I've been a lax adult lately regarding my car. I was three thousand miles overdue for an oil change, haven't rotated the tires since leaving for Florida last year and was now the proud owner of two front tires with steel belts showing. I was a nervous wreck every time I got on the Toll road to and from work. Bonus points, I also had a rear tire with a formerly slow leak which now needed air twice a day.
Tim told me about a month ago that he would buy me new tires, so who am I to argue (don't say it).
I really didn't mention it again until I started getting nervous about driving my (now) suicide mobile.
He was working out of town all this week, due to leave early Tuesday morning. He told me on Monday morning, his day off, before leaving for golf that he found two tires on sale for sixty bucks and had transferred $150 to my checking account. He wanted me to go have them put on before he left town for the week.
I figured since he paid for it, I was down with going to have them put on. It's not like I'd have to inflate them myself with a bicycle pump or stretch them across the wheels by hand.
I called the place and asked if they had the tires in stock around ten that morning...they did! I told the guy (seemingly not the sharpest tool in the shed) hoping he wouldn't be the one putting them on, that they were ten dollars off on the website.
Here's where the Adulting got hard.
He said to get the discount I had to go online to order the tires. Once they were delivered, he would contact me and I could come in and have them put on.
Wait, what?!
I responded that I thought they had the tires in stock already. He said they did but to get the discount I had to order online.
Okay fine!
I went on the website and ordered the tires. It kept saying I would be prompted at checkout to enter the code for the discount.
Didn't happen, tried for thirty minutes.
It took my credit card info just fine. I thought maybe I had to submit the order before the promotional code would be available.
Nope.
Charged me full price. Not only that, it prompted me to choose an appointment to have them installed. The first time available was the next day at noon. I was counting on that twenty dollar discount to cover the price of plugging my leaking back tire...all done before Tim left town.
Wait, what?! (again)
I called the guy back and told him what had happened.
He said "let me log in to your account and see what's going on here."
After waiting literally for five minutes, he actually said this to me:
"Here's your problem. We can't give your ticket the discounted price because you ordered online and has already been put into the system for tomorrow at noon. If they come in before noon maybe we can do it them, but can't change the price."
#thirdtime ... Wait, what?!
I told him I ordered online because he told me to. I added that I needed the tires put on that day, and sooner than later. I also told him I could go somewhere else if they didn't want my business, and yes I was nice about it.
Then he told me to give him an hour or so to make some phone calls to a higher up and see if they could help.
My response:
"Maybe I'll make a few calls too and see how high up the chain I get."
Low and behold he called back around one and said he was able to get rid of my online order and now we were all good to go. He'd call me back again when the tires came in and could possibly have them put on that same day.
Wait, what?!
He told me in our first conversation they had the tires in stock.
Whatever, dude.
I decided to go get my oil changed, with my Columbus Day $14.92 discount coupon from the drive through Valvoline place. Coolest, nicest guys in the world and didn't even have to get out of my car. I've sent them all a great review online.
So Goober calls back around two in the afternoon and says the tires are in and can come in whenever I want to have them put on.
.
I asked if they could do it in two hours, by this point I only had two hours to spare before having to get ready for work.
"Oh sure!"
So now suddenly he's all helpful.
Tim called on his way home from golfing to ask how it went.
My response:
"How much time ya got?"
My cell beeped while talking to him. It was the tire place and told them I would be there in less than ten minutes.
Tim took me to pick the car up around four thirty.
Slim Shady rang us out. The receipt (not to mention experience) was mind boggling.
How can two tires, for less than sixty one bucks each, with an additional tire plugged for $19.99 end up costing over $206?
Where did that extra $66.33 come from?
I'll have to hand it to Tim. He scrutinized that bill like a scrooge. We knew about fees, valve charges and tire disposal. There's no state tax here...so still seemed kinda high.
Sometimes going cheaper tends to be the evil option. Sometimes you get what you pay for. In hindsight, just should have gone Firestone and got it done right, the first time without all the hassle.
It's been a stressful week, with the world seemingly going to hell in a hand cart. The Las Vegas tragedy, Mexico earthquake, Puerto Rico, California wildfires and the sad comedy of our political system.
I was driving to work today, in my little car with two new tires, another one plugged and a much needed oil change.
I'm all about old school songs and this one came to mind.
For what it's worth.
From decades ago but seems to be speaking to us all today.
Lessons to live by:
Be a good person.
Help another person.
Be respectful to another person.
Accept another person...regardless.
Don't be an ass.
Love is all we need...true fact.
Till next time...COTTON
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