on something that could have been avoided if they were careful about how they handled the vehicle. He gave me a referral to a friend and said he'd cover the cost which clearly indicates they knew they messed up. I appreciated his honesty, but the fact remains: the shop itself refuses to take responsibility. Alex even had the audacity to say they could fix it, giving out false information. Absolutely outrageous.
Now I'm left with a damaged door, a hefty repair bill, and the inconvenience of crawling through my passenger side every time I drive. All because I trusted this business to simply replace a tire. I now have to spend $500 to have my driver side door repaired all because of a careless establishment.
Big O Tires took my money, damaged my property, and then refused to make it right. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. If you value your time, money, and the safety of your vehicle go somewhere else. read more