I bought some wheels from an online reseller, figuring I'd buy the tires in-person and help out a…read morelocal business. HOD was my second establishment; initially I'd gone to NTB and ordered tires through them but when I got there, they told me that they couldn't get the tires onto the wheels because the lip wasn't smooth. The wheels I bought had extensions of the arms that ended just past the wheel lip and it gave their tire install machine a problem. The receptionist suggested I go to House of Dubs since, as she put it, they deal almost entirely with aftermarket wheels and if anyone could do it, they could.
I called HOD while waiting for NTB to get my car off the lift so I could leave. Trey picked up on the second ring; when I explained the situation to him he assured me they could handle whatever the issue was, quoted me a price on the tires and size I wanted so I ordered the tires through him and put a deposit on them over the phone, with an appointment for the following day to do the install.
HOD is nestled in a small business park dedicated to auto service businesses - there's a body repair shop, an Enterprise Rental and HOD. I showed up a few minutes before my 10am appointment and did a quick walkaround just to see what was here. I was surprised - I used to live in Laurel in the early 2000s but I'd never been in this area; situated in a niche just below the Contee Rd bridge that spans the Rt 197 and Rt 1 interchanges. It's one of those spots that you only know about if you're familiar with the area. I've been driving past them for years and only noticed them a couple years ago, though they have been in the area for the last 20 years or so.
Anyway, I walked in right at 10am and Trey came out of the garage; he remembered my name even though we'd only spoken the one time and assured me again that they'd take care of me. I had a walk around the sales floor - they've got rims in all sizes and price ranges, from cast to hybrid to forged wheels. The prices are a bit higher (in some cases a lot higher) than what you may find online but its one thing to look at pictures on the internet and seeing the products up close. Some that I'd seen online looked better in person, some looked worse - but that's the internet for you, right? They also do window tinting, stereo systems and whole car (or partial) wraps. I actually got to see one of their wrap jobs up close, it was a 4-dr Wrangler w/a copper or bronze wrap and matching wheels, it was real slick looking, but I could see areas where the wrap was starting to crack and loosen. I'd flirted with the idea of getting my car done but decided I'm fine with the color of the car and opted for black accents to make it pop. I might come back and get a sub and amp installed for a little more boom in the bass. They had all the big names. One thing at a time, though.
As I waited, Trey came back in to verify the tire size I wanted (a lot of their clientele go for the super low profile appearance and I'd ordered tires that were a bit taller); after a bit, he came back and informed me that I might want to include hub centric rings - when you buy aftermarket wheels, a lot of them are not drilled for hub-specific sizes. The folks I bought the wheels from did not mention that, but without those rings installed, I would likely experience at least some vibrations because the hubs and the wheels wouldn't be a perfect match, so the rings were necessary. I was just glad they had them! They also had a set of locking lugs - it would be terrible to have gotten these pricey wheels only to have them stolen because I didn't have locking lugs on them, so they saved me a headache!
All in all, my experience was highly positive. Yes, the tires were more expensive than what I could've gotten from an online retailer, but having a person that I could ask questions of and get answers to in person was a bonus and at no point did I feel uncomfortable or taken advantage of. When my wife's ready for a wheel upgrade on her SUV, I'll be taking it here. It turns out they forgot to give back the original wheel locks; Trey called and told me to come get them at my leisure, he'd have them up front for me.
I know there are a number of negative reviews but my experience was a positive one and the customer service provided by Trey was both knowledgeable and professional. The guys in the back know what they're doing because I tested the car for anything that I wasn't experiencing when I brought it in, but it rolled smooth and true. I'm quite satisfied. I should mention, the experience itself was relatively quick - I was out the door at 11:52am, less than two hours after I walked in!