VIP Tires & Service

I’ve only used VIP Tires & Service for tire installation. I buy all of my tires online and it can be very difficult to find a tire shop to install tires if you didn’t purchase them directly through the shop. However, VIP was more than willing to install my new tires and was by far the most reasonably priced in the area. I have an expensive set of after market rims and they were very careful not to damage them when the dismounted the old tires and installed the new tires. Very professional.

Totally Ripped Offf!!! I’m only giving one stars because the counter staff was friendly and you have to for this app. Our alternator went about nine miles from this store and we had to be towed. We were told by the tow truck driver that VIP Tires and Service was a good option because they were attached to an O’Riellys Auto Parts store so they were better priced. So the works begins and it takes an hour and a half for them to do it. No new belt was needed so this was way to long. With research I am aware that the labor should be at an hour at the very most for our type of vehicle. I believe from what I saw through the window that they were taking their sweet old time. Then comes the bill. $ 206.98 for the alternator that costs 104.99 from the other half of the store. Almost a 100 percent mark up!!! The average mark up on auto parts is 20 to 40 percent. The total bill was $ 336 so we were ripped off for at least (based on a 40 percent mark up) $ 100 dollars. We were from out of town, broke down and they saw their chance to take complete advantage of us. We would not recommend this store to anyone else!!!

I was just talked into buying tires I really didn’t want; I was a little stressed and agreed. Sad.

Don’t go there. This is not a nice place. You can find much better prices elsewhere in spite of their «best price guarantee». The personnel is very rude.

I’ve been to many other places and have done my research. These guys
always seem to have the best prices in the Metro-​West for car maintenance.
I probably pay about 30% — 40% less for car expenses than if I were to go
somewhere else.
When you need something done, they almost always get you in immediately
and there is hardly enough time to read the magazines in the waiting room;
no need to drop you car off for half a day. There’s a large window in the
waiting room into the service area so you can watch your car’s progress.
R.J. is great, a good guy who knows everything about cars and makes smart recommendations without any sales pressure. He can tell you what your car
will probably need in the future, and why. They do not recommend repairs that
you do not need (like dealerships do). For example, if you will need brakes in
six months they will tell you that you will need brakes in six months — you will not
hear the typical dealership line of: «Your brakes are bad, they need to be replaced
right now before you drive another mile!»
The techs here do excellent work and are ASE certified and professional. I’ve
never had to return for a re-​fix. Also important to me is that they respect my
car and do not dirty it up — they put down paper on the floor mats and are careful
not to mess up the interior.
This is also a great auto parts store with a huge selection of everything and unusually
helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable sales guys.

I’m writing this review again because Unilocal have filtered it, so why ??
I bring my truck for a regular alignment, after they replace some suspension parts under the carriage and after they have a job done, I hit the highway and i have notarized that my wheel shacking, after a couple days I return there to do the tire rotation, this time the Service Manager check on the computer and said that I have to replace so many parts under the car about 1.500,00 to have the tire rotation service done, than I said, for him I was there a couple days ago and they replace several suspension parts under carriage and I have the receipt for it, and he said I don’t see nothing here on the computer.
«AMNESIA» or they just play dirt, I should think twice when I arrived for first time at this place, I notice all those employes outside soak in the sun doing nothing, no business, now I know why.
I just left the place, after everything I bring my truck to another place and I have a big surprise, NOTHING to do replace under the carriage.
Hope this help other escape from this place…

Too bad I can’t give this business ZERO STARS.
I had a full brake job done a year ago.
Within the first few months, I had to go back THREE TIMES for them to re-​work my rear brakes.
One year later, they are broken again???
This will be my 4^th time returning back to this place…
WTF? I want my money back.
Brakes are not a difficult repair!
How these people stay in business is beyond me.

I’m fairly new to the neighborhood and happened to stumble across VIP while driving to the Arsenal Mall. Needing an oil change, I pulled in to see if they could service my car. Everyone I met was exceedingly professional and friendly. For $ 20 they changed the oil and also checked tire pressure, fluids etc. Special thanks to Alie and Jose. I will be back and highly recommend this business.

Great place to fix your car! I am very happy with their work on my cars!

I used to go to VIP with some frequency (at that time I worked close by in Watertown) and generally had not complaints. Keeping in mind the number of different sizes, types, models, etc. of cars that are being brought into a repair shop, it is ludicrous to expect perfect results all the time… so it’s a bit odd to read so many bad comments (from one-​time visitors to VIP)… Sure, you should always expect good, solid work for the hard earned money you spend, but you’ve got to be reasonable — guess what, they have not just been waiting around for your to march in with some obscure problem that you expect to be perfectly fixed within no time and (of course) for free… give me a break

Dont waste your time and money.
Went there for new 4 tires changeover. Came back to found out the the 4 new tpms that I paid for were not changed. Tires are now leakinbg thu the tpms. They want me to paid additional money for the tire leak that they caused. wtf. Don’t go there. Like the prior comment «they are thieves».

William said it best «At best, they are incompetent. At worst, they are thieves. Worst auto service experience ever. «
While I am usually so good at reading Unilocal reviews I failed to this time and will not again. I frequented VIP’s in Maine and NH without a problem I figured this was a no-​brainer for what I thought would be a simple fix.
It all started on Wednesday morning. I went out to go to work and my Jeep was dead. I figured I left on a light or something and had my husband drive me to work. I came home and tried it again. Still dead. Called AAA they came out and it was not the battery. It was making a clicking sound and after about 20 minutes the AAA mechanic said it was the starter. I called VIP and made an appointment for Friday. I dropped it off, they said they would put in a new starter and if that didn’t work they would call me.
It was towed in and then done sometime Friday. Around 5:30 they called and said it was fixed and ready to be picked up but needed to be done in the next 15 minutes. I said I would be in on Saturday to get it.
Saturday afternoon we went over. I went in, paid for it and went out to my jeep only to find out it was still dead! No clicking but dead! The tech came running over said he drove it in and out of the garage today and it was fine. It seemed like the battery was dead. He ran in to get the manager.
The manager was a slicked up grease ball who asked what the problem was. Here is the conversation.
Me: «It won’t start. You said it was fixed»
Manager: «I will not look at it unless you pay a $ 95 diagnostic fee.»
Me: «It has not even left the lot yet and I am not paying anymore money.»
Manager: «I will test the battery»
Me: «Thanks, it seems dead»
Manager: Goes in and gets some sort of reader and he said «not the battery, you a really expensive wiring issue on my hands».
Me: «This did not make sense if it did really start an hour ago why it wouldn’t now. «
My husband furious at this point: «Just take out this starter then it must be defective»
Manager: «Fine if you pay for labor then and then you will have no starter at all» Throws key at me and says have a great day sarcastically.
Words could not describe how much I wanted to hurt this man. The tech said he was very sorry, he did the work himself and it was really working.
We left. I have never hated a garage so much. Well that was until this morning when Direct tire said that the battery was in fact dead and the manager was obviously trying to get me to pay $ 95 to jump it or even worse make up some non-​excistant issue. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that the tech accidently left a light on and the manager was not using the voltage meter right but deep down in my heart I feel these men are thieves and crooks and I hope no one ever gives them business again.

I’ve been going here for 10 yrs, mostly because of the honesty I’ve seen (they were acquired by VIP several years ago, used to be Quirk Tire). Same employees are there, mostly, however.
I’ve had times when they’ve just said «eh, it just needed an X», no charge, so I’ve been a loyal customer. Now I’m concerned as I dropped off my car knowing what was wrong (the primary issue). They called back wanting to replace everything in the car for $ 2400. Now, I appreciate being told what I need to consider, but this was just a call from Ollie saying «you need this and it’s $ 2400». Not «this is the issue at hand and these are the things I’d prioritize that also need fixing sooner than later». Anyway, part of the quote including replacing a hub I replaced less than 6 mos ago!!! So, I’d at least say be wary of Ollie and I’m sadly reconsidering where I will bring my auto going forward. I do like most of the employees, but this is not acceptable.

At best, they are incompetent. At worst, they are thieves. Worst auto service experience ever.
I have sports car that works best if I switch between winter and summer tires, and I buy my expensive tires online and then have them shipped to an installer. My assistant found this place and got a quote of about $ 150 to install my Summer Performance tires.
We dropped off the car, and the guy said «This might take a little longer that usual because I want my ‘Specialist’ to take care of this.» About 15 minutes later, I got a call saying they couldn’t take the tires off because they were locked. I should have canceled at that point because a «Specialist» would know that the wheel key is kept with the spare. That is what I told him, and he said they would get right on it. 15 minutes after that I got another call saying that the 1 of the 2 tires I brought in had a gash on the side and were not safe to drive. These tires were inspected when removed at another service center and had been in my garage safely ever since. I did not want to argue. He said he had comparable tires, so I said go ahead and install them.
When I returned and inspected the gash, it was at an odd angle that could not have been made while driving. They also showed me a nail in one of the tires they removed. The nail stuck out about ¼″ but should have been embedded by the weight of the car. Since I was already running late, I did not have time to call in a manager. I simply paid the $ 650 bill and left.
I later realized that the comparable tire was an All Season tire and not a Summer Performance tire. That’s a big difference in performance and something obvious to someone that work with cars. Or at least it should have been obvious.
I called the manager and explained the situation in detail. He said they do not do business that way. Nothing more. I checked the company out on the internet and found complaints nationwide on many sites including
.

I brought my Jeep Overland in to repair my electric window. Everything else in the car was working fine. I was told they would call me when the car was ready. They did not. At the end of the day when I knew they were about to close I picked up the car. No one apologized or took responsibility for not calling. They were all in a hurry to go home. Driving my car home I noticed my electric mirror no longer worked. I brought the car back the next day. I waited most of the day & DID get a call this time to tell me it wasn’t their fault. I explained that the mirror worked before I brought it in & now it didn’t. The offered me an outlandish explanation about how the discoloration on the glass meant is had been shorted out previously. IT WORKED BEFORE THEY TOUCHED IT! No one returned my calls from corporate & only after I had my credit card company contact them did they pretend they had tried to help me. I finally reached ED Marchand at corporate who maintained the company position. Very passive aggressive & unwilling to listen to reason. I spent $ 370 to get my mirror fixed there & another $ 270 at a competent place, Firestone,(but cheaper than VIP) to fix their mistake. Don’t let these buffoons near your car. They were dishonest, rude & incompetent.

This is the only place I’ve been able to find a replacement for my rear 2007 Subaru Forrester wiper blade. Other stores told me I had to see a dealer. (I avoid dealers like the plague). They have a much larger selection of parts than other auto parts stores I’ve seen.
I’ve also had two positive service experiences. Came in for a tire change Sat morning about a year ago. They checked wear and correctly recommended only changing a single tire. Yesterday I stopped by and asked them about a nail in one of the tires. For no charge, they quickly diagnosed it as a short-​enough nail to not be a problem, pulled it out and sent me on my way.

With the arrival of spring it was time for me to replace my mpg reducing snow tires with their summer counter-​parts. My car was also starting to make alarming grinding noises when braking, so I knew it was in need of new brake pads and possibly rotors.
Anyway, I called up VIP and they agreed to fit me in on Saturday morning. When I dropped off my car the employees that helped me were really cheerful for 8 am in the morning. They called me after their initial inspection to let me know what they thought would be best and gave me a very reasonable price estimate. I didn’t feel pressured at all during the process and my car is much improved.
My old summer tires were looking a little worse for wear, so I thought it would be a good idea to get new ones especially since VIP was having an awesome tire sale. They even threw in a $ 100 gift card to use on oil changes, fuzzy dice, and such.
So yeah, I had to drop a bunch of $$$, but it wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. Everyone was super pleasant and I left with a smile on my face.

I have a Scion xB, so I used to take it to Toyota of Watertown down the street when it needed service. After a bad experience there I switched to VIP. I have had an alignment plus a couple of oil changes, and they repaired a tire that I had gotten a nail in.
The prices are pretty reasonable for a chain (less than $ 30 for a basic oil change, ~$ 70 for the alignment and tire rotation). The staff is friendly and doesn’t make me feel like I’m getting ripped off. When I pointed out that my bumper cover was coming off, the guy at the front desk came out to look at it and then gave me a referral to a body shop since they don’t do body work there. I’m pretty happy with the service there. The prices could be a little cheaper but that’s what you get with a big chain.

the staff is usually standing in the lobby, talking to the customers about how angry they look. Not professional nor is it safe to say sarcastic remarks to an angry girl with a heavy flat tire in her hands.
after quoting me 1 – 2 hour wait for replacing a tire that had a weak spot that they supplied me with (also, they don’t hand-​torque like their website says, they use an air-​gun), the manager actually went to the back and made the workers start… ohh… working! So after complaining, I got my tire replaced in 10 – 15 minutes as opposed to two hours. I don’t understand why working has become so passé and wait times are automatically given when it’s a simple procedure.

Dang, cars are expensive. You back into a truck, bam $ 500 to fix the trunk. Some anonymous idiot dances on your roof, another $ 100 just so you can open the sunroof.
Then there’s general wear and tear — I drove on a leaking tire for 3 months because tires are so much $$$, so I know where all the free air is around here. [My favorite location is the gas station at Market and Beacon (it has a built in PSI reader), and the runner-​up is the Hess on Cambridge Street.]
But finally, you have to give in. After all, there’s safety to be considered. My car notoriously gets stuck in snow — even a little bit — and the balding tires that barely passed inspection didn’t help (see
). I tried Sullivan tire on Commonwealth Ave, but they weren’t really all that friendly. If I’m going to drop $ 800, the least you can do is pretend you’re happy to see me in there. So, I went another month on leaky mc-​slidey tires.
Finally, I called VIP Tires and Service in Watertown. Jimmy was friendly and to the point on the phone. There were limited options for tires for my sporty car (my own danged fault for buying the thing), but he helped me narrow down the tire that would be the best fit and offered to do the work that very day. As it is literally 200 yards from where I work, I drove the car over and walked back.
The car was done, as promised, at 5:30 PM. It has been 18 hours and the tires are still on the car. Prices were fair, repairs were fast, and service was friendly. What more could you ask for (aside from never-​ending tires)?
PS. Remember to rotate your tires every 6,000 miles. Helps extend their life.
PPS. I actually do like my car. or at least the freedom it affords me.