I hate NTB

[EightySix Four]

I was out of town two days ago when my girlfriend called and said the battery light on her car had just come on and the "gauge with the battery next to it" (volts) was starting to point low. She was on her way to a family event and I was out of town so I told her to bring it into the NTB and they'd be able to tell if it was the battery or alternator and replace it.

She takes it in and tells the girl behind the counter that the battery light came on in the car, so instead of actually having it checked, she told her it was the battery and sold her one with a 2 year warranty and had it installed.

I came back in town that night and yesterday she calls me on her way in to work saying her car was doing the same thing and she's now stranded on the side of the road. So I go out there, charge her car with mine for about 20 minutes and drive it back to the house, take off the alternator and drive to autozone to check it. Sure enough, it's dead.

If NTB would have bothered to check, she wouldn't have been out an extra $120 and missed a day of work.

/rant

 

[BassBomb]

wtf is ntb

 

[EightySix Four]

wtf is ntb

National Tire and Battery. I was pretty sure it's a national chain, but maybe not. There are tons of them around Dallas.

 

[AMCRambler]

Never heard of NTB. Won't be going to one if I see one though.

 

[Jeffg010]

I like NTB never had a problem with the one by my house. They are fast and I get to watch every move they make. They have a window right in the waiting room. They never pulled and crap with me. They even let me go out into the garage and check out any problems.

 

[EightySix Four]

I like NTB never had a problem with the one by my house. They are fast and I get to watch every move they make. They have a window right in the waiting room. They never pulled and crap with me. They even let me go out into the garage and check out any problems.

I've never had a problem with them either (usually doing alignments), but I know cars and watch them like a hawk. My girlfriend, quite obviously, does not. That tells me more about their quality of service then what they do when I'm there.

 

[Gibson486]

I hate them also....

My old Altima kept overheating. Guy at NTB checked it and something was stuck closed (thermistat?) so he had to replace it. Get my car back (spent $200...WTF) and it was all good until a month later. Car starts overheating again. I ask about it, and they guy just said, oh, there is another problem. It will cost $400 to fix. At that point, I said fvck it and just refilled the coolant resevior once a week until my car failed inspection. I brought it to a diagnosis center where they essentially told me that NTB missed a bunch of things (such as a bad water pump) and that the thermistat they put in was in awful shape (said it looked like they pulled it out of another engine)....I eventually said screw it and traded the car in. They gave me good money for it too ($5K)....

I live across the street from an NTB now. I always avoid the place at all costs.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

NTB is owned by sears. NTB sucks.



If you need to go to a chain-style place then discount tire is where it's at. They generally don't do alignments, but the guys that work there can always send you somewhere.

 

[LTC8K6]

Low volts while the engine is running should immediately cause any mechanic to suspect the alternator. Of course they didn't actually check anything and just wanted to sell you a battery and an alternator.

 

[EightySix Four]

Low volts while the engine is running should immediately cause any mechanic to suspect the alternator. Of course they didn't actually check anything and just wanted to sell you a battery and an alternator.

Yep, I called them and asked for the manager and explained. He was a little skeptical that they didn't check the alternator, but he accepted my story and offered us 25% off on the battery/install. It's still mildly frustrating but at least they made it a bit better.

 

[brblx]

just wanted to post that my mom took her car into the local NTB today to get some tires mounted. they had the lowest install price on tirerack's list (where the tires were bought) and took appointments.

took over an hour before they worked on her car, and then they sold her an alignment that she didn't need. all they did between the before and after alignment printouts was straighten the fucking steering wheel (which they had knocked to the side so they could show her the 'bad' alignment printout).

i'm going to be going down there and knocking some fucking heads around tomorrow.

 

[Gibson486]

actually....when you mount new tires, you should most definitely get an alignment....

 

[brblx]

thanks for the hint, dude.

i'm saying the car didn't need an alignment and i can tell by the printout from the machine that they're attempting to scam.

 

[Aharami]

i never had a problem with NTB. Always took my car there for alignments and mountings. But then again, I used to watch them work on my car. I've since moved and the new place, the local Goodyear store, is much worse. They tried to sell me ATF flush and new brake job (brakes were well within wear limits). Plus they did a piss poor job of balancing the new tires as I still feel a slight vibration at highway speeds

 

[LordMorpheus]

Never had a problem with NTB, but I've only had alignments and tire mountings done there, and I tend to watch the guys work (I've wandered out into the shop and watched/talked to the mechanic while he worked before without anyone saying anything, which was nice of them).

 

[brblx]

Never had a problem with NTB, but I've only had alignments and tire mountings done there, and I tend to watch the guys work (I've wandered out into the shop and watched/talked to the mechanic while he worked before without anyone saying anything, which was nice of them).

yeah, mechanics fucking hate that. and it's a liability for the shop.

 

[LordMorpheus]

yeah, mechanics fucking hate that. and it's a liability for the shop.

I know why most places don't let you do it, and I don't hover.

If the guy brushes me off I leave him alone and go back inside, if he's feeling chatty I'll stick around.

 

[StageLeft]

fwiw they are hte only place in this entire damn city who had a part i needed last time i did the brakes.

 

[NTB]

National Tire and Battery. I was pretty sure it's a national chain, but maybe not. There are tons of them around Dallas.

*and* somebody's user name...I was wondering wtf I did to earn my own thread

NTB is a national chain, but they aren't all called 'NTB': NTB, TireKing, Big O Tires, and Merchant's are all the same company.

Nathan