GSRaCeRbOI

*first off I apologize w/ the manner/wording of my post.. but I'm really pissed off*

I took my other car into discount tire centers in Hollywood today to get an alignment.. I went in at 7:30 so that I could get out fast and still make it in this morning.. anyway my car has ALWAYS been lowered since a few thousand miles... I went to college in nor cal and the car has always been lowered for the 5 years I've owned it (bought brand new)..

I bought the Discount tire centers LIFETIME alignment a few years back when the car had around 25K maybe 30K and it was lowered then... they had NO PROBLEM selling me the lifetime alignment plan and taking my money.. I brought the car in that day/drove it and they could visually see the car was lowered and had no problems selling me the lifetime alignment plan...

fast forward to today... I present my lifetime alignment receipt that is for the vehicle i purchased it for, and they try to tell me that I NEED a camber kit because the lifetime warranty is on a stock suspension WTF? when they sold it to me (SAME STORE/SAME LOCATION) my car was already lowered they said nothing about [b[needing[/b] a camber kit, and that altering the suspension voids the lifetime wtf?

in addition they said "if you get the camber kit somewhere else" we will charge you AGAIN $70 for an alignment and void your lifetime alignment plan.. I was like wtf? I have a lifetime alignment.. and they were all well we'd have to dial in the camber kit (which shouldn't the shop that installs it (or myself if I choose to (theres degree measurements on the kits or whatever right?).. but I don't even plan on gettin one cuz I dont think its necessary.. as long as I keep my toe in check.. my car has had these tires for about 10K w/ no bad wear)....

first off I didn't mention that I wanted to get a camber kit..it was nice for the RECOMMENDATION (so they could rape me on labor and charge me 2-3X more than at cost price for parts) but thats not what I came in for.. I just asked them to set the toe.. I've had hondas/acuras since like 1994 I know that they don't have camber adjust.... I just asked to set the F&$king toe....

second if my car needed a camber kit so bad.. how come all the other times I've been in w/ the same car, same suspension mods already lowered no1 said $hit? they were all trying to tell me that if sum1 else performs the camber kit (which I'm not plannin to get anyways) that they would have to charge me for an alignment because they "cant guarantee any1 elses work is in spec" as I was arguing w/ them (and a line of customers was behind me hahah) they changed their story saying that that could get the camber kit done somewhere else and they would charge me a 1 time fee to dial in the camber kit.. then my lifetime would apply w/ the camber kit dialed in after that.. but wtf? I'm not even gettin a camber kit.. so why the hell are we having this convo about voiding my lifetime plan cuz I need a camber kit? I didn't "NEED" it all the other times...

I called their customer service hotline (800)999-2878 and I am waiting for a call back so I don't know how the HQ is going to resolve this... btw any1 in So Cali know of a discount tire center that is cool w/ the car being lowered and doesn't treat the customer like $hit and talk to him like he's a 2 year old?

the guy was all trying to tell me that "lowering a car isn't that simple" and that "it should be done by a professional" which I'm assuming he's talking about himself wtf? he was talking to me like I was a 2 year old and telling me that altering the suspension messes it up severly and its all out of whack now.. OK... he went on w/ his analogy about "you don't go to the doctor and go against his recommendation or try to prescribe your own medicine do you" I was like "wtf? since when did you need a PhD to do suspension, tires and alignment? he was all trying to tell me the tires had to be TOTALLY STRAIGHT 0 degrees neg or positive in order for the tires to not wear unevenly and that toe has NOTHING to do w/ wear... hmm then how come w/ my toe in check for the time I've had the tires I've had no adverse wear W/ the camber being the way it ALWAYS was....

my camber for the left front tire is w/in spec (according to their computer on the min and max alignment specs).. the right front has a little more camber .. the caster is w/in spec and the toe is w/in spec (which is the ONLY thing I asked them to do today.. set the toe)... the rear is also w/in spec (thanks to the camber washer spacers) for both left and right rear... the toe is also in spec..

OK so they put my car on the racks and ALL I ASKED FOR TODAY was for them to set the TOE.. I KNOW that honda's do not have stock camber adjust and I didn't freakin ask him to adjust the camber.. anyway their all "the cars lowered.. the lifetime applies to stock suspension" when I went to the check out to get my alignment receipts the guy has the audacity and nerve to make a joke saying "its going to be $60" and I replied w/ "can I have the address and phone number of your corporate HQ" to that he replied "it was just a joke" and I was like "well it wasn't funny now give me the number" then he prints out the invoice and there is a number on the receipt (I didn't have to pay this time.. which I shouldnt have had to since I paid for LIFETIME alignment) then he's all "are you seriously going to call the number" and I just looked at him like "no $hit foo I'mma call that number"

thats jacked up customer service.. if you have problems/are going to want to charge extra why didn't you say that when I bought the lifetime alignment? (the car was lowered then)

and actually the service manager and the alignment tech was really good, courteous and professional.. it was just the invoice writer or whatever that mexican foo is (no offense to any1 else thats mexican.. ) that was being a dick about the whole situation... they were saying that 1) i needed a camber kit .. my alignment specs incl camber has remained fairly the same throughout the life I'd had the car since it was lowered... the only thing I changed was that I put my Koni shocks on a diff perch setting so that the front and rear would look even (eibach sportlines)...

any1 else have probs w/ discount tire like this? I'm really dissapointed because all the other times they NEVER gave me any trouble about my car being lowered..

*update* I just talked to the zone manager, district manager that called me back and they basically apolgized for the bad service I received and they said they'd be calling the store.. well that didn't solve anything..

so for you people that live in so cali what discount tire store have u went to that didn't give you all this crap for having a lowered car, and honored your lifetime alignment w/o hassle? I'm definately going to a diff store next time... let me know which store location you've had good service w/.. since I bought the lifetime I have to stick w/ them.. but I wanna switch stores..

also sorry for the long post.. just thought you guys should know about this since many of you have lowered cars.. and I also wanted to vent..

GSRwBOOST

I never buy an extended anything........

I know my **** doesn't change that much.. and it doesn't need that much very often....

'lifetime" ripoff is what it is.....

like paying 35 dollars on an extended warrenty for a 10 dollar electric razor... NOT

GSRaCeRbOI

I get an alignment every time I get new tires, or put in something on the suspension.. I don't see why they were being like this cuz the car has always been lowered even when I bought the lifetime alignment.. I'd have to compare the specs of the other times I got it done to see if there were any changes over time (the before specs)...

satintegra

it seems like when you get a lifetime deal thing, they don't want to work on your car.

how much did you pay for that lifetime alignment deal anyway?