ValkingBlog: April 2008

ValkingBlog

Because there is more to life than just work...

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Wal-Mart tires service great again!

I know, what would really change since last night's wonderful experience? Pretty much nothing. I got up this morning at 6:30AM and pulled the rear tires off Friday. The driver's side rear was in fact separated and badly bulged. It's probably a miracle I didn't blow it at speed and really do some damage. In my defense, after the vibration started I probably didn't put another 15 miles on it and half of that was taking it home that day and from then on at reduced speeds. Of course I knew it was coming and had been seriously researching VW Bus and Vanagon tires. When kiddo was helping me with the CV joints she told me she could see steel belts.After taking a look myself I knew the old BF Goodrich's on it were not long for the reclamation pile and had been rationing the driving since then. But all that's history now, I drove with the new unmounted tires and the old tires on the rims to Wal-Mart and awaited the 7AM opening of the lube & tire express. Within 20 minutes I was walking the store while waiting for the work to be done. Cost today $28.75, perfectly matching Gary's note of $57.50 for a set of four (from a few days ago). And that's lifetime balance too folks, a big selling point when a tire retailer wants $17.50 per tire or some other high price for the same effort. It could be me living life on the edge, but I've never had a tire set rotated or rebalanced, it's pretty much a one shot deal for me. Of course in talking, the attendant at the counter asked if I just wanted one time balancing, I should have said yes just to find out what the cost was. Oh well, opportunity missed.

-Rob 'I got wheels' D.

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Friday, April 18, 2008

Tire Rack Rocks, Wal-Mart too!


So we have tires! It was a lucky day in the neighborhood for Rob and the cast of Zombies. I had pretty much decided the tire of choice was the Continental Vanco-8. The trick was finding some and actually getting them on the Vanagon. Posts of the past few weeks have shown the frustrations I've witnessed and even created in one case trying to get a set of tires from a really great guy on the Samba who had pulled them from his Syncro (sorry Erik)... Well I found out thru Sears.com that they were discontinuing the Vanco-8 in favor of the Vanco-2 but had no idea if they'd be available for the 14 inch sizes I need for the stock wheels Friday's currently running. So I really wanted Vanco-8's. Well TireRack.com had 'em in a few 14 inch variations ranging from $67 to $87. Pretty nice when you see Sears wanted $90 and local tire store wanted $116. So I hemmed & hawwed a bit and finally decided I had to pony up yesterday. Good thing I had dragged my feet. The $67 tires were getting low in inventory (the site said 'less than 10'), but no, that wasn't the good thing. The good was that the next larger size, a tire rated several hundred pounds higher in load that had been listed at CLOSEOUT and $87 was now $65. The day before I would have paid $88 more for the higher rating and yesterday it cost me $8 less that the ones I thought I was going to aim high for. I pulled out plastic and made the online purchase right then and in a hurry. $260 for a set of tires, $30 someodd for shipping and GA taxes brought the total to $322.00 . Not bad for the right tires at the right time. One day later, today in fact, by 10:30AM they were delivered to my place of business. (We have a recieving dept, so I thought it'd be easier to bring them in thru work.) It was. Now to get them mounted. There has to be a place that can do them reasonably. There was, a department head and restoration guru suggested Wal-Mart when I asked him (Thanks Gary!). "Yeah, they charged me something like $57 to mount a set of four last year"... I can bring them tires from somewhere else? The idea never crossed my mind in this liability mangled world we live in today. And yes, when I took the first two wheels in this afternoon to get half the job done, it was $28 and some change, right on track to be $57 when I get the other two in the morning. Oh my Goodness! How could they be so reasonable when the big (as is Wal-Mart isn't big) names want $120 - $180 after adding fees, recovery costs, overhead, and private school tuition for their children just to put tires on a car. Wal-Mart mounts and balances a tire at $10, add a valve stem if you need it (you do) and a tire disposal fee of what $1.50 and they're done. Wal-Mart and TireRack.com we'll be doing more in the future, I'm sure of it. So, anyone want to know where my Vanco-8 tires were made? Yup, South Africa. So my German Van is wearing tires from a multinational corporation that is very proud of it's German engineering, manufactured and imported from Continental Tyre SA in Port Elisabeth South Africa. I think it's just about as cool as my VW Thing wearing French made Kleber tires. Sometimes it's just fun to be me. I entertain myself with the most inane stuff. So great Job Tire Rack, and Bravo Wal-Mart! Y'all sure were there when I needed you.
-Rob 'thanks guys' D.

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Video fun, at Sea.

Ran across this one on Vulture's Row, so of course I had to share it too.
To quote from VR:
"VAW-116 Sun Kings prove how talented our service men and women are, and also show how much time you have on your hands while out to sea."



I agree.

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The week in review

So Thursday we ended up taking Zippy to the very good local Volkswagen guy - Eric at Auto Works. After hearing the problems we've dealt with he made the call, valve adjustment. Zippy would need to cool down and it wouldn't be too long a job. So we left him overnight. Friday I got kiddo and we went by Auto Works to end up catching the job in progress. Man was it not the day to have left the camera at home. Please see the sad 1.3 mega pixel from the cellphone. Sad, just by the quality. Kiddo was honestly amazed, perhaps worried at first, and I was impressed. Zippy's back end was something like four feet in the air. Man do I need a BIG floor jack like that. While the work was being done I asked Eric if Kiddo and I could wander around a bit and he was fine with it. Aside from being a great mechanic, Eric really is a VW enthusiast, so looking around his yard is sort of like Volkswagen heaven from time to time. There were Bugs, Ghias, a watercooled or two, a Bus, a Vanagon and some other European makes as well as an American machine or two. Kiddo had fun as we talked about this car or that, checked rims out, or accessories and saw treasures from years gone by, again, not the day to have forgotten the camera.So back out front Zippy's valves were clean and adjusted, everything going back together and Eric decided to change the oil. I let him know it was only two weeks old, but I'm also the type of guy that trusts when Eric wants to get new stuff in, there's a reason. Besides, Zippy was certain to empty out better raised up like he was than he did two weeks ago for me. What's 2.5 quarts of oil in the long run? Good insurance, that's what it is. Fresh oiled and back down we talked about the leak from Zip's intake boot and Eric let me know it was just too much fuel pressure from the new fuel pump. He suggested I just add a few gaskets (2-3) under the pump (that's how you regulate it) and it ought to be a non-issue. That's what I really like about Eric, he'll tell you straight out what a problem is and isn't threatened that a minor-shade tree enthusiast mechanic fixes it himself. He knows I'll come for the real work when I'm over my head. Good thing is, I'm pretty clear where over my head is. If it involves pulling an engine and opening it up, it's his. If it's part swapping minor stuff (see everything I've mentioned doing in the past couple of weeks), I'm on it. Besides, if it's broke, I can only break it so much more, right? If I fix it, I learned and grew from the experience, if I don't there's a lifeline. I'm glad too, walking a tightrope without a net isn't always fun. Who doesn't like a little fudge room every now and then? So the weekend was good with Kiddo busy as all get out, We went by the barn (local carriage tour company), and Saturday night did Moon-light bowling at AMF Victory lanes. Today was mowing and abit around the house. Tomorrow, back to the grind. Here's to weekends, they never seem to get here fast enough, nor last long enough when they do.
-Rob 'weekender' D.

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tomorrow's what?


Wedneday? Already? Okay, I'll admit I've been down for a few days this week. It's either VERY Bad Sinuses or hayfever or a Nasty cold or the Flu, But I've been sick the past few. I ended up having to get a 'behind the counter' pharmacy remedy and now the state has me on a list because I bought something that people that run Meth labs use to get one of the ingredients from. Well I feel better, so it's off to work in the morning. Hump day here I come.
-Rob 'call me a taxi' D.

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Saturday, April 05, 2008

Sears and Sears.com

So I'm looking all over the internet and figure I'll look on the auto-center web sites. So I go look at Sears.com . Hmmm, they've got the tire I've decided I want, the Continental Vanco-8. Hmmm, ninety dollars a tire, what'll that end up being? So I call the tire center. The sales associate I speak with can't help me, they don't have a tire for my old van. No there's no tire without a middle number (the aspect ratio - 185R14 is the old and in this tire current designation, even from sears.com). Okay, can they look up a Sears part number? Sure, they can, and the associate does the right thing, he says 'oh my goodness, there is a tire with no middle number, I'm sorry I was mistaken'. He gets cool points, he was straight up honest about a simple mistake, he just didn't know. So, how much to get those tires in and mount them? We can't, you have to get them sent. Okay, if I did, and they cost $90 a tire, what's the total to mount them? Somewhere near $460.00, okay that's not too bad, not too many hidden costs something like $20 a tire to mount & balance. Sears looks like the place I'll do business this time. Thanks for your time sales associate, I'll get back to you.
Well, next I look the critters up on sears.com again and there's a button to talk to an associate about getting the tires. Okay, here's what happened next...
I get connected to a wheel sales associate, not tires. I have to try again, they can't forward me to tires. I do it all again and get another wheel person, I need to do it but pick a Michelin tire instead, the Continental tires send callers to the wrong people (us), sorry. Okay, I get connected to tire people, how would I like to pay for the Michelin tires I've chosen? I don't I want Continentals, okay, let me call the manufacturer to see if they're available. Sir, they're not available, they're discontinued and going to be replaced but the Mfg'r can't tell me when the replacement name one will be available. Could I suggest another tire? Sure. I'd suggest the Michelin's. Okay, what'll they cost? $560 for four. Okay, this is sounding like bait & switch now. Well is there anything else I can do for you today? Yes, tell me why you're listing tires on the site that are discontinued and you can't get me? I don't know sir. So I end up getting a Corporate number. Halfway thru talking with a customer service representative, and recounting the problem I'm having, she dumps me. I end up talking with a representative that handles fences and hardware and can't help me. She does though get me to a Customer Experience person who listens to the whole story and then asks, "and what center do you have a problem with?" I don't have a problem with a center, it's SEARS.COM. I'm sorry sir, I can't help you with that, that's a SEARS.COM problem... let me get you a number and connect you with them. So I get a guy named Tim. Tim looks at the page and 'Wow, I've never seen that before, there's no link to send the tires to your house..." Tim, that's the least of my problems. There are plenty of other internet sites that can send it to my house. I thought you guys were trying to sell tires that I could get installed by your auto centers. So it ends up Tim can't see where the 'IN STOCK' tires that are actually discontinued really are and can't get them to my center to get mounted. But, he will let his supervisor know and after getting my number he'd have someone follow up with me. Before disconnecting he remembered to get my name too. My phone range once with a 'NO NAME' ID on it, they hung up on me. I'm still waiting for that follow up call. So Sears is so disconnected that no one know what anyone is doing. No wonder they've been having problems for the past few years.
Sears doesn't get the sale, I stayed away for ten years and they're worse than the last time I dealt with them. Let's give them another ten and see if they still exist. In the meantime I think I'll just buy the tires from the online place that'll send them to my door. End score, 50/50. Half of the Sears people care, half have 'not my problem' syndrome.
-Rob 'I'm tired of tire buying hassles" D.

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The local tire store

There's a local tires store, I'm going to omit the name to protect the guilty.
They didn't really try. I had my list and pretty much gave them the names of the tires to look for after I'd called earlier in the day and they let me know they'd 'look for some that would work for me'... Now this is the second contact, actually at the counter. "Oh, yes we deal with that online site, we're platinum plus super dooper associates with them..." Cool, I think, now we're going to get some decent prices. WRONG. The $67 dollar price for the online source was going to be sold to me for $116 per tire. Nope, not kidding, then lets add every other fee. "No we don't have to pay shipping, we just go pick them up from them, and only super dooper platinum plus associates can do that, they won't let you pick them up down there..." Oh rats, not only am I so low in the caste system that I don't deserve to deal with the internet site in person at their warehouse (as if I ever thought I could) like the local tire store guys can, aparently I'm too stupid to notice that local guys want to charge me $196 more for a set of tires than the site itself does. Gosh I wish I were smarter and better looking and had higher self esteem...
Final score, local guys want over $650 for 4 tires from tirerack.com , NEXT.

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Pep Boys tried, this time.

Now after hunting tires a month or two back for kiddo's THING, I almost passed Pep Boys by completely, but I decided to try and go thru the motions in case someone in Savannah besides Firestone wanted to sell tires this time around. It ended up that Pep Boys had a trainee working that day that did. He was very well informed and actually cared about selling tires. His name is Mike Hudson. A bit of history; last time around, the guy behind the tire counter didn't know what a VW THING was, he took my 'how about a 1973 beetle?' and looked up one tire size. Without getting off his counter stool, he told me they only had three of that size tire and seemed to let his mind wander off leaving his body looking out the front window of the place and me wondering how a 'buy three get the fourth free' is supposed to work if they only have three tires available...
Fast forward to this visit and Mike says 'Let's go look at what we've got' when I ask about what the load ratings are or some of the tires he told me about. Mike knew the Vanagon was a heavier vehicle and needed tires that could bear the weight. Mike mentioned a few tire possibilities and even mentioned a size in more off road applications... something that was 27/850/14 actually. I ended up later finding that one or two bus drivers had actually used that size. I was impressed. Ended up we couldn't get a set of those together, and that's a shame. I would have liked to have filled Friday's wheel wells completely with some fat knobby tires.
So this time Pep Boys did better. Ended up Mike is a trainee for a MANAGER position, I hope he gets it, he's good. Speaking with some other folks at our local store it seems they noticed they had a problem in tires and had cleaned house, Mike was on loan from Augusta. Rats! Well, I told them he was doing a good job & they should try to keep him. It really was nice dealing with him. They didn't make the sale though, not enough options to fit the Vanagon. Oh well, keep looking.
-Rob 'tire hunter' D.

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Firestone Store not too bad.

So Rob's looking for tires for the Vanagon. Last week I went and hit the Firestone store and came up with the following:
1. It matters who you talk to when buying tires. On day one, the sales guy wanted to just sell me a set of tires that fit. On day two, knowing that the day one guy wasn't familiar with the delicacies of a VW bus and the extra weight it carries and he wasn't my prefered salesperson. On day two, my knowledgeable saleslady knew the needs of a bus and had a heck of a time finding the tires I wanted. When it was all said & done she had a set but was very appologetic that the price was somewhere like $150 more than the tires alone would cost me. (mark this point for future reference, what the tires would cost me...) I told her it wasn't a terrible price and it probably was better than anyone else in town would do for me. Boy was I right on that.
2. It matters what you know when you go to buy tires. I went into the store with a list of eight or ten tires on a list that would be anywhere from barely passable to the best I could get. Salesman went way below the needs, saleslady was spot on as to what I needed. Going in, I also knew what tires would cost me thru the internet, but I did not make any overtures to salespeople that I wanted these prices. I know there's an anger in the industry that a person can get tires for half what they cost in the tire store, I only had the info to list available choices. I looked at web sites and groups to find info. This helped in several other places this week as I'll tell in posts to follow.
Long story short, Firestone tried. They were half & half on informed. They cared, but they had to mark-up and somewhere in the estimates there was $40-$50 for balancing parts. Hmmmm, they wanted that much for a few lead weights? Yup, the valve stems were priced seperately. Firestone loses points for hidden higher prices.
I still like them, but I don't like the extra prices. Next.

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