Deceptive sales practices and terrible sales and customer service. Buy 3 tires and get the 4th one free is a scam. They tell you that you can get any tire in the store, with the exception of Cornells, on the "4th free" deal, what they DON'T tell you when you ask for an estimate, is that you must purchase the "tire installation" package items for an extra $85.00 (which is almost as much as paying for a 4th tire anyway). You also don't get the 4th tire "free" right on the spot, it's a rebate to be sent in that takes 8-12 weeks to get.--which is not a big deal, if we could have just gotten what we were quoted. We had the experience of the old bait and switch game when we went in. They were out of the tires we wanted, but magically had 4 of the tires that were more expensive...and they were gonna just go ahead and give them to us for the price of the cheaper tires. We thought, great! Not so fast...come to find out they tried to charge us for the more expensive tires, then when we complained about the "tire installation" package, the sales rep Derrick, lied and said that he had quoted that to us initially. He also lied and said we had called the store and he had talked to us earlier in the day...which was totally untrue...we had just walked in, my wife was surprising me for Father's Day with new tires. The manager, Doug Putman, then stepped in and said b/c of our dissatisfaction he would just "take our tires off". He then yelled at my wife and I across the store in front of other customers. We ended up NOT getting our rebate, they took the installation package off, and we were treated terribly by the salesman, Derrick, and the "so-called", Manager, Doug Putman. It was a terrible experience, start to finish...and in all the mix we realized they charged us $33 for a simple oil change, did a sloppy job, got oil all over under the hood and treated us like we were in the wrong for simply asking for what we were quoted. The bait and switch with the tires was disheartening, and especially the way Mr. Putman handled himself. He even called my wife "lady"....as in "listen, lady, I can't do anything else for you, I just can't give stuff away." One thing is for sure...they are not "giving" anything away...even what they quote you is NOT what you will get. DON'T SHOP AT PEP BOYS, they use deceptive sales practices, their services are over-priced, and their management needs a course in customer relations. By the way, I just filed an executive complaint regarding this mess, and should hear back in 48 hours on what the resolution will be b/c bottom line is, I just want what I was quoted, and want my rebate. I will update and let you know how the regional director handled this.
UPDATE 6-22-09: Service manager Troy Stuart made this transaction right for me today after a 26 minute phone conversation. He apologized for Doug Putman's rude behavior and Derrick the sales guy was going to be "counseled". Troy first suggested that I could just bring my car back and they would take off the tires..."would that make me happy?" I advised Troy, NO that would NOT make me happy as we had already wasted a good part of Father's Day on this nonsense, all I wanted was my rebate on my 4th tire giving me my $113.99 that I was taken for and deceptively misquoted. After a call back to me, Troy worked it out and gave me cash for the $113.00 instead of the rebate. We went in and picked the cash up and he had it waiting for us. He again apologized and asked me for my business again. Troy Stuart, the service manager, is an example of what customer service should be. His willingness to listen, and solve my honest issue was truly appreciated...his retail manager, Doug Putman, on the other hand, needs to retire, I have yet to hear an apology directly from him and frankly don't care to. I do hope he treats his future customers with more respect and integrity than we received. read more