Do Your Homeworks Before Go To America's Tire !

[HTSS_TR]

I need to replace 2 Kumho 4X rear tires of my S2000, I had a set of 4 Kumho tires installed 2 years ago at local America's Tire store.

According to Tirerack.com, Kumho 4X has 40k miles tread life warranty but only 20k miles for stagger tires. I checked Kumho website and they state the same mileage warranty, only 1/2 for stagger tires.

I called 3 America's Tire stores to ask about tread life warranty, all of them said Kumho does not offer warranty stagger tires, only for same size tires and 5-6k miles rotations are needed to claim warranty.

I decided to order the replacement and will deal with mileage prorate when I have my car in to replace the rear tires. I had my car in for 2 rear tires Falken 612+ 245/45-17 for $67/ea plus tax and mounting.

Service advisor insisted Kumho does not have mileage warranty for stagger tires and nobody ever filled for it. I had my laptop with me and showed him Kumho website that clearly states that stagger tires have 1/2 mileage warranty and no need to rotate to fill for warranty.

All the service advisor could say after that was "Ohhhh ! I didn't know that"

The homework save me $86.xx for mileage prorate and the bottom line was only $92.xx for 2 245/45-17 tires installed.

 

[mtndew_dad]

How many brands does Americas Tire/Discount Tire carry? And each brand has it's own warranty. I wouldn't expect them to know the detailed of every warranty, especially when it comes to staggered tires. It always pays to read and understand the warranty for your situation. In my experience, Discount Tire (same as Americas Tire) has always been very reasonable to deal with on warranty issues.

 

[Barkleymut]

Amazing that you have to educate people on their job. Personally I would be embarrassed as heck if I was that employee and was shown up so badly.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: mtndew_dad
How many brands does Americas Tire/Discount Tire carry? And each brand has it's own warranty. I wouldn't expect them to know the detailed of every warranty, especially when it comes to staggered tires. It always pays to read and understand the warranty for your situation. In my experience, Discount Tire (same as Americas Tire) has always been very reasonable to deal with on warranty issues.


Let's see. They're a tire store. It's their JOB to know.

 

[justalubetech]

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
Amazing that you have to educate people on their job. Personally I would be embarrassed as heck if I was that employee and was shown up so badly.


As someone who works in a tire shop, trust me it almost impossible to know the warranty for every manufacturers different tires, because they are all different, and even different sizes of the same tires can have different manufacturer warranties, and they are always coming out with new models of tires ...

Warranties can also become a nightmare to try to deal with when it comes to the aftermarket setups.

 

[Sayjac]

'To me' the bottom line in addition to doing one's homework, is the AT employee was shown the information and made the adjustment. And many of the guys that work there do multiple jobs in addition to working the counter and computer screens. Not sure how they would expected to know each and every manufacturer warranty.

Having seen it myself with tire price match though, I'd bet if you asked them to use their internet access on there computer screens, which they have at DT's in this area, you would have been able to also show them the information with no need of your laptop.

All that said, before I purchase a tire at DT's in this area, I always do my pricing homework before entering the store and am prepared to back it up.

 

[aa1986]

The data is in their system and available to us as well.

They should be trained to look it up every time. They did when I was last there.

However, some are unexpectedly complex. One tire I was looking at did not warranty staggered tires with certain aspect ratios.

I only noticed it because I was reading the text on Tire Rack's website very closely.

 

[JHZR2]

While I'd hope that at least a ranking person in the store would know or at least be able to look up the truth, I can't put that much faith in the typical minimum wage retail jockey these days.

 

[Barkleymut]

Originally Posted By: jsfalls
Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
Amazing that you have to educate people on their job. Personally I would be embarrassed as heck if I was that employee and was shown up so badly.


As someone who works in a tire shop, trust me it almost impossible to know the warranty for every manufacturers different tires, because they are all different, and even different sizes of the same tires can have different manufacturer warranties, and they are always coming out with new models of tires ...

Warranties can also become a nightmare to try to deal with when it comes to the aftermarket setups.


Then he shouldn't have said anything and said "let me look that up for you"

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: mtndew_dad
How many brands does Americas Tire/Discount Tire carry? And each brand has it's own warranty. I wouldn't expect them to know the detailed of every warranty, especially when it comes to staggered tires. It always pays to read and understand the warranty for your situation. In my experience, Discount Tire (same as Americas Tire) has always been very reasonable to deal with on warranty issues.


Let's see. They're a tire store. It's their JOB to know.


Amen!

And if they don't know, frikken look it up!

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
While I'd hope that at least a ranking person in the store would know or at least be able to look up the truth, I can't put that much faith in the typical minimum wage retail jockey these days.



Why the implicit put-down of the techs?
These guys are typically just as professional and as competent at their jobs as you or I might be at ours.
The average tire tech is also making a good bit more than minimum wage and is busting his butt to earn it.
These people are as deserving of respect for the work that they do as are you or I, maybe more so, since I know that I don't have any physical demands in my job, nor do I deal with anything that might blow up in my face. You're probably in the same position.
A weird treadwear warranty claim on a cheap set of tires isn't something most tire stores would take all that seriously.
It's not as though the OP had ponied up for a set of Michelins and it's not as though anyone buys Falkens or Kumhos beacuse they're the best thing rolling.
People buy these brands because they're among the least costly ways of getting something round that holds air.
At the end of the day, the OP got his warranty coverage in any event and came out cheap on the deal.

 

[javacontour]

What I expect as a customer is that if you know it, you know it. If you don't or are not sure you say, I don't know, let me check. It sounds like the tire store staffer acted as if he knew and apparently did not.

I don't expect someone to know everything, but I do expect them to give me correct answers to my questions. That means don't make up answers when you don't know. Do the research needed to give me a correct answer.

The staffer here did not do that, and it reflects poorly on him and the store.

Originally Posted By: jsfalls
Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
Amazing that you have to educate people on their job. Personally I would be embarrassed as heck if I was that employee and was shown up so badly.


As someone who works in a tire shop, trust me it almost impossible to know the warranty for every manufacturers different tires, because they are all different, and even different sizes of the same tires can have different manufacturer warranties, and they are always coming out with new models of tires ...

Warranties can also become a nightmare to try to deal with when it comes to the aftermarket setups.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: jsfalls
As someone who works in a tire shop, trust me it almost impossible to know the warranty for every manufacturers different tires,

You don't have to know. You just have to know where to look it up.

 

[mtndew_dad]

Is it possible that the employee thought he knew the correct answer. It appears that when he was informed he was incorrect, he accepted the information that was provided and didn't object to making a warranty adjustment. If you live in fantasy land and think that this guy should know every little detail about every thing to do with tires, you need a reality check. The OP was right, you need to check the warranty yourself.

 

[SilverC6]

Originally Posted By: mtndew_dad
Is it possible that the employee thought he knew the correct answer. It appears that when he was informed he was incorrect, he accepted the information that was provided and didn't object to making a warranty adjustment. If you live in fantasy land and think that this guy should know every little detail about every thing to do with tires, you need a reality check. The OP was right, you need to check the warranty yourself.


+1 here.

You need to do your own homework.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

You don't have to know. You just have to know where to look it up.


True, yes...the mantra of modern education....

...but also this...the mantra of modern intellect, "My opinions are more important than your facts."

 

[javacontour]

Not just the mantra of modern education, it's a fact of life. One cannot know everything. Possibly not even in your field of study.

You look it up, you get a second opinion, you consult an expert in a particular field, etc.

I'd rather work with someone who doesn't think he/she knows everything and will take a moment to make sure they have the right answer, than with someone who doesn't think they know it all and refuses to look things up.

Fortunately, in this case, the staffer followed up on the OP's query and made things right.

The point is not that there are ignorant staffers, but that it's in your best interest to be an educated customer. Should you encounter a staffer who doesn't know, or "knows" incorrectly, you can provide the salient facts.

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

You don't have to know. You just have to know where to look it up.


True, yes...the mantra of modern education....

...but also this...the mantra of modern intellect, "My opinions are more important than your facts."

 

[KitaCam]

Re. Javacontour...

Yes...I agree....but your discussing one who KNOWS the limits of one's own knowledge and CARES enough to "look it up"...that's an INFORMED opinion, not one limited to anecdotal experience.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
A weird treadwear warranty claim on a cheap set of tires isn't something most tire stores would take all that seriously.
It's not as though the OP had ponied up for a set of Michelins and it's not as though anyone buys Falkens or Kumhos beacuse they're the best thing rolling.
People buy these brands because they're among the least costly ways of getting something round that holds air.
At the end of the day, the OP got his warranty coverage in any event and came out cheap on the deal.

Do you have to push down on drivers who don't want to spend more money than necessary ?

Which brand I buy doesn't matter in term of tread life warranty, the tire company website clearly states conditions of filling for mileage warranty including stagger and non-stagger tires. America's tire (and Discount Tire) business is selling tire only no other services, they should know mileage warranty for all brands and all models they sell. They are known for excellent customer services, that why I bought all my tires there for the last 7-8 years.

To you owners of Toyota, Honda should not expect warranty coverage for their cars because they didn't buy Lexus and Acura ? Only consumers who pony up top dollars for anything should expect after sale services ?

 

[Traction]

I don't think of mileage warranties of anything other that a comparison guide as to how long any given tire might last under ideal conditions. I would just buy a better tire next time is all. There are way too many variables when it comes to tire wear. On a S2000 I wouldn't have any trouble wearing the rears out in 5k miles. I wouldn't run a tire to 2/32nds to even ask for a warranty. Between the prorate and hassle, I just move on to a better tire choice.