I purchased a 4 wheel 3 Year Warranty from a GoodYear Quality Care store on 11-29-03.

Went back there today on 5-8-04, and was informed that the previous Independent owner sold the business 2 days after he sold the warranty.  New business is now a Tire service center and will not be able to honor my purchase.  

Subsequent searches around the local area found no Goodyear service centers will honor my purchase.  The BBB would be useless since the owner no longer has ties to any businesses.  So I'm out a lousy $130.

So what?

So what indeed.  I will no longer trust an "umbrella" corporation that sells their name to independent contractors and fails to uphold some basic standards.  Next time I'll go to the dealer.

Have sent an email to the Goodyear Corporate office- but the fat lot that'll do.


Suggestions?  Comments?  

What did you buy the warrenty on Ken? Wheels?

You might want to contact Goodyear themselves, they might still honor the warranty.

You likely have a dead bang small claims case against the new owner and goodyear.  Don't take "NO" for an answer  And the good part is that Goodyear has a Corporate Facility in So. Cal (Carson) so you can likely serve the papers there.  Get proof of service and if they don't show up a default judgement and then throw a lien on the Blimp .  If they do show, they will likely settle because it can't be all that $$ in their scheme of things.

The judge oughta make one or the other stand behind the contract if it was a Goodyear contract. In any case most GY or other dealers will do a quick fix on tire problems since they want you back.  If it's a wheel problem, get the wheel mfr involved.  The above assumes you didn't screw up by abusing something beyond expected reasonable use.

How does this angle work for you?
There is really only one way to approach this and win.  Since the business, assuming it was a corporation, is now gone, the previous owner is pretty much sheltered from ALL liability.  HOWEVER, being that he sold you a warranty in "good faith" while knowing he was going to sell the business, then his acts were fraudulent and you can personally sue him in small claims court.
Also, see if Goodyear will do anything.  If they don't, don't blame them.  It was not their deal, your deal was with the previous business under the Goodyear name.  OTOH, being under the GY name may help your cause because they do not want "bad press".

Thanks for all the suggestions.

More developements.

Seems like the new owner has been approached by quite a few disgruntled people.  He's willing to offer a deal.

The original package was a 3 year 36000 mile warranty for alignment and oil change.  The new owner will honor the package as long as I pay the usual rate for an alignment, which is what I went in for.

The problem is- I'm suspicious now, having been stung once.  I can no longer honestly feel confident of this organization's standards.  Seems to me almost anyone can open a shop with the name "Goodyear" privy to their contractual agreements.  Ahd then make their own promotional stunts w/o coorporate backing.

I feel the best way would be to contact the corporate offices and see where this take me.  Worse comes to worse- I'm coming own more cautious and out 70$.

BULLSH*T!

You get on that horn and find out the number for B.A.R. (Bureau of Automotive Repair) part of the Dept of Consumer Affairs in Sacramento and find out what your rights are. We deal with B.E.A.R. (Bereau of Electronic and Appliance Repair) They LOVE to go after fraud and BS cases. This MAY qualify. dont agree to pay ANYTHING until you talk to these guys.

Put it this way. If BEAR tells me to jump, I ask how high.

BTW for the record, I have NEVER been investigated by BEAR and, I never plan to. Simple. Keep your nose clean and dont try to pull crap on the customer.

Buying warranties is usually not the best idea. The fact that businesses push them is clue #1 that they're money racquets for the business, which means more people lose on them or else they wouldn't offer them.

Firestone offers a lifetime wheel alignment for as little as $99 and will honor it in any of their 1500 stores across the nation for as long as you own your car. Considering the average wheel alignment these days is in the $60 to $80 range it is not a bad deal.

I wouldn't let Goodyear get within 20 feet of my car.

Quoted: Firestone offers a lifetime wheel alignment for as little as $99 and will honor it in any of their 1500 stores across the nation for as long as you own your car. Considering the average wheel alignment these days is in the $60 to $80 range it is not a bad deal. I wouldn't let Goodyear get within 20 feet of my car.

I've never heard anything good about Goodyear OR Firestone. I wouldn't let either near my vehicles.

I don't know about Kommiefornistan, but in Oklahoma one has to be registered and licensed with the State Insurance Commission before they can sell extended warranties as it is "insurance" against vehicle breakdowns and repair costs.

You didnt buy a warrenty, you bought a service pack.  Why you paid in advance for oil changes I don't know.  I would caulk this up more as a learning experience then anything else.

Sgatr15