What a hassle !

1shotwade · #1 11/27/13, 09:26 AM

Seems like all the local stores are going out of their way to hassle you every time you want to buy anything.Walmart,lowes,tractor supply! What's up with this shift in attitude? A week ago I went to buy a battery for my truck. They will NOT sell me a battery exactly like the one I turned in for a core> If you don't tell them what it is for you can't buy it!Then they look it up and if what you want is not on their list for that vehicle,again,they won't sell it to you.This is getting weird.Yesterday I tried to buy a tire for my truck. They would NOT Sell me what I wanted that matched the tires on the vehicle because it was not the size their computer said should be on that truck. A month ago they would NOT sell me the tire I need to match what is on my trailer because it was not trailer rated. Instead of $66 for what I needed they wanted me to spend $118 for a tire i didn't want or need.
Amazon is looking better all the time! Anyone out there point me in the right direction for ON-LINE purchases for EVERYTHING ? Help! There is just too much stupid out there to go around!!

Wade

suitcase_sally · #2 11/27/13, 09:30 AM

If they asked me "What's the tire for?", I would tell them I was making a cart for my horse to pull. Or, you could say, "None of your business."

sisterpine · #3 11/27/13, 09:33 AM

I like inventing bizaar answers for such questions...puts the fun back in life/.

simi-steading · #4 11/27/13, 09:34 AM

I have a feeling that from what you are saying, they are trying to say you are wanting the wrong thing... hence trying to avoid returns...

Be glad though.. in this area, if you need any help at Lowed or HD or wally world, you'll spend a half hour trying to find someone to help you... You can't even find someone helping someone else to wait until they aren't busy...

TRAILRIDER · #5 11/27/13, 09:46 AM

Yes, I have found the same thing recently. That's why I go to the local battery shop for my truck batteries. The auto parts store wants to tell me I "need this one or that one", NOT one like the battery I've been using for the past 6 years! Usually they go this route because they no longer have the battery I am bringing in, and still want to sell me something.
There is a whole lot of stupid out there...and not much common sense. Its also harder when you're a female. They act like you just don't know what item is right....My truck is 48 years old. And I've been driving it and doing my own maintenance on it for over 30 years. So, yes, I probably do know what I want.

hercsmama · #6 11/27/13, 09:55 AM

I've honestly never run into this, I have had them "suggest strongly", that what I'm after isn't right. But I make a point of letting them know that I want what I want, and if they won't sell me that thing, then I'll go elsewhere. Never have too much trouble after that.

Truck tires are one thing that I'm for sure this way about. I drive a jacked up Suburban, and have 36 in off road tires. It's what gets me where I need to go. When I needed new ones this past summer, the guy tried to sell me some different ones from the ones I've used for the last 8 years. Nope. I want the ones I want, and if you want to make the 1800.00 off me, then you'll sell them to me.
He wanted the sale more than to be right, so I got my tires, and since I got irritated, he threw in the mounting and balancing free.

simi-steading · #7 11/27/13, 09:58 AM

I do get this when I try to buy a tire for my motorcycle.. I swapped out the rear wheel for something bigger that you can only get in a radial.. the bike takes bias ply otherwise stock from the factory..

When I'd go into a dealer, I'd tell them what tire I wanted.. they would ask what bike it's for and I'd tell them.. then they would tell me I was wrong..

Then I'd explain to them why I needed that tire.. they'd tell me you can't do that.. .Then I'd have to explain to them I already did..

I'd usually just end up walking out and ordering a tire off the web and installing it myself.. They said they didn't want the liability of putting a radial on a bike that came with a bias ply..

1shotwade · #8 11/27/13, 10:06 AM

Well,this has been posted for a half hour now and so many replies! I guess I'm not the only one! Can we somehow start a" HT buyers group" so people can actually get what they know they need without baby siting these "know it all" salespeople?

Darren · #9 11/27/13, 10:10 AM

I haven't had those problems. With batteries at TSC, I take one in for the core and get one off the rack and head for checkout.
.
BTW, Semi. We got about 1" here. Next county usually gets more. Roads are clear. Yep! The website's messed up.

95bravo · #10 11/27/13, 10:15 AM

Everything is an issue these days. I have vision insurance and my insurance clearly says that I get the fitting and vision test is covered plus $150 towards glasses and contacts.
They told me the $59 fitment had to come out of the $150.
Round and round we went, I had to have the insurance company call them.
It was obvious that they were trying to rob me.

simi-steading · #11 11/27/13, 10:16 AM

Ah.. Thanks Darren... OH well.. I guess I'll report it..

I do like the TSC there in Weston.. .good people and my wife calls it her favorite store.. .Ya gotta love a woman who thinks Tractor Supply is a favorite

jwal10 · #12 11/27/13, 10:36 AM

My problem was different. The vehicle had the original tires on it. Told them I wanted the same. Waited 3 hours for them to be done. You can not even look in the tire bays anymore, Insurance reasons. Saw them bring it around, I could tell the tires were too big from the doorway, you couldn't turn the wheel all the way. I was not happy. Of course they blamed it on the new kid, "he grabbed the wrong tires". They had to change them, good part was watching them scurry around, 1 guy to each tire, change and balance, done in 10 minutes. I had to say something about the 3 hours the first time. I decided I WOULD take advantage of the 90 days same as cash deal. Oh the other part of the deal was a right front brake was hanging up, they looked at the tire on that right front (always wanting to sell tires you know) and the kid said he would have to get his supervisor to check the tire because the cord was showing and he couldn't remove a tire like that. I told him to let the air out, I was getting 4 new ones. They ended up putting new brakes and rotors on, got the tires done and I got 30 miles down the road and the bolt fell out of the caliper and the brake bound up. I had to back up to unlodge the caliper to get off the road as I was stopped for a left turn at a light. The brake guy came out from another shop close to my place and tightened the remaining bolt up and had me drive it about 2 miles to that shop to install a new bolt with lock tite. Great service....James

hippygirl · #13 11/27/13, 10:58 AM

I haven't ran into that problem around here. If I do, I'll insist they sell me what I want (I can be EXTRAORDINARILY insistent when warranted!)...if they refuse, I'll take my business elsewhere.

I can understand it when you're buying a part that is ABSOLUTELY specific to a particular piece of equipment (fuel pump, etc), but a standard car/truck battery or a tire?

simi-steading · #14 11/27/13, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwal10

My problem was different. The vehicle had the original tires on it. Told them I wanted the same. Waited 3 hours for them to be done. You can not even look in the tire bays anymore, Insurance reasons. Saw them bring it around, I could tell the tires were too big from the doorway, you couldn't turn the wheel all the way. I was not happy. Of course they blamed it on the new kid, "he grabbed the wrong tires". They had to change them, good part was watching them scurry around, 1 guy to each tire, change and balance, done in 10 minutes. I had to say something about the 3 hours the first time. I decided I WOULD take advantage of the 90 days same as cash deal. Oh the other part of the deal was a right front brake was hanging up, they looked at the tire on that right front (always wanting to sell tires you know) and the kid said he would have to get his supervisor to check the tire because the cord was showing and he couldn't remove a tire like that. I told him to let the air out, I was getting 4 new ones. They ended up putting new brakes and rotors on, got the tires done and I got 30 miles down the road and the bolt fell out of the caliper and the brake bound up. I had to back up to unlodge the caliper to get off the road as I was stopped for a left turn at a light. The brake guy came out from another shop close to my place and tightened the remaining bolt up and had me drive it about 2 miles to that shop to install a new bolt with lock tite. Great service....James

These are the reasons I do all my work myself.. Especially on my motorcycles.. I don't trust my life to kids just graduating from McDonalds to mechanic..

sisterpine · #15 11/27/13, 11:27 AM

Oh dear, LOL. Took my truck to WM several months ago to have a flat fixed. Was told that the injury was too close to the side wall and that it could not be fixed. I looked and the injury was in the tire tread??? They would gladly sell me a tire. I then took it to Big O tires, where it was fixed and has been good ever since! WM said it was an insurance issue.

simi-steading · #16 11/27/13, 11:30 AM

I know you aren't supposed to do it from the outside of a tire, but I plug my own tires and go on my merry way... I've never had a plugged tire become an issue.. . DISCLAIMER: Your mileage may vary...

1shotwade · #17 11/27/13, 11:39 AM

In 1988 I cut a sidewall on my generals on the s-10. I was in the mountians in north Georgia.When I crippled down to the nearest town and into a tire place "It can't be fixed.I signed their waiver and gave them $20 to scrape down the inside and apply a hot patch and went on my way.I got 95000 miles on that set of tires.

kentuckyhippie · #18 11/27/13, 11:48 AM

I had the same trouble at sears trying to get a battery for my truck. wanted to sell me what the computer said it should have. I told them my truck had a 96 body, a 99 motor and a different year transmission and what did their computer say about that. I'm a stubborn woman, I got what I wanted LOL. I did have to walk the little **** out to the truck and show him that the battery he was trying to sell me wouldn't even fit in the battery holder on the truck.

Danaus29 · #19 11/27/13, 01:33 PM

I've not encountered the battery problem yet. Dh just takes the battery in and if they give him a hassle he says I need one like this. On my old Crown Vic the only way I could get replacement parts was to match up the old part. Nothing was correct.

Sam's Club, yep, had problems there with tires. I've got a car for which the OEM tires are no longer made. Now I can take the rims in and get tires mounted but that's a big pain when you need 5 tires (full size spare too). Sam's was the place which jacked up the van using the differential as a jacking point, contrary to instructions on the frame. Of course the last time we had the van there they said they were required to put it on the lift. GOOD!!!!

And good luck finding studded snow tires in central Ohio. 9 out of 10 tire places will tell you they are illegal in Ohio.

I've been told the size thing was a NHTSA regulation. Funny thing though, all I can find is where they recommend same size replacement. I can see the liability thing although some shops will still sell and install different size tires. But if they will only install OEM tires, just where do the people with the huge rims get their tires done???

I did have a problem with Sears and tire psi. They wanted to put only 50 in a tire which plainly said 65 to 80. I told them to just look away and I would put the air in myself (they had just repaired a tire and didn't want to put the same psi in as the other 3 tires had). The shop supervisor ended up putting the air in himself.

Rustaholic · #20 11/27/13, 05:10 PM

I need new tires on my pickup.
I called The Tire Factory and they told me I would need to find four 15" rims because my pickup only came with 15" tires.
That is what two of them told me their computer says.
There is a data tag on the driver's door that says what size tires and rims belong on that pickup.
They are all 16" six hole Chevy wheels.