Found them through Groupon for a smog check. Called for an appointment and everything was smooth. I knew I had to pay extra for the DMV certificate because Groupon made that clear He was really nice and I was in and out in 15 min read more

This guy is always friendly and efficient I go to get a cup of coffee and come back and he's done and his prices are extremely reasonable relative to others in the area read more

Found a Groupon deal to do smog for vehicle registration and did a walk in. Took me in and out in 10 min. Super quick and easy. I'll come and recommend again. read more

Did a good job. Straight forward, honest. Only minor issue -We bought inspection with a discounted Groupon? Coupon for a fixed price. - at time of service we were told there was an added $15 state tax charge not mentioned in the ad. Otherwise I'd give him all 5 stars. read more

Discovered a Groupon. Made an appointment over the phone. Smooth in and out, no waiting. The $15 DMV is all I paid after the Groupon. Great value, great service! read more

Would give no stars if allowed. I had an appointment for 2:00. I called at 1:30 and told them that I can get there by 2:00, but if it could be later I'd really appreciate it. They told me as long as I was there by 2:30 I could be seen right away. Got there at 2:27 or 2:28. Another person was just checking in, I said 'that's not fair or what you told me" He told me to park, I did. When the person who was ahead of me pulled in, I pulled up to the same spot that they were in and was told that I had to park. I asked why that person could wait there and I couldn't. Dude refused me service, despite the fact that I already paid for it!!! HORRIBLE BUSINESS!!! avoid at all costs!! read more

Bought a groupon for this place becauSe I needed a smog check. Came in and I guess we needed to make a reservation beforehand but he helped us anyways. Didn't like that I had to pay extra on top of what I paid for Groupon but next time I will call ahead so I know how much it is total before buying. Was in and out very quick so that was a bonus. Everything was sent electronically to the DMV. read more

Gets the job done! I got a Groupon for really cheap. Be prepared to pay an extra $15 for the DMV certificate and transfer fees if you use Groupon. Still the best deal in town! read more

Great value and customer service! We're in/out in no time for a smog. Forgot our smog paperwork but staff accommodated us by looking up our dmv account online. read more

I got ripped off here, be careful! I bought a Groupon thinking it was a good deal but when I got there, he would charge me additional BS FEES : electronic transfer fee($6.75),Star certification fee($10), on top of the dmv certificate fee( $8.25). These fees doubled the price of Groupon. Most smog places only charge the extra 8.25 for dmv cert fee. I had a fishy feeling but didn't have time to reschedule. His description won't give specific price of fees. Go to Express smog station down the street, they are more trustworthy and straightforward better price too. 1 Star smog gets one star from me. I would never go back to them. read more

1 Berkeley Star Smog - Invoice with fees. - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Berkeley, California

I bought a GROUPON and he asked me an extra $25 and tried to rip me off. He was extremely rude and refused to honor my GROUPON voucher. It's a scam. Don't ever go to the Berkeley star smog station at 1043 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA. It's a rip-off business. read more

I've been taking my cars here to get smog tests for years, and this is the first time for my SUV. I called ahead and got a price quote, which was a significant increase compared to my small sedan before. So, I called several other places and found out that Andy (or Numan?) still got the lowest price in town. Made an appointment and got it done in 15 mins! Quick and easy! For those who said that he's rude - I think that's just the way he talks, not necessarily him being rude or unprofessional. I was the only customer there when I went this time, and got to talk to him for a bit. He's actually a pretty nice guy who takes his job very seriously. It's time for all of us to support small businesses during this difficult time. read more

Great, fast, and passed! Got me right in and got me right out after work. Didn't waste any time what so ever.

Reposting my previous review since Yelp removed my last post because I actually tried to help people get a cheaper price at another Smog test place. Anyways: this is my review of the place that happened a while ago. Pretty sure I got scammed. Charged me almost $60 for a smog test on a 2011 vehicle. I was looking for a Smog test place near here but they had since moved. The guy at this place was nice and said he'd give me a deal at $39 but then he added fees and other charges making it almost $60 out the door. I should have gone to my regular place coz I called them right after and they quoted me $40 out the door.. :( feels bad being scammed and not being able to trust people and always having to double check :( read more

This place is the worst and may cost you MUCH more than the fee of a smog test. First off, they left a smog testing tool under my car. Thereafter, my car would briefly stall on occasion until one day it stopped completely in the middle of the road. I was lucky the tow truck driver checked under the car, found, and removed the tool. The auto body shop found nothing wrong with the car, so I lost a day of work and the cost of a diagnostic test for nothing. Car has run fine since. If that wasn't bad enough, the DMV never received my smog test report and thus we never got a registration renewal form. Got pulled over by a traffic cop and slapped with a ticket. When I went back to check my records, I found the receipt for the smog test. Despite this, the company has no record of doing the test. I was told to call the owner who had me text him a photo of the receipt. He claims he isn't getting the photo. At this point, I am fed up and warning everyone I know to stay away. read more

I called many times with no answer, I left messages to call me to schedule appt as my Groupon suggested. I drove by at 11am and no one was there , on a Monday morning, no answer at the door. Very dissapointed. Would not recommend this place read more

I do not understand how this place has good reviews at all. Extremely rude, will hang up on you, treat you poorly, and try to tack on extra nonsense fees. Do NOT go here. I should have known when I called and was treated poorly not to come by here, but I did anyway. Big mistake. I turned my butt around after I realized he was fine treating people just as rudely in person and would tack on strange fees expecting I'm stupid and would pay them. I immediately used yelp to find a nearby smog place and found 7 days a week smog a few blocks away where they actually treated people with respect and got the job done without trying to cheat people. I would never choose to give my business to people that would treat others the way they do. Completely unprofessional and trying to cheat people where they can. read more

I called the number and the guy first asks me where did I find him from, so I told him Groupon. He proceeds to tell me that he's booked until Monday and has no availability. I called him an hour later and said I found him on yelp and said I can come anytime. Not a good way to do business!! Just trying to scam you read more

Their name is "1 Berkeley Star Smog" but they do not offer Star Smogs that the DMV requires for some cars. I bought a Groupon from them and had to call to make the appointment. When you buy the Groupon it gives you the options for what year range your car is so you can get the correct smog . The guy on the phone , most likely the owner , was rude when I asked to make an appointment for a smog. He asked if the registration paper said "star smog" or just "smog" and mine said star smog. He proceeded to say they don't do them and I need to call somewhere else. I asked him why he would call his shop a "star smog" shop if he didn't offer star smogs and he said "it's better branding " and literally hung up on me. read more

Wow this guys a FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! I don't know how ppl are saying he's any good. We came as a walk in and which took about two hrs. Not a huge deal. But the car didn't pass. He told me to come back and he'd retest it for $10. I made the adjustments and have gone back twice to get it retested and he says he doesn't have time and to make an appointment. I finally called ahead the 3rd time to see how busy he was and he said he had no wait. But when I showed up and he realized I was a retest, he told me again that he was busy and it was too closed to closing time. I got there as 2:30 and the website says it closes at 4:30. read more

Full disclosure, I have not been there. This review is based on my experience as a customer trying to find a place to get a smog check done. I found them on Groupon, and went to check out their website to check the basics like location and business hours before purchasing a Groupon. No hours posted on website - odd because this should be pretty basic and most businesses manage to publish this information. But I tried calling, someone answered but rather than quickly tell me the normal business hours, he said he's busy and wanted me to call back in 10 minutes. No thanks, I'll use someone who can provide basic business information up front. read more

The owner charges different added fees based on what channel you have come from (google, yelp, groupon etc.), but this is a bait-and-switch. I was using a groupon and the fine print said that the certification fee was going to be extra. At the time of redemption, I was charged both a certificate fee ($8.25) and a bogus transfer fee ($6.75) on top of my groupon. read more

Today is 8/28/14! Scheduled a appointment with bill, and he took me in right on time! He always goes above and beyond with all his customers, and values their time! He obviously loves his job, and the shop is always clean and ready to go! I'm going to be a repeat customer, and always will refer people to his shop! read more

1 Berkeley Star Smog - 1995 BMW getting smogged - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Berkeley, California

Arrived @ 2:45 for a 3PM appointment. They kept me waiting for over an hour and a half and actually took another car that came in long after me before they performed my smog check. My car has always passed smog before without any issues but BSSC failed my test for the gas cap and canister (evap test). The testing seemed haphazard and rushed and they made no attempt to get the vehicle to pass. They did not offer a replacement gas cap which is allowed to get the vehicle to pass. $60 bucks down the drain. The price is low but you get what you pay for. If you don't mind waiting a long time and don't expect the tech to do much this might be the place for you. Update: Went to a different station and passed all tests on the first go. If you have an old car avoid 1 Berkeley Star Smog. read more

I called concerning a great value coupon on Groupon. I was told that WHENEVER I came I that they would honor the price that was listed. I was not told that I would need to make a reservation. On Jan 13-23 I came @ 2p.p The older man came to my car,asked if i had a reservation, i said no and he said that I needed to make a reservation. I told him I had driven quite a way and was never told that on my phone call. He then told me to wait. I parked my car, waited about 15 min.. then he told me to pull into this tiny garage. He told.me to get out of car and sit on some low benches, I am very disabled and can barely walk but he told me again to sit on this very low bench and didn't try to help me. His mannerism was very NASTY. He went to my car and looked for VIN# and could not see it, so he said that he could.not do the Smog. I rubber had moved over a bit. I told him where there were other places on car with Vin #. He said he could not use them! He did even try to pull the rubber over so that the VIN# was visible. He told me to go, that he could not help me Smog my car. Mannerisms were VERY RUDE. I could tell either he did not want to do it or he didn't like me even though he didn't know me. I will NEVER RECOMMEND them to anyone. To be treated like that and especially I am a 78 yr. Old senior who is disabled. read more

As many others have confirmed please beware of a classic bait and switch. I too came in through a Groupon and after trying to find out how much i paid for the Groupon, the manager attempted to add additional "hidden fees" that totaled more then the price of the actual Groupon. Total scam I would not recommend doing business here. read more

I bought a Groupon - made an appointment mentioning Groupon. Arrived 10 minutes prior to appointment. He asked for my DMV paperwork. Then said it would be an additional $15. I knew about the $8.25 certificate so I asked why it was $15. He just ignored me as I was looking for the fine print. Then he just handed my paperwork back and said he wasn't going to test my car. read more

This is the third year in a row that I've gone here for my SMOG test. They have the best price in town that I've seen - should be about $50 out the door; maybe less if you can find a coupon (not sure if they still exist). If you are able to call in advance, you can be in & out pretty quickly. Also, the mechanics are very friendly, and if you want to ask some questions they are generous with their time and knowledge. read more

Sat out front for an hour in the morning and never opened, wouldn't answer phone. Need to update your yelp/Google hours or at least be available Tried making a appointment online too and the appointment date/time selection was just a free-text field, couldn't tell if they even got the appointment read more

I've been coming to 1 Berkeley Star Smog for a few years now and every time I come I'm greeted with a smile and handshake from the owner. He might not remember me every time but he is always grateful and appreciative when I tell him I'm a repeat customer and always asks how my family is doing. I found them in a coupon book and they were by far the cheapest at the time, $19.95 plus $8.00 certificate fee. The price has gone up now to about $40 if you mention Yelp, but it's still a decent price for the friendly service provided. The place is very small so it's kind of hard to get in and out.. not really recommended if you have a large vehicle. The bright side is that it's located on Hearst, which is not a busy street and they help guide you out when you back out of their garage. I always leave with a smile everytime I come here because the level of service is just outstanding. Thank you 1 Berkeley Star Smog. read more

I have been going to this place for 4 years now and I have brought many cars in. The customer service is always 100% and the wait is not too long. I strongly suggest trying this place out and I guarantee that you'll have a pleasant experience and also save some money. I came in today to smog my car and I was a bit under the weather. I was shivering and coughing the whole time. The young man offered and made me coffee! Definitely made me feel better and was giving me updates on my car frequently, even though I was only there for 30mins. Long story short, try this place out and find out what I'm talking about. Thanks for reading, Michael read more

I called in to get the details for a $16 Groupon promo they had. The guy I spoke with told me that with the Groupon, the total (including the CA certificate) for a 2010 Prius would be $55 (!!!!). He offer to give me the SMOG and certificate for $35 if I came in a paid cash. My advice to the merchant, if you don't want to honor Groupons, don't sign up to do a Groupon. And don't be so shady as to charge $39 for the $8.25 California certification fee. read more

I had a coupon so came here for the first time. Pulled up and attendant gave me the form, took my coupon and said I was next as there was a car being checked. Waited for the car to finish , it drove out. Attendant then drove another car into the check slot , got out and disappeared for 10 minutes which is when I left. read more

Wow, I look at all these great reviews and I think I must have been at the wrong shop. Here's what happened: I made an appointment for 1:30. I showed up at 1:30. I was asked to sit in my car and wait. I waited until 2:00, and then my car was tested. I thought, these guys are just working hard, trying to make ends meet, no big deal. In fact, it's true..the technician was very very nice. My coupon was for $19 from val-pak. Somehow that comes up to $32 + certificate. I'm still thinking, no big deal, nice guys, still a good price. Probably there's something I don't understand about the pricing. The car didn't pass..the computer said bad O2 sensor. My bad. Go to the mechanic, get it fixed, drive around a bit per the mechanics advice. I come back to the shop before 4PM (two hours before they close) and ask for a re-test. The guy says "we're all full, come back tomorrow." No big deal, they are busy, why should I expect to just drop in. Annnnnnd....here's where the drugs wear off. I call in the morning to get an appointment for a retest. The guy says, "I can't retest your car, I wasn't the one who tested it." This doesn't make sense, so I probe further, and he says (NO LIE!) "I'm here to make money, and I don't make money on retests. You'll have to come back on Saturday." So I tell him I'll just go somewhere else, I'm disappointed, he says "No, I don't want that, come on down." My appointment is at 1PM. I show up at 1PM. I sit in my car until 1:30 PM. He checks my O2 sensor and shows me it hasn't completed yet. Come back later. I go down the street to another smog station. I ask him to check the sensor. True, the guy says, it hasn't completed. But that doesn't matter...you are allowed to retest with one incomplete sensor. Really? Really? 15 minutes, in and out, I HAPPILY give the guy $60. Grrrr. At least I found my next smog station. read more

This is a little corner shop that one might miss but don't! They got me in for a same day smog and were lightning fast. The inspector was very kind and offered a discount for friends and for my next visit. I was able to take care of my DMV renewal immediately after the smog check. I would recommend and I will go back for any future smog checks. read more

Unfortunately I experienced something today that will preclude me from coming here again. This was my 2nd time here. My first experience was several months ago to get my car smogged. I came on a weeknight just prior to closing, and was pleased that they agreed to take me. I waited my turn behind a couple of cars (parked curbside) on Hearst St., and within 30-40 minutes I was done... I return to bring my wife's car today. I check in at the office, am handed a form to fill out, and proceed to wait in line on Hearst St. (I am first in line) for about 15 min. When it is my turn to pull in, another vehicle pulls in ahead of me. The vehicle owner starts filling in his paperwork & the shop owner proceeds to work on his car. He knew I was waiting, but allowed someone else to go ahead of me. Not coming here again. I promptly go to the smog check place on 849 University. I am told that it is a 30 minute wait. After a 30 minute wait, my car is taken in to be worked on. read more

I called and said, "Hi, I'd like to take my car in for a..." He hung up. I thought the phone may have dropped so called back and started speaking and he yelled, "call back 1 hour", click. He hung up. Wow. Yeah, not gonna happen. What - is - happening - in - the - world!!! read more

First off, when the guy tells you the price it will cost to smog your your car he is actually telling you the price if it fails the test. That way you think your getting a better deal, but in actuality you have to pay 10-20 more if you pass. Secondly, if your car does fail, it is almost impossible to get him to schedule a retest. I came by 4 times and each time he said he was too busy, but clearly he wasn't. One time I pretended to be a new customer, which got his attention. He said there was no wait and to come by. When I showed up he said he could no longer take me and was going to close early. This dude is slimy and you shouldn't go here. read more

I just moved to California and learned that I had to take part in a local ritual known as smogging. Since I am new and don't know anyone in the area, I had to rely on the internet to find a good place...and the whole thing seemed pretty terrifying: stories of ripoffs and shams. Pretty intense business. I got lucky though, because this place was great! The whole ordeal took maybe 30 minutes and Numan (the owner, I think) was great to work with. I printed a bunch of coupons from his website and he walked me through the differences between each of them - I opted for the $43 smog check with a free follow up if I failed the test. The whole thing was easy day and I highly recommend this place! read more

- $34.95 total price. - 30min from arriving to departing. - Bill was friendly and helpful. read more