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Big O Tires - Damage, Mistakes

Big O • Tire quality • Sales practices • Damage, errors • Auto service ---- • Sears Sells NTB to Big O Parent

Sabrina of Hanford CA (8/1/03):
Big O Tires in Hanford needed only to repair a flat on my Ford Expedition. They took my twenty-inch rims off and stripped the chrome by using the wrong socket. I then took my stock wheels to the store so that they could send my chrome wheel out for rechroming in Anaheim, Ca. Chad, the manager at the Hanford store, told me it would take one week. Three and half weeks later my wheel came in and was ready to be put back on my truck. My other three chrome wheels had been in the store the entire three and a half weeks, no problem.

When I took my truck back in to Big O Tires in Hanford for them to put my chrome wheels back on, Chad the manager said don't worry Sabrina I will deliver your stock wheels and tires to your house in a couple of days so that you won't get your truck dirty. I thought that was nice only to find out a week later the store closed and my wheels were gone without notice or attempt of contact.

I phoned Mike Beaumont, the Vice President of Big O Tires in Bakersfield, where the same owner Mr. Richard Dimaggio ownes several other Big O Tire stores, to inquire about my property. Mike Beaumont told me, oh well you did not pick your property up within 48 hours which is store policy and we are not responsible, besides I did not see any Expedition wheels and tires. However, Mr. Beaumont also said Chad said I failed to come pick them up. My wheels and tires that Big O Tires stole from me were valued at approximately $1475.

Mr. Beaumont was very rude and did not care about me losing my wheels and tires then advised me to take them to small claims court. This is the second time that Big O Tires has closed in Hanford withing one year, leaving customers like myself in situations that could have been avoided.

Robert of Tucson (3/30/03):
On 8/11/02 I purchased a set of tires and rims from Big O Tires. I went back several times because the tires vibrated so much. I went back on 9/3/02 to the store on 6th avenue. I talked to Rigo about the vibrating. He took it for a test drive and noticed that it was vibrating and pulling to the left. He was going to rebalance the tires and have the truck front-end-aligned again. When they were done my steering wheel was out of alignment. Rigo said that's the best they could do.

I complained to Rigo that I was not satisfied. I told Rigo I wanted to talk to his boss. He called the store on Golflinks and he talked to a Chris. Rigo sent me to the Kolb and Golflinks store to have my tires put on a road hazard machine to balance tires and have my front end realigned. On 10/26/02 I went back to the 6th Ave. store to have my tires rotated and balanced. On 3/22/03 I went to the Ford dealer and had my truck serviced. I had asked the dealer to check my brakes in the rear. When I went to pick up my truck the dealer mentioned that my rear wheels were barely getting three full turns on the bolt of the lock nuts that holds the rim. He said that was unsafe.

On 3/29/03 I went to Big O Tires on 6th Ave. I asked Tayyeb if he thought it was safe that three turns on your lug nut was safe to hold your wheel. He said no. I told him that when I bought these rims I did not know that they were not for my truck -- they are 15-inch rims and they hit the brake caliper.

So what Rigo had done was put two 1/4-inch spacers on each side so that the rim would not hit the caliper leaving very little thread to tighten the lug nut. Tayyeb said he would let me trade my rims in on some that would fit correctly. He showed me a couple of sets of tires and rims on one set I was going to have to pay $1,600 and on the other $900. I told him I could not afford to pay more than $500. He said that since my tires were used he could not give me much on a trade. I told him that it was his manager's fault for selling me a rim that was not for my truck, putting my family and myself in danger. He said okay that was all he could do.

Charlene of Tucson (2/13/03):
In July of 2002, while visiting our daughter, we had a flat and went to a Big O store in Phoenix, at 7011 N. 19th Ave. I asked that they be careful with my car. I take very good care of my car and they should respect that. I was told I needed four new tires, which I purchased. I also asked if they would put the doughtnut tire back in the trunk like it belongs. I was not dressed to do this. They said they would.

When they were finished with my car, four new tires later without white sidewalls, which I really wanted, they had left grease all over the inside of the car -- on the driver side door and steering wheel and did not put the spare back in where it belonged. I was too upset to talk and did it myself although not dressed to do this activity. When I got home to Tucson I wanted to check the air in the tires. When they had replaced my hub caps they covered the valve stems. All but one had to be taken off and put on right.

This morning I go out to leave for work and it is pouring rain and I happened to notice that the tires look low. I stop in a gas station to fill them. They all had about 20 pounds of pressure in them. I of course got soaked. I should not have had to be worrying about air in tires that are less then a year old with not many miles on them. I will never deal with Big O again and wish I could give these tires back with a full refund and go somewhere where there are better work ethics and people care about the work they send out of their business!

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