**More Than 10 Years of Loyalty--and This Is How Bolt On Technology and MyShopManager Treat a Customer**
I rarely write a review like this, but after more than a decade as a Bolt On Technology customer, I believe other automotive shop owners need to understand what our experience has become.
Town Center Automotive used Bolt On Technology for approximately 10 years. We did not purchase one small product and leave after a short trial. We invested heavily in the platform and used virtually everything they offered: their vehicle check-in system, digital vehicle inspections, customer text messaging, reputation management, and other tools that became part of our daily operations.
For many years, there were genuinely good things about the company. The products helped our shop, and the customer service used to be excellent. When we had trouble with digital inspections, software, or something as simple as printing an oil-change sticker, someone would be there to help us. That level of support was one of the reasons we remained loyal.
Unfortunately, the company we originally chose no longer seems to be the company we are dealing with today.
In my opinion, Bolt On Technology grew too quickly, became increasingly rigid, and lost sight of the independent automotive shops that helped build its business. The decline became particularly noticeable over the past several years and after MyShopManager became part of Bolt On.
Our pricing approximately doubled, but we stayed because we liked the platform and had invested years in incorporating it into our business. We continued paying even though the value and service no longer seemed consistent with the increased price.
The breaking point came when Town Center Automotive expanded into a second building. The buildings were only about 500 feet apart and were part of the same automotive business, but they required different internet connections and IP addresses. We asked Bolt On whether its system could accommodate the two IP addresses.
Instead of helping us develop a reasonable solution for our growing operation, we felt as though we were being treated with suspicion--as if we were attempting to operate two separate shops while paying for only one. We were not trying to cheat the company or avoid paying for legitimate services. We were a long-term customer whose business had expanded into two nearby buildings.
We needed technology that could support our growth rather than stand in its way. We eventually found Tekmetric, which resolved the operational problems that Bolt On would not.
When we began canceling our Bolt On services, we were told that we had annual contracts and would remain responsible for the payments. Although we were frustrated, we dealt with those obligations.
The final problem involved MyShopManager.
We canceled MyShopManager in early 2026 and later repeated our cancellation while transitioning to a different CRM. We were then told that the cancellation was received only a few days outside the required window and that the agreement had automatically renewed for another year.
To be clear, we did not make a new decision to continue using MyShopManager for another year. We were actively moving away from the platform.
The email record supports that this was not simply an after-the-fact claim. On May 7, 2026, our representative at Turnkey Marketing contacted Bolt On support regarding Town Center Automotive's transition to a new CRM and requested that Bolt On begin transferring our outbound texting number and customer list. On August 6, I again put in writing that we had canceled earlier in the year, were still being charged, and wanted the matter resolved and the inappropriate charges refunded.
Despite our long history, our clear intent to leave, and our active transition to another system, MyShopManager and Bolt On have refused to provide a reasonable resolution. From our perspective, they are prioritizing a few hundred dollars in recurring charges over a relationship with a customer who supported their company for approximately a decade.
What makes this even more disappointing is how difficult it has been to speak with someone who has the authority to solve the problem. I attempted to call and ask for a supervisor, only to be told that supervisors were too busy. A company was apparently willing to continue billing us under a disputed automatic renewal, but its leadership was too busy to speak with a long-standing customer about the dispute.
That speaks volumes.
The deterioration in customer service goes beyond this billing issue. In the past, if our DVI system was not working or we could not print oil-change stickers, Bolt On would respond and help. Now, it often feels as though the only option is to submit an email and wait. The personal service that earned our loyalty has largely disappeared. read more
