Life on the Road

Many people have been commenting and emailing me about the ongoing Tire Kingdom saga, so I wanted to give you all the GOOD NEWS.

As the deadline approached for accepting their alternate rebate program or not, Wolf and I talked about the decision.

I never felt this was something I wanted to sue them over. 

It was annoying.  It was time-consuming.  But (especially as a Christian), I don’t think the legal system is the aswer to every little issue. 

So we decided to send in the form and collect our $500 rebate (hopefully!), but without letting go of the idea that they should play nice.

That’s the other advantage of my plan:  Since it’s not about a lawsuit, the release I signed didn’t hinder me.  Nowhere on there did it say I had to stop complaining, or stop talking about the issue in public forums.  Ha.

Along with the release form, I sent a letter explaining that exact thing to them.  I told them they had lost our business, and the business of everyone I could possibly arrange to tell about the situation.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the president of Tire Kingdom (address obtained by calling their 800-number), the Manager of our local Tire Kingdom, and to the Marketing representative I had spoken to on the phone (via email).

Imagine my surprise when we got a phone call a few days later from a gentleman who identified himself as the Vice President of Marketing.  (You’ll have to excuse some potential vagueness here – I was nursing R.T., so Wolf actually took the call).

He said that he had a copy of my latest letter.  This was the first he’d heard of the problem, he said (mine in particular, presumably, since obviously he knows about THE SITUATION), and he was calling because he didn’t want to see Tire Kingdom lose a customer.  Wow, really?

He and Wolf talked for a while, back and forth.  Finally he asked what it would take to make us happy.

Luckily, we had discussed this at some length, and Wolf had a ready answer for him:  Two more tires.  We had purchased two during the promotion, and needed the other pair.  This would cost them far less than the $500 gas rebate, but would be far more valuable to us.  Seemed like a good starting place, at least.

Of course, our friend the Vice President quickly insisted that he couldn’t do that.  If he did it for us, he’d have to do it for “everyone,” and he would bankrupt Tire Kingdom.  (Doubtful, but okay…)

Instead, he offered to have us enroll in the $500 gas rebate program, plus he would give us the pair of tires at cost (including free installation and everything).  Now “at cost” turns out to be not quite as good a deal as you might expect, since the stores (apparently!) only make $30 or so a tire (and that much only on such higher-end ones)…  But read on.

He asked for the store location we would like to visit, saying he would call them to arrange it.  That was, naturally, the same local store who had done the original job – and to whom I had sent a copy of my complaint letter.

Later, we called the store to make sure things were in place. 

The manager spoke to Wolf personally, and was very, very accomodating.  He made an appointment for us, and promised that a bay would be open and waiting when we arrived.  Wolf mentioned that we needed an oil change, and he offered to throw that in, as well.

The work went smoothly and quickly.  And as we left, the manager said that if we ask for him when we come back in, he’ll take care of our next oil change free, as well.

So? 

I am happy.  Wolf is happy.  My truck is happy.

And all without a class-action lawsuit.