4.8K views
New Reviewer
25 comments

I would like to know why we cannot contact Les Schwab corporate to complain about the practice of pushing siping on all customers! My husband and I have been loyal Les Schwabbies for about 20 years and have spent thousands of dollars on tires there.

We had tires siped once, just once, about 12 years ago and swore we would never do it again. We actually lost chunks of the tires and of course, were told by Les Schwab that it must have been the tire design or manufacturer's fault (Toyo, their number one brand). So, we simply asked them to put in our file that we preferred NO SIPING in the future. Yet every single time we buy tires, have our brakes serviced or as today, had our studded tires removed and our existing all-seasons put on (bought from the same store the year before), we are asked the same thing..."Have we talked to you about siping"?

Duh...yeah...

So, I went online to find a corporate address to send a complaint and I can't find a thing.

We have already complained numerous times to the store manager, with whom we have had many conversations in the past about service or needs, so I have to assume this is some kind of sales push quota thing...but it really chaps my hide! If siping is so dang good, then tire manufacturers would be offering them as a standard and the costs would simply be passed on to the consumers anyway!

Location: Seattle, Washington

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Guest

Siping outside the tire manufacturer's original design and production, is total ***. It will wear your tires out faster, period and that's exactly what they hope to accomplish so as to sell you more tires.

Les Schwab hires snot nosed 16 year old retards with no experience to do your brakes, tires, etc.

What a joke. They could *** up a wet dream and charge outrageous labor costs.

Guest

I too am a loyal Les Schwab customer. I sip almost all my new tires and use the sip inquiry as a time to discuss the need for siping.

We are fortunate to have Les Schwab in our area with their solid reputation and business culture and I trust their advise.

Always use the "up sale" questions to ask questions and it is OK to say no. Dave, Salem, OR.

Guest

I have been with LS as a customer for almost 30 years and have always siped my tires. I have only had small chunks ripped from my tires once and that was due to 4x4ing in some extremely steep and rocky terrain...

Tires leave the ground, spin then grab sharp rocks when they contact the ground!!!! Something's got to give...If Your tires are pitching chunks then its because of where and how your driving....or possibly a very old, weather checked tire

Imara Alk

This isn't about whether or not you feel the practice of siping is beneficial, this is about the fact that our family tried it, didn't like how the tires degraded and subsequently asked our local Les Schwab to put a note in our account file (being that we've been customers for over 20 years), that we did not want to be offered siping again...and when it continues to occur, and we continue to stress that we do not want siping, ever...the complaint was that there is NO WAY to express our disdain to the corporate headquarters. So take a chill pill. If you like siping, fine, we don't and we don't like being prevented from expressing our opinions about it either!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Imara Alk

I totally understood the original issue regarding a go to business everytime

work is necessary. And that does p-ss me off when that business fails to recognize a good customer's issue and there is no feedback path provided by the business to hear customers issues straight from The Customer.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Imara Alk

I'd suggest you take your business elsewhere. Les Schwab dealers give back way more in value than any inconvenience from not remembering my first name or my tire preferences.

Yes, it would be great for them to update their customer tracking system to capture all this detail on our preferences, but as soon as they begin that practice you will then complain that your privacy is being compromised. Give the rest of us a break, stop complaining and go to Sears or Discount Tire for your un-siped tires.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1246190

Tire siping works! Maybe you don't need it if you bought really expensive tires in the first place, BUT, what about someone who bought a vehicle that came with low grade tires?

Or in my case, i was suddenly forced to buy all 4 tires last year when I was having financial issues, so I got the cheapest tires. They actually are pretty good in rain, but as soon as there is snow or ice they suck! Now that winter is coming on I'm going to get them siped because it totally helps traction.

I know they wear out a little bit faster, but that beats the alternative. I don't just want to throw these tires away when they still should get me by for a couple more years

Guest

This isn't about whether or not you feel the practice of siping is beneficial, this is about the fact that our family tried it, didn't like how the tires degraded and subsequently asked our local Les Schwab to put a note in our account file (being that we've been customers for over 20 years), that we did not want to be offered siping again...and when it continues to occur, and we continue to stress that we do not want siping, ever...the complaint was that there is NO WAY to express our disdain to the corporate headquarters. So take a chill pill. If you like siping, fine, we don't and we don't like being prevented from expressing our opinions about it either!

Guest

Maybe you should try another tire company.

Guest

Maybe you should try another tire company.

Guest

Schwab siping may possibly be a valid option but their machine must have been damaged when they did ours at their suggestion. Instead of looking at all regular and controlled like their sample, they looked all crooked and jaggedy.

I mentioned it and they said the warranty was still good for whatever was the normal period, so I left with misgivings. They should get rid of their machines.

It did indeed wear out the tire fast with chunks coming off and tires uselessly worn at circa 30k miles and discarded. I never asked for my warranty value - -just will never go back.

Guest

Everyone lets be perfectly clear on this issue. Siping does provide additional traction in adverse conditions, but it also has a negative impact on tread life.

Most manufacturers DO NOT recomment this practice as they have done their own R&D to make the tires perform like they should. Some say it will void the tire warrantee. LS is the only one that still performs this practice that I know of.

This was more beneficial on older tires, but more modern tires have come a long way in tread design. As for the profit factor, the only cost is the labor time, which isn't much.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-431007

UH, the research and development any company puts into their lower price tires is simply to make them cheap, but still usable. now if you want those *** tires to have better traction you get them siped.

Guest

Anyone who insists that siping (or any product /service) is 100% profit reveals that they are a 100% *** when it comes to economic/business issues. The only way for something to be 100% profit is if it costs zero to provide, taking into account both direct and indirect costs.

Guest

It is funny that you perfectly able to get on to this website and vent your anger with LS, but you can't use your search engine to find out the pros and cons about siping your tires. I agree that it does make LS a profit, as any other services they provide.

If you have any business knowledge you would understand that in order to be in business you must make a profit. If you didn't you wouldn't be in business very long!!! I have been siping my tires for the last 10 years and have never had a problem with my tires chunking out or wearing out too early. As far as the complaint about being bugged about siping every time you are in the store, up until the last few months LS doesn't keep a record of everyone that they see in its stores.

Even still they don't have the option to make a note not to talk to you about siping unless you have a "cash only" or "Charge" account with them. So here are my solutions for you, I would once again ask them to note it on your account, if you don't have one ask them to make one for you. If that doesn't work then go further up the "food chain" and speak to a area/zone manager, you are more likely to get somewhere that way.

Secondly you should again use your search engine to see what the tire manufactures say about tire siping. Please don't lose faith in LS they are a GREAT company and have always taken care of me every time I go into any of their stores.

Guest

Anyone who allows a $15hr kid to sipe their tires is an ***. Like the person said before there are engineers that get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to design a tire that is safe and does the job its designed to do.

If you take rubber off of it it becomes weaker and your milage goes down on the tire. It is just a money making scam for les schwab

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-146646

Siping does NOT remove rubber! It cuts slits into it! Learn the difference, moron!

Guest

Your mad because they were trying to sell you something for your tires that is independently proven to be beneficial? When they find the cure for cancer i'll be sure to put you on the DO NOT CALL list.

Guest

had new high performance tires put on my srt-4 last year, siping all around x4 at their advice.(always thought siping would screw me over)14,000 mi on a 40,000 mi tire and fronts are toast and les schwab claims they advised against it and i insisted on it...ha ha now i'm too aggressive (age 47) and didn't rotate every 3000 mi.??? i to have been a die hard les schwab guy for 30 years

Guest

I had my '95 Suburban's Toyo Open Country tires siped and still got over 75,000 miles out of my 50,0000 mile tires. I will always sipe my tires.

View more comments (5)

Les Schwab Tire Centers Reviews

  1. 120 reviews
  2. 58 reviews
  3. 25 reviews
  4. 13 reviews
  5. 14 reviews
Les Schwab Tire Centers reviews