Now I am going to confess I am not the best person when it comes to taking ultimate care of the vehicle but I do have my moments. What I am going to do is talk about how a local tire shop screwed me over and could have cost me eventually MORE money than what it should have.
This all started a couple weeks ago, my car was subjected to a flat tire (later learning that it was a puncture in the sidewall) and so I had to replace it since of course you can’t drive on a completely deflated tire. Struggling to remove the nuts from the tire, only to find out that one of them was cross-threaded and tearing a muscle in my shoulder while trying to undo the nut, I decide to take the car to have its flat replaced by a local tire shop; Kal Tire.
Now for those who don’t know who Kal Tire is, they are a locally owned and operated tire shop here in the Metro Vancouver area and I heard that they repair your flat tire for free if you are a first time customer. So I thought, hey that’s great. This repair might not cost me money!
After getting the spare tire on, I drove to the local Kal Tire shop and ask if they could repair it. I had to come back the following day so they could do the repair first thing. First off they were kind enough to break off two of the studs that hold the tire to the car. They cranked on it with the impact gun and told me that I must have over torque the nuts when I replaced the tire. Is it possible to over torque nuts by hand? So I had to pay to have them replace the studs they broke off. I was ok with that, perhaps I did over tighten the nuts by hand too much that the impact gun had troubles taking it off, or perhaps they broke them and wanted to cover their own ass. Who knows! But they charged me freight to have it shipped to them from a company only a few blocks away! They also found that the tire was flat due to a puncture in the sidewall so I had to purchase a new tire.
After I paid $230 for the labour, parts and freight charges I took it home a bit disgruntled. The following day when I was braking I noticed that my rear passenger drum was making a clicking noise. Kal Tire couldn’t see the vehicle for a few days so asked around at work for another place to take it. After I dropped the car off (at a Minute Tune) there they called later and told me it was ready and it would only cost me $50 in cash. I was glad to hear that price and not an outrageous price like $500.
When I got there the mechanic asked me how long I’ve had the car for. I’ve had it for 6 years. He asked me when the last time I had the tires rotated and I said that Kal Tire told me they rotated the tires the previous week. He laughed and said they weren’t rotated. The rear wheels had barely any wear compared to the front wheels. So Kal Tire lied about having my tires rotated!! The mechanic also mentioned that the click was due to Kal Tire using the wrong sized studs for my car, they also had cross-threaded the nuts when they put the tire back on and also used the wrong size nuts!!
WTF?? How can Kal Tire offer their ‘True Service’ when they not only put the wrong studs on (they were two different sizes) but managed to cross-thread the nuts after telling me they were originally cross threaded?? I am glad I did not take the car back to Kal Tire, I am sure they would of charged me more to fix their mistakes. I hate how car shops can screw you over if you’re knowledge of cars isn’t the greatest. I wouldn’t screw someone over because they didn’t know how to properly code HTML.
Has anyone else used Kal Tire? If so do you have any stories to share? What about other car shops and other car stories of being screwed over or the shop trying to cover up their mistakes and blaming you?
After telling friends about my Kal Tire incident, they too will never use Kal Tire because of the ‘Screw You Over ‘ business model they seem to have.
Big SisFeb 13, 2008 at 11:34:23
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I think that we need a tire shop like this in Canada:
http://www.hiqonline.co.uk/
SteveFeb 15, 2008 at 08:45:05
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Hi, sorry to hear about your bad experience at Kal Tire. You must have gotten some ignorant fool that didn’t know what he was doing. My best friend works for Kal Tire here in Ottawa and I’ve gone there many times and have had no problems at all. Really nice people and they do fast precise work.
To answer your question, it is very easy to over tighten a stud by hand, you can snap them off with a little too much power. And yes, it does happen that when you overtighten a nut by hand that the impact can’t get it off. I’ve seen a person use a 3 foot breaker bar to get a nut off using all of weight and power to do it.
I think you just got a bad apple, it’s very unfortunate, I know how it feels, I’ve been through this many times, however I’m a firm believer that you should always return to the shop to tell them the problem. You paid 50$ to get it rectified when Kal Tire may have fixed it for free. They’ll usually fix it for free becasue they don’t want the bad publicity from a disgruntled customer.
Also 230$ for a tire, mounted and balanced, 2 studs, and installation is a very normal price, nothing absurd about this at all.
Tyler IngramFeb 16, 2008 at 09:16:35
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I think I am more upset that they charged me $50 to ship the studs from a location that was only like a 5 minute drive away, and that they put on 2 studs of different sizes and nuts that didn’t match.
I’m not saying that all Kal Tire’s are like this. It is just my first impression was not a good one and I won’t be going back.
They also lied to me saying my tires were rotated when they were not rotated The mechanic I took my car to (which was a good friend of a buddy of mine) said that the tires were rusted on (see note about me not being the best with maintence lol) and that the tread on the back tires were barely untouched compared to the ones on the front. *shrug*
davidMar 08, 2008 at 20:34:38
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I have had leaks in tires fixed twice by the winnipeg Kal Tire…always fast friendly and no pressure at all, even though I was at the wear bars when I had my last fix….It is too bad you got a moron…..I have never heard another complaint about Kal Tire
Tyler Ingram March 10th, 2008 at 06:55:19[Link]
Did I mention that they forgot to give me back my spare tire? lol I checked the following day when I noticed my trunk was a bit.. different. Oh well I went in and they gave it back to me.
Mohamed BhimjiMar 18, 2008 at 14:11:38
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Hi – I had a similar problem with my rear tires on my car. My problem was that I wasn’t checking the pressure often enough which according to these guys – http://www.roadrunnersonline.ca – cause the tire to crack when you hit potholes. I was expecting to spend only a few bucks – but ended up shelling out $600 for four new tires + all the fees etc., that go with it. Mind you I am not complaining about it, I knew I had to change the tires anyways but just wasn’t looking to spend soooo much right at that moment.
The guy came to my home and changed the tires right there. I could go on and about family business – and the tires were getting changed for me.
If you live in BC & the lower mainland – check these guys out. I was happy with them (though I’m sure I overpaid for the tires).
WallyMar 26, 2008 at 09:23:02
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I too had a bad experience with a Kal Tire store.
I was getting tires rotated and asked the Kal Tire store mgr. to look at the brakes. I knew they were getting close to needing replaced.
He reported I had 1mm of brake material on the pads. He held up a plastic strip to show me how little material 1mm was.
He said the brakes needed replacing before I left the shop. I asked if he would install OEM parts. He said no, only in house pads.
I wanted OEM so decided to take my truck back to Ford for the brake job. The Ford tech said I had way more than 1mm of brake material left…something like 3 & 5 mm front and rear, also stating that the truck did need brakes but it wasn’t an emergency.
The Kal Tire mgr. lied to me, plain and simple. He was very explicit in holding up the 1mm strip showing the brake pad amount.
I’d had previous problems with this outlet of a lesser nature but this one was too much.
I wrote to the Kal Tire Dist. mgr. and complained. He had the decency to call me to discuss this matter. I explained what went on and he said he would check with the outlet mgr. He did and called me back.
He didn’t have an explanation as to the outlet mgr.’s actions other than to agree it certainly looked like he lied.
The district mgr. sounded like a good and decent business man and until the bad experience with the one outlet mgr. have had good service from Kal Tire. But, to be lied to is such a manner sure leaves one sour on the whole company.
Tyler Ingram March 26th, 2008 at 19:35:07[Link]
Thanks Wally for posting your experience. I have to look for the invoice so I can give the number to one of the Kal Tire employees that I have been emailing emailing back and forth with about my experience.
DaiseyMar 27, 2008 at 22:15:55
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I actually work for kal tire and I am dissapointed that some people are upset with our service…yes it does happen in any company…but I assure you, it is drilled into our heads from the moment we start working there, that we are all about serving the customer..and thats what we are there for.. I have a comment for Wally though..yes a manager should know all thats going on in the shop..we cannot blame it entirly all on him..he has alot of duties in a day..but he is trusting enough with staff to believe what they say..so he sees your paperwork that says “customer has 1mm brake pad left” he cant just run around and ask every tech if thats true..he trusts his team…so thats what he relays to you..But I am sorry if you had a bad experience…we truly do want the best for our customer…as one of our aimes states (not word for word) but we want to acheieve a FAIR profit..meaning yeah sure you come in for a flat repair..and its free (no matter how many times you come in) and we check your front end, battery, tires ect … we want to look after YOU and exceed your expectations but hey if you are a buisness person you will know..its a win for the customer and a win for us…where else will you find a WHOLE mechanical inpection..brakes, tie rods, tires, wiper blades, batteries, ball joints…a whole vehicle sweep for FREE!!! Everywhere I have seen charges 50 bucks just to look at your brakes…thats CRAZY! it takes 10 mins.. and on top of that they charge you shop supplies…yes shop supplies…look at your bills…how are there shop supplies in a brake inpection…we take your tires off and use our eyes..we dont use anything just to look…anyways…am I dedicated kal tire employee…and the majority of us DO care what our customer thinks…and we want to serve you..Im sorry if some of you have had a bad experience…but just try another location…we are all about you guys
the customer is what keeps us going
Tyler Ingram March 28th, 2008 at 05:28:18[Link]
Thanks Daisey for posting your comments! Unfortunately the next closes Kal Tire to me is a bit inconvenient for me to drive to. I understand that Kal Tire’s business plan isn’t to screw you over it just my experience on top of others is what prompted me to write this experience of mine. After all first impressions are the most important right?
I’ve had issues with other sort of car shops and it’s sad to see that people will try and bleed you from as much money as they can take you for. I understand that in the world of business you’re main goal is to make a profit but to what extent? I won’t ever go back to a Mr.Lube because of the service I received there a few times as well as a couple of stories I’ve heard from friends that have worked there. Just because they are independently owned and operated they have left me with an overall bad impression and I won’t look at the other locations even if they have had nothing but great comments/success.
DaiseyMar 28, 2008 at 18:58:45
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yeah I understand…I got food poisoning once at red lobster…and I could never force myself to go back.. even though they are a very popular franchise… I just feel bad that you got the service you did..considering that is not the majority… I just wished you would have had a different location… lol…I just take alot of pride for what I do and the company I work for…. all the best to you Tyler
klew nuggitMay 08, 2008 at 09:35:19
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kal-tire blows … after getting a quote over the phone for mounting some atv tires i loaded up my quad and went to the shop only to find out out i was mis-quoted the price by a substantial amount … needless to say i was pissed that i went through the trouble of loading and bringing my quad to them for nothing … i found another tireshop near by who did it right away from half the $$
my other beef with kal-tire is the free rotation service when you buy new tires from them … well good luck with that cuz they either want you to leave your vehicle with them or you will be waiting a loooong time to get you rotation(which is like a 5 min job) .. hell i’ve heard of a friend who dropped off vehicle and they still didn’t get around to it at the end of the day BAH .. i won’t deal with Kal ever again myself
MaceMay 28, 2008 at 19:40:15
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40 YEARS dealing with kal tire backhoes trucks trailers an personal cars. West coast Canada they stand behind their work go out of their way to help us out. I’ve never dealt with a more honest and trust worthy out fit.
You got the one dip shit in the country and by the way you should have let them have a go repairing their screw up which they would have done cheerfully. Now that moron stays working there and screwing others that won’t go back to complain.Bitching on the net is easy why not talk to the kal manager.
By the way which Province and which shop in what town did all this happen?????????
As I’ve used 30 or more of Their shops all across Canada and never found yours.
Tyler Ingram May 29th, 2008 at 06:43:21[Link]
Hey Mace thanks for commenting. The store in question is the Maple Ridge store in BC. Because of my ‘bitching’ on the net I have had two of the Kal Tire’s finest employees from their head office contact me in order to find out my story and see what they could do to correct it.
They admit that they ‘accidentally’ charged me for the freight of my tire studs (the employee used the wrong code) though they did not really give me a reason as to why 2 different sized tire studs were installed for which I went to another shop replace. The other shop I went to treated me with more courtesy then that I received in the Maple Ridge location.
I am one of those customers where if I get shitty service I will not return. Why should I return and deal with the hassle of ‘oh we’ll get to it when we can’ or feel as if I am an inconvenience for their mistake? Let alone when I had 4 employees stand around to tell me that I over tightened the nuts on the studs in the first place and that is why their impact gun broke 2 of them off made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Sure they might have not thought ‘Oh this dumb ass over-tightened the nuts’ with all of them standing there to inform me of this, but it sure made me feel like they all just wanted to come out and see who was the idiot who did it nonetheless.
I think it’s cool that you’ve had 40 years of great experience with them. I unfortunately have not and it seems a few of my friends and acquaintances I have told this to have had similar experiences as well. Tthey keep making comments to me such as ‘I can’t believe you took your car in to kal tire’, ‘Oh you had an issue with kal tire, figures’. I originally took my car into kal tire because they seemed to be a prominent tire shop (tv ads, local marketing etc) unfortunately my experience was poor and I didn’t want to have to deal with it any more.
The two reps for Kal Tire did offer me a gift certificate for which I could use at any Kal Tire location, but it doesn’t really give me back the $50 i was charged for freight. I dislike when companies give you ’store credit’ when they make a mistake for something. I mean if I am incorrectly charged for an item, I want the difference back in cash, not in credit. The gift certificate would be decent on top of getting back my $50. I don’t make crazy amounts of cash so $50 isn’t something I can ill-spend so not being able to get my money back for a mis-charge hurt. If I were to use Kal Tire again I wouldn’t go back to the shop I had my first experience at, but their other locations which unfortunately are not as convenient as that one.
I would like to thank the two Kal Tire reps for asking me for my experience and trying to provide a solution.
JeffJun 13, 2008 at 12:25:51
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Kaltire is the worst company ever… KAL TIRE.. do not ever take your cars there for mechanical work. ever. i took my jeep in for brakes font right caliper was seized i wanted new calipers rotors pads and a system flush… made sense to me new car just get it all new i did not mind paying a little more then my old mechanic because they are closer and are a big name company that claims to take care of the customter… there was a “wow” factor. as in WOW it took you 10. yes TEN hours to do brakes on a jeep… thts horrible. i kept calling and asking if they are workin on my jeep they said yes yes itll be done after lunch… that was at 11:30… half hour lunch ok soo i expected it by 1 at the latest… nope still not done now when i dropped the jeep off at 8am i told them i need it by 3 because of plans i had before… they said no problem its on ly brakes should not take long. exactly what i thought… well after calling them 3 more times and telling them im coming down to get it you better have it done its just stupid wow they finally had it put together at 5:00 PM! ok so i get there and look at the work order and it says the calipers have been resurfaced:S is that what i looked directly at the idiot behind the counter and asked for? … no. not at all now my rotors are warped because the resurfaced a fucked rotor and i have to pay more to fix it and they are going to do nothing for me… nothing at all for all the time i had to wait for there shitty ass customer service and their shitty ass work.. i will NEVER go back to kal tire for even so much as a flat tire if i was a block away. they are horrible… guys dont ever go to Kaltire 75-coquitlam. ever.
VinceJun 25, 2008 at 10:24:23
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This Kal Tire story doesn’t suprise me. I paid close to $1200.00 for Nokian all season tires on my Volvo. I kept trying to arrange a visit for my first rotation, but it was busy, and I had to leave the car all day for a chance they could get to it. We need both cars as my Wife and I both work, and go in opposite directions. After one rotation, the road noise is so bad, you have to scream in the car to talk, and it drowns out the radio. I complained, took it in, and they said they balanced it and took if for a road test and no noise. I drove it home, and the noise is still there. I keep complaining, and they take it in, and say the tie rod is out of spec. I take it to Mr. Volvo, and he checks and says it is not – with in new part specs. I take it down there, and when they think they can sell me new tires, they have all the time. I ask if I can have a person for 5 minutes to ride in the car and tell me to my face it is not load, – guess what – they are too busy all of a sudden. He walks to the front of my car, and by eye sight alone says my tires are out of alignment, and have un even wear. I take it to Mr. Volvo, he comes out and infront of me with a tire gauge checks all tires all areas – all of them are even.
Now Kal Tire says, it is all because I took took long for my first rotation. I asked him if he thought I looked like I was so young, that this is the first set of tires I bought. This is typical of their crap, and I am spreading the word like crazy. Have talked to many others that have had additional nightmares with Nokian Tires and Kal Tire. At least if you buy cheap Chineese tires, you can replace them 3- 4 times for the cost of Nokians. We are now pushing the word out. One more thing, a Kal Tire rep. took my car in the back, and said the tech. took measurements, and the tires are almost ready to replace, and started to talk to me about cost for new tires. I thought well great. When I showed him, I had them not even one year, and very low mileage, and would be interested in how the warranty would kick in, and asked what the pro rated price would be, well after some red faced mumbling, he then informed me the techs are not to precise, and he could see that my tires were fine, – looking through the display window at my car about 50 or so feet away. Amazing eye sight.
Evan China tires from Crappy Tire at least stand by them, and replace them, and you’ll only pay 1/3 the price
Tyler Ingram June 25th, 2008 at 12:10:21[Link]
Thanks Vince for sharing your experience with Kal Tire.
Mike LeBlancJun 25, 2008 at 13:59:33
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All Sounds familiar. I have been recently shafted by Kal Tire on Marine Drive in North Vancouver. Last year I had a great experience with Kal Tire Squamish, when they bailed me out late at night after our run flat tire ripped open on our Sienna Van. We ended up buying a new set of snow tires for the van as a result.
In March, when we brought it into Kal Tire in North Van. to switch back to all seasons, they told my wife her front brakes were gone. I was surprised that as the van only had 35,000/km on it.
I rarely drive the van and had trusted the other Kal tire so I told my wife to go ahead. As my wife figured that Kal Tire knew what they were doing she just signed the work order and paid. It was only a week later when I read the invoice that I realized they had charged her for new pads and NEW ROTORS. Why would the rotors need replacing at that low mileage and why could they not be turned.
My wife felt bad, so I did not push the issue. A couple of weeks later I drove the van and noticed vibration when braking, my wife said it was like that since the repair. I told her to take it back to Kal Tire. The manager told her that the rotors needed machining and he would have to charge her becaus she had put on 1,800km since the last work.
I lost it. I called out the manager at Kal Tire and let him have it. He back peddled admitting that there should be no charge and would fix it for free. I took it to toyota, only to find out they never changed the rotors in the first place and the vibration was likely caused when they changed the pads.
They tried to take advantage of my wife simply because she does not understand cars. Nice service.
Tyler IngramJun 25, 2008 at 14:22:26
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I hear that more and more about car shops and women and how they can sometimes take advantage of them. Which sucks, I’m still looking for a creditable mechanic and I might have found one. We’ll see when my car needs work lol.
Thanks Mike for sharing your experience, I thought I might get to read a positive experience but it looks like yours ended up negative.
Taz WeldJun 26, 2008 at 11:27:03
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I hear ya on the Kal tire issue, but you should try Red head Equipment in Saskatoon if you really want to expeirence a real screwing over. They are all about costomer service but as soon as they get your money for the purchase of a piece of equiopment that is where it ends and I mean Ends completely. I purchased a 1995 cat 436B backhoe for the sum of 25000.00 not a bad deal except it needed some work i requested a quote and schedule for repairs. Thats was 2 weeks ago. mean while i have lost the work for the machine. They don’t want to comunicate so i have to use other peoples cell phones cause they now know all mine on call display. I sent an email this moring stating that they should refund the money on the purchase of the backhoe and i will eat the 10,000 i spent on an extra bucket and tamper. I can always sell the bucket and tamper. But alas no response again. I have now forwarded everything to the lawyer to deal with.
The point i am trying to make is that it doesn’t matter where you live in canada the crooks are a plenty and thriving on the supply and demand problems.
Kal tire gives me great service here where i am at but thats only because the manager is screwing my wife and they think i don’t know. HA! ha!. A picture is worth a thousand words. Lets see that would be more words then I can count LOL.
Taz
JohnJul 22, 2008 at 21:48:21
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I’v read your complaints and none of them seem even a little valid iv worked in several different independent shops and chain locations and I only stumbled across your web site because im thinking about becoming employed by kal tire and I wanted to find some bad press about them to keep me from making my decission im going to keep looking but be happy these are the worst things that have happend to you and if any of you took even slightly better care of there tires (let alone the rest of your car) you would not be griping about such trivial things be happy dont worrie thanks for you time
Tyler Ingram July 23rd, 2008 at 07:59:05[Link]
John I appreciate your comments. Sure these are some of the worst experiences. But you’ll always hear the bad before you hear the good. It was my first experience with Kal Tire and unfortunately it turned out to be a not so great one. But do you not think it would be odd that when they replaced the studs for my wheel that they used different lengths? Or that they did not rotate my tires like they stated on my invoice? Sure I may not take great care of my car but that doesn’t give them reason not to repair my problem properly right? If they put on the correct length studs I wouldn’t have had to take my car else where. I phoned them asking when they would deal with fixing my car and they told me they could not get to my car in like 5 days. I wanted it fixed so I took it else where. If my car is making odd noises I want it looked at sooner or later.
KristenAug 01, 2008 at 19:20:27
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Oh my goodness I am so ticked with Kal-Tire at this moment. I’ve used them in the past without issue, but will not be using them again. My Ford Contour had a coolant leak and so I took it in to get fixed on Tuesday. Having used Kal-Tire for oil changes and the like before I didn’t hesitate to use them again. They said the leak would be fixed on Wednesday, but it wasn’t ready until today (Friday). Today when they were test driving it, the driver rolled down the windows. My husband and I NEVER roll down our windows — they are stiff and get stuck (I’d told Kal-Tire this at my last oil change, but they have no record of the conversation and at the time had told me it wasn’t an important piece of information). The passenger side window wouldn’t roll back up. They charged us an extra $67 (which is a lot of money to me. . . I’m a grad student) to roll up the window (not fix it, just roll it up the way it was before they messed it up). And when I complained the guy said we got a deal on the labour overall because it took extra days and so it should’ve been three times the price (it cost roughly $1000). I snapped back that I would’ve just looked for another vehicle then. Oh and on top of being charged to “roll up the window” it can’t even go up all of the way — it stays open 3/4 of an inch! Needless to say, I will not be going back. Their customer service policy is seriously a load of crap.
nickAug 05, 2008 at 23:17:59
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It really sucks when you do get bad sevice for sure. I have never had a problem with kal tire. It seems like most of you just dont like how long it takes to get things done and the cost of tires. remeber your tires are the only thing that keeps your car on the road why would you want somthing cheap on there. AS far as time why its first come first serve as i understand it so they do there best. stuff happens nothing alway run smothly. You take your car to most places you book it in and when its done its done. so why not take it when you can spare some time. i got a question how many of you got you tires at different shop but with go for free flat repairs.
Tyler Ingram August 6th, 2008 at 06:19:58[Link]
My last set of tires came from the Toyota Dealership, I first went to Kal Tire because I’ve seen their ads, I used to drive by their shop daily and yes, I did hear about the free tire repair. If they don’t offer free first time tire repair then why do I keep hearing about it?
I don’t mind buying new tires, I believe I did mention in the above I was alright with buying a new tire because the sidewall of mine was punctured.
Chris RawlukAug 07, 2008 at 17:02:59
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Sorry to hear about your experience. I stumbled across your blog while searching for the phone number to “my” Kal Tire. I dismissed it… but it bothered me. I can’t not respond. My Kal Tire in Winnipeg, (Route 90 location), is excellent. It upsets me to see the name Kal Tire smeared when it was one shop that troubled you. While I can’t speak for them or on their behalf I must again praise my outlet. I have used several different other shops over the years and each time left angry and bitter. Overcharged and mis-quoted time and time again. Buying into the, “What? Those guys told you how much? Bring it here.”, then getting screwed worse. BUT, the first time I went to this Kal was not by choice. I was stuck and needed to be on the road the next day for a freight run. Kal said they were booked full… but when they saw how frustrated I was, (I had called EVERY shop in the Yellow Pages), they told me to leave it and they would see what they could do. It was almost 45 minutes after closing when they finished my truck. Best part was the bill, LESS than I expected. I would have gladly paid double for their work that day. I’ve been back every since. Each time the bill is fair, usually less than I expect based on other shops. Yes I do end up waiting longer than expected at times, but same as other places… and Kal doesn’t over-charge me. I have had the odd problem but I took it back and the shop foreman corrected the issue at no cost to me. Given the chance most places would rather make you happy then send you away mad to post on the net!!! (JUST NEVER EVER GO TO NEULS… GRRRR! COULD HAVE SNAPPED THAT LITTLE SH*T IN TWO! STILL CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT WITHOUT SEEING RED!!)
Tyler Ingram August 8th, 2008 at 07:46:13[Link]
Chris that’s good you had a positive outcome with Kal Tire. I’m sure not all Kal Tire’s are horrible and people have had their goods and bads. It is nice to see the good though! Thanks for sharing!
gordonAug 26, 2008 at 11:36:06
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My wife took her car in for and alternator and they did a great job replacing it along with a battery,cables and clamps.Just to have the car die on the road a week later. This was the middle of winter, so they were very busy and could not make appointment
for 2 weeks.After approaching another garage, we were told that we got stung and the car was not road worthy for repairs.
BryanAug 27, 2008 at 11:40:22
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I recently had a bad experience with Kal Tire. This is a copy of the email I have just sent to their customer service department and a copy to the store manager:
Last Thursday, August 21, I took my car in to the North Hill Kal Tire store
in Calgary for an oil change. I also had noticed that the car was shaking at
higher speeds so I asked them to do a wheel balance. When I picked the car
up they said they had done the oil change and wheel balance and had also
done a mechanical inspection. They said my battery needed replacement and
that the brake fluid was low and needed to be topped up. Also, they said the
rear tires had uneven wear which likely indicated I needed a wheel
alignment. They said the battery was the most urgent thing and urged me to
replace it right away. I was sure the battery was still under warranty,
(even though they couldn’t find any information about it on their computer)
so I said I would come back when I found my warranty information. Again they
urged me not to wait too long because the battery could go at any time.
My first indication that everything was not right was when I drove home and
the car was still shaking. The wheel balance had done nothing. When I got
home I checked the oil and it looked clean, but it was down to the add mark.
Whoever changed it had not put enough oil in. I then checked the brake
fluid, and the cap was sitting loosely on the master cylinder, it had not
been put on properly or tightened.
I checked my files and found my warranty information for the battery. It had
a 3 year warranty and I had purchased it at that same Kal Tire store 2 years
ago. I returned there Monday morning, showed them my warranty information,
and said that I wanted my battery replaced. Now that they knew it was under
warranty suddenly they were not so anxious to replace it. They said they had
to test it again. The person I talked to went out to the car with a battery
tester and guess what? The battery is now fine. Nothing wrong with it. I
asked to speak to the manager. He took me back inside and pointed to a man
on the phone. After waiting about 5 minutes for him to get off the phone, I
asked if he was the manager. He said he was an assistant manager. I think he
said his name was Bob. I told him about the battery and asked him what they
were trying to pull. He replied that they weren’t trying to pull anything
but sometimes they make mistakes when they test batteries. I told him it
just seemed suspicious that when they thought I had to pay for it they would
have replaced the battery without testing it again, but once they knew it
was under warranty suddenly there’s nothing wrong with it. He again replied
that they make mistakes. I told him about the low oil and the loose master
cylinder cap and he said he would speak to whoever it was that had worked on
my car. He said if I drove around to the side to the first service bay he
would top up my oil for me. I drove around to the side and waited. After
waiting about 5 minutes ( and being questioned by a very unfriendly employee
about what I was doing there) I decided to leave. Bob then reappeared but by
then I was too upset to even talk to him. I just told him I had had enough
of that place and would be lodging a complaint with the district manager.
(Which I can’t do since you won’t tell me who it is.)
I then drove straight to another mechanic shop that I have dealt with for
many years and know to be reliable. First I asked them to test the battery.
After giving it a much more comprehensive test than the person at Kal Tire
had done, they confirmed that the battery was fine. I then asked them to
check the wheel balance and the brake fluid. They said that brake fluid
should never be topped up. If it is low it is likely an indication that the
brakes are wearing out so they would check the brakes while they had the
wheels off to check the balancing.
They phoned me about an hour later and said that the reason the car was
shaking was that the tires were so badly worn that one of the back tires had
steel wires sticking through it. They said all four tires were badly worn
and that the one rear tire was ready to blow any minute. They couldn’t
believe that Kal Tire (a tire shop!!) had gone ahead and balanced tires
that were so badly worn. They said the idea of uneven wear and needing a
wheel alignment was ridiculous. They also said they had checked the brakes
and the rear brake cylinders were leaking badly and the front brakes were so
badly worn it was almost metal on metal. Again, they couldn’t believe Kal
Tire had not checked the brakes while they had the wheels off, especially
when they had said the brake fluid was low. Before giving the go ahead to do
the work, I inspected everything and confimed everything I had been told. I
was shocked when I saw how worn the tires and brakes were and couldn’t
believe that Kal Tire had not caught either problem They were too concerned
about replacing a battery that there was nothing wrong with.
Everything was fiixed, the tires replaced, and the car is fine now, no
thanks to Kal Tire. When I got home I looked at my invoice from when the oil
change was done, and at the mechanical report, and was shocked to discover
that the technician at Kal Tire had noticed the steel wires protruding from
the rear tire, but had gone ahead and balanced it anyway, AND MENTIONED
NOTHING ABOUT IT TO ME.
In over 30 years of dealing with mechanical shops this is the worst
combination of sloppy work, ineptitude, bad service, and outright deceit
that I have ever come across. Needless to say I will never set foot in a Kal
Tire store again and will be urging everyone I know to do the same
Tyler Ingram August 27th, 2008 at 11:59:07[Link]
Wow Bryan thanks for sharing that email. It would be interesting find out what requirements Kal Tire hires their people at. I understand that most might be in high school or just out of high school but wouldn’t people have the work ethic to ensure someone’s vehicle is in working order and remember to mention it if they do find something wrong?
PeterSep 05, 2008 at 22:35:31
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Sounds like you went to the same Kal Tire as I did. All I wanted was a front end alignment. The guy tells me that I have two tires with separated belts. So he recommends replacing all four tires. The other two tires were fine with lots of tread so I suggest we replace only the two defective ones. I did have a bit of a vibration so I believed that two tires were shot. The guy actually was annoyed that I wasn’t going to purchase four tires.So I order the tires and come back in a few days. They mount the tires and while they are aligning it he comes running over to me telling me that in order to perform the alignment I need new cam bolts. So I say okay. Well $700 later I drive away feeling ripped off and the alignment is terrible. The steering wheel is not even close to straight. I go back the next day and the guy rolls his eyes as if I’m inconveniencing him. They realign it and he tells me that the alignment is within the tolerance zone. The car is even worse. So I end up at an alignment shop, pay more money to have it realigned and bingo–perfect. The fellow there told me that the alignment tolerance zone is only a guide. The car will still need test driving and tweaking before it’s considered aligned. I will never go to Kal Tire again. I’ll buy my tires at Costco.
Bobby TimSep 19, 2008 at 16:05:46
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I have had nothing but amazing service and expert advice from Kal Tire. This guys go out of there way to do the right thing for the customer. I have had tires fixed for free and they have discovered thing on my car that needed some care. I have never had that kind of service anywhere!
JaredSep 22, 2008 at 20:10:36
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ok so you had a “bad experience” with a kal tire…im sure theres a possibility of having a “bad experience” with fountain tire or any other tire shop in the world. it doesnt mean EVERY kal tire is bad. and not every kal tire is owned by kal tire. associate stores just carry the name. you say you have never had a problem with kal tire in the past up till this “bad experience” and yet your gonna have nothing but bas things to say about kal tire over one stupid incident?
DickOct 30, 2008 at 16:51:24
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Tyler,
You have too much time on your hands.
HilaryNov 05, 2008 at 13:40:41
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I go to Kaltire in North Van regularly. I’ve never had anythign but great service. I went in to have a flat fixed adn was so impressed when it turned to be free that I have bought all my tires from them ever since. Any chain of business can have a few idiots in it. The solution is not to blog but to take it first to the store manager and give them a chance to make it right. If/when that fails you can take it to corporate HQ, adn from there to small claims. Whining on line may be cathartic, but it doesn’t really accomplish anything.
RuthNov 05, 2008 at 17:05:45
[Link]
Hi, do you have an address for the Head office of Kal Tire?? we have a letter to send them
Thankyou
Tyler Ingram November 5th, 2008 at 18:39:34[Link]
@Ruth I’ll have to look through my emails.
Stupid_ProductionsNov 07, 2008 at 22:22:47
[Link]
I’ve had an overall good experience with Kal-Tire in Lloydminster, AB. Ordered a set of rims and tires for my 8lug Dodge… original estimate of 6 weeks for rims was correct. Turns out the 35″ tires would be too big for my truck, so dropped back to ~32/33″ like already on the truck (but different tire) and then realized we need a narrower rim now too, so a few weeks wait. All in all, the waiting game was played a lot due to American Racing rims being shipped/back-ordered. Center caps were back-ordered for a long time, but the staff was always very helpful and cared and didnt mind switching tire/rim sizes. Got the center caps for free for having to wait and now I’m getting them to put tires on my 79 Chevy… I expect a good job.
ChauncyXOXONov 11, 2008 at 16:18:51
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Wow that bites. You must have had poor luck and got someone who was just learning or was just lazy.
Kal-tire is actually the only place I take my vehicles for repairs because at the location I go to the staff are experienced and honest, the prices are very fair, and the products they use are top notch.
And to answer your question about over-tightening your lugs by hand, it is very possible…
Especially if you have a decent tire iron (I know from experience).
SusanNov 12, 2008 at 21:36:38
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Overall I have been happy with Kal Tire – have purchased two sets of tires there and had 4 flat repairs over the years. Been to various locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Langley. One time the flat needed to be replaced and it did suck to book the service and then have to wait several hours as it coincided with the first major snowfall of the year and a rush on having snow tires installed. Although I paid next to nothing for it in the end as the mileage was so low on the original. Maybe a suggestion to all who are annoyed with various services is to just have them deal with your tires, take your vehicle somewhere else if other mechanical servicing is recommended?
Dave WNov 13, 2008 at 21:51:33
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Firstly – follow up to Ruth’s question earlier: Mailing address for Kal Tire Head office (from the net) is Box 1240, Vernon, BC V1T 6N6, and their phone # (from personal experience) is 250-542-2366. Now Tyler doesn’t need to look it up for you!
Secondly – I have had both really positive, and really negative experiences with Kal Tire in the South Eastern BC locations over many years. My experience tells me that the manager “running the show” at any given location makes a big difference. Ask local people about their experiences with the location you are thinking of, before investing your money there! Hope that helps.
Dragonheart Ent. LtdNov 15, 2008 at 19:21:37
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I had the pleasure of reading your Kal exploits. Do not ever turn your back on Kal Tire because they will screw you royally. The federal government better watch out they hate competition crooks dont like other crooks. Anyway I own large trucks in Lethbridge Alta. I have had warranty issues with large truck tires and they screwed me twice and that was once to many times my wife calls me a sucker for going back the second time. DO NOT SUPPORT KAL-TIRE. Back to your incident you can not over tighten car lug nuts with your hand and you paid for their screw ups the manager should be canned for letting that happen.
KAL-TIRE SUCKS
big dogNov 25, 2008 at 09:35:42
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i HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH KAL TIRE AND FIND THEM TO BE VERY GOOD TO THERE CUSTOMERS. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES IN THIS WORLD ANY SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT WITH OUT WHINING. ALSO OF COURSE YOU CAN OVER TORQUE BY HAND AND YOU CAN SNAP OLD STUDS OFF BY HAND NO PROBLEM , TO SLAG A BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET MAY MAKE YOU FELL GOOD BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO TALK TO THE MANAGER WHO I AM SURE WOULD HAVE RESOLVED YOUR PROBLEM TO YOURE SATISFACTION
Tyler Ingram November 25th, 2008 at 09:38:43[Link]
In my situation Kal Tire did not have time to look at my car and I had to wait at least 4 days if I made an appointment. Because of the amount of driving I do and the noise the issue was making I took it to a mechanic near to my home who had time to fix it,and tell me what was wrong with it.
MarkNov 25, 2008 at 15:14:43
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I’m generally happy with the service and support. Used the location on Annacis Island, BC. Fast, good service, even recognized me 6 months after my first visit. Took my car to repair tires after hitting a nail immediately and fixed while-U-wait. Have used other companies like CDN Tire and others. Service varies among ALL providers. Probably just a matter of finding someone you trust, and continue to patronize that location. Like anything, I guess: dry cleaners, barbers, auto mechanics, restaurants, or any service business.
JosephNov 27, 2008 at 20:46:30
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Mr. Ingram
I have been in the tire industry for 18yrs. Within my years I have seen a lot of people that should have chosen a different career choice. I have worked at many tire shops.(ie:) Tirecraft, Kal Tire, etc…..
In all the years of tire service I have lots of shops rotating tires improperly. This is what I mean: say you have a directional tire you wouldn’t cross rotate or they would give you a shake. Same goes for any tire the tire has been turning in one direction so if you cross rotate it changes the direction of the tread wear which causes a shake. To further the rotation you should always rotate the best tires to the front (steering matters most). Over tightening is very possible since the average man can push 250lbs. A lug nut and stud for ei: is rated for OEM 100ft lbs on most passenger vehicles, not including VW, Toyota, BMW, Subarru.
The trouble that you had was more than likely an associate store which do not have to follow all of the head office rules and regulations. Which is why some stores are different than others in service. But like others have said if you don’t complain the management cannot fix the problem. I hope this helps (J)
JosephNov 27, 2008 at 21:11:25
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Vince;
I had a lady call me up to come and check her car as she had no brakes. When I got there she was white knuckled and pale. She told me she had just had her brakes done at Canadian tire in Calgary on Macleod trail. She told me that they showed her; her car with the new pads on her car and showed her the old pads. Well they nice guys there put the old ones back on and sent her out the door with the bill for brand new pads. The first red light she got to she went right through. So much for your high praise. Now i know that not all Canadian tires are the same, But you get what you pay for. You want cheep tires then by all means go there you want your family to be safe then spend the little extra. Nokian tires are very well built. You could go with a cooper tire ( which have law suits of death and injury) they’re cheep tires get the picture…………..
WDec 03, 2008 at 10:10:49
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I have to say as a former employee that Kal tire is all about the Customer!! They will go above and beound what you would get anywhere else.
Now to say they are about fair profit, come on they are making huge %’s on all there items.
Some times as high as 60% mark up on parts!!45-65% mark up on tires.
When working there I was forced to sell calipers with all brake jobs on cars with over 100K! I am not kidding, this came from the head mechanic/supervisor.
If this didn’t happen the mechanic would refuse to do the job!
As far as being a dedicated employee Daisy that’s great! Just never get hurt on the job, because they will shp you out and intimidate you to quit, transfer etc.
So all you customers out there, yes the customer service is first but you should also consider how the company treats its employees. They will tell you its all about the team !! It’s not. It’s all about the profit sharing check the members get at the end of the year
Anyway that is my rant!!
MarkJan 01, 2009 at 13:04:30
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I would have never paid them especially it was their fault breaking your nuts.