Victoria Discount Tires Rip Off Artists and Try to Bully the Customer Victoria, British Columbia

 This report on Discount Tires actually suprises me since I thought all of Victoria and southern Vancouver Island knew how much of a rip off artist Mr. George Makow is and has been, for at least25 years that I can attest to.

George has had at least 3 "used tire" business's that I know of , as well as 2 or 3 "mechanics " shops and at an auto wrecker in Cobble Hill, BC back in the early 1990's. The fact that Mr. Makow advertised himself as a mechanic for many years is laughable since the "diploma" he uses to prove his ability is a photo copy of a Mechanics Journeyman Certification from S.A.I.T in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

On close inspection, I noticed that the graduate journrymans name had been covered over on the certificate and replaced with George's name and then photo copied. When I contacted  the tech school in question I was told that the certificate was a fake and furthure that Mr. Makow had NEVER been a student at the facility.

For the edification of anyone that may be interested, I am a former employee and freind of George and his wife (perhaps former) Diane Makow. I met these people through my former girl freind and had reason to get to know them fairly well as one of the first "mechanics shops" that I know of George running is one that was in the old Victoria Hyundai/ ABC Used Cars buildings on Douglas St in Victoria.

Entry was gained to the facility up a long driveway off of Cloverdale Ave. I worked at the car lot and Mr Makow ran his auto shop up the hill. He was at that location for 6 or 8 months i beleive and after the first 2 he had a constant string of complaints, bounced cheques, unpaid rent, police visit due to various complaints ( including receiving stlen property and auto parts).

When Mr. Makow was FORCED to close this business, he soon surfaced out in the western communities, close to where his parents lived, running a shop on the corner of Goldstream Ave just north of Jacklin Rd ( across from the welding shop with the Iron statue). I don't know a lot of how George did here, but I know that very soon he had to move because he could'nt pay his rent or his suppliers and employees.

Around this time, George and his Dad purchased a couple of old wreckers from a less than reputable towing company called Tom's Towing. The 2 trucks that I remember were old and rundown, white with red and black lettering, out of date and at one point uninsured to do any kind of towing.

These trucks became a contentious issue between George, Diane, and her brother, a very sketchy fellow who's name I think was Will or Willie. george owed this guy a lot of money and could'nt pay him so "Willie" decided he would take one of the trucks for the debt. This through George and his sideshow into a state of chaos and he very soon closed the doors on this business soon after this.

 I lost track of Mr. Makow for a few months, but like every bad penny, he soon showed up. This time he was running an auto wrecking business in Cobble Hill , BC . This business had formerly been known as Cobble Hill Auto wrecking and had a very good reputation , but once George Makow took it over it slid quickly into decay and chaos.

It was at this time that I , on the request of my girlfreind and Mrs Makow, and against my better judgement went to work for George as his business's manager. We had 3 yard men, and I hired my best freind as a tow truck driver to haul derilict cars and do emergengy unlock/jump start/ flat repair,tire change duty.

Within 1 month of taking over the wrecking yard end of Mr. Makow's business, I was dealling with complaints from unsatisfied customers from at least 3 of his other failed business's aswell as the one I was running now. Mr. Makow had soon destroyed any good will the former owners had built up in the community, and was constantly on the run trying to hide from people he owed money to, people he had bought cars from and never payed, and former employees that he owed back wages to.

I, my tow truck driving freind, and 2 of the 3 yardmen soon quit due to lack of pay (in my case, I NEVER received a dime of salary from Mr. Makow and to this day 22 years later am still owed over 6500 dollars in back wages .) It was at this point that myself, BJ ( the tow truck driver) and a freind of mine Mike actually grabbed George and through him into my car and drove him to Shawnigan Lake to the RCMP department.

This was done because he had bounced 3 checques to me and 2 each to BJ and Mike, and although George was already quite well known to the police, we were told because of the way we had done it, he had reason to charge us. We agreed with the duty officer to just walk away and let George go about his business, but soon after this George and Diane were arrestted for a fill and run at a gas station in Mill Bay.

Again, George soon lost the auto wrecker due to bad cheques, unpaid bills and wages, and I eventually found out that he had NEVER even payed rent for the premisses he was now abandoning. I talked to the landowner, who was so angry he threatened to beat George sensless, and was told that over 75% of the derilict cars and wrecks in the Cobble Hill yard had been stripped eleagally and sold by George who had never paid for them.

After this , and a couple of attempts to collect what was owed to me, I moved and lost George. I had heard of him from time to time, all very bad , and in the early 2000's I found out he was running a discount tire store in downtown Victoria, I beleive on John St, and tryed to talk to him there. George refused, called me a lot of names and told me he would shoot me if I bothered him....he was actually almost paralytic he was so angry that I had found him and then dared to ask for my money. I soon found out he had moved to Jacklin Rd in Langford and was doing business out there. I decided to track him down again and he went ballistic and screamed and hollered insults and profanity at me, so I just left.

 This all may sound like a sad story and sour grapes, but after reading these other complaints, I see that Mr. George Makow has never changed his business ways. He has never had a good reputation, never had a good ,credible BBB rating, and i know for a FACT that he has run more than one business without a legal business licsence.All these years later I am still in touch with a couple of the people who were involved in this , and they are willing to tell their stories as well ,as long as it helps to finally close this sum bag , rip off artist for good.

George, If you read this ,you know who I am, and you know all of this is true. Do the right thing and close your business and take your dirty,skinny, short, skanky self directly to jail and pay for your life of fraud, theft, lieing and hurting people.

The BBB also SPECIFICALLY mentions DealFind and the complaints they recieved from people saying the same thing I reported here in this venue, that you tried to rip them off as well by tellling them the cost would be more than the coupon amount they paid for, and that they were treated RUDELY. So here you are again, LYING.

Additional Complaint Information

Based on BBB files, this company has been identified as having a pattern of complaints and has failed to correct the underlying reason for the complaints. Alleged complaints concern that the DealFind voucher is misrepresented. Consumers allege that when they use the voucher the service is not reflected as claimed in the voucher and are upsold on packages. Secondary to that, consumers tells us that they have been treated rudely. BBB has asked the company to provide us with a written response in relation to the patterns indicated and how they are planning to correct the pattern. To date BBB has not received this requested written response.

Here is the link folks: http://www.bbb.org/vancouver-island/business-reviews/auto-repair-and-service-equipment-and-supplies/victoria-discount-tires-in-victoria-bc-184022513

It is under the 'Customer Complaints Summary'.

Complaint Details | Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint

I highly doubt you will be around for the next 6 months because according to the BBB's latest report, your company is currently being dissolved AND you have been operating without a license!

Doesn't surprise me. With the abuse I had while in your establishment it is not surprising this is happening. And nice try trying to blame me. ONE complaint to the BBB does not warrant these results with the BBB. MANY, MANY complaints does.

I am quite sure I am not the only guy your troglodyte employee verbally abused. But with the chaotic writing in your rebuttals that are fraught with grammatical and spelling errors and are for the most part nonsensical, perhaps it is YOU who I encountered and is the troglodyte who verbally abused me because I can see no manager or owner in his right mind protecting an employee who abuses customers.

Either way, your business is obviously (and appropriately) shutting down. You created this. You did this to yourself. I am just a guy who went into your establishment to do business and was accosted verbally and greeted with expletives and abuse. Did you think I would tolerate that? Your failure is your doing. Not your customers. 

Here is the link folks to the BBB report and information about this business dissolving and operating without a Business License. It is at the bottom of the report:

http://www.bbb.org/vancouver-island/business-reviews/auto-repair-and-service-equipment-and-supplies/victoria-discount-tires-in-victoria-bc-184022513

'Additional Information On July 16, 2012 BBB did a BC Registry search on BC0699389-Director: George Makow - Registration address: #317-877 Goldstream Ave. Victoria BC V9B 2X8 with results of "This company is not in good standing" and "This company is in the process of being dissolved"

BBB file opened: 12/05/2007
Business started: 02/01/1989
Licensing: On July 16,2012 BBB was informed by the City of Langford that Victoria Discount Tires does not have a valid business licence.

Contact Information Principal: George Makow (Owner / Manager)Steven Arthur WhiteTrevor Linde (Cowichan Valley Discount Tires)

the original deal Find said 19 lousy bucks gets you 64 bucks worth on work. Contact deal find, that was removed and it was redone. The coupon for a lousy 19 bucks covers 108.40 in labour.  And, yes , after you gut renching, bullshit complaint to the BBB, until we respond, droped, like a rock, after over 30 years, to an F, under review. Not FRAUDs, not anything, untill we respond to your complaint. We have not , yet, done so, because they want to contact and review, the deal Find reports. We think you are a vile and bitter human being, so, screw us for our opinion. We know u will. Know what? We more then pleased customers for  32 years, who else can brag that?

Certinly not you. We will deal with this. We will be around another 35 years. Will u be? Fact is we stand behind our service and our products, better then anyone. We coined the phraise, we do not stand behind our brake jobs, we stand in front of them. WE also have, not only the only warranty on used tires, we have the best, on this planet

You do NOT have an 'A' rating on BBB: the rating is an 'F' AND they have a red lettered warning that says:

"This company has been misusing BBB trademarks in their www.UsedCowichan.comand www.UsedNanaimo.com ads since their accreditation ceased in 2010. Misuse of the BBB trademark constitutes trademark infringement and is a violation of trademark rights of the Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc. The company was notified on January 31, 2012 and was requested to remove any reference to BBB from their advertising material. The company has not complied with BBB's request as of May 11,2012."

It's actually brilliant that the owner responded to my complaint on here because he has proven to everyone HIMSELF his business is shady as he is lying. People, please check the BBB link I posted originally in my complaint. Here it is again: http://www.bbb.org/vancouver-island/business-reviews/auto-repair-and-service-equipment-and-supplies/victoria-discount-tires-in-victoria-bc-184022513#

And the fact remains your troglodyte of an employee DID say those things, and another Fact is Deal Find PULLED your deal - they NEVER re-did it and I got a full refund and an apology from them because I WAS NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT COMPLAINED ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS and demanded a refund.

Fess up dude: you have a shady, scam of a business that is a dive and has a horrid reputation. And because of how I was treated there, I have told all my friends who have told theirs and so on and so forth and I posted here to get the word out EVERY WHERE what kind of a scam you operate so one else would have to experience the abuse I did.

Had you been a man and posted something here more along the lines of 'I am sorry this was your experience. Please contact me so we can try to resolve this. The employee you are referring to has been let go' or some version of that, I would not have posted this rebuttal in it's tone.

First off, we have a "A" rateing with the better Business people. Secondly, we never said you pay 108.40. The original coupon was misprinted, the 19 bucks did not cover $64 worth of labour, it covered 108.40 worth of labor. [not you owe 108.40] The coupon was in fact withdrawn by Deal Find, and reprinted. Also, for your edification it was for a Lube Oil and Filter change , tire rotation and a safety inspection. Not an oil change & 10 point inspection.

Instead of freaking out on our employees, as you did, if you had taken the time to listen, you would of heard that explanation. And, no one called anyone any names or yelled profanities. 

DIRE WARNING: Run From This Place

Bad Better Busines Report as well: http://www.bbb.org/vancouver-island/business-reviews/auto-repair-and-service-equipment-and-supplies/victoria-discount-tires-in-victoria-bc-184022513

I went there recently (February 2012) to get an oil change with a coupon I purchased from Deal Find (like Groupon). The deal was $19 for an oil change that included a filter and a 10 point inspection etc. and normally costs $65. When I presented the coupon to the guy, he told me the price was wrong, it would cost me $108.00!!!!!!! I told him the coupon that I purchased does not say that - pointed it out to him that the deal was $19 and he became ENRAGED. He started raising his voice telling me that that there was no way he would agree to $19 for all of that and I had to pay $108.

When I asked him why he would approve the deal because you have to sign a contract approving the final write-up, he lost it and started screaming at me, telling me Deal Find were liars and to pay the $108. I said no way and grabbed the coupon back and started to walk out when he started yelling profanities at me! I turned around and told him this was no way to run business and he said, and I quote: "What do you know about running a business you stupid *itch? I swear to God he said that! I kept walking away and he continued to yell after me and said "I've got your number! It is 1-800 *itch!" Don't go to this place - this guy is obviously not stable. Needless to say I have written a formal complaint to the Deal Find folks and got a complete refund, and wrote letters to the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and have pasted this incident with a dire warning to ALL my contacts on my FaceBook account to warn others about this place.