Anonymous

My tire air pressure continue to go out after buying new ones

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I brought 4 new tires from Merchants, Harford Road store in Baltimore, Maryland. The air is continuously coming out of these Tirers. Since my purchase. Im so, disappointed. I have been back to Merchants for air every week after purchasing these new tires in May of 2019. I will never buy tires from there again
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Loss:
$1100

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

User's recommendation: Do not buy Tirers from here. They are costly but defective

KIM J Wmi

I SENT A LETTER TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE, NO ONE HAS RESPONDED

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I had several bad experiences at the Todd's Lane Store in Hampton, VA. I sent letters to the store the corporate office and the BBB. I have not heard anything from the corporate office yet.
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Loss:
$950
Reason of review:
Warranty issue

Preferred solution: Full refund

Mark B Ssr

Worthless.

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Harbor Drive in Woodbridge, VA. This place is terrible. My wife will take her vehicle there against my wishes and they have screwed up a simple oil change for her. But my experience is with the front desk staff. You never get a good answer from them. 1 person tells you one thing and the next will tell you another including pricing. I went in to get pricing for a tire swap with tpms. I was given a price. I went back a week later to verify pricing, have had issues before, and was told that they can't do the work because the tire were taken off of another vehicle of mine. This wasn't an issue last week. The GM was there when I was talking to the Service Tech. Probably wasn't listening to us so I can't fault him. It is irritating as *** to get a price and then told that they can't do it.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Nothing. They have lost my business

Marguerite T Tkr

This seems suspicious to me. What do you think ?

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Took my vehicle in for the TPMS light was on and was told that it had a bad sensor. Cost $179.34. 3 weeks later the light comes on again but I take it to Mr. Tire. They checked the tires and sensors and did a reset on the TPMS and the light went off and has not been back on since. Their charge was NOTHING. Same scenario as the first time but this time no cost. I have no proof that the sensor was replaced Their Corporate office was useless and the kid I had was an idiot & did not know the first thing about customer service or maintaining a good customer. I will not be going back there anymore for I no longer trust them. You are at their mercy when they tell you what is wrong with your vehicle and I wonder how many other times I got ripped off.
View full review
Loss:
$179
Cons:
  • Refusal to take blame
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Ronnie R Awj

My Rims Were Black, Now I'll Never Go Back!

Merchants Tire And Auto Service Center - My Rims Were Black, Now I'll Never Go Back!
Merchants Tire And Auto Service Center - My Rims Were Black, Now I'll Never Go Back! - Image 2
Updated by user Feb 25, 2019

Does this app have minus stars? I'm at -3 at the moment....hehehehehehe

Updated by user Feb 25, 2019

Here we are into the following week now 02-25-2019. For 2 business days now (Friday and today Monday), for some reason customer service won't get back to me or reply to my email......even a get lost buddy email would be welcomed at this point.....hehehehehehe...Heading into the 3rd month.

They don't at least respond to my email by tomorrow....I call AMEX back and cancel the payment ......again.

That is exactly why I stopped the payment once, they would not respond. AMEX Re-instated the payment because they lied and said they would take care of the issue, as they yank me around on some kind of horrible customer service chain.

Original review Feb 21, 2019
Tore My rims up....they were black......man they are fighting me the whole way......still not fixed(2 months later) today I got them a 2nd estimate....my estimate was too high....guess what....The company they suggested to get the estimate is $100.00 more than mine. No way does anybody read the WHOLE story if I type it out.....way to many words to be expecting someone to read. Jan. 8th I get Tires-Jan. 9th I'm back at store asking why chip my rims-I'm asked to get an estimate-I get Estimate that day- Jan. 14th no reply from the manager-I get customer service involved-Customer Service informs me ...their trying to decide if their liable- Jan 15th I call AMEX put hold on money. Feb 20th AMEX tells me their placing the money back on the table due to Tire Kingdoms willingness to fix the problem-Feb 21st Tire kingdom ask me to get a estimate from their choice of repair shops-I send Estimate along with the estimate from Jan 9th......$100.00 more than my estimate. Mind you the rims in the picture were not chipped around the edges at all when I went in for new tires. They did that by not placing the tire upside down or having the protector in place. The protector is so the rims don't get chipped up, or scratched. It's just a piece of plastic they place down on the machine. I even suggested to them that they give me 1 size up(I bought LT265...really wanted LT285 but didn't like the cost difference, so I went with LT265) They could take these tires sell them and put the LT285's on and let me paint my own rims(no I don't want to paint rims, just trying to let them have a chance to use what they specialize in to get me right). Got to be one of the worst customer experiences I've ever dealt with....simply amazes me they don't have something in place to deal with a customer that their little outlets ROLLED over on. Now I'm in waiting again.....BOO wish I had my own tire machine I would have been better off letting the tires fall off the truck.
View full review
Loss:
$700
Reason of review:
Damaged or defective

Preferred solution: TireKingdom/Merchants specialize in tires. I bought a set of 75 R16 LT265....I really wanted R16 LT285. Sell these LT265 tires get me the LT285 and I'll paint my rims. Your team should be able to sell these tires back. It's what they do ...Right?

Rick R Yct
map-marker Columbia, Maryland

Liar Liar pants on fire, Chris!

Merchants Tire And Auto Service Center - Liar Liar pants on fire, Chris!
Updated by user Sep 11, 2018

To date, Merchants has NOT attempted to contact me about this.

Original review Aug 12, 2018
Went to Merchants in Columbia, MD on July 27, 2018, spoke with "Chris". I am an educated consumer. Yes, I am one of those guys that goes the extra mile to research options, materials, etc. Several months ago I needed a front end alignment quick before going on vacation. I typically don't use places like Merchants for reasons I don't have time to explain here. Bottom line was my usual resource was booked and unavailable so I bit the bullet and took a chance with Merchants. No complaints on the alignment. Before leaving the store I was told that I will need new tires soon and to consider Merchants when the time was right. I turned and said, "That's okay, I buy my tires elsewhere." He replied, "I can beat any price, installed out the door, even Costco." I gave a courteous "thank you" and away I went.
Skip forward several months where now I am seriously considering replacing my factory OEM Continental tires with some Michelin's. I went back to Merchants and spoke with Chris. Chris is a nice, young guy who has no idea who he's talking to, who is probably thinking just another customer needing tires. I would not consider myself an expert but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I read reviews from different sources such as customer, manufacture and independents with no ties to the manufacture, just plain test results on platforms similar to my vehicle. Not everyone likes Michelin, I get it, but with my 40 years driving and car buying and maintaining experience, I've come to enjoy the Michelin brand for numerous reasons, which is not the reason for this post.
Chris took a look at the tires on my vehicle, came back in the shop and brought up an estimate for the OEM tires. I told him I wasn't interested in Continental tires. I don't like the ride, the wet weather grip or the wear they've provided. Chris then provided me quotes for Michelin and Bridgestone. Having already researched Merchant's prices, I asked Chris how their out the door price compares to Costco. This is where it gets interesting. Chris took the Michelin Defender quote and wrote, AB DC. He then said, "Merchant's buys "AB" grade tires from Michelin, Costco buys "DC" grade tires, which is why they can sell them cheaper." I could hardly wait to get home!
First, I called Merchant's customer service and spoke with Christina. I told her about the graded tires Chris spoke of. Her response? "Sir, I'm sorry Chris told you that. That is not true." Our conversation went on for several more minutes but bottom line, Christina confirmed what I already knew, Chris is either uniformed or simply lying.
Second, I called Costco Corporate office and spoke with "Ake". After telling my story to Ake, he replied, "I've been working for Costco in this department for 18 years. That claim is simply ridiculous!" He put me on hold but came back on within a minute and asked if I wouldn't mind repeating what I told him to someone in their legal department. I declined but thanked him for his time.
Third, I called Michelin customer service and spoke with Robert. As expected he also said Chris's statement is not true. He stated there is no such thing as a lesser grade Michelin tire. If a tire doesn't meet the specifications and tolerances that it's designed for, it doesn't leave the factory and sold as a lesser grade tire. He also mentioned that wholesale chains such as Costco and BJ's can sell tires cheaper because they buy direct from the manufacture, taking out the middle man, whereas Merchant's does not. Robert then added that Chris is just another sales guy trying to make a sale and will say practically anything to accomplish that goal.
What Chris wasn't expecting was someone like me to call him on it. Oh, I plan to go back and speak to the store manager, Damon Fyock to listen to his take on it, but bottom line is I won't be buying tires from them unless they can beat the $200 out the door savings by buying them elsewhere.
Rick Roberts
Educated Consumer
View full review
Reason of review:
Bad business practice

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Terri R Lxo
map-marker Fredericksburg, Virginia

Terrible Customer Service

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I went into Merchants on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 after calling that Monday to bring my car in because I heard squeaking noise when I applied my breaks. The previous Thursday I had taken my car to my regular auto shop and purchased tires and had an alignment completed. The store manager told me that I needed to have my rear rotors resurfed and brakes pads replaced. I told him I had taken my car to another shop to get the rear brakes and rotors done earlier this year and was sure I had a warranty on the brake pads. Fast forward back to Tuesday I took my car in and explained that my brake pads were squealing. I dropped my car off because I was headed to a meeting. I called the store to see if my car was ready and was told by Scott that he left me a message which I did not hear. My voicemail was not yet setup as I had gotten a new phone the previous day in which I explained that to him. Scott told me that I needed new calipers before I could have the brake pads replaced. So no work was started on my vehicle. I told him that I would not let them do the work and that I would take my car back to my regular mechanic to complete any work that was needed. During the conversation I felt like he was being condescending and I really did not appreciate it. I told him I would be there shortly to pick up my car. Once I got there an older black gentlemen that had helped me that morning when I dropped my car off was assisting me again. I explained to him what Scott said and he told me the brakes could not be replaced without having new caliphers installed because it was a state law. I also got an attitude with him and told him not to talk to me like I don't understand about vehicles because I'm a female and I really didn't appreciate his condescending tone either. I told him to let me enlighten him about myself. I was in the Army and I went to the motorpool every Monday for a year to PMCS my Humvee so I know a little something about vehicles. Not to mention my Dad was an auto mechanic so he made sure I knew the basics. Anyway, I asked to speak to the store manager and found out that it was Scott. He eventually came out and explained to me I needed new caliphers once again. I also asked him about resurfacing my rotors and he told me that could not be done because when I had my brakes and rotors done I just did the basic package and the rotor was one solid piece. I told him I had never heard that before I've had my rotors resurfaced before on most of my vehicles. I told him I only wanted my break pads replaced and that I would not pay another $400 and some odd dollars to do the same service I had just gotten early this year. I also went on to say that I would get my caliphers replaced by my mechanic whom I trust and would come back to have my brakes replaced. I got my keys and left. I scheduled an appointment to have my mechanic check my rotors, brake pads, and caliphers today (Friday, October 5, 2018). They were checked by two guys, the technician and the store manager and they said my caliphers did not need to be replaced. I just need to resurface the rotors and new brake pads. So i called your customer service number to levy my complaint. I spoke with Tracy, she then called the store on Southpoint (Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania, VA) and spoke with Shawn. She then recommended that I call the store or drop by to make an appointment to have my car looked. She also asked me what resolution I was seeking and I told her to have the brakes replaced. She told me once I took my car in to let her know the resolution. Kingest regards, Terri Royal
View full review
Cons:
  • Failure to provide service and trying to rip women off
Reason of review:
Not going into this location again.
Keith A Flx
map-marker Laurel, Maryland

Huge Mistake

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Laurel, MD: Baltimore Ave. Location August 256, 2018: Diagnosed I needed a front passenger strut after they said they could not align my vehicle after I had purchase a three year alignment plan. I informed the manager on duty I had not run over anything that would cause damage to my front passenger strut. Did some research and went to another auto facility and wrong with my strut. The car was aligned with no problems. I am sending a letter to their headquarter demanding a refund of the cost I had to pay to have my car aligned at other auto facility. if I had taken their word for it, it would have cost me several hundred dollars in unneeded repairs!
View full review
Loss:
$96
Cons:
  • Warranty service
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Full refund

Chalmers Dom
map-marker Baltimore, Maryland

I have a warranty and it’s not being honored

I have two flat tires and my vehicle is still under warranty and it’s not being honored
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Anonymous

A rip off paid 475dollars for part and the same problem has

Problem was not solved and paid475 and now same problem hour later and want me to pay again Absolutely not
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Jolanda Oan
map-marker Leesburg, Virginia

Rude, inconsiderate and disrespectful staff

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Argument with sales associate who doesn’t explain what is happening and continued to be rude, and got very loud and treated me like an idiot when I came in for a service appointment to the Leesburg location after not receiving a phone call and the Sterling location wanting to send me all over the place yesterday.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Anonymous
map-marker Fredericksburg, Virginia

Poor customer service

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I have had my oil changed at merchants for the last five years. I will not be back. I will spend the extra cost to a business that cares about me and my business with them. I was treated very poorly. Waited at the register for almost 10 minutes until an employee came inside to tell another customer their car was ready. This customer waited for over 3 hrs for his car to be finished and he wasn't happy either. Your employees need to be retrained on good customer service and. They have neither. This includes your manager too. I was not told you take appointments by any of your employees until a manager came out and he told me. I stopped by there 2 times within four days. I got the same bad service I got the first day. I'm the type to comain but this time was uncalled for. Social media tells alot and I will make sure I tell everyone.
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Reason of review:
Order processing issue
Les R Zkz

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Verified Reviewer

Attempted Rip-off

I came into the Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD Merchant's Tire for a rotation, front-end alignment and oil change. I was advised that the oil change could not be performed because of a company policy that prohibits the oil change service if a check light is on, but was offered a $120.00 diagnostic.

So, unless I agree to an unwanted $120 service, I'm not able to obtain the service I want.

Very simple rip-off here. All I want is a #$%&&%@ oil change. How about trying to serve the customer rather than limiting your liability. It's probably easy in the current retail environment to implement and enforce policies that oppress the customer, considering that one must have an appointment to obtain weekend service and no flexibility is available.

Physician's office offer more flexibility than Merchant Tire.

This is my last visit to a Merchant's Tire, ever. Someone in town must actually want customers.

View full review
Cons:
  • Failure to provide service
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Deliver product or service ordered

1 comment
Guest

How about limiting liability for business by declining to perform possibly harmful service ?Do you know WHY your "check engine" light was on ? Did you ever find out ?

You are so far out of line complaining about this that you're the one who needs a wheel alignment.Certainly it is easy to plot the alternative scenario : engine is damaged and customer blames 100% on the mechanics ; customer moans and groans, threatens, calls repeatedly, and winds up on this website regardless.

You are a fool to screw with a damaged engine without ascertaining the cause. Complaint : DENIED and RIDICULED.

Jonathan B Kus
map-marker Bethesda, Maryland

Complaint

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Hello Merchant staff I threw, through this means, I want to file a complaint from the manager and the staff that orders the parts of the Merchant car I pulled located in bethezda Maryland, I am an auto zone employee, today 3/31 / 18, the manager of that town called me to my store to order an air filter, but in my store I did not have it, I asked him if he wants to order it, but he hung up the phone, so he did not order it, after a while he called again asking for his filter which does not order him because he did not tell me to order it, I tell him that if he wants to order it is already late and it will arrive tomorrow and the man very unkindly told me that I was an idiot and son of a *** and many other words, I think he is not the best person to handle your business. Thank you for your attention and my phone number is 301-503-****. In case you wish to verify the information given, I spoke Spanish
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Breton Cki
map-marker Chesapeake, Virginia

Customer complaints

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Terrible customer service , they did nothing
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Reason of review:
Pricing issue
Berkley J
map-marker Ashburn, Virginia

No customer service skills

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I have tried a few different merchants and every time I feel like they just don’t care about the business that I bring to them. As for me I’m done trying with the whole company. NTB as well just don’t want my business it feels like. Every store I have tried in VA is terrible I feel like a burden every time I try to get any work done.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service

About

Related Companies

TBC Corporation, Midas, Tire Kingdom, Big O Tires, National Tire and Battery

Summary

Merchants Tire and Auto Centers was founded in 1943 in Virginia. Since then, Merchant's Tire has become part of Tire Kingdom - the largest independent tire and auto dealer in country and it committed to continued growth and becoming the leading tire and auto services retailer in USA. Merchant's Tire distributes product lines like Michelin, Uniroyal, BFGoodrich, Kumho, Pirelli, Goodyear, Dunlop, Yokohama, and many other producers of quality tires and auto parts. Besides, Merchant's Tire offers its customers auto service, web-catalog of tires, and useful advices referred to vehicle maintenance, as well as assortment of tires and wheels, special offers, rebates, and coupons. Merchant's Tire also provides a wide selection of diagnostic, repair and routine maintenance services, supported by one of the best national services warranties.

Merchants Tire And Auto Service Center reviews and complaints

Merchants Tire And Auto Service Center is ranked 230 out of 1203 in Service Centers and Repairs category

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