The worst experience and greatest rip off ever! And, they lied about the $98 dollar fee... quoted me $53 over the phone!
I called to inquire re. how much a smog check would be for my 1999 vehicle, and the nice sounding receptionist told me $58, and that if I did not pass I would not pay. That was relatively in line with other shops, so I trusted their name and what I was told. Also, I said I had a $20 discount that I found on line, and she said they would honor that.
Well, I drove from Galt to Lodi, only to discover the opposite of what I was told. Only, I figured I simply wanted to get the smog check accomplished, so I agreed to the $68 dollar fee. When I questioned the "nice" lady, she said their normal rate is $79, plus the $8 for the sticker and other fees. So, my "discount" was still more than the originally quoted price. She said she did not recall quoting me $53, so I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with her. I must have been too tired to have been thinking clearly, for I normally would have simply asked for my vehicle back at that point. But, no... I allowed them to do the work.
After waiting more than 30 minutes, they said my vehicle paperwork was ready. It was then that I was informed that they were going to give me a $10 discount, since they could NOT complete the work, as I had just had a new battery installed the day before. At the outset of the work, I was never informed about any potential problems with a reading if my battery was new! Ya think that would be one of the first questions a shop like that would ask those of us who do not have an automotive background! That was only the beginning of the "bait and switch!" They then informed me that I could bring the vehicle back to them for a second check for only another $26 once I had driven the vehicle for 150 miles, since my battery was new, and the computer in the vehicle needed a chance to gain sufficient information. When I asked her why I should have to pay for a lack of completed assessment when she had informed my that if I didn't pass I would not have to pay, she said she would have never said that to me, since NO shops do that any longer. Really? Once out in my vehicle, I called Galt Smog, and they said I would be able to have a second assessment with them for free if my vehicle did not pass!!!
So, I let the "nice" lady know of my dissatisfaction, and she simply just completed my credit card transaction of $58. As, I got in my vehicle, the mechanic who had "worked" on my vehicle (a rough looking man in his early 60s) called out to me as he was just getting out of another vehicle that I needed to drive the vehicle more. He said that with kind of an attitude. In response, I decided to ask him if it was normal for a customer to have to pay for not receiving a full diagnosis. He evidently did not take kindly to my inquiry (though I was very polite to him), so he abruptly asked me if I would like to know what he thought of my question? It was then he informed me that he was in fact the owner of the shop. I said I was only inquiring, to which he replied that he could care less, and did I know what it cost for him to keep his doors open for business, and that he was not simply offering his services for free. When I mentioned that I had contacted another shop to inquire into their practices (pass or do not pay), he simply became even more snide and threatening. For a moment, I felt he might take a swing at me, as he was closing into my personal space, and raising his voice, while becoming ever more demeaning in his tone. I then simply indicated that I was offering some feedback into my level of satisfaction as a customer. He bluntly stated that he could not care less about customer satisfaction or feedback!!! At that point, it was clear that I was dealing with an irrational individual, who supposedly finds it hard to gain new customers. Gee... I can't see why!
So, if you have not been insulted in a while, had someone get in your face to tell you, the customer, that you are an idiot and of no concern or consequence to him as a business owner, and want to walk away with nothing completed on your vehicle in terms of smog, and be lied to about the $89 fee for a smog check, then by all means you have found the right place. However, if you are looking for quality service and to be treated with respect as a customers, you would do well to stay far away from "abettersmog" in Lodi. read more
