If you were me...

[Enzoman]

I called them and got the owner on the phone and e-mailed them the pictures. He denied everything and said it's not fair to him to say it was their fault when I never asked him come out to look at the wheels afterwords. Basically there is nothing I can do without any proof and because I left they can say it could have been anything that happened. I will never know what happened back in that shop, he says he uses only the best machines money can buy and that it could never happen because all the parts on it are plastic and supposedly can't chip or scratch paint. He say's they have changed tires hundreds of times on some of the most expensive rims and bla bla bla... and even offered to have me come up there for a demonstration to see how impossible it is. I can accuse them all day and they will deny all day. The conversation got nowhere, so yes I will take it as a lesson learned. I should have known better to take it to a shop that I've never been to before, and that has only been open for 5 years and is in a little strip mall type place just to save a few bucks.

[scduc]

I feel your pain, and I will be taking pics before I have mine done. If there is any consolation, it is that you now get to have your rims custom painted or coated. Unfortunately on your dime.

[mitt]

Don't worry about it.  If you own your bike for several years, and put a lot of miles on, you are going to get chips and stuff on your rims anyway - it just happens from little rocks.  I change my own tires, and I am really careful, but my rims show their age and miles w/ chips and scratches. 

Unless it is a show bike or garage queen, don't worry about.


mitt

[Cloner]

You ought to be sure to post the name of the business, its address, the owner's name (if you know it) and the fact that you think they hosed you in this thread.  That way anyone who's looking for a place to do business might stumble across this thread and will have a clue to avoid this place.  The owner, by refusing to acknolwedge even the possibility that his shop damaged your wheel, told you that his take on customer service is "make the beast with two backs 'em", I think.  He should have to suffer the consequences of that attitude.

There's no danger of legal action in this recommendation, as it is simply a statement of your opinion based upon fact.  I find it odd that the technician acknowledged the possibility of damage, but the owner, who might never have changed a tire, preaches the impossibility of error. 

You might even send the shop an email with a link to this thread.  Maybe next time someone complains the owner will realize that his actions affect his future sales, not just this one!

[Bladecutter]

I called them and got the owner on the phone and e-mailed them the pictures. He denied everything and said it's not fair to him to say it was their fault when I never asked him come out to look at the wheels afterwords. Basically there is nothing I can do without any proof and because I left they can say it could have been anything that happened. I will never know what happened back in that shop, he says he uses only the best machines money can buy and that it could never happen because all the parts on it are plastic and supposedly can't chip or scratch paint. He say's they have changed tires hundreds of times on some of the most expensive rims and bla bla bla... and even offered to have me come up there for a demonstration to see how impossible it is. I can accuse them all day and they will deny all day. The conversation got nowhere, so yes I will take it as a lesson learned. I should have known better to take it to a shop that I've never been to before, and that has only been open for 5 years and is in a little strip mall type place just to save a few bucks.

And that right there is the reason why I have been changing my own tires ever since I learned how to use a tire iron, and a bead breaker. That's also why all my friends bring their bikes to me to have new rubber spooned on their rims when I lived in NYC, and here in Colorado.

For me, its about getting the job done right, and not about getting the job done as quickly as humanly possible.
Its why I take extra time working on forks, and cleaning them up after everything has been put back together.
The people whose bikes I work on really appreciate the extra attention to detail.

The owner of the shop doesn't care about your bike, just about how much money they can make off of your bike.
If you only bring your bike there for one tire change, they typically don't care.

Way back in time, when I didn't work on my own bikes, I had a reoccurring problem with the Honda shop I used at the time that would always change the rear tire, but completely forget to readjust the rear drum brake so that when I pressed on it, I would actually get some form of braking action, and not crape the ground with the brake pedal. After the second time it happened, I complained to the service writer, and he sent the tech out to adjust it. After the third time, I just gave up, and held a 10 mm wrench in my hand when I went to go pick up the bike, and would adjust it before I took possession.

BC.

[fastwin]

Don't worry about it.  If you own your bike for several years, and put a lot of miles on, you are going to get chips and stuff on your rims anyway - it just happens from little rocks.  I change my own tires, and I am really careful, but my rims show their age and miles w/ chips and scratches. 

Unless it is a show bike or garage queen, don't worry about.


mitt

+1 I take good care of my stuff and have had many sets of tires mounted by others over the years and just about every one of my bikes has chips and nicks on the wheels. Not from tire mounting but from road use. Chips just happen. Try getting some matching paint to fix the nicks if it bothers you that much and don't use the shop again. That pretty much covers it.

[MadDuck]

One other thing to realize is that the shop may not have been capable of balancing the wheel. For instance if you have a single sided swing arm set up and you are not taking it to a Ducati shop they may not have jigs large enough to handle the big axle diameter when comes to balancing so they just won't do it. They may cop to it (like one shop I deal with does) or they may come up with a line of BS. You have to decide for yourself.

The paint chip could be careless work or it can also happen even if you do the work and are trying your darnedest to be careful. I think about investing in a tire machine but the one I'd get costs around a grand so it's not something I'm rushing right down to buy.

[Enzoman]

You ought to be sure to post the name of the business, its address, the owner's name (if you know it) and the fact that you think they hosed you in this thread.  That way anyone who's looking for a place to do business might stumble across this thread and will have a clue to avoid this place.  The owner, by refusing to acknolwedge even the possibility that his shop damaged your wheel, told you that his take on customer service is "make the beast with two backs 'em", I think.  He should have to suffer the consequences of that attitude.

There's no danger of legal action in this recommendation, as it is simply a statement of your opinion based upon fact.  I find it odd that the technician acknowledged the possibility of damage, but the owner, who might never have changed a tire, preaches the impossibility of error. 

You might even send the shop an email with a link to this thread.  Maybe next time someone complains the owner will realize that his actions affect his future sales, not just this one!

Believe me, the temptation is there and the internet can be a powerful tool when it comes to that but.... they do have my name and address. And it's a small shop not that far from me so might be too risky to start flaming 

[GLantern]

Get yourself some touch up paint and call it a day, yes it does suck big time but if I have learned anything about bikes is they don't always stay pretty and shit happens.  I dropped my 1098 within 2 weeks of ownership but you know what I ride the piss out of that thing.  Sure there are some scratches here and there from the miles I have put on it but hey it is worn in and you don't want to get hungup on a shop who won't do anything about it anyways.  Go for a ride you will feel a lot better 

[Nomad]

One of the first rules of business is that it costs a lot more to create a new customer than to retain an old one.  Most business savvy companies would not question anything as small as this and simply buy you some touch up paint without any hassle, if you would have been happy with that solution.
Like I said before, if you are 100% sure it was that shop that did it, file a report with the BBB.  Not only will it be more likely that they will resolve the issue, if they don't, the report will stay open and other people can see how these guys operate.  You will be doing other people a favor, as well as yourself.

[seevtsaab]

Local shop here was getting upward of $40 if I bring wheel & my new tire.
I got a hell of a gouge, no chip, touch up wouldn't do much. I hadn't really inpected closely before.
My bike isn't so pristine it can't withstand a few scratches but.
I bought a Cycle Hill changer, more for convenience, and I felt it was yoo spendy having someone else do it.
Way more than cheapest and nice enough I'll enjoy using it, for < $400.

Plus it's ~30mi to the shop, this way I can change when I'm home and not do a drop off / pickup on a day I could be riding.

Shit happens. But I'd be pissed enough to not go back.

[zooom]

Believe me, the temptation is there and the internet can be a powerful tool when it comes to that but.... they do have my name and address. And it's a small shop not that far from me so might be too risky to start flaming 

and that right there pretty much ends the discussion IMHO...if you aren't willing to take the chance or opportunity to do something about it, then I think you should close the discussion and walk away and just ride and not think about it...shit happens and it will to you too...the world isn't perfect and there are unscrupulous businessmen out there who couldnt give a rats ass about you, except in the form of what $$$ you are spending with them...this happens to be one....move on or do somethign about it....up to you...

sorry to be harsh if you take it that way, but I severely sugarcoated what I was really thinking and was going to say in reaction.

[Enzoman]

PROCYCLES PROCYCLES PROCYCLES PROCYCLES
http://www.procyclesinc.com/

Clifton Park, NY

Never go to procycles for a tire change, there's nothing "pro" about them and your rims will suffer! 

Moving on now...

[GLantern]

Plenty pics of the staff promoting safety over there..........

[xcaptainxbloodx]

absurd.

1. even the best machines when used carelessly/improperly can mess up a rim. If the owner/manager doesn't believe that, ask him if YOU can use his machine to change HIS tires. 
2. the chances of a tire not needing a weight are so slight that when compounded with the messed up rim I would bet money that it isnt balanced.
3. even the pros make mistakes. owning those mistakes and making it right BEFORE the customer even knows (like say, calling them and saying "hey XYZ happend, its rare and it sucks but here is how we would like to fix it") is how you earn the title of pro.


I would go to a different shop and ask them to check the balance of the tire. If they are not balanced I would go to procycles and tell them that and that they messed up your rims and failed to balance the tire and that you would like them to fix their damage and refund whatever money the charge for balancing (call and ask what they would charge anonymously first). if they argue I would get a quote for powdercoating the rims and sue for the cost of getting the tires re-balanced as well as all costs associated with powdercoating (if your bike is sole transport and you have any extra costs associated with the down time I would ask for that too.). a lawsuit is not something I throw out lightly, but in this case you have clear damages and if the tire is out of balance then you have fraud/negligence as you paid to have tires mounted and balanced.

as for the "it was there before us" argument, those look to me like clear tire machine marks if you had your original tires on then its realllly hard to hold up that argument.


edit: if you have two marks on the same rim you can measure the distance between the two and reference that against the machine. if they are on front/rear perhaps they are a common diameter that you can reference?