FZJFillmore
Registered User
Recently I had some OEM wheels powder coated (props to Extreme Powder Coating up in NSL - awesome work). A friend had the same thing done to his BMW wheels and recommended Les Schwab for the installation as they had a "no touch" wheel machine that would protect the powder coating. I should note he went to the one in Holliday.
I took my 4 bare rims and 4 BFG ATs I purchased from Discount Tire online to the Les Schwab on Redwood and 21st South. I left them at noon and told them I'd be back after work to pick them up.
I got back to the store at 430p, the tires were done. I had them take off the stock OEM wheels/MTRs and put on the powder coated rims and BFG ATs. One of the guys asked me if I'd purchased the tires at Les Schwab and I made my first mistake. I told them I'd gotten them during a special through Discount Online.
A few minutes later they were done and the installer called me up to the counter. He showed me the invoice - $144. No kidding. I was floored. I asked them how the hell they'd come up with that amount and he spelled it out on the invoice:
Mounting - $12/tire
Balancing 19.5" rim or 36" tire - $18/tire
Valve stems - $6 ea.
Swap tires - $6 ea.
I pointed out that the wheels were 16" and the tires were 35". They said that charge also applied for "special" rims and since mine were powder coated, they qualified. I had to get somewhere so I paid the bill and figured I'd take it up with a manager later.
I called the store an hour later and talked with a manager. He looked at the bill and thought it "might be a little high". He babbled about adjustments and how he'd only charge me for "commercial mounting" and came up with a new figure - $106. I told him ANYWHERE in the valley charged $10-$15 per tire for the SAME thing. He said that "by Les Schwab's book" the charges were $144 and this was the best break he could give me. He credited my card the difference.
I called two other Les Schwab locations the next day, told them precisely what I wanted done, and was quoted $15 at one place and $18 at another - total per tire, including mounting, balancing, valve stem, and swap. I asked the first about the charge I had been hit with at the Redwood store. He said "man, if someone was really, really a thorn in my side and a pain, I MIGHT hit them with around $80, but over $100 is kind of ridiculous."
I then called the Redwood store and talked to the store manager, Steve. I told him what had happened and he couldn't have been more passive. he argued that what one store says and someone telling me they might deviate from standard charges was all wrong. He said that by his calculations, the charges should have been $132.
I've got a call into the regional manager. I had a used spare mounted to the 5th rim (also powder coated) at the Goodyear store on 400S. and West Temple today, $16 plus tax. My other mistake was not asking beforehand specifically how much they would charge me.
So, I would recommend avoiding the Les Schwab store on Redwood and 21st South. I won't be shopping at any of them. Besides - who the F wants "free beef" with tires?
I took my 4 bare rims and 4 BFG ATs I purchased from Discount Tire online to the Les Schwab on Redwood and 21st South. I left them at noon and told them I'd be back after work to pick them up.
I got back to the store at 430p, the tires were done. I had them take off the stock OEM wheels/MTRs and put on the powder coated rims and BFG ATs. One of the guys asked me if I'd purchased the tires at Les Schwab and I made my first mistake. I told them I'd gotten them during a special through Discount Online.
A few minutes later they were done and the installer called me up to the counter. He showed me the invoice - $144. No kidding. I was floored. I asked them how the hell they'd come up with that amount and he spelled it out on the invoice:
Mounting - $12/tire
Balancing 19.5" rim or 36" tire - $18/tire
Valve stems - $6 ea.
Swap tires - $6 ea.
I pointed out that the wheels were 16" and the tires were 35". They said that charge also applied for "special" rims and since mine were powder coated, they qualified. I had to get somewhere so I paid the bill and figured I'd take it up with a manager later.
I called the store an hour later and talked with a manager. He looked at the bill and thought it "might be a little high". He babbled about adjustments and how he'd only charge me for "commercial mounting" and came up with a new figure - $106. I told him ANYWHERE in the valley charged $10-$15 per tire for the SAME thing. He said that "by Les Schwab's book" the charges were $144 and this was the best break he could give me. He credited my card the difference.
I called two other Les Schwab locations the next day, told them precisely what I wanted done, and was quoted $15 at one place and $18 at another - total per tire, including mounting, balancing, valve stem, and swap. I asked the first about the charge I had been hit with at the Redwood store. He said "man, if someone was really, really a thorn in my side and a pain, I MIGHT hit them with around $80, but over $100 is kind of ridiculous."
I then called the Redwood store and talked to the store manager, Steve. I told him what had happened and he couldn't have been more passive. he argued that what one store says and someone telling me they might deviate from standard charges was all wrong. He said that by his calculations, the charges should have been $132.
I've got a call into the regional manager. I had a used spare mounted to the 5th rim (also powder coated) at the Goodyear store on 400S. and West Temple today, $16 plus tax. My other mistake was not asking beforehand specifically how much they would charge me.
So, I would recommend avoiding the Les Schwab store on Redwood and 21st South. I won't be shopping at any of them. Besides - who the F wants "free beef" with tires?
