PSA: Avoid NTB unless you want to chance a rip off

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: crw
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
NTB = National Tire & Battery.


OK, thanks. Never heard of them.


I believe they were previously owned by Sears.


I had the impression from somewhere that they originally were a business chain called Western Auto in the midwest here. Then Sears bought part of the NTB business name and started selling their brand batteries there.

Later it was all owned by Sears and they closed ones that were close enough to a Sears store with an auto center to take away some business. The Sears stores honored the NTB warranties, such as free rotation and rebalancing.

Then a couple years back the name came back on some stores. But I believe in between Big O tires ended up buying NTB. I note that a store on the south side of the metro area here that was a BIG O store is now NTB.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: PW01
Do you have the "Lemme Doit" column in your local paper? I love it when people get that guy involved!



No, we don't. Just going to keep getting the word around on various websites and although I am pretty sure that I will never see the $66.19 I was promised, perhaps I will save someone else the hassle that I have gone through.

 

[bdcardinal]

Are you sure the CEO is actually reading the letters? You could always send a letter certified mail, return receipt, and signature of the recipient required for delivery. That usually shakes them up a bit.

 

[Rick in PA]

I wasn't going to bother posting this, but this thread prompted me.

I needed a tire patched on a Sunday morning and the local NTB was open so I thought I'd give them a try.

I have the tire off the car and take it down to NTB. I go in ask about the repair, they start a bill, and have me sign the quoted price (odd). It's 20 some dollars, I ask if that includes balancing, since I just want the tire repaired, remount it same as it came off, don't remove the wheel weights. He says the system only allows patch and balance. Since I need the tire fixed, I say OK (but probably won't return). As soon as he sees the tire, he pronounces "it can't be fixed", the hole is "on the sidewall". The hole is an inch (1") in from the sidewall. I've repaired a lot of tires in my time and I know the tread from the sidewall. I load the tire back in my car, we're done here... By their definition, the tire would only have about a 4" section in the middle where it could be repaired. I believe they just wanted to sell me a new tire. I won't be back to NTW.

 

[scott37300]

I had some similar experiences at some oil change places and decided I would no longer ever take any vehicles to get the oil changed. I do all my own maintenance and repairs and am very happy I made that choice. Those places are all a [censored] shoot and are only there to rape you. You are gambling everytime you take your vehicle to any of those places. I took my 09 impala to the quick change oil place that is part of the dealership where I bought it from. Started to drive away and CEL came on. Took it back and they said to take it to the main building and they would check the codes. An hour later they told me that my O2 sensor was bad. I sad that's funny it was good before the oil change. They told me they would order one and change it out under warranty. Next time oil needed to be changed I did it myself and saw the O2 sensor is right under the filter, so they obviously either spilled a bunch of oil on the sensor or broke it some way when getting the filter off. I told them that they would not be seeing my vehicles anymore.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: crw
You could send the CEO the link to this thread, and ask him if it's worth $66.19 to him...


That's probably your best next step at this point. Either the CEO doesn't care about a single [censored] off customer, or someone below him is tossing out your letters. In either situation, threatening to make your complaint public might get a little more attention. Just keep being professional about it.

Trying to upsell is one thing, but sabotaging a customer's car is a whole different level of wrong. They need to fix this for sure.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: crw
You could send the CEO the link to this thread, and ask him if it's worth $66.19 to him...


That's probably your best next step at this point. Either the CEO doesn't care about a single [censored] off customer, or someone below him is tossing out your letters. In either situation, threatening to make your complaint public might get a little more attention. Just keep being professional about it.

Trying to upsell is one thing, but sabotaging a customer's car is a whole different level of wrong. They need to fix this for sure.


If the company is of any big size, the CEO is not going to get any letter directly no matter how you send it. Only exception would be a process server.

Most have people within their company with specialized power of attorney to do these functions.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: crw
You could send the CEO the link to this thread, and ask him if it's worth $66.19 to him...


That's probably your best next step at this point. Either the CEO doesn't care about a single [censored] off customer, or someone below him is tossing out your letters. In either situation, threatening to make your complaint public might get a little more attention. Just keep being professional about it.


Trying to upsell is one thing, but sabotaging a customer's car is a whole different level of wrong. They need to fix this for sure.


I think I'm beyond the threat, it is now public on the world wide web. I gave them the threat on the first letter and I am relatively certain that he got the first one because the response was prompt and I initially received calls from both the store manager and the regional manager almost simultaneously within the same hour. I have talked to both independently prior to the second letter and both have claimed to have sent the reimbursement paperwork to corporate twice. I actually got the info about contacting the CEO from another consumer based web site from another guy who had also had problems with NTB. At this point, its not about the money it's about the principle of the situation and the injustice of it.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Are you sure the CEO is actually reading the letters? You could always send a letter certified mail, return receipt, and signature of the recipient required for delivery. That usually shakes them up a bit.

I'm going to assume yes. Someone corporate tipped off the store and regional manager, because I contacted neither initially because I still fail to believe that given the total cavalier attitude of this technician that no one noticed this behavior prior to this situation.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: imidazol97
I had the impression from somewhere that they originally were a business chain called Western Auto in the midwest here. Then Sears bought part of the NTB business name and started selling their brand batteries there.

Later it was all owned by Sears and they closed ones that were close enough to a Sears store with an auto center to take away some business. The Sears stores honored the NTB warranties, such as free rotation and rebalancing.

Then a couple years back the name came back on some stores. But I believe in between Big O tires ended up buying NTB. I note that a store on the south side of the metro area here that was a BIG O store is now NTB.

I can verify that at one point Western Auto and Sears were connected as I used my Sears card at a WA to buy an outboard motor.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: imidazol97
I had the impression from somewhere that they originally were a business chain called Western Auto in the midwest here. Then Sears bought part of the NTB business name and started selling their brand batteries there.

Later it was all owned by Sears and they closed ones that were close enough to a Sears store with an auto center to take away some business. The Sears stores honored the NTB warranties, such as free rotation and rebalancing.

Then a couple years back the name came back on some stores. But I believe in between Big O tires ended up buying NTB. I note that a store on the south side of the metro area here that was a BIG O store is now NTB.

I can verify that at one point Western Auto and Sears were connected as I used my Sears card at a WA to buy an outboard motor.


They were connected. The last Die Hard battery I ever purchased was at a Western Auto store.

 

[paulo57509]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
I wasn't going to bother posting this, but this thread prompted me.

I needed a tire patched on a Sunday morning and the local NTB was open so I thought I'd give them a try.

I have the tire off the car and take it down to NTB. I go in ask about the repair, they start a bill, and have me sign the quoted price (odd). It's 20 some dollars, I ask if that includes balancing, since I just want the tire repaired, remount it same as it came off, don't remove the wheel weights. He says the system only allows patch and balance. Since I need the tire fixed, I say OK (but probably won't return). As soon as he sees the tire, he pronounces "it can't be fixed", the hole is "on the sidewall". The hole is an inch (1") in from the sidewall. I've repaired a lot of tires in my time and I know the tread from the sidewall. I load the tire back in my car, we're done here... By their definition, the tire would only have about a 4" section in the middle where it could be repaired. I believe they just wanted to sell me a new tire. I won't be back to NTW.


I had a similar experience with the local Les Schwab in Tracy, CA. Dropped off the tire with a partial screw in the tread. Two hours later they called and told me it can't be fixed. Told me the sidewall was cut. I KNOW that that wasn't the case when I brought it in. I filled the tire with air to look for the leak and found the screw fragment. There was no cut in the sidewall.

Only conclusion I can come up with was someone over there took a box cutter to the sidewall. Yeah...free tire repair. At the time I didn't even know they repaired tires for free. It's just a come on.

 

[Spazdog]

When I worked at Western Auto, Sears was the parent company for Western Auto and NTB.
I still have my Sears employee discount card....wonder if it still works

 

[morris]

make a sign that says cheaters. put it on top of your car, park it in front of there site

 

[JDD]

I truly despise the national repair chains. Fireston=NTB=Sears=Goodyear. It's one big upsell. They have meetings every week and they stress the 'ol ----no car rolls out of here with less than $500 work done---. I've heard it from several people who worked at these places. Sears is actually the better of the 4 IMO

 

[kelpie]

WE have Merchant's Tire in the Richmond area, and they are a similar ripoff. I went there once and never again. They tried the upsells and high pressure. Have never seen "high pressure" in tire sales and have never seen it since I left Merchant's.

 

[Mr Nice]

Maybe just do the oil change yourself and not have any headaches.

 

[Smoky14]

Sometimes it does pay to write the boss. In was being given the royal runaround by Acura about an engine noise I heard and no one else could. I wrote the VP of Honda and waited for a reply.

One month later a district trouble shooter came to my house, we drove the car. He thought he also heard a faint noise. The engine was torn down and inspected and found a scored cylinder wall. Engine was replaced but it took 3months to get a new engine shipped to the dealer doing the work. They gave me a new Acura to drive for the period of time. The car now has 82K with 71K on the motor and still running like a top.
For ther most part it lives on PP.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Maybe just do the oil change yourself and not have any headaches.



Cold weather + no garage + no time + bad back = no way.
Never had a problem before NTB and haven't had a problem since. Wouldn't suggest the joint to my worst enemy.
Been doing the Wally World/Quaker State/Jeff Gordon special for <$20 OTD. Works for me.

 

[AdRock]

Please don't take this the wrong way.

If you saw the guy under the hood with a screwdriver you knew he didn't need.

You saw the guy put grease on the cv boot in order to get another job out of you.

It was clear that they had no problem breaking something on your car.


I personally would have checked the oil level, checked to make sure the filter was a new one, and lifted the hood to do a quick once over of cables wires & hoses before I ever started the vehicle.

With that being said, I'm not implying that the blame is on you at all. It's 100% on them. I'm guessing you never got the $$$ though. Unless I missed it in an earlier post.