Dear Big O Tires San Mateo Management, I am writing to share my appreciation for the excellent service I have received at your San Mateo location. I have been bringing my vehicle to this shop for my last five oil changes and inspections required for ride-sharing, and each time I have left completely satisfied. Your team is professional, knowledgeable, and consistently goes above and beyond to make customers feel important. I especially want to highlight Alonzo; he always ensures that I am well taken care of and provides a level of service that is truly impressive. It is clear that you have a great team of hardworking individuals who take pride in their work. I will continue to bring my business to this location and recommend it to others. Best regards, Vernel Primus read more

Very dishonest business. I came in wanting help with a flat tire. Rodrigo said my calipers were rubbing against my rotor and needed an immediate $1.5k fix. I wanted validation of that first. Rodrigo came out to show me and was making up all sorts of stuff like feel the grooves, it needs a replacement. Still not convinced as I wasn't getting a straight answer to how many mm are left with proof, I went under the car and took this picture. There is more than 50% left, about 70% of a full pad. The little low pad warning visual helper notch is still there as well. Are the clerks incentivized to make one time sales over running a honest business? Please make good win-win long term decisions for yourself Big O. I appreciate the tire repair but not the dishonest upsell. An honest gauge of where my brakes are with a plan to follow up would have made the sale, not lying repeatedly and dodging my validating questions. Thanks, a local nearby would-be regular customer read more

Big O Tires - About 70% of the brake pad remaining - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

Called about getting a nail puncture fixed in my tire.. they said they could do it while I wait in about 35 or 40 minutes. Immediately drove down to their shop filled out the paperwork and sat in the waiting room for 90 minutes before the manager came out and said "we can't fix the nail puncture because it's too close to the edge". I asked him to show me and it turns out it's a store policy not a manufacturer safety policy. Additionally, he said all my tires are worn out you can see the metal in spots and they need to be changed. This is the kind of thing that turns people off to big O tires in San Mateo. The constant upsell and lack of believability not to mention honesty I took the car down to America's Tire in Redwood City they actually were able to remove the nail and fix it and after inspection said I have 5/32 depth (2/ is minimum) - plenty of miles left on these tires. I'll let you decide for yourself but I am never coming back here. It's a pretty low class way of doing business. read more

Big O Tires - Front- Manager told me the tires were completely worn out. How can you expect us to end business treating customers like this - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I got here at 10:20 am for a tire with a slow leak. About an hour and a quarter to fix, they told me. Three hours later they told me I needed two new tires. About 25 minutes to get it done, they said. An hour later I'm told they all went to lunch. It's 2:15. They haven't started the repair yet. Unless you want to spend all day waiting for your tire to get repaired I don't recommend this place. read more

I went to do a balancing of my tires and an alignment and when I got clear I knew that I needed a tire change and I asked him for a budget on some tires the cheapest I got about 500 dollars the cheapest apart was the balancing that was 25 per tire you would be 100 and apart from the alignment they charged me 140 then in total I was going to pay about 800 plus apart from taxes I left and went to the American tire workshop and there is a better service I bought the best tires in total I got like 600 all balancing and alignment so it's a big difference and apart from that they gave me a good service I don't recommend this workshop I say it with all clarity read more

I've been here twice, both times the guys have been great. Got me in, got it all handled quickly and done correctly. Asked to get something done quickly and Rodrigo knocked it out quickly. I'll happily drag my beaters here. read more

Staff is very nice and friendly but sooooo slow. I was told one hour to put on my new tires but it's taking at least 3 hours. I'm still waiting. Now I have ugly white sticky weights on my black rims! This looks awful! read more

Big O Tires - Ugly white sticky weights when balancing the tires - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

Headline: they put one of the brake pads on backwards - found this out because I took my car to the dealer recently for an oil change. Came here for a nail in my tire was told that they could not patch it and had to replace the tire and also mentioned that the other three tires needed to be replaced as well. Plus they said my brake pads were worn. I asked them how long all this was going to take. They said about an hour and a half. I ended up waiting there 4 1/2 hours and they weren't even very busy. Their waiting room is not a fun place to hang out at. But the fact that they put on one of the brake pads backwards tells me that this location has a training issue with their staff. read more

I made an online order and appointment 7 days before the approved appointment time. I get to the store for my 9am appointment and was told the tires were not yet there. They finally arrived after 12 noon. I was promised a call to let me know that they arrived but no call I had to call the store. I arrived at the store at 12:35pm and had to wait over one hour to get my car into the service area. The job was finally done at 3:45pm. My gripe is (1) that the tires were not there for my appointment, (2) that I had to make two trips to the store, (3) I had to wait 1hr and 20 mins before my tire installation started, and (4) I never received even a "I'm sorry" for the screw up. I will never go back for that kind of service. read more

DO NOT take your car here. They are CONS!!! I took my car to repair a nail puncture, waited 2 hrs for them to tell me I needed all 4 tires replaced bc they were balding, plus an alignment. I had an alignment 3 weeks prior at Tesla and 2 new tires less than a yr ago so I questioned their assessment. Only after questioning them, they advised I only needed 2 new tires, and the other 2 were fine, but they couldn't repair the nail puncture. Due to lack of trust, I left and took my car to Costco who fixed my puncture for $10.99 and said all my tires were perfectly fine, none were balding, and that Big O just wanted my money. Either their workers are not qualified or they are scamming customers. FYI, while I waited for 2 hrs at Big O, another customer had been waiting since 10am & at 5pm they told her that her car needed add'l work. This is a standard practice at BigO. read more

Absolutely do NOT use this Big O Tires location. Total clown show. Dropped my car off at 11:00 AM to replace two front tires. Quoted $1,200, took a $900 deposit. Before I even handed over the keys I was crystal clear: "I need the car ready by 4:00 PM sharp. I have to leave. No flexibility." They looked me in the eye and said "Yes, absolutely. That's plenty of time. No problem at all." I even asked to be texted when it's ready. They agreed. I show up at 3:55 PM and guess what? Car not ready. Not even close. Then comes the excuses. "We had issues all day." "Stuff came up." Not my problem. That's YOUR job. Then the best part: They say "Oh, we can throw it in right now and do it in 15 minutes." Are you kidding me? So you had my car for FIVE HOURS, missed the only deadline that mattered, and now you're telling me the job takes 15 minutes? That means you could've done it HOURS earlier and just didn't. Because of this, I missed my pickup window for my kid, had to cancel plans, and my whole weekend trip prep got screwed. I planned this specifically so my car would be ready. Instead I got wasted time and stress. I took my refund and left. Zero trust left. This wasn't a workload issue. This was bad management, bad communication, and zero respect for customers' time. If your time matters to you, go literally anywhere else. read more

Plus one star for being in a convenient location (for me). Minus two stars for the time they left a lug nut off after changing my tires. I got home, saw the missing lug nut (it was a McGard lock), went back and they couldn't find it anywhere. If someone saw it, wouldn't they assume it was a customer's and not throw it out? Minus two stars because I had snow tires mounted to my car for Tahoe. I then bought some spare rims and wanted to mount the still absolutely fine summer tires on the new rims. Big O said no, they wouldn't install used tires, only new ones. Is that just because it was on spare rims? Or would they put snow tires on a car and refuse to put the summer tires back on after the winter season? I'll never find out because I'm not planning to go back. (I was actually going to have them replace the TPMS sensor on my truck at the same time, but they lost out on that business too.) read more

I had such a great experience with Alonzo and really wanted to recognize him for going above and beyond. My car had already been in the shop for 2 days, and when I finally picked it up, I noticed my tire pressure was still going down. I came back close to closing time (around 6pm), expecting I might have to come back another day but Alonzo didn't turn me away. Instead, he stayed late and took the time to check and work on my car to make sure everything was safe and good to go before I left. That level of care and dedication is rare. He didn't rush the job and made sure I could drive home with peace of mind that same day. You can tell he genuinely cares about his customers and takes pride in his work. Thank you, Alonzo, for your professionalism, kindness, and for going the extra mile. Truly appreciate you! read more

When I first moved here in 2023, didn't know where to go for tire service and ended up here at Big O. Best decision! I have come here for years now. First impressions are big and from the first visit, service has been professional, quality and just what I needed. I couldn't afford my normal Michelin tires when I needed a new set, alternate tires were recommended that were in my price range and they have been excellent and comparable quality. Since then I have been here for other services including an alignment. Always quality service with respectful service. Deciding where to go? Come to this location, they will not disappoint! read more

Unless you want to waste your money never go here. I came in and asked for them to change my tire they said it would take about an hour but it ended up taking them over 24 hours. They over charged me, never gave me quote until after the tire had been changed and did things to my car I never consented to. After it had been a whole day I asked for my car back and they refused. I ended up paying over 300 dollars for them to change a tire. Please save yourself and never go here they are extremely unprofessional. Go literally anywhere else. read more

waited whole day for tire change donot ever ever use alexis wrost service in the world read more

First of all, the website is misleading to make us believe they have all season tires for my car and let us book an appointment to repair the tires. Which turned out that they don't have the tire we want after all. By the time we realized that they don't, the car is already towed there and we sort of have to go forward with the other tired they have. Secondly, when we took the car, the wheels and tires are so messy. They don't even clean the wheel or tires at all ( costco always returns my car with wheels cleaned). Lastly, all pressure valve covers are missing and the tire pressures are all wrong as well. Significantly underprepared tires!!! In total, this is horribly messy and overpriced job. Overall utterly disappointing experience! read more

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These guys were so awesome! From the second I walked in, I was met with kind and friendly staff. I had some tires shipped to them and they were doing the install and alignment. Everything was so smooth. I honestly felt so ccomfortable. As a female, going into car places, I never know how it's going to go. It was such a good experience. Everyone was so nice, we talked about cars and joked about people not being able to drive stick (sorry, not sorry). Their install fee is the best around! I didn't get my tires through them but I will when I need to again. And you absolutely should! Alonzo is the best! He is so nice and gave me a crazy deal. Thank you so much! Take your car here, period! read more

Big O Tires - Tire install - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

I had a nail in my tire so I stopped by here for service. They were able to get me in and put on a new tire in a reasonable amount of time. Good service read more

The new location is one building over and I personally like to thank Alanzo and his staff for being efficient... new Location looks clean more comfortable with cushion waiting chairs..n Thanks Again ... read more

Alonzo and Rodrigo were fantastic to work with. Their inventory for Tesla tires is fantastic, and their prices were lower than any other local dealers for Michelin Pilot Sports. They also did the rear tires on my wife's Tesla last month. Super friendly, very reliable, and great at what they do. read more

Alonzo made it easy, very courteous respectful, explained every step. Very happy with the service, I'll be back for tires, car running great. Thank you for all the service read more

I would like to express a concern regarding this location. I had a minor accident involving a tire, and they told me that both front tires needed to be replaced, even though the tires had been changed just a few months ago. They explained that because one tire was damaged, they were not allowed to replace only one tire, so both had to be changed. They told me that the other tire, which was still in good condition, would be left in the trunk. However, when I arrived home, the tire was not in the trunk. I went back after a few days to ask for the tire, and they told me that they could not find it. read more

I came in with low tire pressure, my tires wouldn't take an air from local gas stations, so I was worried that I was in for a big surprise. I arrived at big O tires, and one of the guys Alex, quickly attended me, I explained to him what happened and he told me to pull up next to one of the workers, who very quickly tested my tires air intake and found no issues then told me I was good to go! I'm very glad I came here. Bless these honest men. read more

Went there for a tire repair and Alonzo and the team got me out in a timely manner. Very profesional and will go back

I had experience fraudulent billing attempt on my experience they did not take accountability on their actions 1. **Fraudulent Billing Attempt:** Charging for an alignment they **never performed** is outright fraud. This is illegal and unethical. 2. **Predatory Upselling:** Suggesting unnecessary new tires (when yours weren't balding) during a simple oil change is a classic tactic to exploit customers. 3. **Grossly Excessive Wait Time:** 2-3 hours for an oil change and brake check is unreasonable without communication or apology. 4. **Negligence & Incompetence:** Forgetting a requested service (alignment) and failing to notice you were waiting excessively shows poor management. 5. **Unprofessional Conduct:** No apology, no updates, and mechanics appearing unproductive (walking around/long lunches) while you wait hours erodes trust. 6. **Lack of Accountability:** The shop failed at every customer service level - from the mechanic to the associate. ### **Immediate Actions to Take:** 1. **Refuse Payment for Alignment:** Do NOT pay for the alignment service. Demand the charge be removed immediately. Show any evidence you have (written request, invoice showing it wasn't done). 2. **Demand a Full Explanation & Partial Refund:** Speak to the **manager or owner** (not the associate): * Detail the 3-hour wait with no updates. * State they failed to perform the requested alignment. * Highlight the unprofessional tire upsell attempt. * Request a **significant discount** or partial refund for your wasted time and their failure to deliver the agreed service. 3. **Get Everything in Writing:** Request a corrected invoice showing the alignment charge removed. Get any promises of refunds/discounts in writing (email is best). 4. **Formal Complaint:** * **Corporate (if it's a chain):** Find their corporate customer service contact online and file a detailed complaint. * **Better Business Bureau (BBB):** File a complaint at [bbb.org](https://bbb.org). Businesses often respond to these. * **Online Reviews:** Leave **factual, detailed reviews** on Google, Yelp, and their Facebook page. Use the specifics: "Charged for alignment not performed," "3-hour wait for oil change," "pushed unnecessary tires," "no apology." **Warn others.** 5. **Consider Disputing the Charge (if already paid):** If you paid for the alignment with a credit card, file a dispute with your card issuer for "services not rendered." Provide your evidence. ### **Protecting Yourself in the Future:** * **Get Written Estimates & Authorizations:** *Always* get a written estimate detailing **exactly** what work will be done and the cost. Sign an authorization ONLY for that work. Ask them to contact you for approval on any additional work they "find." * **Request Old Parts:** For work like brakes, ask to see the old parts they removed to verify work was done. * **Itemized Invoice:** Scrutinize the final invoice. Ensure it only lists work you authorized. Question every charge. * **Ask for Proof:** For alignments, ask for the "before and after" printout from the alignment machine. Reputable shops provide this. * **Choose Shops Carefully:** Look for shops with strong, consistent reviews mentioning transparency and honesty. Ask friends/family for recommendations. Consider smaller independent shops with a reputation to uphold locally. * **Set Expectations Upfront:** When dropping off, ask for a realistic timeframe and request they call you if it changes or if additional work is "needed." **This shop treated you disrespectfully and attempted to steal from you.** Do not let this slide. Taking the steps above holds them accountable, protects your wallet, and helps prevent them from scamming others. **You are absolutely right to warn people.** read more

Big O Tires - The alignment that they did not do so I asked for a refund - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

I came in for my regular oil change, and I always enjoy coming here because of friendly staff and fair price. I remember going there with some really bad tires a couple years back, they just informed me about the the tread of my tires and recommended for new ones, they didn't pressure me or anything. I ended up getting my tires from Costco but I will be happy to go back there for an oil change. Warning, the wait can be long, like really really long. Consider dropping off your car and getting a ride back. read more

I made an appointment on Wednesday the 21st, to come in on Saturday the 24th at 12pm. While requesting the appointment, I selected tire service and chose the tires I wanted. I received the email confirmation on Thursday that my appointment was approved. I showed up at 11:50am to check-in my car. I walked in and told the manager, Dante, that I was here for my appointment. He asked for my name. Then he asked if I made the appointment in person or online. They had no idea I was coming in. First red flag. We walked outside and he got some info on my car. We walked back in and he printed some paperwork. I signed and waited for him to finish. He then walked out with another customer without a word. No, you're all set. No, it'll be about x amount of time. No, we'll let you know when it's done. So I guess I'll go sit and wait. The waiting area wasn't very pleasant. The vending machine was out of order. The water dispenser was gross. No cups provided either. Not that you would want the water anyway. At 1:15pm I walked to the counter and asked if I could get an update on my car. The employee at the front walked to the shop to check. He came back in with a work order and asked Dante do we have tires for this car? Another red flag. They hadn't even started on my car. The employee told me it'll be another hour. I said, but I had an appointment at 12pm. Isn't my spot saved for my car to get worked on at 12? He said they had cars come in the morning that they had to work on. So what's the point of making an appointment if I'm just going to be last in line when I get there? That's the purpose of making an appointment. So I don't have to wait hours to get started. My car was finally finished at 2:15. One hour from when they said they would get started. So I waited an extra hour because they weren't organized enough to notice that they had an appointment when they started their day. When I got my final paperwork, I noticed that they did not provide a print out for the alignment work. I also noticed that they put on the WRONG tires. The tires they put on were not the ones I chose when setting up my appointment. So again I had to say something because the tires they put on were 43% more expensive, $61.99 versus $88.99. I told Dante that I needed a copy of the alignment work and that the wrong tires were put on my car. He said he would email me a copy of the alignment work later. That seemed odd. I don't understand why he couldn't print a copy then and there. As far as the tires go, they didn't have the tires I requested in stock. No problem, it happens. Except that they didn't tell me when I checked-in. They had multiple opportunities to check and let me know. They could have said something at 1:15pm when I asked for an update and saved me an hour of waiting. My job as the customer is to select the tires I want and make the appointment. Their job is to review the appointment request, make sure they have those tires in stock and approve the appointment. Which they did by sending me an email confirmation. I asked if I could get the price difference refunded since I did not choose those tires and there was no communication about them being out of stock. Dante was really nice about the situation. He wrote down my name, number, email, the tire model number and said he would get me my refund and alignment paperwork. So I left thinking everything was resolved. I never received an email with the alignment paperwork. I never got a refund credited back to my card. So I followed up and called the shop on Tuesday. I called at 3:44pm and asked to speak with Dante. I was put on hold and while on hold, I looked for the shop's email which I found on their site. I couldn't wait anymore and had to get back to work so I hung up. I sent them an email to follow up and I haven't heard back since. I'm starting to think they didn't do an alignment and rushed to finish the job because they had me waiting for an hour before getting started. There's a serious lack of customer service, communication and professionalism at this shop. It was downhill from the start. I don't have experience with other Big O Tires locations, but this shop is a rip off. I'll definitely not be returning. read more

Big O Tires - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I wouldn't recommend to come here. I came for a 2pm appointment to replace 4 times and an alignment. I asked them how long it would take because I had to pick up my kid at 5pm and was very clear that if it would take longer that I wouldn't be able to do it today. The guy said definitely done by 4pm. When I came back at 4pm, they were definitely not done. I waited until 4:25 before asking and they said it would be another 5 mins. They finally get me at 4:40 to tell me it's done. When they went to ring it up, they said the total was $585 but when they told me to insert my card, they tried to charge me $750. When I told him the amount was showing incorrectly, and pointed at the total he gave me, then he fixed it. No apology for finishing the job late and no apology for trying to charge me an extra $170. Again, would not recommend to come here read more

Tire has to be replaced due to puncture. Puncture was in middle of the tire and should be patchable, but I don't have time to argue, I need the car back asap. They keep it overnight, tell me it'll definitely be ready by noon the next day. I don't hear from them, call at 1pm: "ready in 30-40 minutes".... Are you sure because I have to go out of town by 2:30. So I arrive at 1:50, car hasn't been touched. Guy assures me it'll be ready in 15 minutes. No communication with any mechanic on site. Unsurprisingly, 15 minutes comes and goes and no one has even looked at the car. I now wasted $40 on Uber fares and an hour of my time because they can't just tell me the car isn't going to be ready any time soon. Why not set reasonable expectations and then meet them instead of costing me more time and money? read more

Dante, thank you for the excellent customer service and getting me in and out. Matt - From LA! read more

Big O Tires - Quick tire swap after hitting a Bay Area pothole. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've had mixed experiences with BigO in the past, including a previous visit here, but I have to say Big O Tires has truly changed my perspective. Alonzo, the manager, went above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly this time. He was professional, honest, and genuinely cared about making sure I was taken care of. The service was quick, the pricing was fair, and the communication was clear from start to finish. I really appreciate how Alonzo addressed my past concerns and made this visit a positive and stress-free one. I'll definitely be returning for future services. Btw this is one of the only big o tires out of all the locations that the manager is the same and seems to like to build relationships the old way instead of just taking your money. My family and the community is grateful for the owners for making sure this is a store for the neighborhood read more

A year and a half later I finally got around to writing a review but I never forgot about the amazing service I was provided by Alonzo and the staff that worked on my car. Came in without an appointment, a flat tire, a 6 month old, and was just trying to get home in the east bay after a VERY long day. Alonzo and his team helped me with patching my tire and made sure the rest of my tires were okay. I was back on the road within minutes and got home safely. Very appreciative for the professionalism, empathy, kindness and overall great service. Thank you! read more

I tried getting a Lyft Inspection, the Front desk Guy SAMUEL and he decided today he was gonna be a "smart guy" he tried to hustle me out of getting new tires... weird at Jiffy Lube they conducted the Inspection and it Passed because my Tire Tread is good all bells and Whistles. THANKS FOR NOT TAKING MY BUSINE$$ OTHER PLACES WILL. FUCK YOU Samuel read more

Big O Tires - Auto Repair Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Terrible they ruined my motor on my car, Just went for oil change:( Terrible customer service. Do not go there!!

all tire stores suck equally. i bought a full set of tires for $1200 six years ago. they refused to repair a hole from a nail insisting that it would be unsafe because they were over five years. tried to upsell me on $700 for two new tires. i went down the street and got the tire patched for $40 cash. it's true that older tires are not as safe but this is a used vehicle that we want to sell. the tires had plenty of tread (18k miles). i originally fell for their argument and agreed to two new tires. glad i had second thoughts and saved $650. these guys will always try to upsell - not really acting in the best interest of the customer. they also added on $80 lifetime road hazard - knowing that we are selling. read more

This is the only Big O Tires I would go to, Alonso is a blessing he treats every customer like family, he explains very detail. I would highly recommend this place to anyone, especially if they don't know much about cars. read more

Great service! It was very easy and they were quick, responsive and called us as soon as our tire arrived and when it was all fixed. Thank you! Couldn't have had a smoother process! read more

This place is awesome! The staff was so helpful and kind to me..I showed up before a road trip with a chunk out of my tire missing. They replaced it so fast and it was a nice experience all around! Alfonso is the manager that helped me and he had amazing people skills and handled it very professionally but personable:) very happy customer! That will be my new tire spot read more

This is now my second time here, the first was when I purchased my tires. My only issue then was the lack of communication. I had to call to confirm my car was ready for pick up & when I came by to pick it up, they told me to wait so I was in the waiting area, after about 20min I asked if the car was ready & the guy at the counter said oh yeah, its out front, not sure why I wasn't made aware & why I had to ask when they knew I was sitting there. This time around, my experience was a whole lot better. Anthony (I believe that's his name) assisted me with a potential TPMS replacement & tire rotations. He was very clear in explaining the process, wait time & potential cost. He told me it would be about an hour wait which was about right, I ended up waiting just a little over an hour & luckily nothing needed to be replaced, my sensor just needed to be recalibrated. Glad to see the customer service is better! read more