Sears Automotive Center ripoff warranty Muncy screw you Lycoming Mall Sears Pennsylvania
Today I went to Sears to have a bubble on my tire looked at. I knew it was defective and needed to be replaced. I went into Sears as a friendly and polite customer. I did not demand that they replace it but since it was a 60,000 mile tire that I purchased 4 months ago and have only put 4,000 miles on I figured I wouldn't get the runaround. I became concerned when the guy at the counter said the tire needed to be pulled off the rim to see if there was any internal damage (implying that I did something to it). This was understandable to a degree but the clerk said it in a arrogant tone, as if it was going to take money out of his pocket it it did indeed turn out to be defective.
I went and had a seat and watched as my car was pulled into the garage. The man inside removed my tire then walked away. I could see him talking to a group of other mechanice for about 20 minutes. At that point I knew something was up. A man finally came up to me and said the warranty would not cover it because I must have hit something.
I did not hit anything, besides it was the rear passenger tire. I asked for the manager and he gave me no satisfaction. I gave him that old speech that he will lose me and my families business from now on. He was a complete jerk. It seems that I am out $85.00 for the tire I only put 4,000 miles on. To top it off he refused to give me a number or address that I could contact to pursue the matter with Sears.
Later on that day I went to a local tire center to replace the tire. I did not tell the mechanic about my experience at Sears. When I was paying my bill he asked why I hadn't had it replaced where I purchased it because it was obviously defective.
Thank-you very much Sears for not honoring your warranty. I work retail so I know how customer can be with returns. It always pisses me off when someone get cash back for some junk the returned that they bought at a yard sale. I am sure people to beat their tires up and expect Sears to replace them. I was not one of those people. I am an honest hard-working individual who got screwed. Well screw you Lycoming Mall Sears.
Doug
williamsport, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Doug
Indianapolis,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Road Hazard Coverage
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, November 12, 2004
The Damage you discribed I have seen many times and each time the customer does not understand. I will try to explain how this happens.
First: We all Hit things when we drive. That big chuck hole in the parking lot or that road that comes out after the winter when the pavement expands. The person saying you hit something was not trying to accuse you, but it is a fact that driving any where everybody will sooner or later hit something.
Second: What you decribe is a seperation. Many years ago the tube was seprate in tires and is now made into the inside of the tire as a liner. When a impact hits the sidewall, the tire is pinched between the rim and the impact point, while the tires will often take this punishment, some times ( since the side walls are only there to hold air and place the tread to the rim, somwhat like a tank tread ) this will cause a bruise in the sidewall. Not unlike you walking across the room and hitting you leg on the coffee table. It hurts and you look at it but it looks fine. The next day there is a big bruise where you hit the table.
Now that tire is bruised and how badly we don't know. But in cooling and heating up as you drive the sidewall becomes weaker and weaker and air gets inside the wall of the tire and the linner ( Tube ) nopw you have a bubble. If you continue to drive on it it will seperate and the tire will blow out. This happens when the heat of driving allows the seperation to enter the inter tube area and the bruise now ruptures. Just as that bruise on you leg will sometimes fill with blood and it may have to be opened to heal.
I hope you understand all this.
Finally: This is not a defect in the tire. No tire is made that holds air, that can not thru normal driving become seprated if hit hard enough.
If you want to have a warrenty on this, it is available at an extra cost, called Road Hazard Protection. To my knowledge most all tire sellers offer this option. Years ago it was included in the cost of the tire. That went away
many years ago.
So, you really were not ripped off. Had you purchased this part of the warrenty package you would have gotten a new tire at no charge.
Few if any salespeople have time to explain all this to a customer.
Thanks for your attention. Former 37 year Sears auto manager.