Sears Auto Center

THEY SOLD ME AN OLD TIRE TOO!. We got some new tires on our 2010 Honda Accord just last month and although we had just had an alignment job done by the dealer in January, the manager Cornelius said that we would need to have the car aligned again if we wanted the tire warranty to be valid. This seems to be what he says to everyone because we heard the same speech being made to another lady just as we were leaving. My instincts told me that I was probably being taken but I decided to just let it go and get the tires put on. Mistake number 1.

After the work was done, we left but one of the tires started leaking the very next day and so we went back figuring that they would remember us and take care of it. Cornelius wasn’t there and for some reason, I didn’t bother to mention that we had just had the tires put on the day before. What happened next really blows my mind. The guy comes back and tells me that the tire can’t be repaired –which I suppose could have been true but the tire, he says, will have to be replaced and that based on the remaining tread I will be given a credit of just under $20 for a $100 tire I bought yesterday. How does this work? So if you use the tire half way, they can measure how much tread is left and that’s your credit. It seems more like it’s just a hook to keep you from going somewhere else for another tire since it could potentially cost you more without the warranty –makes sense? The guy showed me the date stamp from Michelin on the tires and three had been manufactured recently but one with the hole was from 2009! I can personally attest that Sears sold me a used tire and although they would “do the right thing” and honor the warranty on it, HALF OF THAT WARRANTY WAS GONE. That’s when I found this:

abcnews.go[DOT]com/Blotter/story?id=4822250&page=1

(Fix url with actual dot)

It seems that selling used tires as new is nothing new at Sears! By this time Cornelius was back and he remembered me and although he seemed “theatrically” sympathetic, he basically told me that I would have to buy another tire and that he was “Doing me a favor” by honoring the warranty because the manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t apply. He made it sound like Sears was just going to eat this huge loss. Well, the time for mistakes was over. I put on the spare tire, drove to Discount tires where they have a clear display of what can, and what cannot be repaired. NOT ONLY could my tire be repaired, NOT ONLY would they do it for free, BUT A BRAND NEW tire actually cost $40 less (mounted and balanced and out-the-door) -math check: that’s $20 cheaper EVEN WITH the discount that Cornelius and Sears was going to give me “as a special favor”

Lesson: Just go to Discount tires in the first place. They’re not bankrupt, they’re not closing stores, they’re not scandle-ridden rip-offs trying to return to profitability by desperate and unethical moves. Most importantly, they don’t systematically lie like Cornelius and his friends do.…

Absolutely the worst!. We took our car in for a tire rotation before going on a trip. When we came to pick up the car, I asked, "How were the tires?". The clerk said, "Oh! They didn't even fill out the paper work!" and he went out to the garage, came back and said, "He said everything was fine". We went on a short trip the next day and got a flat tire. The garage told us the tire was unrepairable and had hardly any tread! When we took it back to Sears, they said we not only needed 4 new tires, but they said we needed to go pick up some parts for the camber, which the Honda dealership later told us we didn't even need! Long story short: These guys have no clue!…

AVOID THEM. Their batteries are a rip off. They refuse to honor battery warranty and the manager Ryan Cornelius THREATENED TO CALL POLICE! My battery is only 2yrs old and has 3yr FREE REPLACEMENT warranty but still they tried to make me pay. He said it was his decision and that there was no one else to talk to about it so I'm screwed. The warranty terms are clear: 3 yrs free replacement and I have my receipt! My battery was the SUV and it's better than the Gold but they don't make it anymore so they tried to downgrade me to the Gold. When I bought it, they called it "our best" and they charged more than the GOLD. Now they conveniently down-grade you and if you don't like it, you can leave and if you don't THEY CALL THE POLICE!! They left me with nothing so took my dead battery and went to Autozone to get one that works. Sears Auto has a long history of rip-offs and scandals! Check online and see for yourself. SEARS DOESN'T KEEP THEIR PROMISES I recommend getting your next battery at Autozone. They have the same warranty and it's good at more locations. Sears is closing stores left and right and might not even be in business in another 3yrs. Autozone also has a reputation that's worth protecting. I haven't had any hassles with them.…