We chose Berlin's Garage after reading the many positive reviews and were hopeful that we had…read morefinally found a mechanic who was honest, reasonably priced, and efficient. Unfortunately, our experience was the complete opposite.
Our vehicle was kept at the shop for over a month. While I understand that repairs can sometimes take longer than expected, the communication throughout the process was extremely frustrating. We would often receive a call around 4:00 PM with an update about what was being worked on or what additional repairs were supposedly needed. The conversation would frequently end with us being told that the vehicle was "almost done" and that we would receive another call shortly to come pick it up.
The problem is that if you are calling a customer at 4:00 PM and telling them the vehicle is almost ready, what exactly are they supposed to do with that information? We were not given a realistic timeframe for when the work would actually be completed, and it made planning for pickup extremely difficult.
We were also told on multiple occasions that the vehicle would be ready on a specific day, such as Tuesday. Tuesday would come, and if we didn't reach out ourselves, we often had no idea what was happening with our vehicle. We shouldn't have to repeatedly chase down updates after being given a promised completion date.
There were also times when we would call the shop for an update and receive no answer. We would then wait hours for a call back, often without knowing whether we would hear from anyone that day. This made an already frustrating situation even more difficult, especially when we were trying to plan around not having our vehicle.
What was especially disappointing was that we chose this shop because the reviews made it sound like the work was both fast and affordable. Unfortunately, we experienced neither. After having our vehicle for more than a month, the final price was essentially comparable to what we could have paid elsewhere. So, despite the extended wait, we did not feel that we received any meaningful savings for choosing this shop.
I completely understand that automotive repairs can be unpredictable and that additional issues can be discovered once a vehicle is being worked on. That's not the issue. The issue is the lack of reliable communication, repeatedly missed expectations regarding completion, and the amount of time our vehicle was kept.
Based on our experience, I would not recommend Berlin's Garage. The positive reviews were the reason we chose this mechanic, but unfortunately, our experience did not come close to matching them. Customers deserve realistic timelines, proactive communication, and transparency throughout the repair process.
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In response to the business comment:
We're simply sharing our experience and speaking our truth, not trying to blame anyone for anything. However, we believe clear communication and realistic timelines are important when dealing with someone's vehicle.
We are appreciative of the information and work done on the vehicle, things were bought to our attention that we didn't know needed to be fixed. The last thing we would want is to be stranded or something major happening that could've been avoided. However, in addition to the issues we already mentioned, the truck now does not sound like a 5.7 HEMI should. The day we picked it up, we also had to go purchase Freon, and we discovered that bolts were missing. We also had to take the battery out to reset the stereo.
We also want to clarify the timeline. We dropped the truck off on August 2nd, which was a day the shop was not open, and we picked it up on Friday, September 11th. That is over a month. In addition, the owner wasnt even present the day we picked it up, it was a relative of the owner.
During the process, you clearly told us that you had to stop working on our truck to work on other vehicles that had been there before ours. We understand that mechanics have other customers, but if you're already booked up, it's important to communicate that upfront rather than give expectations that can't realistically be met. In our opinion, taking on more work than you can reasonably handle only leads to frustration for everyone involved.
We also want to clarify that our vehicle was NOT purchased through Facebook Marketplace. It was purchased from an actual dealership. We initially reached out to you through Facebook Marketplace, which is likely where the confusion came from.
We're not posting this review to attack anyone. We're sharing our experience so others can make their own informed decision. Based on our experience with the communication, timeline, and issues we encountered with the truck, we would not recommend this mechanic.
