[acurael]

***Coles notes: I WAS WRONG. Dale's alignment was right. Miscommunication** see page 6 of thread Dale's alignment still rules!

So I am not one to complain and degrade a business but I had to share my experience as it was ridiculous. I am a previous customer at Dale's and have gone there for brakes/alignments etc in the past (been a few years, but I am still in their computer system)

Scheduled an appointment at Dale's alignment and went in for a simple alignment. My tires are slightly worn and I already know this and planning on upgrading rims and tires shortly.

I had servicing at the BMW dealership in late September and they did an inspection at that time as well. I also know how to check tread depth etc and have a tread gauge so I check my tires here and there. The inspection at BMW showed the following and I was not surprised:

1. front left 5.5/32 and noted inner and outer wear (minor issue as they ticked off the green box
2. front right 6/32
3. rear left 7/32
4. rear right 7/32 noted middle wear (minor issue as they checked off the green box)
- The tires are bridgestone blizzaks and about 5-6 years old but still have lasted long as the car is not driven much in the winter and we used to swap out to summers. I have driven on the winters for the past two years thru summer etc as they have essentially changed to all season tires.

So I drop my car off to Dales in between work. Jamieson at the front seemed friendly enough. I mentioned that I've noticed a wheel vibration with the car. Jameison mentioned it was likely not an alignment issue but something else. The car does pull slightly and that is likely related to alignment. He told me that if there were other issues or parts that need replacing they would call me which seemed good to me.

I get a call a few hours later and called them back and Jamieson told me over the phone that they cannot do an alignment as the my tires could "blow up" at anytime on the road and the front tires were worn to the metal bands and metal was sticking out of them. He also told me that the thrush arm bushings needed replacement. He suggested purchasing new winter tires and replace the bushings and align also.

I have dealt with Dale's in the past and they always seemed trustworthy and knowledgeable - I used to deal with Darryl and he was always truthful and nice. I used to go there knowing I was paying a bit more for good service. Talking to them today, I knew something didn't sound right so I decided to pay for the inspection and think about it. I thought maybe they were right, and the tires were completely worn on the inners?

Anyways I pick up the car and Jameison continues to tell me that the car is not safe to be driven and if I get in an accident ICBC would not cover it etc as the car should not be driven at all.

At this point it seemed like complete scare tactics. I didn't say anything or care to as I just wanted to pay the 36 bucks for the inspection and get out of there asap as I had to go back to work. Really odd way to approach things as he seemed to be talking down to me like I was an idiot for driving around in the car in this "poor condition". Maybe he thought I was clueless on cars? I even mentioned on the phone that BMW did an inspection but he said they probably didn't do a front end inspection.

So I pulled my car up into the driveway before I wrote this post and even pulled out the inspection from BMW because I didn't want to bad mouth a business without the proper facts. I checked the tires myself and there is absolutely no "metal bands" hanging off the inner part of the tires. There is slightly uneven wear but its still above the tread wear markers inner and outer. Plenty of tread left! I have put on about 1,000 kms since the BMW inspection.

Maybe the thrust arm bushings are worn? who knows - I'll take it elsewhere now. I was actually thinking about paying the 600 something dollars to have that issue fixed and the alignment but the whole discussion about the tires made me question everything.

I definitely won't ever be setting foot at Dale's again because they blatantly lied to me that the car is "not safe to be on the road" and the tires are "worn to the metal bands" and used scare tactics to pressure me into getting extra work done at their shop. Jamieson even went as far as to tell Mike (who seemed nice enough) to write out all the notes and for me to initial it that they are not liable for anything if something goes wrong. The notes say: thrust arm bushings worn/tires extremely unsafe and require immediate replacement/tires have separate and may come apart at any time. customer accepts all liability etc.

All I wanted was an alignment. Unreal. I can post pics of the "metal band" tires if anyone is interested. lol.

[inv4zn]

Why didn't you just post the pictures?

That being said, scare tactics are usually done on things that are hard to verify - motor mounts, that kind of thing.
To blatantly lie that you have metal bands showing on your tires seems asinine as anyone could very quickly take a look to make sure...

I've been to Dale's once, and they did a good extensive job - mind you this was about 5 years ago, and maybe they've "changed" their business model.

There's another long thread with jpark's negative experience with Dale's.

[jpark]

Ive had some terrible experience at Dales before as well with my s2000. Long story short, they misquoted me on labor hours, went 2 hrs over the quoted hours without my consent and basically treated me like I was an idiot.

I did make a thread about it on the suspension section here on rs but the mods deleted it for some reason after Jason chimed in (Still wondering why that thread got deleted?)

On the forums he posted saying that he does not tolerate such misquotation and rude attitudes towards customers and apologized asking me to contact him through email and we can resolve a problem. I did contact him the next day and all i got was a pointless reply from him bragging about his shops reputation by saying how hes been in the business for years and how people with lambos come to his shop from out of town etc. Nothing was ever resolved, i just stopped bothering.

[knight604]

Never saw the reason to go all the way to dales just to get an alignment.

rep that TSS BRAH

[acurael]

Never saw the reason to go all the way to dales just to get an alignment.

rep that TSS BRAH

I go to TSS alot for service etc. do they do alignments - I thought they didnt?

I'm in Surrey so it was closer to drop by langley in between work. I'm gonna give Alex a call anyways for new wheels tires and now arm bushings possibly? Hopefully my tires don't blow up on my way to Burnaby. lol

Here are the pics of the front tires: left side is inners. BANDZ MAKE HER DANCE?

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/acurael/media/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg.html)

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/acurael/media/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg.html)

[knight604]

They just got an alignment machine not that long ago.

[acurael]

Why didn't you just post the pictures?

That being said, scare tactics are usually done on things that are hard to verify - motor mounts, that kind of thing.
To blatantly lie that you have metal bands showing on your tires seems asinine as anyone could very quickly take a look to make sure...

I've been to Dale's once, and they did a good extensive job - mind you this was about 5 years ago, and maybe they've "changed" their business model.

There's another long thread with jpark's negative experience with Dale's.

Yup they were great about 2+ years ago. I used to go there often for brakes etc. I noticed a change ever since they took over the shop next to them and new front staff. Mike seemed ok to me and friendly (he even mentioned at the end that the bushings I could wait for but the tires should be replaced soon). This was all after Jameson left the front.

[acurael]

They just got an alignment machine not that long ago.

Damn I wish I knew that. TSS is the best shop and always honest. I referred alot of friends there and they are always happy. Back to TSS then. No reason to go anywhere else!

[acurael]

Let me know what you guys think of the pic of the tires.

Should i tow the car to the next destination as recommended on Dale's quote? :fuckyea:

[meme405]

Let me know what you guys think of the pic of the tires.

Should i tow the car to the next destination as recommended on Dale's quote? :fuckyea:

IMO you should definitely get a flat bed...

:troll:

[belaud]

I stopped going to Dale's when they started trying to upsell me on shit I really did not need, that and TSS is much closer, and can do everything on the car (which they already have :concentrate:)

[Lomac]

Let me know what you guys think of the pic of the tires.

Should i tow the car to the next destination as recommended on Dale's quote? :fuckyea:

Definitely looks worse than my old set.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/304557_10151983737825080_1584589694_n.jpg?oh=09b91 9e0844d724d9f1e2ff0f7245523&oe=54EFB04C&__gda__=1425410883_b3bb632ff465c8ea4ce4fe1eea9079a d

:lol

Weird. Used to go to Dale's all the time, though admittedly I haven't for a couple years now at least. Had nothing but good service but it's quite possible things have changed in the last while.

[1990TSI]

I'd still call that 0/32s. you need tires.

He may have went overboard with the "may blow up at any time" but it doesn't change the fact that you need tires..
..and an alignment inspection. Hard to tell if you wore them out from driving hard, excessive camber or (probably not) toe wear.

My tires look the exact same (changing them tomorrow) and mine wore from excessive negative camber in the rear and how I drive.

[Roach]

I also had a terrible experience at Dale's in 2012. Was on the Kool-Aid like a bunch of people here about Dale's superiority. Cole's note version is that I was parting out my STI and needed to take a couple of things off. I was offered a cash deal by Jason. Showed up to get the job done. It took way longer than expected without my consent. Turned into a taxable job all of a sudden. When confronted I was treated like a liar. Paid almost double what I was originally quoted just to get the fuck out of there.

I really liked the place and trusted them with my both my MS3 and STI to service the cars there. They upsold me on a lot of shit and I certainly wasn't a cheap customer. In fact, Jason was the one who threw out the cash offer when I called in to book the job. The whole thing leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. Never been treated like that before.

Happened right around the same time as jpark's incident and the thread was deleted from RS after. A real disservice to users of this forum to have valid negative reviews deleted.

And for the record, I think Darryl is a good guy. He always treated me respectfully and never blew smoke up my ass. His brother Jason is the one who ruined the experience for me. And the front desk guy Mike.

Kev

[acurael]

I'd still call that 0/32s. you need tires.

He may have went overboard with the "may blow up at any time" but it doesn't change the fact that you need tires..
..and an alignment inspection. Hard to tell if you wore them out from driving hard, excessive camber or (probably not) toe wear.

My tires look the exact same (changing them tomorrow) and mine wore from excessive negative camber in the rear and how I drive.

Are u looking at the correct pic?

How is that 0/32? I can measure them with tread gauge. They are like 6-7/32. Same as what BMW said.

I'm going to switch to new 19s on conti DWS in the next few months likely, but the tires are still useable for the time being. I doubt I am a hazard on the road, and I still don't see metal hanging out of the tires.

[jtrinh]

I went to Dale's two years ago as well to see what all the good praise was about. I dealt with Jason at the time and my first impressions were pretty good. Had a bit of a chat about the STi's he had in the shop and a few other RS members IS300's that have also been worked on there. My car was in for an alignment and I asked them to look into some irritating brake noise I had at the time as well. Everything was completed in a timely manner I think.. Kinda forgot. Jason was able to drop me off to where I wanted to kill some time and picked me up afterwards. Didn't try to up sell me and what I was charged was fair.
I would probably not go back there, reason being is location.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience OP. What is up with that Jamieson guy. Should have asked him to point out exactly where the belts were showing through the tire.

[Gucci Mane]

lol damn. i recently just got new tires and a leveling kit installed at dales on my f150. jamieson did try to up sell me on a bigger lift because he said the tires will rub etc etc, but so far i've experienced no rubbing even at full lock.

it was kind of funny though because it happened the same exact way it did to you. i drop the truck off, about an hour later get the call saying it wont work with the setup i chose and that i should go with new bilstein 5100 shocks (they're ride height adjustable) because my current ones have 60k on them and these shocks on f150s are only good till 80k. i then tell him that i've spent the past year searching forums for the perfect setup for my truck and that this was the only way i wanted to go. he responds back by saying that "well, i do this everyday and i know that you will need more of a lift because it will rub. those guys dont really know what they're talking about on forums and that just because one guy does something it wont work for everybody". lol.

i just sat there with a huge grin on my face because i knew he was just trying to pull that service advisor bullshit up sell card. like fuck, if you really "do this everyday" then wouldnt you have known when i made my very first call to you and told you that i wanted to go with X tire size and X level, that it would rub?

my overall experience was great though, they weren't able to get me the truck back before i went to work so they set me up with a rental for the day. rental was a brand spankin new 2014 subaru outback that was just fresh off the lot from the day before and had 17km on it when i picked it up.

[dared3vil0]

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/acurael/media/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg.html)

I'd still call that 0/32s. you need tires.

He may have went overboard with the "may blow up at any time" but it doesn't change the fact that you need tires..
..and an alignment inspection. Hard to tell if you wore them out from driving hard, excessive camber or (probably not) toe wear.

My tires look the exact same (changing them tomorrow) and mine wore from excessive negative camber in the rear and how I drive.

I'm sorry for quoting a picture, but how in the hell is this 0/32nd of an inch? The sipes are still plainly visible...

Anyways, OP, was "metal bands showing" the exact words they used? If so, what a bunch of incompetent idiots...

[acurael]

I'm sorry for quoting a picture, but how in the hell is this 0/32nd of an inch? The sipes are still plainly visible...

Anyways, OP, was "metal bands showing" the exact words they used? If so, what a bunch of incompetent idiots...

I can't remember the exact wordings but metal was showing and metal sticking out of the tires was the gist of it over the phone. Essentially he was saying they had worn out completely on the inners to the metal parts of the tire. Which I knew was not true cause I always do a quick inspection of our cars, check tire pressure etc.

I understand upselling and recommendations as that what helps run a business, but to straight out lie to a customer (previous one at that) is just wrong. Especially to try and freak me out that the car should not be on the road. When there is nothing wrong with the car. I been to both BMW and TSS for major services recently and nothing has been found on inspections. I'm glad I didn't fall for it and walked away with only paying the inspection charge. Who knows what else they would have "found". If your gonna bend the truth at least be good about it or not so rude.

I think I'm more insulted that they thought I was stupid enough to believe them. Their scare tactic technique obviously works for them because they seemed busy as hell. Its so hard to find honest people/businesses nowadays....

[westopher]

0/32nds
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSs8CPwEc0l3cEUKbu3TJSQHitzFzwbj zLdY2hCdpLVo9-U4oup
Not 0/32nds
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/acurael/media/photo_zps94ab8358.jpg.html)

[dared3vil0]

I can't remember the exact wordings but metal was showing and metal sticking out of the tires was the gist of it over the phone. Essentially he was saying they had worn out completely on the inners to the metal parts of the tire. Which I knew was not true cause I always do a quick inspection of our cars, check tire pressure etc.

It's just puzzling to me why they would pick something so obvious like tires, and claim they have metal showing through they are so bald, than saying (as someone mentioned earlier in the thread) motor mounts or something the consumer can't verify in about... Oh 3 seconds?

[1990TSI]

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/acurael/media/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg.html)




I like how you all picked the better tire of the 2. I picked the worst tire of the 2. because that's how it's done. You always pick the lowest point to measure from, and in this case you'd pick the worst tire.

see the inside edge of the tire? see how it's fucked? how much traction do you think he's getting when that part of the tire is contacting the road around a wet or snowy corner?

I don't see how you can argue that those tires aren't worn out....

[acurael]

It's just puzzling to me why they would pick something so obvious like tires, and claim they have metal showing through they are so bald, than saying (as someone mentioned earlier in the thread) motor mounts or something the consumer can't verify in about... Oh 3 seconds?

LOL exactly. If your gonna make something up at least be good at it! They insulted my intelligence and I used to recommend them and even praise them on this forum! (before the shop suddenly seemed to change for the worst).

[1990TSI]

And lets see pictures of the rear tires please

[acurael]

I like how you all picked the better tire of the 2. I picked the worst tire of the 2. because that's how it's done. You always pick the lowest point to measure from, and in this case you'd pick the worst tire.

see the inside edge of the tire? see how it's fucked? how much traction do you think he's getting when that part of the tire is contacting the road around a wet or snowy corner?

I don't see how you can argue that those tires aren't worn out....

The picture is a bit deceiving. In real life there is more depth to the tread. Also the pic is weird cause that side is dry. But either way I don't think the tire is completely worn. I doubt the BMW dealership would miss an opportunity to sell me tires....

[acurael]

And lets see pictures of the rear tires please

The rears are good to go. I'm too lazy to take pics. They have slightly more tread than front just as the bmw dealership found.

[underscore]

Is it possible the front end guy had your car mistaken for another car? I know in a lot of different businesses there can be miscommunication between the people doing the work and the people talking to customers that can cause problems like this.

Are u looking at the correct pic?

How is that 0/32? I can measure them with tread gauge. They are like 6-7/32. Same as what BMW said.

I'm going to switch to new 19s on conti DWS in the next few months likely, but the tires are still useable for the time being. I doubt I am a hazard on the road, and I still don't see metal hanging out of the tires.

It's hard to tell from the pics but if the wear is uneven between the two sides of one or more of the tires maybe rotate them, otherwise I wouldn't worry about them for the time being.

[fliptuner]

Treadwear bars are generally at 2/32.

Plain as day, there's double or triple that at the lowest point in this pic:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg

[acurael]

Is it possible the front end guy had your car mistaken for another car? I know in a lot of different businesses there can be miscommunication between the people doing the work and the people talking to customers that can cause problems like this.



It's hard to tell from the pics but if the wear is uneven between the two sides of one or more of the tires maybe rotate them, otherwise I wouldn't worry about them for the time being.

I asked myself this question but there was no way there was miscommunication as there was only one bmw in their lot at the time. And their was two front desk guys saying a similar thing. Discussion was same over phone and in person. A bit more aggressive in person as ICBC, road hazard, unsafe to drive, shouldnt be on the road were mentioned.

Although if any of the workers are on this forum and read this thread I'm sure it will be a "mix up".

Oh yah I forgot to tell you guys the best part. My wife was with me to pick up the car and she was so scared she gave me the keys and said I don't want to drive it. You drive it back. LOL :whistle: On the plus side she told me get those new wheels and tires you wanted. Get them asap!

[thumper]

i think maybe you should go back to dales and ask jameson to show you in person the tire wear he claims is there. i would like to hear his explanation based upon what you have shown us in your pics.

if he is working the front counter, he does not go out and check every customer's car and has to rely on the report given to him from the tech who looked at the car. this is true for most shops i've dealt with unless there are no other customers waiting, but otherwise they often would send out the tech who worked on your car to explain/discuss.

it's always best to inspect your car before leaving the shop, whether it is for something like this, or for any damage that may be on the car that wasn't there before. it should be general rule of thumb, but i'm also guilty of forgetting to do it too.

myself, i am shopping around for a place to do more suspension work on my car. dales is on the list. i've never had problems before and i've been going there off and on for the last decade, so reading this and some of the other experiences posted here from others is cause for concern because good shops are hard to come by.

someone mentioned TSS. everyone loves TSS. i've never been there before but because so many people here swear by them i went ahead and asked them for a labor quote. what they gave me for said suspension work was over $700 more than the next highest one i got... :confused:

[acurael]

I would have checked right there but it was raining and I was already late to get back to work because it took them about 5-10 mins to write all the notes and check me out. I'm not going back there because of the way they went about the whole situation. It's not worth my time or headache.

[BrRsn]

Should upload what they gave you in writing -- that at least confirms that they dicked you around and hopefully this thread won't disappear

I hate places that try to upsell you shit -- it comes off as really greasy and most places that do that I never re-visit. It's always a fun time going to the jeep dealership on marine drive to buy parts -- their service advisor is a better salesman than most of the floor staff :fuckthatshit:

[1990TSI]

So if i took my car into the local dealership today....
http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141029_092904_zps7d49c636.jpg

to look at my tires
http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141031_102823_zps6ab0f392.jpg


you don't think they'd find a problem? I measured them myself and found theres actually 4/32 left at the treadwear indicator
http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141031_102746_zps8d3572cd.jpg

It's hard to tell but there is a fair amount of tread there
http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141031_102637_zps943d2154.jpg


Maybe I won't need to take it in, I have faith in the tire experts of revscene
http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141031_102410_zpsffca710c.jpg







:suspicious:

[fliptuner]

I would trust his 5-7/32nd snows over your 4/32 summers in a second, especially where you're located.

[yray]

^yolo

[1990TSI]

I'm putting new snowies on today. because mine are at 0/32

not 4/32.

[fliptuner]

What part of "the treadwear bars are generally 2/32" don't you get?

I'm not saying yours are safe, I'm saying they're not 0.

[westopher]

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/20141031_102746_zps8d3572cd.jpg
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah177/acurael/photo1_zpsb27df63e.jpg
http://inkmonster.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/479.jpg

[1990TSI]

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/tire1_zps34b37b3f.jpg

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/photo1_zps19ec0e3a.jpg



get a tread depth indicator in that worn out inside edge of the tire. less than 1/32 = .....

[dared3vil0]

I don't think you understand...

[underscore]

Wear isn't measured on the sides of the tires unless you're running a bunch of camber...

I asked myself this question but there was no way there was miscommunication as there was only one bmw in their lot at the time. And their was two front desk guys saying a similar thing. Discussion was same over phone and in person. A bit more aggressive in person as ICBC, road hazard, unsafe to drive, shouldnt be on the road were mentioned.

Although if any of the workers are on this forum and read this thread I'm sure it will be a "mix up".

The cars don't have to be similar for the front desk guys to get the wrong message from the guys in the back if they assume they're working on car A when they're actually talking about car B. I've seen that happen enough to at least consider it as a possibility when it's something as obvious as tire wear.

[acurael]

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/tire1_zps34b37b3f.jpg

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag317/1990tsimonstar_sinstar/photo1_zps19ec0e3a.jpg



get a tread depth indicator in that worn out inside edge of the tire. less than 1/32 = .....

bro I checked it just for you and the inside edge came out as 5/32. no joke...again the picture is slightly deceiving cause its dry on that side as i mentioned before.

We could go on about how to measure tread all day long.

I think the whole point is BMW measures the same I measure with tread depth gauge and Dale's claimed they were worn to the metal which clearly they are not. So based on this info I think I trust myself and BMW that they are at 5.5-7/32 approximately. And I'm sure my car doesn't need to be taken off the road, otherwise I would be buying tires every month for all my vehicles if that was the case. Hell I just got new tires installed on my SUV 2 weeks ago and based on how you are measuring tread they need to be changed too, cause the inners have just a touch more depth than my winters on the bmw. LOL

Even if my car was magically mixed up which I know it was not the way things were dealt with was my biggest issue. It was similar to a mother scolding a child basically. "Get him to initial this work order - We are not gonna be responsible for this car!" And why would they be? - its my car. Threats about ICBC etc not covering an accident. C'mon! I still gave them a chance and decided to check the car myself in case something suddenly changed without me knowing in the past few weeks. I would have discussed it further and even gone out to look at the tires with them possibly if it wasn't raining so much and I was late to get back to work. I even mentioned that I will figure it out and call them back if I decide to get anything done when I paid for the small fee for inspection.

[1990TSI]

Wear isn't measured on the sides of the tires unless you're running a bunch of camber...



You measure the tire at its lowest point.

How is this so difficult?

he's got accelerated wear on the inside of the tire, that part of the tire is going to wear faster than the rest of the tire. it's already compromised to the point of (in my opinion at least) needing to be replaced. what do you think that tire will look like in a few months? take a trip to whistler on those on a snowy day in february?

I don't know exatly whats causing that wear pattern as i havn't seen an alignment print off or driven with the customer to see how he drives.


You won't find a reputable shop that will tell you those tires are good to use for the winter.

[1990TSI]

bro I checked it just for you and the inside edge came out as 5/32. no joke...again the picture is slightly deceiving cause its dry on that side as i mentioned before.


If it's 5/32 on the inside edge of the tire then the picture is very deceiving.

[dared3vil0]

You measure the tire at its lowest point.

How is this so difficult?

he's got accelerated wear on the inside of the tire, that part of the tire is going to wear faster than the rest of the tire. it's already compromised to the point of (in my opinion at least) needing to be replaced. what do you think that tire will look like in a few months? take a trip to whistler on those on a snowy day in february?

I don't know exatly whats causing that wear pattern as i havn't seen an alignment print off or driven with the customer to see how he drives.


You won't find a reputable shop that will tell you those tires are good to use for the winter.

Look man, i know you're trying to help (i think) but for lack of a better term you're talking out of your ass. His tires, if his measurement of 7/32nd for the vast majority of the tire is accurate, they are more than fine for another winter. In fact, his WINTER tires at 7/32nd are infinitely better than the people running brand new all seasons this winter.

If you don't understand how all this works, that's just fine but stop talking like you do.

[acurael]

You measure the tire at its lowest point.

How is this so difficult?

he's got accelerated wear on the inside of the tire, that part of the tire is going to wear faster than the rest of the tire. it's already compromised to the point of (in my opinion at least) needing to be replaced. what do you think that tire will look like in a few months? take a trip to whistler on those on a snowy day in february?

I don't know exatly whats causing that wear pattern as i havn't seen an alignment print off or driven with the customer to see how he drives.


You won't find a reputable shop that will tell you those tires are good to use for the winter.

The alignment is not that off anyways. I had an alignment a few years ago! lol. the wear pattern is probably from past driving I'm guessing as the alignment was really off a few years ago as the car was completely pulling to one side. The current tires are decent as all seasons tires not winter - I already know this. Not "real winters" anymore as they are bridgestone blizzaks performance and only the 1-2/32 top layer is true winter. I've ran these tires on my G35 as well. I ran the tread gauge along the tire and honestly the wear is almost exactly the same across the tires. The wet/dry areas in the pics seem to be confusing things although other members are not seeing what you see either?

I actually just went to get an alignment done before I purchase new wheels and tires and it was a convenient day and time to drop it off cause my schedule is crazy. I'm still debating which wheels I want so that's why I haven't purchased anything new.

Found it strange they refused to do an alignment on the car. Not sure if you cannot do an alignment unless the thrust arm bushings are replaced. Although in the end Mike said that could wait? I already told them I was planning on getting new wheels and tires. Nothing made sense really.....

[1990TSI]

It's nearly impossible to do a good alignment with worn suspension or steering parts. I don't know how bad the thust arm bushings are, but if it's enough to cause play, you won't get a good alignment.

get the alignment done with the new tires and the bushings replaced for best results and tire wear.

I'm glad that is settled.

[acurael]

I think this thread veered off a bit. It was already settled that I was getting new tires and wheels soon. The whole point of me making it was to tell my experience at Dale's that was very poor. Instead we are debating how to measure tread. lol

I'm back to square one because who knows if the thrust arm bushings are even worn? If they claim my tires are worn to the metal when they clearly are not then obviously anything else they told me is not valid. Waste of my time really.

That 36 bucks was the best investment I ever made. At least I know to never go back there and in the long run I will save money and give my hard earned money to a business that deserves it!

[wasabisashimi]

Some mechanics has the same moral as my last dentist...... where can we go now for trusted work?

[underscore]

You measure the tire at its lowest point.

How is this so difficult?

he's got accelerated wear on the inside of the tire, that part of the tire is going to wear faster than the rest of the tire. it's already compromised to the point of (in my opinion at least) needing to be replaced. what do you think that tire will look like in a few months? take a trip to whistler on those on a snowy day in february?

You don't measure it at a point that the car doesn't drive on. Look at the bottom of the tire, those side bits you're looking at are the transition from the tread to the sidewall and on most tires are tapered from the mfr. On top of that, the tread right next to that area looks fine, so if the circled bit was the only area making road contact (pretty doubtful since the rest of the tread shows even wear) the tires would have such a pathetically small contact patch that no matter what tires you put on the car is going to be sketchy to drive.

[duy-]

hi revscene experts, pliss hlp mehsure mi tyres :derp:

http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q375/duy-/064_zps66063e0d.jpg (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/duy-/media/064_zps66063e0d.jpg.html)

[westopher]

ICBC might not insure it in case of a wreck. Calling police BRB:pokerface:

[Jgresch]

Based on the tread depth left on your sidewall I'd say it's unsafe :derp:

[Exc3L]

How'd this end up as a thread about thread depth...

Anyone that works at Dale's on RS that can chime in on this?

[acurael]

I should also mention the car is at stock height with no suspension mods made and no major accidents or repairs ever. First owners and always maintained properly.

[1990TSI]

did you have the same brand tires on your g35 or the exact same tires pictured?

possible they were worn while on the other car?

[dared3vil0]

...

[1990TSI]

...

Have another bag of cheese burgers.

[dared3vil0]

Have another bag of cheese burgers.

Awww poor 1990TSI mad because he looks like a complete toolbag as usual! Adorable! :lawl:

[E-SPEC]

There is a place on Industrial in Van beside the Porsche shop. Great place man. Lowered cars welcome.

[nma]

Hey guys, I made a complete tool of my self and my argument is totally invalid but I will continue to argue my point... :rukidding:

That's a terrible experience. I've heard many stories of this happening and it's really sad a lot of people actually do get scammed. Thanks for the heads up.

[bcrdukes]

There is a place on Industrial in Van beside the Porsche shop. Great place man. Lowered cars welcome.

Do you mean Gord's Auto Repair beside Blitzkrieg Motorwerks? There is no Porsche specialty shop that I am aware of on Industrial Avenue, however, please correct me if I am wrong. If it is indeed Gord's Auto Repair, they are on E. 1st Ave just off of Loren, one block EAST of Main and Great Northern Way / East 2nd Ave. Blitzkrieg is great too. They took very good care of my previous E36 M3 but keep in mind, they are a very busy shop so they will not be able to attend to your car ASAP.

Any way,

Dale's Alignment will always have a strong following and its loyal customer base. Looking from the outside in, including my personal experiences, I felt that it was "just another shop." Maybe I didn't own a Subaru or I didn't have an "in" with the shop? Who knows. But that isn't important.

I have noticed that throughout the years, Daryl and Jason have taken a step back from the daily operations and have moved into a separate role within the business. My personal business dealings with Daryl and Jason have always been great and they took care of me and got the job done in time. I do recall going back once or twice having dealt with a different front office manager and tech, and that's when I decided not to come back. The in-your-face up-sell antics and lack of genuine interest in my needs as a customer were all that it took for me to stop going there.

Dale's Alignment built its stellar reputation based on customer service, especially when Dale ran the show. Daryl and Jason continued the business and have decided to take the business in a different direction, I suppose (this is debatable.) In the end, I would have been happy to pay MORE for the customer experience. I do wish that Daryl and Jason do well in their business at the very least and have a thorough review of what works and what does not.

OP et al. - Sorry you had a poor experience. Best to stick to the Revscene sponsors that have been tried, tested, and are true. Good luck!

[E-SPEC]

^^yeas thats the name. As far as i'mconcerned thats a good place.

[BBMme]

That's sucks. I hate hearing about good indy shops going bad. I've heard nothing but good things from them in the past and I also got my car service from them. Very sad

[acurael]

did you have the same brand tires on your g35 or the exact same tires pictured?

possible they were worn while on the other car?

Same type of tire. Bridgestone blizzak. G35 was on 19s these are 18s. Not the same set of tires!

Are you trolling at this point?

[acurael]

That's a terrible experience. I've heard many stories of this happening and it's really sad a lot of people actually do get scammed. Thanks for the heads up.

I can only imagine because even I started second guessing myself. My wife said she would have gotten it all done and she wouldn't know what to do if someone said the car should not be driven. I had to get a flashlight and show her the tires in the garage and explain everything to her. Even explaining that metal is under the tire rubber and what they were claiming. She still was leery to drive the car today. Lol. Luckily my gut said to pick up the car immediately and double check everything and think about it.

[1990TSI]

Same type of tire. Bridgestone blizzak. G35 was on 19s these are 18s. Not the same set of tires!

Are you trolling at this point?

Totally not trolling. that's so 2004 for me, I'm honestly trying to help...and I just have no respect for daredevil.

I work in the industry and from the picture, that one tire looks worn out. I won't say any more about it as it's beating a dead horse. I get that i'm on my own with my opinion, and I'm okay with that.

It sucks that a shop mis treated you and i'd advise you to get a second opinion at another reputable shop (such as TSS)

No hating(other than tons of fun v6) no trolling, that's just how the pictures look to me. you saw my tires. I'd be worried that yours would look like that soon and I know how shitty mine handle wet weather.

[acurael]

Totally not trolling. that's so 2004 for me, I'm honestly trying to help...and I just have no respect for daredevil.

I work in the industry and from the picture, that one tire looks worn out. I won't say any more about it as it's beating a dead horse. I get that i'm on my own with my opinion, and I'm okay with that.

It sucks that a shop mis treated you and i'd advise you to get a second opinion at another reputable shop (such as TSS)

No hating(other than tons of fun v6) no trolling, that's just how the pictures look to me. you saw my tires. I'd be worried that yours would look like that soon and I know how shitty mine handle wet weather.

fair enough. cool

[dared3vil0]

Totally not trolling. that's so 2004 for me, I'm honestly trying to help...and I just have no respect for daredevil.



:lawl:

I feel... So... Hurt...

:lawl: :lawl: :lawl:

[1990TSI]

:lawl:

I feel... So... Hurt...

:lawl: :lawl: :lawl:

Not as hurt as your springs. Shit I feel bad for the tech who will have to replace those under warranty.

:accepted:

[dared3vil0]

:lawl: I'm sorry but i'm not quite sure what you're trying to accomplish exactly? If you're trying to offend me on the internet, keep at it keyboard warrior! :lawl: :cool::facepalm:

[knight604]

Yeah guys take it to the track then whoever loses can punch the winner out .

[1990TSI]

Probabaly a fair fight really, as far as armchair racing goes, we have the same torque, but he's got 30 hp and 300lbs lbs on me. Now that's just the car, so we'll have to add a few pounds to that, but I think we'd come out pretty close.

[acurael]

Yeah guys take it to the track then whoever loses can punch the winner out .

No we will force the loser to drive my car and watch as the tires blow up spontaneously as ICBC watches on the sidelines :fuckyea:

[dared3vil0]

No we will force the loser to drive my car and watch as the tires blow up spontaneously as ICBC watches on the sidelines :fuckyea:

If you even make it to the location with those 0/32nd tires!

[1990TSI]

No we will force the loser to drive my car and watch as the tires blow up spontaneously as ICBC watches on the sidelines :fuckyea:

Can we set this up in front of dales?

[see.lai]

:Popcorn

In.gif

[acurael]

If you even make it to the location with those 0/32nd tires!

I'm gonna tow it to the track obviously as was recommended at Dale's. There is even a phone number for clover towing on the invoice:woot2:. LOL

[dared3vil0]

I'm gonna tow it to the track obviously as was recommended at Dale's. There is even a phone number for clover towing on the invoice:woot2:. LOL

:lawl:

[LC21]

Ask dale for a discount. :suspicious:

[Gucci Mane]

Totally not trolling. that's so 2004 for me, I'm honestly trying to help...and I just have no respect for daredevil.

I work in the industry and from the picture, that one tire looks worn out. I won't say any more about it as it's beating a dead horse. I get that i'm on my own with my opinion, and I'm okay with that.

It sucks that a shop mis treated you and i'd advise you to get a second opinion at another reputable shop (such as TSS)

No hating(other than tons of fun v6) no trolling, that's just how the pictures look to me. you saw my tires. I'd be worried that yours would look like that soon and I know how shitty mine handle wet weather.

i've read a few posts of yours in other sub forums on here and realize that you used to be a tech at a dealer or still are. how you let a keyboard commando like dared3vil0 pounce all over you is beyond me.. but i guess sometimes its just not worth the battle.

with that being said, its a little hard to tell how much tread is left with just a straight on picture like that. should have done the classic craigslist thing and stuck a quarter in the tread to measure the depth :lawl:

[underscore]

I work in the industry and from the picture, that one tire looks worn out.

Sounds like you work at Dales. If not, please tell me where as I will avoid it at all costs.

If you even make it to the location with those 0/32nd tires!

Lets be realistic here, since he drove it home he's probably down to -1/32 by now.

[Noran]

0/32 would not read again

[smoothie.]

I've never :fulloffuck:'d on rs as much as reading some posts.

I guess just cause someone works in an industry means they're always right?

[TOPEC]

wow im surprised at the negative reviews for dale's alignment. i've been dealing with dale's alignment since 2006 for all my suspension needs on my sti until 2011 when i sold it. i've had nth but great customer service from the shop, granted jason and only jason was the only person to touch my car. he even gave me FREE bottles of motul competition gear oil from his personal stash for me when he found out i had flushed the tranny with the wrong oil and caused the center diff to grind in tight turns. the only time when it wasnt jason that touched my car was when i was swapping everything out to part out so i didnt care who worked on my car. i even brought in an isf that had been in a major accident to get it realigned since it wasnt driving right and jason took the time to point out to me everything wrong with the repairs from the body shop instead of just trying to aligning the car and masking the problems.

sad to see a once great shop go down the hill.

[Gucci Mane]

I've never :fulloffuck:'d on rs as much as reading some posts.

I guess just cause someone works in an industry means they're always right?

not always. but his opinion is more valued than a keyboard commando that manages to snap off his lug nuts. just sayin..

[dared3vil0]

Does anyone from Dale's have an account on here? Would be curious to see there response.

[bcrdukes]

wow im surprised at the negative reviews for dale's alignment. i've been dealing with dale's alignment since 2006...*Edited for length*... jason took the time to point out to me everything wrong with the repairs from the body shop instead of just trying to aligning the car and masking the problems.

Going back to my post on page 3, this is an excellent example of customer service. An error was made and Jason did what he had to do to rectify the situation and as a result, his actions kept a customer.

Whereas now, the folks running the front of shop and what have you, may or may not share the same vision Dale, Daryl, or Jason have, or once had. It's too early to say and not a fair judgement. Again, the shop built up its loyal customer base on their customer service. This is why people go back and would go out of their way to do business with them. This is one of many factors in maintaining a successful business.

sad to see a once great shop go down the hill.

I think it's too early to say whether the shop went downhill or not. More so, I think we should reserve any kind of judgement because with Daryl and Jason running the show and the business expanding, I'm sure they have their fair share of struggles to deal with on their plates. No business is always hunky dory 100% of the time.

Daryl and Jason brought on new help to move the business forward. I recall them being very proud of adding new lifts to their facility and for a lot of shops, expansion means good business. I was really happy for them and they took care of doing what they could do, but there comes a time when you need to find good help, you take a risk in entrusting new hired help to help you get to where you want to be.

I have no doubts Daryl and Jason are great guys. I randomly showed up back when I owned my AW11 and SW20 MR2. They both took very good care of me as promised over the phone. I show up, and right off the bat, we're talking shop, cars, life as if we were friends and we barely knew each other.

When I came back with the E30 and the E36, I wasn't able to deal with the two of them anymore and that is when my experience with the shop was ruined.

Does anyone from Dale's have an account on here? Would be curious to see there response.

They're much more active on the NASIOC forums on the Vancouver forum. If you feel that this warrants a response, you can post a link to the thread, however, I feel that it may be a moot point and it just fuels Internet forum drama. For all we know, they may have already read the thread. :)

[BoostedBB6]

http://dillaircontrols.com/dill/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/5124.jpg

1) Buy one
2) If it reads 0/32 at any position on the tread pattern you have a problem or for the people with no understanding of common sense, if its green your good, yellow you need to think about replacing them and red means replace them.

What's so hard about this?

If you have one section of you tread that is worn to 0/32 you have an alignment issue/tire issue that has caused you to be using that section of the tire more than others.

[DontFrontOnMe]

This is the worst thread in the world. 1990TSI may be attractive for a manboy, but jesus fuck, you suck at mechaniking.

[SpuGen]

Hey Revscene Tire Experts.

I measured my tires at the wearbar. Still had 5/32.

Still good?

Or did I waste my money on the RE070's? :(

http://i.imgur.com/UgzRWIB.jpgp

I should've taken a picture of the fronts, but I had plenty of tread left. They looked brand new. The shoulders were showing bands though. Not sure if I wasted money on tires when they were good for another season.
They looked like this. TONS OF TREAD.

http://rennlist.com/forums/attachments/996-turbo-forum/521390d1300464505-severe-rear-tire-wear-capture-d-ecran-2011-03-18-a-12.05.59.jpg

[BrRsn]

^wasn't funny the first time, definitely not funny the 5th time

[SpuGen]

Serious question for the experts.

Drivehard sold me some RE070's. Wondering if they were full of shit or actually concerned for my safety.

[acurael]

@Spugen. Do my tires look like those? Not sure if you are being sarcastic. There is no metal showing on my tires and the wear is pretty much even across the tires.

I used a tread gauge also to measure as boosted mentioned

All these pics are what you would expect my tires looked like based on what Jameson was saying at Dale's.

[DHP 1]

Serious question for the experts.

Drivehard sold me some RE070's. Wondering if they were full of shit or actually concerned for my safety.

clearly we were full of shit


:woot2::fuckyea:

[Hanz_P]

The reputation of any business is mostly affected by their first point of contact or the face of the company. That face is the guy at the front desk or the guy who is first interacting with the customer.

If the business is suffering based on a sales and customer support / relations perspective. Then you can easily blame the guy in charge of that.

I have from first hand experience seen Jameson try to over power Jason in arguments towards customer satisfaction and experience.

I would say the issue is no the shops quality of work as they are still reputable from their past interactions (as stated by many people) but by the person who thinks he is in charge.

Dales should step up and address said employee's performance this would likely satisfy the customers satisfactions.

Also, alot of shop's forget that information is VERY ACCESSIBLE to its customers. If someone is told one thing, they can almost always guarantee that person is going to go research it first. Trying to pull fast ones on customers by using the obvious tactics (scare tactics, leveraging their personal knowledge and experience against the customers) is a thing of the past.

They should always talk to the customer with the assumption they are able to look it up. They can easily point out BS and hurt a shops reputation in a simple thread, just like here.

[E-SPEC]

Sometimes my boner seems a little cambered.

[jpark]

:facepalm:

[Alby]

Sometimes my boner seems a little cambered.

positive or negative?

[Lowered_Klass]

http://i.minus.com/iKmqeeKMWbdDb.gif

This thread just made my night. Sub'd for the lolz

[Lomac]

Happened right around the same time as jpark's incident and the thread was deleted from RS after. A real disservice to users of this forum to have valid negative reviews deleted.


FYI, thread wasn't deleted/closed. Was just buried inside a build thread.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/664242-jparks-berlina-ap1-s2k-4.html#post8006158

[inv4zn]

^But that's just a few posts from a very long thread...

All I see in jpark's S2K build thread are a few posts - none of the responses from Dale's.

[Stook]

I have had pretty bad experience with dales as well recently, won't be bothered going back again even if they pay me.
I wrote a google review, looks like it has been deleted. not sure how that can be done, pretty surprising.
I also posted on their facebook page, got jumped on by Jason and Jameson.

[inv4zn]

^Found your review on their FB page...

And they really come off as assholes lol - surprising because when I talked to them in person years ago they were actually rather nice. Shit changes I guess.

Also lol at Jason leaving a review on his shop's page, pretending to be a customer haha

[saucywoman]

For alignments everyone should go to The Speed Sydicate. They're a sponsor and friends of RevScene. They will do a great job, you won't have to worry about any shady maneuvers, plus they are all super friendly. I went there last year for an alignment and was quite impressed with just how great I was treated. Listening to them talk to one another you know they're all happy to be there; I for one like seeing employees happy as for me that's a reflection of how the company is

[brrrz]

I bought a set of coils and PSS at dale's and brought in my RPF1's that they installed all at the same time.
Service was great. Ended up spending a little more then what I expected to seemed like their prices my have been a tad high but hey who actually stays in their budget when modifying their car??

I never have that's for sure!

Service they provided was 10/10 Jameson was very knowledgeable and was always able to answer any question I had on the spot and if he didn't know the answer 100% he would tell me so and follow up with an email later that day. I work just down the street and they didn't mind me popping in the shop and walking around checking things out as the process was happening.

Install went perfectly. I have always found a new scratch etc on my car in the past at other shops after I had something done nothing here.

Would highly recommend the shop and I will be bringing my business back

[R. Mutt]

Edwin at dynamic auto ftw (opposite drivehard). Tracks a 991 cup car and has given great advice to me in the past. Friendly, prompt service and open on Saturdays as well (last I inquired TSS is closed on a Saturday...not sure if that has since changed). Never been to Dale's but I've always been told good things. I called a month ago to try an book the same day as I had an autoX event the next day and they were fully booked. Offered to pay extra if they could squeeze me in as I really wanted to dial in more camber and caster for the event They said it's not about the money but simply a matter of being maxed out and they can't compromise the amount of time other cars which I thought was pretty good hear...gave me the impression they care about the quality of their work over profit. Interesting to see the contrast in this thread...would've never guessed.

[SkunkWorks]

Edwin at dynamic auto ftw (opposite drivehard). Tracks a 991 cup car and has given great advice to me in the past. Friendly, prompt service and open on Saturdays as well (last I inquired TSS is closed on a Saturday...not sure if that has since changed).

Sure the owner tracks a Pcar, but that doesn't mean they know what they're doing... They managed to overfill my 911 with 2-3 quarts of oil which caused my intake manifold to be completely saturated in oil. I had to rip it all apart to degrease and replace all the gaskets in the process.

On your second point, TSS is open Saturdays.

[ncrx]

wow 5 pages.. about a magical alignment shop craziness

never been to dale's

its just an alignment.. if u've got a printout of before and after and its in factory specs you're good any shop can do that for you

if you're looking for a specific alignment, then you yourself should study up and know what you're doing and asking for. and any shop can get your alignment to what you ask for

[R. Mutt]

Sure the owner tracks a Pcar, but that doesn't mean they know what they're doing... They managed to overfill my 911 with 2-3 quarts of oil which caused my intake manifold to be completely saturated in oil. I had to rip it all apart to degrease and replace all the gaskets in the process.

On your second point, TSS is open Saturdays.

That's too bad. I don't do any engine work at dynamic so I can't speak for the quality in that dept, only suspension and as far as that goes I have always had good results. In like manner, a few of the guys at RacingGreed also go there and had good things after getting their allignment.

Good to know TSS is now open on Saturdays, I'll be sure to check them out one of these weekends, maybe they can install my gauges. I've called them a couple times to inquire about getting an allignment and other stuff but they said their not open on a Saturday. That was over six months ago or so though, if memory serves correct.

[BRZ dude]

Hi,

My name is Jason and I run Dales Alignment. I have talked to Jameson concerning the OP rant/post and what has been mentioned is only half the story(as always).

OP says BMW measured his tires tread depth? but failed to mention what was causing the vibration was a tire starting to separate. Looking at the OP's tire in the picture he posted, where did they measure the tread depth? the outside edge? the inside edge of the front tire has severe wear caused by the front thrust arm bushings being worn and other issues listed below.

Tread Depth Action
6/32" Your tires have sufficient tread depth
5/32" Consider replacing your tires if wet road conditions are a concern
4/32" to 3/32" You should consider a tire replacement or monitor closely
2/32" (1.5mm) Your tires are considered legally bald and need to be replaced

The measurements above are a guideline most tire shop's use. Just looking at the tire in the pic shows a worn tire. Second of all and here is an education, tires have a due date. Look on the sidewall of your tires and there should be four numbers for ex. 0413, this means the tire was manufactured 4 week of 2013. Tires have an expiry date after 6yrs of use no matter how much tread is remaining. OP mentions he has run the tires for 6yrs and for the last two has used them year round??

info here- Canadian Tire (http://tires.canadiantire.ca/en/info-centre/tireAge/)

Now the OP says he runs snow tires through the summer? reason why not to here:

What happens when you use your winter tires all year round? - Kal Tire - Your True Service BlogKal Tire ? Your True Service Blog (http://blog.kaltire.com/what-happens-when-you-use-your-winter-tires-all-year-round/)

I have worked beside Jameson for a couple years now and I highly doubt he was as dramatic as the OP says. We have strict guidelines in place in how to deal with customers and going overboard trying to make a customer feel forced to purchase tires etc. is not what we do. If he did seem overly concerned about the tire condition, he had a good reason to be. Jameson and our other service writers are not on commision so trying to upsell you tires doesn't benefit them in anyway. If it did we would have went ahead and done the alignment, taken your $100 and never mentioned a thing about the tire separation. A customer purchasing tires from us or not doesn't change our financial well being, trust me. All we want is the vehicle to be safe and the condition of your tires is not good. They are 6yr/old(maybe older), worn out snow tires that have been used year round for two years and the car also has worn suspension bushings, why are we getting thrown under the bus for bringing this to your attention?

[Tr1ll]

http://i.giphy.com/YPIrsRqqO7oB2.gif

[BRZ dude]

And they really come off as assholes lol - surprising because when I talked to them in person years ago they were actually rather nice. Shit changes I guess.

Also lol at Jason leaving a review on his shop's page, pretending to be a customer haha

Nothing has changed. Just remember to ask for the other side of the story;)

[jpark]

FYI, thread wasn't deleted/closed. Was just buried inside a build thread.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/664242-jparks-berlina-ap1-s2k-4.html#post8006158

lol there was an actual thread i made, where this dude (^) chimed in. And all the sudden the thread disappeared.
inb4 this thread gets deleted again. Money talks in the end i guess. Quite the shame to provide such disservice

[BRZ dude]

wow im surprised at the negative reviews for dale's alignment. i've been dealing with dale's alignment since 2006 for all my suspension needs on my sti until 2011 when i sold it. i've had nth but great customer service from the shop, granted jason and only jason was the only person to touch my car. he even gave me FREE bottles of motul competition gear oil from his personal stash for me when he found out i had flushed the tranny with the wrong oil and caused the center diff to grind in tight turns. the only time when it wasnt jason that touched my car was when i was swapping everything out to part out so i didnt care who worked on my car. i even brought in an isf that had been in a major accident to get it realigned since it wasnt driving right and jason took the time to point out to me everything wrong with the repairs from the body shop instead of just trying to aligning the car and masking the problems.

sad to see a once great shop go down the hill.

Dale's is not going downhill. We have experienced massive growth over the last 7-8yrs and sometimes a business will have a few weak areas exposed. We monitor our reviews -Google, Facebook, Forums, MachanicNet etc. and we try to rectify any major issue and try to respond to the upset customer. I can guarantee Jameson will be calling the OP to see what went wrong, not because of this thread but its something we do. It is a procedure we put in place to help us and you the customer come to a conclusion. We actually have contests to garner reviews, so when a customer leaves a review their name is entered into a draw to win prizes such as tablets, golf bags etc. We are not buying reviews, we are purchasing a customers time so they will send a review good or bad. This is one tool we use to "build" our business. Happy customers rarely leave reviews but if a customer feels they are wronged-look out! They will go out of their way to let people know. Here is the issue, how do we intercept the unhappy customers complaint before it goes viral? We want the customer to call us or let us know when the vehicle is picked up if he/she has an issue or even after the fact if it is a mechanical issue. We want to resolve the problem, don't be afraid or shy to confront us. If our service doesn't meet your satisfactory requirements we want to resolve the issue before it hits the 'net. The reason is there is always two sides to every story and having myself or another Dales employee come on a forum like this to defend ourselves is childish. If you have an issue call us, it will be resolved. Every complaint about our service which there isn't many considering we have written over 21000 invoices in 3 years has not been brought to our attention first before it hits the forums. I'm not boasting about the amount of work we do, I only want to put it in perspective.
One thing that is glaring since we started monitoring our reviews is that some if not most of the negative reviews come from this type of customer(some poked their heads into this thread):
1)customer supplies own part -lets say a rear bearing for an S2000. Customer wants bearing swapped because another shop said it was toast. Why didn't the other shop repair it? they were probably too expensive compared to our quote. We proceed to inspect the bearing with a stethoscope and find no issue with the bearing. We mention this to the customer but he still wants it changed. The job turns sideways because the hub is seized into the bearing. Job takes longer than quoted so we charge 1/2-1hr more labour time. Customer supplies part we do not guarantee labour quotes, we cannot since we are already losing on the job. We tried to tell the customer initially we didn't feel the bearing had to be changed, he declined our diagnosis. He was a charged a bit more for labour since the job went a bit sideways, not because of our workmanship but sometimes these thing happen.
BTW. We do not mind if customers supply their own parts other shops will decline this because it eats up profit.

2)the customer who is demanding and thinks their car is priority- customer has heavily modded NSX, wants the wheel alignment done ASAP. We tell this customer to drop it off and leave it, no guarantee when we can look at it especially on a days notice. We are a very busy shop and this our procedure when it comes to custom alignments on a track car and no customer's have issues with this. We will not rush a car out of the shop because a customer wants it done ASAP. Its all about safety and we will not compromise that to make a $150. He shows up and takes his car at 6pm after we haven't touched it yet and thinks it is our fault we didn't get it done. Again we never charged this customer a thing but he leaves negative reviews everywhere about our service. Why wasn't this mentioned in our office during vehicle pick-up? no, lets wait until I'm confident and sitting in front of a keyboard so I can throw out a one sided story on a forum or review board.

3) the cheap guy- to be honest we have no time for the frugal time bandit who tries to grind every last nickel out of every quote or the guy asking for the deal before we build a relationship with you. I give deals out to loyal customers all of the time, they earn it out of being loyal. They are not the one time customer worrying about their pocket book. We used to try and work with these type of customers but not worth it. They usually have heightened expectations too and are very painful to deal with.

4) 95% of the negative reviews are related to our customer service, not our workmanship. Either we let a customer down on getting a job done in a timely manner, or we charge too much-but who are you comparing us too? we actually received a negative review because we didn't have a TV in our office?? We have set up systems and procedures to try and eliminate these issues. For example, we now offer rental cars and in most cases if you are a loyal customer who is getting work done we will pay for it. By doing this we alleviate the pressure of getting the job done in a timely manner. Sorry no TV in our office;)

Other than growing as a business and building systems and procedures to support this, nothing has changed. There are many new faces added to our team over the years but Darryl and I are still there every day. The same techs we had 8-10 yrs ago are still with us, none have left. We do not cater to certain clientele like we did before because they are not Dale's customers. Every shop has a niche and we do not fit the model of trying to please the customer who fits in the categories listed above. Its not out of arrogance that we no longer cater to this type of customer, it is a matter of time. We have many customers who are willing to pay and understand things come up sometimes but they value the work, time and effort we put into them. We need the time to take care of these customers, not the ones who de-value us.

To the customers who have supported Dales over the years we thank you very much. If anyone has a legit issue with Dales contact me(Jason) anytime and lets try and resolve the issue(s). Don't leave it on a forum where the issue cannot be resolved in a proper manner.

Thanks,


Jason

[duy-]

just had an alignment done at speed syndicate, i dont even know why anyone would go anywhere else.

lowered car friendly
knowledgeable
just car guys like us
nice environment
cheap prices

this honestly shouldnt be a thread about how bad your experience was at one place but rather WHERE is a good place to get an alignment. skimming through the last 5 pages, TSS keeps coming up with good reviews from people who dont work there... call and book an appointment

[jpark]

Dale's is not going downhill. We have experienced massive growth over the last 7-8yrs and sometimes a business will have a few weak areas exposed. We monitor our reviews -Google, Facebook, Forums, MachanicNet etc. and we try to rectify any major issue and try to respond to the upset customer. I can guarantee Jameson will be calling the OP to see what went wrong, not because of this thread but its something we do. It is a procedure we put in place to help us and you the customer come to a conclusion. We actually have contests to garner reviews, so when a customer leaves a review their name is entered into a draw to win prizes such as tablets, golf bags etc. We are not buying reviews, we are purchasing a customers time so they will send a review good or bad. This is one tool we use to "build" our business. Happy customers rarely leave reviews but if a customer feels they are wronged-look out! They will go out of their way to let people know. Here is the issue, how do we intercept the unhappy customers complaint before it goes viral? We want the customer to call us or let us know when the vehicle is picked up if he/she has an issue or even after the fact if it is a mechanical issue. We want to resolve the problem, don't be afraid or shy to confront us. If our service doesn't meet your satisfactory requirements we want to resolve the issue before it hits the 'net. The reason is there is always two sides to every story and having myself or another Dales employee come on a forum like this to defend ourselves is childish. If you have an issue call us, it will be resolved. Every complaint about our service which there isn't many considering we have written over 21000 invoices in 3 years has not been brought to our attention first before it hits the forums. I'm not boasting about the amount of work we do, I only want to put it in perspective.
One thing that is glaring since we started monitoring our reviews is that some if not most of the negative reviews come from this type of customer(some poked their heads into this thread):
1)customer supplies own part -lets say a rear bearing for an S2000. Customer wants bearing swapped because another shop said it was toast. Why didn't the other shop repair it? they were probably too expensive compared to our quote. We proceed to inspect the bearing with a stethoscope and find no issue with the bearing. We mention this to the customer but he still wants it changed. The job turns sideways because the hub is seized into the bearing. Job takes longer than quoted so we charge 1/2-1hr more labour time. Customer supplies part we do not guarantee labour quotes, we cannot since we are already losing on the job. We tried to tell the customer initially we didn't feel the bearing had to be changed, he declined our diagnosis. He was a charged a bit more for labour since the job went a bit sideways, not because of our workmanship but sometimes these thing happen.
BTW. We do not mind if customers supply their own parts other shops will decline this because it eats up profit.

2)the customer who is demanding and thinks their car is priority- customer has heavily modded NSX, wants the wheel alignment done ASAP. We tell this customer to drop it off and leave it, no guarantee when we can look at it especially on a days notice. We are a very busy shop and this our procedure when it comes to custom alignments on a track car and no customer's have issues with this. We will not rush a car out of the shop because a customer wants it done ASAP. Its all about safety and we will not compromise that to make a $150. He shows up and takes his car at 6pm after we haven't touched it yet and thinks it is our fault we didn't get it done. Again we never charged this customer a thing but he leaves negative reviews everywhere about our service. Why wasn't this mentioned in our office during vehicle pick-up? no, lets wait until I'm confident and sitting in front of a keyboard so I can throw out a one sided story on a forum or review board.

3) the cheap guy- to be honest we have no time for the frugal time bandit who tries to grind every last nickel out of every quote or the guy asking for the deal before we build a relationship with you. I give deals out to loyal customers all of the time, they earn it out of being loyal. They are not the one time customer worrying about their pocket book. We used to try and work with these type of customers but not worth it. They usually have heightened expectations too and are very painful to deal with.

4) 95% of the negative reviews are related to our customer service, not our workmanship. Either we let a customer down on getting a job done in a timely manner, or we charge too much-but who are you comparing us too? we actually received a negative review because we didn't have a TV in our office?? We have set up systems and procedures to try and eliminate these issues. For example, we now offer rental cars and in most cases if you are a loyal customer who is getting work done we will pay for it. By doing this we alleviate the pressure of getting the job done in a timely manner. Sorry no TV in our office;)

Other than growing as a business and building systems and procedures to support this, nothing has changed. There are many new faces added to our team over the years but Darryl and I are still there every day. The same techs we had 8-10 yrs ago are still with us, none have left. We do not cater to certain clientele like we did before because they are not Dale's customers. Every shop has a niche and we do not fit the model of trying to please the customer who fits in the categories listed above. Its not out of arrogance that we no longer cater to this type of customer, it is a matter of time. We have many customers who are willing to pay and understand things come up sometimes but they value the work, time and effort we put into them. We need the time to take care of these customers, not the ones who de-value us.

To the customers who have supported Dales over the years we thank you very much. If anyone has a legit issue with Dales contact me(Jason) anytime and lets try and resolve the issue(s). Don't leave it on a forum where the issue cannot be resolved in a proper manner.

Thanks,


Jason

I dont think you're understanding this..
I don't really care much for your reputation and how long you guys have been around for its all irrelevant for me. My only problem from that day, was the fact that none of you guys called me to confirm about the extra hours of labor it was going to consume for my car. You guys just went ahead without my consent assuming i will be okay with it. If it was something like $20~$50 over then so be it, whatever. But when it went 3 hrs over the original quoted time and my bill backfired by almost 300 extra dollars without my consent... then i do see a bit of a problem here. No?

The amount of negative reviews that get brought up handful of times, definitely isn't a coincidence.

[GG]

instead addressing the issue it just seems like run on diarrhea bragging how many customers they have so they dont have time to waste running around with the small timers. They are busy and they been there for a long time blah blah blah

points taken

:failed::heckno:

[MeowMeow]

Looks like acurael, Jpark and Roach yall have some chances to win tablets and golf bags now!

[E-SPEC]

I dont think you're understanding this..
I don't really care much for your reputation and how long you guys have been around for its all irrelevant for me. My only problem from that day, was the fact that none of you guys called me to confirm about the extra hours of labor it was going to consume for my car. You guys just went ahead without my consent assuming i will be okay with it. If it was something like $20~$50 over then so be it, whatever. But when it went 3 hrs over the original quoted time and my bill backfired by almost 300 extra dollars without my consent... then i do see a bit of a problem here. No?

The amount of negative reviews that get brought up handful of times, definitely isn't a coincidence.

I'd be pissed off too.

[E-SPEC]

I'll be going BACK to Gords automotive, great experience. I will also say i went to Dales about 4 years ago, and dealt with just Jason. It was a good experience. He himself is a good guy i thought for sure. If it wasn't so god damn far i would consider going back.

[k3mps]

I dont think you're understanding this..
I don't really care much for your reputation and how long you guys have been around for its all irrelevant for me. My only problem from that day, was the fact that none of you guys called me to confirm about the extra hours of labor it was going to consume for my car. You guys just went ahead without my consent assuming i will be okay with it. If it was something like $20~$50 over then so be it, whatever. But when it went 3 hrs over the original quoted time and my bill backfired by almost 300 extra dollars without my consent... then i do see a bit of a problem here. No?

The amount of negative reviews that get brought up handful of times, definitely isn't a coincidence.

Not taking any sides here.
I agree, I would be pretty upset that they charged an extra three hours.
But on the other hand, what were they going to do? Leave a job undone because something seized? Stop halfway, and then call for permission to complete the job that you agreed to have them do?

Like I said, not taking sides. I'm not saying I'd be mad, because I WOULD be. I'd even be suspicious as to whether or not the part ACTUALLY seized and if they're just trying to milk me. But at the same time, what choice did they really have other than to finish the job?

[bomiheko]

Not taking any sides here.
I agree, I would be pretty upset that they charged an extra three hours.
But on the other hand, what were they going to do? Leave a job undone because something seized? Stop halfway, and then call for permission to complete the job that you agreed to have them do?

Like I said, not taking sides. I'm not saying I'd be mad, because I WOULD be. I'd even be suspicious as to whether or not the part ACTUALLY seized and if they're just trying to milk me. But at the same time, what choice did they really have other than to finish the job?

That's not the way to do things though. Any financial changes, you have to report to the customer and the customer makes the final decision. You can't make the decision for the customer unless the customer says so. What if the customer doesn't want the shop to do it anymore and wants to go to another shop? You're basically screwed. If this goes to court, you'll have a hard time defending the shop.

[jpark]

Not taking any sides here.
I agree, I would be pretty upset that they charged an extra three hours.
But on the other hand, what were they going to do? Leave a job undone because something seized? Stop halfway, and then call for permission to complete the job that you agreed to have them do?

Like I said, not taking sides. I'm not saying I'd be mad, because I WOULD be. I'd even be suspicious as to whether or not the part ACTUALLY seized and if they're just trying to milk me. But at the same time, what choice did they really have other than to finish the job?

I work for an automotive shop, and if the work is going to take longer, even an hour extra, its a common courtesy and a priority procedure to CALL the customer first and let them know. I'm not just talking this out of my ass as a whiney customer, I'm speaking from experience as a employee who deals with these calls and customers everyday. Its common sense and a right thing to do.

You'd be surprised by how many people tell us to stop and don't give us the green light to go ahead and do so after being informed about the extra labor.

[brrrz]

Well that escalated quickly

[BRZ dude]

This is Jameson from Dale's here posting from Jason's Account... I wanted to post up and make some clarifications for the community. The OP and I have already had a phone conversation about his feelings regarding his experience and cleared up much of the items in questions and I would like to do the same for the group here.

1. His tires were never diagnosed as bald or needing to be replaced based on tread depth. It is stated on his work order that the tires are at risk of failing due to separation. Specifically, the outer skin of the right front tire is separating and the inside sidewall is cracking around the whole tire. This is the cause for his shake as the tire is hopping badly when spun and is the worst of his tires. This is a safety risk and as a shop, we have to make sure all customers understand the risks associated with certain issues and waive liability from the shop as we were the last to have the vehicle and they are choosing to drive the vehicle.

2. The front thrust arm bushings have excessive play and our policy is to not align a vehicle with worn out steering and/or suspension components that affect alignment. In the order of priority, the tires are the more important risk that need attention which the OP has already remedied with his new wheels and tires that are on the way. The thrust arm bushings will still require doing to make the car properly alignable but if they needed to wait due to finance they could be left for a short while.


As it seems my integrity is what is being questioned, I personally needed to reach out and lay out some facts. In addition, I will NEVER lie to a customer about their vehicle and am always honest and up front! I will however discuss things passionately and can be too honest or blunt at times; that however doesn't make anything an up sell in my dealings with the OP. As a service adviser, I rely on my technician's reports on vehicles and when I read this thread the first thing I did was question my technician about the inspection to make sure everything was 100% clear before I reached out to the OP. During our conversation I offered the OP the opportunity to return at any time suitable for them to show them specifically the play in the bushings and the separation in the tire and I certainly hope they take me up on the offer.

I've said it countless times over my years in customer service and I will say it again... I am only a phone call away and I am always willing to discuss any situation or answer questions people have regarding their vehicles or the service we provide. Our shop is devoted to creating a great experience for our customers and we will always aim to solve any situation where ever possible in a fair manner. The majority of any issues that could come up could be easily solved with a conversation.

Jameson Smith
Dale's Operations Manager
604-530-9160
jameson@dalesmotorsport.com

[Iron Chef]

If u work at a shop why don't you do your wheel bearings your self

I work for an automotive shop, and if the work is going to take longer, even an hour extra, its a common courtesy and a priority procedure to CALL the customer first and let them know. I'm not just talking this out of my ass as a whiney customer, I'm speaking from experience as a employee who deals with these calls and customers everyday. Its common sense and a right thing to do.

You'd be surprised by how many people tell us to stop and don't give us the green light to go ahead and do so after being informed about the extra labor.

[brute_4s]

ive never personally dealt with dales alignment but from what ive heard on the nasioc site the work they do is top notch and jameson ive heard is very personable and knowledgable. just saying from word of mouth not experience.

[jpark]

If u work at a shop why don't you do your wheel bearings your self

because that was 2 years ago in 2012.... before i worked at a shop

[Iron Chef]

So you read the what dales have to say and you re read the ops original post it seems like a Mis understanding or Mis communication. The op could have asked for further explanation or a demo of what ever deficiencies there are. Dales probrably could have done a better job explaining it as the op obviously didn't get it. I feel that it was a bitch move on the ops part to go straight to revscene to post then to clarify with dales first.

[bcrdukes]

I feel that it was a bitch move on the ops part to go straight to revscene to post then to clarify with dales first.

But...this is Revscene...

:suspicious:

[meme405]

I just want to know if someone told the OP the metal bands in his tire were showing. That's the only information anyone needs to diagnose who's lying in this scenario.

[acurael]

PLEASE READ:

Jameson did call me today and left a voicemail and I ended up calling him back. I appreciated the call and he went over what they had found and also spoke about this thread. It definitely has gotten out of control (this thread) and I agreed with him. The conversation was much better this time around.

Initially when I had talked on the phone when my car was dropped off I was told the alignment could not be done because the arm bushings were worn (which I believed as its common on this car as I know and Jameson also mentioned this today) and also that the tires were worn on the inners and showing metal etc and were unsafe to drive on. Similar discussion when I went to pick up the car which seemed like all tires were worn particularly the fronts.

Like I explained before I had recently had a service and inspection at BMW last month and nothing was found at that time. My car has also been serviced at an indy shop not too long ago and everything checked out. Either I misunderstood what Jameson was telling me or it was not explained to me properly because I do not recall him mentioning the inner sidewall was damaged on the front passenger tire. He did mention separation etc which I understood as worn inner tread/showing metal bands/separating as some pics that some of you guys have posted of your own tires (similar to camber wear).

Either way after speaking to Jameson and him offering for me to bring it back to the shop I told him I would think about it and likely bring it in next week or the week after as I'm super busy. He told me the tire damage can only be seen when the car is on the lift and it nothing to do with the tread of the tire which I didn't recall being explained to me before.

After hanging up on the phone I decided to take another look today. I grabbed a flashlight turned the wheel both ways and inspected the inner sidewall and guess what - there is separation/cracking on one of the front tires inner sidewall. I WAS WRONG! there is something wrong with one of the tires.

Someone posted that it was a "bitch move" to post on here without discussing it further with the shop. I did speak to Jameson on the phone and also when I went to pick up the car (so two discussions) before today's follow up call. It was a case of miscommunication between me and Jameson but in the end their technician and Dale's was right about the car. I have posted a few years back on revscene and recommended Dale's in alignment threads in the past. So I thought it was only fair to post both positive and negative (which I felt was a bad experience at the time).

Jameson was very passionate and very blunt (as he has mentioned) about the tires possibly blowing up but I mistook that as a scare tactic/pressure to buy tires as I truly believed nothing was wrong with the tires based on what I measured in the past and when I got home and what the BMW inspection found. I think if I was simply shown the area on the tire that was damaged this whole situation would have been avoided. We could have parked the car at the front of the shop cranked the wheel and felt the inner sidewall or just rolled until it was visible as I did in my garage. Obviously to show me on the lift is unreasonable as they have other cars and jobs to do and they are busy. Again this is my personal opinion on what I think would be ideal for customers in my type of situation - but Dale's doesn't necessarily have to do this for their customers as they can choose to run their business as they want. I did mention on the phone to Jameson that I got an inspection at BMW recently and everything was ok so there was a discrepancy there. Again my opinion is that it would have been better to show me the damage. I would have not driven the car back home or put a spare tire on it immediately if I saw the damage that day!

Anyways this thread should probably be deleted by the mods eventually although if anything it does show that Dale's alignment and Jameson were honest. Also shows that miscommunication can lead to misconceptions and negative reviews which are not fair to a business/shop that strives to provide good work and customer service.

I will be calling Jameson tmrw and let him know the same thing as I feel bad about the whole situation and they deserve an apology. Thought I would post on here first as it became a shit storm which I didn't expect. Jameson/Dale's never deserved the negative review as they were honest and diagnosed the issue correctly.

[cdizzle_996]

If I was in your situation I wouldn't want to go back to Dales cause Id feel like too much of a tool to show my face, wrong or not.

[underscore]

I WAS WRONG!

Props for admitting that, I think it might be a first on the internet.

Now that you know the tires are indeed unsafe, which BMW told you they were fine?

[Gucci Mane]

Bhahahahahaha

This entire thread is a joke now. Keyboard commandos are the real heroes here...

[ziegs2020]

PLEASE READ:

Jameson did call me today and left a voicemail and I ended up calling him back. I appreciated the call and he went over what they had found and also spoke about this thread. It definitely has gotten out of control (this thread) and I agreed with him. The conversation was much better this time around.

Initially when I had talked on the phone when my car was dropped off I was told the alignment could not be done because the arm bushings were worn (which I believed as its common on this car as I know and Jameson also mentioned this today) and also that the tires were worn on the inners and showing metal etc and were unsafe to drive on. Similar discussion when I went to pick up the car which seemed like all tires were worn particularly the fronts.

Like I explained before I had recently had a service and inspection at BMW last month and nothing was found at that time. My car has also been serviced at an indy shop not too long ago and everything checked out. Either I misunderstood what Jameson was telling me or it was not explained to me properly because I do not recall him mentioning the inner sidewall was damaged on the front passenger tire. He did mention separation etc which I understood as worn inner tread/showing metal bands/separating as some pics that some of you guys have posted of your own tires (similar to camber wear).

Either way after speaking to Jameson and him offering for me to bring it back to the shop I told him I would think about it and likely bring it in next week or the week after as I'm super busy. He told me the tire damage can only be seen when the car is on the lift and it nothing to do with the tread of the tire which I didn't recall being explained to me before.

After hanging up on the phone I decided to take another look today. I grabbed a flashlight turned the wheel both ways and inspected the inner sidewall and guess what - there is separation/cracking on one of the front tires inner sidewall. I WAS WRONG! there is something wrong with one of the tires.

Someone posted that it was a "bitch move" to post on here without discussing it further with the shop. I did speak to Jameson on the phone and also when I went to pick up the car (so two discussions) before today's follow up call. It was a case of miscommunication between me and Jameson but in the end their technician and Dale's was right about the car. I have posted a few years back on revscene and recommended Dale's in alignment threads in the past. So I thought it was only fair to post both positive and negative (which I felt was a bad experience at the time).

Jameson was very passionate and very blunt (as he has mentioned) about the tires possibly blowing up but I mistook that as a scare tactic/pressure to buy tires as I truly believed nothing was wrong with the tires based on what I measured in the past and when I got home and what the BMW inspection found. I think if I was simply shown the area on the tire that was damaged this whole situation would have been avoided. We could have parked the car at the front of the shop cranked the wheel and felt the inner sidewall or just rolled until it was visible as I did in my garage. Obviously to show me on the lift is unreasonable as they have other cars and jobs to do and they are busy. Again this is my personal opinion on what I think would be ideal for customers in my type of situation - but Dale's doesn't necessarily have to do this for their customers as they can choose to run their business as they want. I did mention on the phone to Jameson that I got an inspection at BMW recently and everything was ok so there was a discrepancy there. Again my opinion is that it would have been better to show me the damage. I would have not driven the car back home or put a spare tire on it immediately if I saw the damage that day!

Anyways this thread should probably be deleted by the mods eventually although if anything it does show that Dale's alignment and Jameson were honest. Also shows that miscommunication can lead to misconceptions and negative reviews which are not fair to a business/shop that strives to provide good work and customer service.

I will be calling Jameson tmrw and let him know the same thing as I feel bad about the whole situation and they deserve an apology. Thought I would post on here first as it became a shit storm which I didn't expect. Jameson/Dale's never deserved the negative review as they were honest and diagnosed the issue correctly.

It's good to hear things got worked out.

[Sunfighter]

Very impressive :

The shop manager comes on and clearly clearly articulates what they had discovered when working on the vehicle in question. No jabs at the owner, no jabs at users, no defensive comments about other posts in this thread ... just pure professionalism and honesty.

To the OP : kudos for demonstrating the humility that you did ... humility is extremely rare on RS and most car forums. Respect.

Back when I had my STI in 2006-2010 I used to take Dale's all the time and always had an extremely positive experience.

[twitchyzero]

1)customer supplies own part -lets say a rear bearing for an S2000. Customer wants bearing swapped because another shop said it was toast. Why didn't the other shop repair it? they were probably too expensive compared to our quote. We proceed to inspect the bearing with a stethoscope and find no issue with the bearing. We mention this to the customer but he still wants it changed. The job turns sideways because the hub is seized into the bearing. Job takes longer than quoted so we charge 1/2-1hr more labour time. Customer supplies part we do not guarantee labour quotes, we cannot since we are already losing on the job. We tried to tell the customer initially we didn't feel the bearing had to be changed, he declined our diagnosis. He was a charged a bit more for labour since the job went a bit sideways, not because of our workmanship but sometimes these thing happen.
BTW. We do not mind if customers supply their own parts other shops will decline this because it eats up profit.

3) the cheap guy- to be honest we have no time for the frugal time bandit who tries to grind every last nickel out of every quote or the guy asking for the deal before we build a relationship with you. I give deals out to loyal customers all of the time, they earn it out of being loyal. They are not the one time customer worrying about their pocket book. We used to try and work with these type of customers but not worth it. They usually have heightened expectations too and are very painful to deal with.



summary: we're too busy to cater to customers that aren't on our loyalty system.

It's one thing to follow this agenda, but another to come out to a public forum and admit that you don't want to work with people that want good pricing and quality work. If youre not taking new customers and is as busy as you say you are and word of mouth is working out for you, sure I guess that works.

Again, I dont recall jpark's complaint being about taking more time to ensure things are done properly, but more to the fact that you did not get consent from the customer before proceeding to exceed the original quote. I think he also mentioned bringing the concern to you guys before posting here.

Before someone accuses me of a bitter ex-customer, I do not have personal experience with the shop. I even have a friend that used to work for them.

[Nabatron]

bumping this thread!

Any other Dale stories people have about their shop?

debating on taking my car there to get done or like other people said go to speed syndicate...

[XplicitLuder]

by the looks of it, both seem to be well run and will offer great customer service. I have only gone to TSS as theyre closer, so i have no personal experience with Dale's

[Gucci Mane]

bumping this thread!

Any other Dale stories people have about their shop?

debating on taking my car there to get done or like other people said go to speed syndicate...

since your location says langley, just go to dales. i had a very pleasant experience with them when i got my trucks tires installed in october 2014. they installed the tires and did an alignment and because i couldnt collect my truck the same day, they set me up with a courtesy vehicle. definitely going back when i need an alignment done.

[cdizzle_996]

Again, I'd vouch for them any day of the week. Been going there with several cars for years and never had an issue. Most recently I had my Infiniti G35 aligned there. They failed in the front and rear control arms perfectly.

+1 for Dales.

[jasonturbo]

I have a good relationship with Dales, never been disappointed.

+1

[Lomac]

Haven't been to Dale's in years (mainly because I live outside of the GVRD now), but every time I went in the past it was always a pleasant experience. One of the last times I went, I ended up chatting with one of the guys for quite some time after he spotted my Megasquirt ECU sitting in the passenger foot well. Super friendly staff (at the time, at least) and always ended up going that extra mile.

But, as I said, that was a while ago. Wouldn't mind going back at some point if their work is still on par.

[Mr.Money]

1st time reading,what a fuckin Tool acurael is,glad to see he doesn't post much

[mekaw]

Had work done on my truck there back in December.
Jameson was pleasant to deal with and work was done on the day it was booked for.
No complaints here.
Only complaint is the distance haha, I'm burnaby but I chose to go there.

[whiteTDIpowa]

Heard this shop has gone downhill the last couple years, used to be the place to go for alignment work, especially subaru related stuff.

Businesses like this should remember, it only takes a couple customers to stir the pot. Customer service isn't easy though....

[unit]

ive been to dale's twice, good experience both times. honest guys ime

[evlee]

i was denied service when they saw my compustar alarm, after i told them i was set on bypassed and willing to sign the waiver, and the guy at the front desk was rude. so i cross the street and got serviced at Autotech Alignment which did an awesome job!!

[tegra7]

+1 for Auto tech Alignment. They've worked on all my cars and they always have neat cars at their shop. I work in the same complex as Auto Tech.

[6o4allmotor]

Whats the going rate for alignments these days anyways

[Curren$y]

Ive had some terrible experience at Dales before as well with my s2000. Long story short, they misquoted me on labor hours, went 2 hrs over the quoted hours without my consent and basically treated me like I was an idiot.

I did make a thread about it on the suspension section here on rs but the mods deleted it for some reason after Jason chimed in (Still wondering why that thread got deleted?)

On the forums he posted saying that he does not tolerate such misquotation and rude attitudes towards customers and apologized asking me to contact him through email and we can resolve a problem. I did contact him the next day and all i got was a pointless reply from him bragging about his shops reputation by saying how hes been in the business for years and how people with lambos come to his shop from out of town etc. Nothing was ever resolved, i just stopped bothering.

I can confirm this.

Had a horrible experience there myself a few years back. Insanely over priced, bad communication and ultimately my problem was not resolved.

Front desk staff had a snide, rude and snotty attitude as well.

[Mrblee]

was there a few months ago and received the same great service I always do. Definitly one of my preferred shops to go to.

[ziegs2020]

Why would they refuse to do an alignment on your vehicle because of your alarm system?

[brrrz]

Nothing but good things to say about Dales

[MarkyMark]

They do good work but aren't cheap. Kind of odd cause it costed around 400 bucks to install and align my coilovers and rear shocks on my F150. A couple of months later I went to get the coilovers adjusted down about 3/4" and a complimentary alignment and it was 300 bucks. From what I understand the coilovers didn't have to be taken off the car to be adjusted either.

The most annoying part is both times I called to make an appointment and both times it's "bring your car in before 9am and pick it up at the end of the day"...which is as late as 8pm.The last time they didn't even start on my truck till after 4pm. Kind of defeats the point of making an appointment.

So again, their work is top notch but there are some annoyances.

[E-SPEC]

What i thought was funny was how one of the workers there wrote up a review portraying himself as a happy customer lol

[E-SPEC]

I was happy when i went there the one time a few years back though.

[dj.ac]

Had an alignment done there last year, great price and great service.

[mekaw]

They do good work but aren't cheap. Kind of odd cause it costed around 400 bucks to install and align my coilovers and rear shocks on my F150. A couple of months later I went to get the coilovers adjusted down about 3/4" and a complimentary alignment and it was 300 bucks. From what I understand the coilovers didn't have to be taken off the car to be adjusted either.

The most annoying part is both times I called to make an appointment and both times it's "bring your car in before 9am and pick it up at the end of the day"...which is as late as 8pm.The last time they didn't even start on my truck till after 4pm. Kind of defeats the point of making an appointment.

So again, their work is top notch but there are some annoyances.

yeah.. I don't really get the point of making an appointment then drop your car off first thing in the morning and get it back end of the day

[ziegs2020]

Did you drop it off Saturday? Saturday is their "drop off only" day, where you're car "will be ready when it's ready."

[MarkyMark]

Did you drop it off Saturday? Saturday is their "drop off only" day, where you're car "will be ready when it's ready."

Nope both times were mid week

[Nabatron]

they are a so called "sponsor" for our van subaru club but dont have a set discount set up for our group which I find weird...I mean if you are going to sponsor our club and we bring our cars to your shop for work I would expect some sort of discount plain and simple! We tried doing a group buy of parts but that fell thru when since there were no savings or deals....

[twitchyzero]

on Dales facebook they actually ranted about a customer and resorted to name-calling

https://www.facebook.com/dales.alignmentdalesautoservice/videos/830209787088989/

ive no problem with shops charging inspection fee and yeah some customers are a PITA to deal with...but bite your tongue because ranting publically makes me question the shop's professionalism...seems similar to the recent DK body shop debacle...not to the same extent by any means but I was surprised an established business would post this.