Santa Clarita, CA
10/1/2011
I've been a long term and satisfied customer of Mike's for years until today.
I worked with owner Mike Cone over the last several days to locate the tires I wanted for my car. He was caustic at times with his advice and discounted my reasoning for wanting a particular tire for my vehicle.
He seems to be saying that he knows tires but the customer's wants and opinions mean nothing. Fair enough. He's been in business for years and his attitude is his own business.
To make a long story short, after finally locating the tires I needed and getting them a day after they were promised we took the car in to have the tires replaced.
We were there for two hours waiting for the tires to be installed and an alignment check performed. Mike's staff removed our old tires and let them sit on the ground for over an hour while servicing customers who came in after we had. After finally getting the tire install on the road Mike asked if I wanted the alignment checked. I told him to go ahead. He assured me this was only a free check and not an actual alignment.
Nearly another hour goes by while this is taking place until one of his employees enters us the waiting room to tell us that an alignment is needed. I told that employee no, not today after which the employee left and another long wait began.
When the car was finally ready Mike Cone attempted to charge me for the tires and an alignment! I told him that we had told his employee that we did not want the work performed. My wife was with me and clearly heard me tell the employee no, not today. At that point Mike started to raise his voice and asked if he should ""eat"" the cost of the alignment. I repeatedly told him that we had told his employee (an English as a second language type) that I had declined the alignment.
Mike launched into demented tirade accusing me of ""f......"" with him for days then continuing his rant with a non stop slew of other profane language. He called the employee in question to the office to ask if I had declined the alignment. His (English as a second language) employee stated that I had authorized the work! Cone got louder and louder. I attempted to pay him for the work but he would not accept payment. He shouted that I should get out of his store and never come back. My wife who was present for all of this as well attempted to pay him for the work but he would not accept her payment either. Cone then kicked us out of the store and repeated that I should never come back.
I have never in my life dealt with a business person as demented, deranged, and possibly dangerous as Mike Cone of Mike's Tire Man. I did nothing to trigger his profanity laced outburst other than to call attention to the fact that he has an employee who either doesn't understand English or the word no. In fact, I'm pretty sure no means the same in Spanish as it does in English.
Mike Cone is an elderly man, possibly afflicted with some form of dementia. He's clearly not fully in charge of his business or his emotions and self control. My advice to anyone reading this review is to avoid doing business with Mike's Tire Man.
One more thing. Mike apparently has a history of big game hunting and apparently lives part time in South Africa. This is a man who clearly should not be able to own firearms. His explosive hairtrigger temper and possible ownership of firearms here in the U.S are a bad combination that could be deadly.
Our afternoon at Mike's Tire Man is one we'll never forget.
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