Bad experience Big O Tires in Sebastopol

I bought a Groupon for an oil change at Big O Tires. It didn't go well.

Here's my experience:

After I came to pick up my car, I checked the level as I always do after an oil change, and the oil was clearly not fresh oil. Where as normally I can hardly see where the level on the dipstick is, this was quite clear. Clearly old oil. I went be into the store, told the manager, who swore they changed it, that indeed, he had personally watched it. I insisted it was not changed, so one of the crew wiped the oil from the dipstick on his arm, as if that was some sort of proof. It looked dark. soso they took it back to the rack, swearing they had changed it. They removed the oil filter as I watched, and the filter and oil was obviously dirty, but they keep trying to say that was because of traces of the old oil. It was obviously not a new filter. The oil was black. He replaced the filter, and lowered the car, not even bothering to top off the the lost oil. I said "Well, the oil is still dirty", so they lifted it back up, and drained the oil into a pan. Clearly not fresh oil, obviously quite black, but they still insisted it was. They changed the oil, still making the pretense that it was only dark because of traces of the old oil. Then the manager came out to tell me that I couldn't be in the bay. Too late, I'd already seen through their BS. Oh, they gave me a card for a free oil change! Like I'd go there again...If you have had a recent oil change there, I'd examine your oil carefully.

I do not like to disparage a business, but my next-door neighbor and I have both had bad experiences there. They broke my tire-pressure sensor while changing a tire, did not take responsibility, and kept saying it was fixed when it wasn't. My neighbor had his car towed there because it was close to his office, but ended up with a very expensive repair job that failed several times in several ways. I can't tell you how much time he's wasted having to go back and argue with them. We will not go there ever again.

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Posted in reply to the post by Mediajammer:

I bought a Groupon for an oil change at Big O Tires. It didn't go well.

Here's my experience:...

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If you want a hard sell and a higher price on tires, go to Big O's. If not, go to Benedetti's, a few blocks away.

Robert

I highly recommend (Jim Bone) KIA on Santa Rosa Ave for excellent auto maintenance and service!
Always a pleasant experience. Alex is the manager -- they work on all cars, not just KIA.
And they give you a free car wash next door at Splash, with unlimited vacuum time! :^)

Thanks for the gratitudes I received. Another good tire and wheel place is Greg's Tires at 2814 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol.

Brodie's in Petaluma is excellent for all auto repairs and will not try to sell you work you don't need. Good people.

That's the extent of my knowledge of the subject.

Robert.

Yes I had a sucky experience at big"O" years ago

AMERICA'S TIRE near Coddingtown is honest and efficient!

and here is my best story of why I go there One day about 9 years ago,I needed two new tires on my Honda Civic ,I stopped there to check the wear ,and price. I did not have adequate funds to go ahead and get tires,the manager said "no problem" and "no way will I let you drive off in the rain with those bad tires, and proceeded to change my tires, mount and balance etc. I said " hey I have no credit card , nothing ! " he said "don't worry about it,IF you happen to get the money some day great stop bye and pay us ,if not , happy birthday. " (it was not my birthday) but choking back tears,I thanked him and drove off .We did stop in and pay that about a year and a half later .

Now , like a horse that has had a nail removed from its foot, I never forget that amazing company policy. I'm all about America's tire . good service Honest and kind.

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Posted in reply to the post by nicofrog:

Yes I had a sucky experience at big"O" years ago

AMERICA'S TIRE near Coddingtown is honest and efficient!...

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I've had nothing but good experiences at America's Tire near Coddingtown. Honest, efficient, reliable service, they hand torque the lug nuts properly (not gorilla 150lb./ft. style), and are always friendly. That said, recently I had occasion to use America's Tire on Redwood Drive in Rohnert Park, and the experience was the same. I tried Big 'O' once, and the words "Never Again" are the only words I'll use to describe that place.

As far as vehicle maintenance, I'll pass the dealer, I'll pass four specialty shops, and I'll cross into Marin County to drive to LIC Motorsports. They know more about Subaru than Subaru of America knows about Subaru, they are honest, and you only go there once for a repair, because it gets completed three ways: thoroughly, absolutely right, the first time.