Warning! Stay away from this Burbank shop!

10-13-2004, 04:55 PM

I recived my new Linsey Racing wheels about a month and a half ago. I finally got some used(slightly) tires from Tyson Schmidt. Thanks BTW. I took them to:

Burbank Quality Brake and Alignment
11100 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
818-761-4038

to get mounted. I go and pick up the wheels and take them home. I notice a nice size dent on one of the rear wheels. It looked like it slid off the machine. I bring it back to him and he tells me he didnt do it. The guy was an ********* about it. So im thinking that I have 2 options. 1. burn the place down that night. 2. Go to my car and get a baseball bat and teach him a lesson. Both of which would put me in jail so i let it go.

Im still pissed so I thought I would let you guys know about it. I would have settled for a free alignment and got the wheel fixed myself as I know that $hit happens. It was his attitude that got me hot. Maybe you local guys will find a different place to take your cars too.

I would have taken it to Alex Wong at Pretech in the marina, but it was too far for me.

Thanks for listening to my venting session. I tried to post pics but the computer is being *****y.

Zeke · 10-13-2004, 05:08 PM

I've come to the conclusion that Al Reed is the only person to have mount your tires. He knows better than to scratch his own work, so he probably won't scratch anyone's wheels.

I wonder, though, if he will take in outside tire mounting work.

MotoSook · 10-13-2004, 05:24 PM

Dang Joe. Those wheels are sweet too. I have watched in horror as my Fuchs popped out of the tire machine..twice!

I would call the cops and have them on site as I dispute the damage. That way you have a witness and your temptation to bash the guy's head in is kept at bay. If that didn't work, I'd call up the biker gang I ride with sometimes and we'd visit his house

KobaltBlau · 10-13-2004, 05:40 PM

Well, having Al Reed mount wheels ain't an option most places. Barnsley tire in boulder has done great work for me, and the tire source is good too. I stay away from the big guys, peerless is ok though.

Craig 930 RS · 10-13-2004, 05:49 PM

Too late for your situtaion, but I try to hover when this is being done

10-13-2004, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zeke
I've come to the conclusion that Al Reed is the only person to have mount your tires. He knows better than to scratch his own work, so he probably won't scratch anyone's wheels.

I wonder, though, if he will take in outside tire mounting work.

I will have to send it there to get fixed. I didnt hover because they came recomended. Usually, that makes people nervous. I didnt even see it till I got home. The rear wheels sat on my rear seat with the outter side up. I would have had to throw the wheels against the wall to do that kind of damage.

Souk,
My thinking is to just hurt this guys wallet by letting you guys know my experience with them. 10 years ago, I would have done something. My career seems a bit more important right now.

Emission · Emission's Garage

Joseph, sorry to hear you got screwed. Thanks for posting the shop info so it doesn't happen to one of us...

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Joseph, I always take them to TRE and have their local shop of choice do them.

MotoSook · 10-13-2004, 06:10 PM

Right Joe....I want to dine at your place if I make it out there. Then I'll visit the shop

(smile Joe..just trying to make you smile). Good luck.

Chuck Moreland · 10-13-2004, 06:11 PM

Sorry to hear that. I've had similar experiences with a nice set of wheels getting manhandled and scratched by tire shop monkeys.

Some of these guys don't have a clue.

In my case they actually owned up to it and agreed to get them refinished. But then they followed up with stall tactics until I finally gave up to get on with life.

My conclusion is you have to go to a high-end specialty shop and pay premium bucks for proper handling.

Take a digital camera with you. When you drop the wheels off, have the manager inspect the wheels with you and agree that they are perfect. Take pictures right in front of him. If he can't commit to return the wheels in the same condition, go someplace else.

That puts him on notice in advance that you are an SOB that will ruin his day if the wheels come back scratched.

10-13-2004, 06:20 PM

That puts him on notice in advance that you are an SOB that will ruin his day if the wheels come back scratched. [/B][/QUOTE]

Thank Chuck! Like I said, they came recommended. The guy that mounted them was the owner. It will never happen again!

BTW, How is married life. The wife seemed very cool when I spoke to her at the GAF.

Souk,
Sounds good to me. Open up a can of EVIL on him!

mjshira · 10-13-2004, 07:38 PM

dude, Tyson told me about this on the phone the other day, that sux. I'd send them a letter and explain the situation and your involvement in the BBS. The important thing for them to understand is that NOT making it right will have a price, a price that would probably be more than making it right...

Maltese Falcon · 10-13-2004, 07:45 PM

My least favorite tire shop was Globe @ La Cienega / Venice L.A.
You'd figure that a front lot bristling with MBZ, Porsches, Ferraris, Jags could mount some Fuchs alloys -- Wrong. After they chewed up the edge of one wheel, I stopped the worker from handling the others. The Mgr. finally came out of his office and pointed to a small sign on the wall that read " Not responsible for damage to mag type wheels" . I took the damaged wheel to Highland Plating for rework ($100.00) . The tire mounting was done right the next time @ By Design on Robertson Bl.
It takes the right machines/ installer to keep your investment from being trashed !

Speedy1 · Speedy1's Garage

Jerk off's at the tire shop where I got new skins installed jacked my ride up by the A/C lines then denied it as it was sitting in the shop! Hissing my r-12 into the atmosphere F**k heads.

campbellcj · 10-13-2004, 08:08 PM

FWIW for anybody near the SoCal "405 corridor" I have been very impressed by Wheel Enhancement for tire sales & mounting. Those guys have superb equipment and expertise and will take the time to do it right. Tire prices are very competitive and you don't have to pay shipping charges compared to ordering from Tire Rack (with whom I've also done quite a bit of business) and then deal w/ mounting separately.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Maltese Falcon
My least favorite tire shop was Globe @ La Cienega / Venice L.A.

I took 'em a "loose" chromed 928 wheel to get a flat fixed. They did so, and as I watched, the worker brought it back and rolled it to the side of the door where (surprise) it fell right over on its face. Well, that's what positive-offset wheels do. They tried to give me a couple of wavy 928 chrome "rejects" and then stonewalled me until I complained about it in front of the owner of my tire store, who embarrassed them into making it right. (That tire store guy now owns Wheel Enhancement.)

Sometimes, other shops that do business with the guy can put a different kind of pressure on...

Vintage911Racer · 10-13-2004, 08:30 PM

Western Tire in Burbank does great work and Glendale Tire on brand blvd in Glendale does great work to.

I only take my wheels to either of those two shops.

Bobboloo · Bobboloo's Garage

While were at it I would add James Import in the Marina as a place that I would avoid for any kind of automotive work. They "specialize"

in Porsche and Mercedes.

I took my Benz in there last year because it was having a fuel delivery problem. I wrote down the symtoms and the chain of events leading up to the problem, I even told them that I was suspicious of a fuel hose that was replaced prior to the problem. Well they do a tune up and replace a little part on the fuel distributor and tell me to come pick up the car that it's ready. The bill is $800. (I had just tuned up the car a month before but hey if the car's fixed I'll let it slide) Well I go to pick up the car and it immediately stalls. They say sorry will fix it. I'm ready for the next phone call and I'm thinking to myself that they are probably going to try and sell me a fuel distributor next. Sure enough they call and say they think it's the fuel distributor and they have one for $2500 but once they put it on it's mine and they can't take it back. I asked if they had even done a pressure test. Nope. I said a tow truck is coming, don't touch the car anymore. Well to make a long story short it was the hose that I mentioned to them. A $50 part that cost me over a $1000.

It amazes me how some "repair shops" don't even have a clue on how to troubleshoot. They just start replacing parts at the owners expense. I think they make more money using untrained mechanics because they sell more parts.

Sorry. Didn't mean to hijack your thread Joseph, but when you mentioned that the only way to get back is to warn other potential customers, it reminded me that I had yet to warn other P car owners of this Porsche shop in the Marina.

911pcars · 10-14-2004, 12:46 AM

I've had good luck with America's Tire on Colorado in Pasadena. I took the wheels and tires in by themselves and had them dismount and mount. Also, Caldwell Tire in Pasadena. They've been around for a long time.

Sorry to hear about the sorry tire shop,

Sherwood

look 171 · 10-14-2004, 01:37 AM

Hey 911pcars, where's Cladwell tire. I need someone to mount my 315s. The last guy look at them and said "Wow man, they are so big. Cool." I ran outa there with my Ruf wheels. If damage occurs, they can't be replace.