This station is now called HQ Fuels. I filled up with Plus and have had no problems with the gas. Not top tier, but so far so good. At $4.37/gal for Plus, I felt it was good value. If something changes, I'll come back and adjust my review. read more

Let's see if my CC info was compromised. Every gas pumps security seal was broken. Management, please fix this. read more

Arco - Every security seal broken - Gas Stations Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Been coming here since the 80's for discounted gas when you pay cash. Lately every time I go there I'm getting short changed. It doesn't matter who is at the register, they all play dumb, do a little slight of hand when you correct them, then get away with their "personal surcharge" because customers are lined up waiting to get out of there. read more

This is an ode to that asshole who always pulls in right in front of me, cuts me off, and then starts to back up and turn around so that he's facing the wrong way just to get to the pump before I do when it was my turn. This is for all the times that the debit part of the self serve machine doesn't work, and I have to run to the little understocked sorry "convenience" store and get soaked by the time I'm back to the car when it's pouring rain. This is for the spider that crawled out of the credit card machine the other day onto my hand. I knew it was just waiting for me, knew I had arachnaphobia, and did it on purpose. This is for the fact that whether or not I use credit or debit, I still get charged some lame ass fee for not paying cash. Sorry I didn't have a hundo on me every time I needed to fill up my gas tank when gas was so expensive. This is for the sorry and sadly true fact that regardless, because the gas is cheaper there, that I'll suck it up and keep going there because it's financially advantageous and therefore in my best interest. Crap. read more

I drive from SF to Bolinas 3 times a week, which sucks up the gas. For a long time, I've been stopping in at this Arco station to fuel-up, since it tends to be cheaper than any other station on my route. I typically spend $25 on gas there each week, which works out to about $1,300 per year. However, after an incident yesterday, I will never go back. I went into the store to pay, since there are no terminals near the pumps. I told the cashier (a Filipino or Hispanic man of about 50) that I would like to buy $25 of gas. He said "OK" and indicated that the card reader was ready for me to swipe. I concluded the transaction, went out to my car and got the pumping process going. A few minutes later, as I was finishing cleaning my windows, the pump clicked-off and I went to hang up the nozzle, when I read that it had put $46 worth of gas into my car! I went back into the store and asked the clerk "Did I need to stop the pump manually or something? I asked for $25 worth, but it put in $46." His response? "No, you say you want to fill it up." "No, I said I wanted $25. I have never said 'fill it up' IN MY LIFE! I have a budget for gas, and I always know how much I need to spend for the week. That's why I always ask for a specific dollar amount." Again, his response was "You say fill it up." I was incredulous. "Are you saying I'm lying to you?" "Yes, you say fill it up." I could only respond with "I will never do business here again", and I left. It would be one thing if he had made an honest mistake and confused my request with that of another customer; that would be understandable, since he probably hears phrases like that a hundred times a day. If he had said that he may have misunderstood me, or even that he simply made a mistake, I would've blown it off and chalked it up to experience. (What's the worst that would've happened to him? It's not like I was going to demand that he take the gas back out of my car, or give it to me for free!) But for him to be adamant about being right and me being wrong, was absolutely the *wrong* tack to take with me. As a result of his way of dealing with it, that station has lost a steady customer. I hope the station's owner reads these reviews and gets a sense of who they have working for them. If he were *my* employee, he'd be out of a job. read more

This place is consistently the cheapest gas in the bay area, as noted by sanfrangasprices.com. Always at least 10% cheaper than prices in San Francisco, I will gladly submit to the chaos of this cash/debit only establishment in order to pay $3.09 when everyone else is forking out $3.59 on Market Street... Of course, if I didn't work 2 blocks from here, I would probably not go here. read more

This is the perfect gas stop when you are returning from Stinson Beach, Muir Woods, or Mt. Tam and it's the consistently the cheapest gas in the Bay Area. Just try to have cash since they don't take credit card and you don't want the debit card surcharge taking away from your savings. Still, gas was 30 cents cheaper than the Chevron next door. It's often crowded and hard to access from the other direction, so go when your day is done and your returning back to 101. UPDATE: 11/1/06, last I saw, I think this place put the WAY higher priced Chevron out of business. read more

I was in Sausalito and needed gas before I headed back to the East Bay and this was the first gas station that popped up. Gas was fairly inexpensive. The inside of the "store" is extremely tiny. Like super duper small. A large truck probably couldn't even fit in there. The worker there was friendly and welcoming, so that was good. There's nothing else to really say about this store so I will end it here. read more

I am a 20 year resident of Mill Valley. I have been going to this station for a long time and have always felt like it was an OK place. However, it is no longer an Arco station and I got a tank of bad gas there this week and it destroyed all of the injectors in my 2006 Audi. Total price tag for new injectors, new oil and fuel filters was just over $2700. I have yet to hear back from the owner of the gas station on whether or not they'll cover the cost of the repair, but I am skeptical that they will. It is the last time I will purchase gas from them. read more

Cheap gas but very cumbersome location due to the fact that people pull in from all directions and it's a pretty tight spot. Also, they don't accept credit cards and charge a fee for using debit cards. read more

Arco - Gas Stations Near Me - Mill Valley, California

I am very disappointed that no one at this station was aware that their security system has been set off. And that the alarm continued to go off from 4am on.... This gas station is a complete joke. Debit card and cash only. That needs to change. read more

Only giving one star because the gas was $.25 cheeper. Other than that, it's terrible. I would have rather paid more. The design of the lot was not well planned. You get locked in when people are in front or behind you. They also only except cash or debit, WHAT? There is not a pay at the pump, instead it's a atm like machine that you have to walk over to and enter your pump number then walk back and pump your gas and then walk back over to get your receipt. Way to many "and"s in that process. The system, my friend, is stupid. Also, the attendant guy, in the guido-esque polo, is about as useful as a box of rocks. Three people in front of me walked out to go elsewhere because he would not (not "could not", I believe he was capable) of explaining how the charge/ refund policy works. Who knows, maybe he thought the whole establish was as a waste of space as I do. read more

They don't take credit card (no signs on door) and the man working was awfully rude. They also don't have band aids or a first aid kit. Overall, cheap gas but poor customer service read more

Rude customer service, pumps not working. April 3 '17 - Told the man working there the signs for the defect pumps were not clear as many cars would drive through and see the red plastic on the pumps too late, and it became a bit messy. "The signs are clear, people are just not looking", was the reply. Then, I could not get the pump working, went back in and asked how I could see that it was on. "Is this your first time getting gas??" was the reply. He walked with me and told me to read, and press. Which was true, with all the paper covering the tank, I missed the sticker to press. For sure not my smartest moment, yet, a normal reply even on the dumbest questions should not be too much to ask. When I got my receipt, I shared this with him. Don't work in customer service when you are rude answering dumb questions. He started to bend forward with his hands together "oh you want me to do this?? go away! You should think and read!" Another great example. When being asked questions, give a decent answer back, or don't work with people. He inspired me to start reading and thinking, never did that before, but, will never go back here. read more

Arco - Gas Stations Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Borderline criminal. Strong words - I know. But that's because the last THREE times I've been here, I've been a victim of Identity Theft. Bail bonds in Arkansas. A cab in London. A pizza order in New York. And then last Saturday - straight up theft when buying something inside. Considering I was in Marin the entire time these charges were made, I can only conclude that they are in cahoots with criminals - or they are criminals themselves. This past Saturday, I went inside, and bought something. My card was in the reader for literally 90 seconds - the clerk pressing something behind the counter - and then saying "your card was declined." I went to check my balance on my phone, and the clerk waved his arms and said "it's a problem with the machine - don't check - your card is fine, it's our machine." But then I checked my balance - and low and behold - I was charged. When I told he clerk - and showed him, he said "you will be reimbursed on Tuesday." I asked for the receipt - he didn't want to give it to me. Sounds bizarre? Yes. I will be contacting the Marin chamber of commerce and better business bureau. I want the owner to explain this. To the police, if need be. read more

Pros: ~Cheapest gas in the area ~Convenient location between Hwy1 to Muir Woods/Stinson Beach and 101N/S to Santa Rosa/East Bay/San Francisco ~In general, very friendly and helpful staff (see exception below) Nostalgia: ~I really miss the older Sikh gentleman who used to run this place, he was super kind and a great conversationalist Cons: ~Not open 24hrs. ~Small convenience store, not super clean ~Usually very busy, have to wait in line for a pump to open ~Abraham, one of the employees, is creepy-- be careful ladies! Verdict: ~Worth stopping there, just get in and get out as quickly as possible Advice: ~Pay with cash, not a debit card read more

Thank you Arco for keeping my tank full with the cheapest gas in Marin and for designing your gas station so that I can get in and out with ease. read more

2nd cheapest gas in Mill Valley (the Arco on 101 by Strawberry beats it by a few cents). With the new owners, service is a lot less personal, but the gas is still an oasis for anxious Stinson returnees. read more

Cheapest gas given that it's in high class, Mill Valley, Belvedere surrounding areas! Tends to attract lots of traffic but the wait time is not that long since turnaround is just a mere few minutes. Definitely worthwhile in filling up esp after brunch in Tiburon, or hiking in Mt Tams and Stinson Beach area. read more

Such an odd experience there today only giving it one star, even though gas price is low. Only cash or debit card accepted so I ran my debit card and it was declined. WHAT?! Impossible, funds available. Tried it again and same thing. Left the Arco station and got gas in Sausalito with the same debit card minutes later. Called my Bank to see why debit card declined at Arco. The Bank told me the attendant had put the approval amount in at $300. WHAT?! This was not a simple mistake, say $300 instead of $30 because odds of $30 sale for a full tank of gas are pretty low. The Bank said it is a fairly common practice for gas purveyors to put in $75 for approval when they don't know how much the sale will be --never $300 at a gas station! I hope the Arco owner reads this. read more

This place is a trap. Cash or Debit ONLY which I have literally never experienced in my life. My friend put their credit card in the prepay machine without realizing it was debit only and the machine ate his card. When we told the owner he tried to give us a pair of scissors to get it unstuck but then realized that we had a stuck card and apparently the scissors were to get stuck cash out of the other slot??? Then he said oh when it does this you have to come back on Monday to get the card because everything is alarmed. As if these things happen all the time- stealing your cash and credit cards. I've never been as aggressively untrusted by a business as I was here. read more

This place is supposed to be open at 6am. However, when we pulled in to get gas this morning, there were about 5 cars waiting and no one in sight to turn on the pumps or take transactions. We left at six past six because we needed to get to work and couldn't wait any longer. Clearly, 6am to the "hard working" employees running the station is a weak guideline for when they should open instead of a set time. Don't go here when you need gas early in the morning. Go to the Mill Valley Smog gas station across the highway. read more

Cheap gas..12 stations to fill up! Right off the freeway..cash only!! Less than $3 for supreme.. Easy in..line up que is great if folks know how to give space to others. If you don't have cash they have an ATM on site read more

I get gas here often and consider myself to be a customer . Tonight I needed air in my tire and because I didn't buy gas they wouldn't turn on the air . Really your willing to loose a customer over air ?? Well ya did never again will I ever stop here read more

How can you knock this place? Especially now that we're getting closer to $5/gallon? Yes, you might have to wait a couple extra minutes [turn your engine off] and you need to remember the rules like cash/atm only, and the way people queue in line. Stay alert and you can handle it. read more

The biggest gripe about this place that I have is that you have to pay for your gas inside. Outside of that, gas is cheap and was there when I needed it. read more

This gas station is comically inconvenient. 1. They do not accept credit cards. It is 2013. 2. If you want to pay with a debit card, you can't even pay at the pump; each bank of pumps has a shared machine you have to walk to first. If someone else is using it, you just have to wait. Then, halfway through the transaction it asks you which pump you're paying for, but you can't see any of the pump numbers from the machine itself so you have to wander off and hope the transaction doesn't time out while you look for your pump number. 3. When you use a debit card, there's a $0.35 surcharge. They obviously don't want to pay credit card fees, but charging a debit card fee on top of that? How broke are the people who run this place? 4. The pumps themselves are deathly slow. Try not to fall asleep as you wait for your tank to fill. 5. The one-way exit funnels you back onto the road in a position where it's impossible to get into the left turn lane for Muir Woods/Stinson Beach. So you have to turn right, drive away from your destination, and try to find somewhere to pull into a parking lot or do a U-turn. There's not a single thing I can recommend about this gas station. It gets everything wrong, and short of being cash-only it's difficult to imagine how it could be worse. read more

Poor customer experience. Cannot pay at the pump - must go inside to pay. Once you're inside your told that they only accept debit or cash. Debit payments are charged $0.35. They never stopped to consider what is most convenient and easy for the customer. Rather, they're sole focus was on how they could squeeze every penny out of every sale. It seemed that their goal was to make it as difficult to buy their product as possible. If I had not needed gas I would have helped them accomplish their goal - I would have left. read more

Don't go here unless you absolutely have to! I tried to get gas there today and the pumps were not working, but after waiting in line for ten minutes, the attendant just left and when he came, rudely stated that "I can't sell you gas!" The lot was full of people and it was pouring rain!! No apologies!! The attendant was downright nasty, unapologetic and unknowledgeable(stupid)! No "cheap" gas is worth this THE GRIEF!! DONT SHOP HERE!! Maybe they'll go out of business!! read more

I like to think that I'm a reasonable person, but I have consistently bad experiences at this gas station. I stopped by tonight to fill the tank, but the pump was not working correctly. The pump was producing only a trickle of gas. After a while trying, I went inside an asked the attendant if I could change pumps and not pay the 45 cent charge again. He said no. I then decided that he was really a moron. ON top of this, English was a problem for him. As a result, I recommend heading farther north along 101 to the other ARCO near Goodmans Hardware. AVOID THE SHORELINE ARCO IF POSSIBLE! Do you really need to invite extra frustration into you life? read more

No one wants to get the freaking car smogged, sometimes it is easier to just buy a new car, but these guys are fast a friendly, I have 3 cars and have been there 20 times over the years and they never let me down. When I get a smog notice in the mail - I know this is the best place to get in and out fast ! read more

The gas is cheap but beware of the credit card. We had nothing but problems with an Arco credit card. Messed up our payments, did not send invoices in a timely fashion and their customer service is awful. read more

I don't normally review gas stations...Gas stations are gas stations, big deal, right? Well this one unfortunately sucks. I like Arco for their cheap gas, but the $0.45 charge on debit is a rip off. One morning, I was running late and I desperately needed gas. This is one of the gas stations I always go. Their lights weren't on, but I know they should be open at 6:00 am. I was there around 6:30 am, put cash on the cash/atm machine and went to pump my gas. Double-You-Tee-Eff. The lock on the gas pump was still on! I had to work an hour away from Mill Valley and I JUST inserted $30 cash on their machine! I was sooo irked that morning and couldn't wait any longer because I had to work! Luckily, my bf got there around 7 am and got my cash for me after calling their manager. This gas station has a good location, but watch out, their cash/atm machine might be open but the gas pumps are all probably locked if you are here early in the morning. Stay away! They never open on time!!! read more

Cash or debit only. Charge for using a debit card. Can't pay at the pump. And I think it charged me for more gallons than my tank holds.

I had a great experience here! I pulled into this gas station the other day after a hike in muir woods to get gas. While I was driving down the mountain I heard some strange whining noise as I turned my wheel. Never having had experienced this before I was not sure what it was and I was concerned that something was wrong with my tires. I casually asked the mechanic Jerry if he could check it out and he thoroughly inspected my car. It turned out that my power steering fluid was low and he filled it up to full for me for FREE. It was so nice of him to take the time to help me even when there were other cars in the shop. It was a quick fix but it really made my day! read more

More than half of there pumps are out of service, might as well be closed. Y'all should really fucking fix them. THANK YOU.

Smog Station" these Guys Are Awesome! I called on a week day morning and they took me in right away. The smog too all of ten minutes with certificate out the door! The gentlemen in the garage were professional, polite and fast! $68 out the door! Will come back ! read more

I pretty much know the entire inside scoop on why arco on shoreline sit's higher on gas price's. It's actually extremely legit, 101 arco is not all that, they over charge and you dont get what you pay for, wheras shoreline yep you better believe it, you alway's get what you pay for!!!! I get gas there and no place else!! read more

cheap gas, but they charge for air (which I understand is against CA law, but there is apparently no enforcement)