It started with a simple smog service. Turned into a scam and I was ripped off for $500.00 My husband took my car to get smogged. R. Smog, Ramis, said I needed new spark plugs to pass. So my husband said he would like to stick to the dealer recommended s. plugs and my husband took Ramis brand new spark plugs my husband got from the dealer for exacts on my car. He left the car for me to go back and pick up. My husband told me that Ramis wanted to be paid cash only, now I see why. So I picked my car up, paid $500.00 cash. Note, my car ran fine before I left it in his shop, but after his work, my car goes down the road sputtering and misfiring. So, optimistically take my car back to R.Smog and explain this problem to Ramis hoping he will just correct the mistake because now it barely runs, dies at every stop sign. Ramis response was. "give me a few minutes" I politely wait for some time, while Ramis goes back to smogging cars, after a time, I politely say to him, that I do not expect him to correct the problem today, but because my car won't run, I would like to leave it for him to get to as soon as he saw fit. Ramis says no, give him a few minutes, so I did. Trust me the story gets more crazy. While waiting some more, a young man came in after me and we chatted, I asked him, "are you getting a smog today"? The young man said no, "he was there for a job". Meanwhile the hours are ticking away and Ramis has me waiting, so I interrupt Ramis again, asking if he would please talk to me about my car, that I had gotten someone to drive me home and needed to make a plan with him. Ramis hands a tester to the young man who was there for a job, Ramis tells him to take the tester and test my car, at this point, I laughed and followed the young man to my car, and said, "well I guess this is a working interview huh"? The young man is not knowledgable with the tester and has to tell me and Ramis that he can't use the tester, Ramis sends him into his back shop to try the young man's hand at an oil change. I am still patient and somewhat amused watching this going on because now Ramis has me waiting again, completely ignoring me while he is doing smogs. I asked the young lady behind the closed glass desk if she could please pull up my previous and first visit to the shop. She said, "oh I don't work here". I eariler had told Ramis that I had left my cash receipt at home. Ramis tells me he doesn't keep records. This went on for an hour. I interupted him again. I explained that I only wanted him to take my car in and start looking into what went wrong in his original repair. His continued response was, "give me a few minutes". Ramis obviously had already identified my car, and knew exactly what he had done wrong, and hoped that I would tire and just go away. He was right, "I did go away". I drove my car that died at every stop around the corner to a reputable auto repair shop. The new and honorable mechanic fixed my car in one day; it runs like a brand-new car! but of course I had to pay for spark plug repair all over again, but glad to have good reliable service. I am not a mechanic, So I had asked the new shop to please save my old spark plugs for me because my husband had previously said, "I don't think Rancho Smog really changed your spark plugs". My dear husband died of cancer in the mist of this, by my husband was correct, the new shop brought out to me the spark plugs that came out of my vehicle. Only two of the eight were changed, that's why it was misfiring. I asked how he knew this, and the mechanic explained how and why the other six plugs were different. The mechanic also told me how long new spark plugs should typically last, 30 to 100 k, all this was proof that he only changed the two, got the smog to pass and ripped me off for the spark plug repair. He knew exactly what he was doing, and on top of it kept my other new plugs! Its also interesting that he has one pay cash. Today, I went back with the my orignal old spark plugs and the two new ones he had replaced. I wanted to give him the chance to have some intergrity, to make this right. Ramis argued, played a language barrier card, talked in circles, and I am not up for disrespectful behavior, so I ended the conversation. RANCHO SMOG MAY HAVE GREAT REVIEWS FOR A SIMPLE SMOG CHECK, BUT DON'T EVER TURN HIM LOSE ON YOUR CAR FOR AUTO REPAIR. read more