Big O Tires Mechanic damaged a part and passed cost onto customer. Grand Junction, Colorado

Not real happy.

I have spent a good portion of my life as a mechanic. So why have it done here? I dont have a spin-balancer!
One thing that annoyed me:
I was having a regular rotation when I was told that ALL of my lug nuts had to be replaced. When I asked to see the old ones, it caught them off-guard. "They are rounded off.", I was told. Well they most certainly were, actually. A few anyway. Some lugnuts are made with a soft metal (crome plated) sleeve over the regular unsightly bolt. When this falls off, it makes the bolt's size just a little smaller. What happened? Well a trigger-happy mechanic did not take the time to notice the difference in size and used the air-wrench to take the smaller nuts off. Not once, but 5 times at least. Rounding over the smaller (uncapped) nuts. This I knew.

I looked at the mechanic, who had difficulty looking me in the eye, and asked how much they were. "$4.00 a piece." Really? Can I replace the ones that are damaged, keeping the others? "Nope, they all have to go." Really? Because your mechanic is not able to size a socket properly? I pay for that?! This started a little bit of an argument. Mostlly with the manager (who spoke good english) and not with the mechanic, who is now quietly standing in the back of the bay. The cost of each lug nut now became $2.00 each. What a deal!

Pressed for time to return to work, I told him to put them on. Why not? They make my rusted rims on my '89 Ford Ranger look so much better. Finally, chrome to polish.

I always check the security of the lug nuts on my vehicles before I drive out of the parking lot. I carry a torque wrench and sockets in my toolbox in the back. What a suprise! Found 5 random nuts still loose. I don't think it was on purpose. Who would want to sabotage the family vehicle of a combat Marine? Just wouldn't be sane, now would it.