Half of me didn't want to post a review, but the other half said people have to be aware because I can't get over it. Caution: Long story.
Tuesday morning, my car (2009 Honda Civic - 110k miles) didn't start up. Called AAA and a tech came out. Battery was ok, could be better, but he pointed the problem towards the starter. No problem, should be a couple hundred and get it taken care of same day. I decided to take it to Beard's since I saw a ton of license plate covers with their name on it so it made me think they were legit (I'll get to that, just wait).
Brought the car in and Tim seemed straight forward, funny, and gave you that "we'll take care of you like family" feeling. He seemed like the kind of guy you would grab a beer with. I waited around for a little while before grabbing a rental car and they looked at it for a few minutes before concluding that my timing chain most likely skipped, but had to look at it more later that day.
I leave for a few hours, then call back around 4:30; they close at 5:00 pm. I didn't hear a thing from them. I called three times, no one answered and mailbox was full. Went there in person, Tim was gone due to personal moving, I understand. The two techs were still there. I asked one of them what happened with my car. One of them explained the situation as the timing chain skipped which caused the plastic supporters to break (or something very similar) and the whole motor needed to be replaced. I was in shock. I couldn't believe it, at 110k miles on a Honda. The worst part is they said it will cost $2,800 for the new motor.
Before making my decision the next day, I talked it over with family and concluded that Beard's is NOT a AAA certified shop and I should take it to one that is. So that's what I did. The next day, I told Tim I was towing it to a different shop. He consistently repeated over and over that "other places will say the same thing", then went on about his long time experience and generational history of the shop. Then kept trying to push the sale harder and harder. Then insulted me. Hey, I can take the heat if I know you, but this was business and that's crossing the line. The more he pushed, the more I wanted out. He ended up charging me $100 for a diagnostic fee.
While I was waiting for the tow truck, a customer came in with issues for her car but mentioned that she wanted the license plate cover removed. It was the one the owner puts on EVERY car WITHOUT their permission. He even did it to mine. When I confronted him about it, all he claimed is that it was "marketing". What gives you the right to remove/destroy my property without my permission? Want to see something scary? I found his little stash of other people's license plate covers in a pot (see pic). That is NOT the right way to do business.
When I took my car to the other place, they replaced the battery, starter, and changed the oil and guess what? IT WORKS. There was no need for a new motor. By getting a second quote, I saved over $2,000!
My gut feeling said this wasn't a good place to get this type of service done. Maybe they're good with basic maintenance and other issues, but I get the feeling if there's an opportunity to rip, they might take it. read more