So I needed my bi-annual smog check and I went here because my gf's father suggested it 2 years earlier.
I had gone 2 years ago and paid $30 for my smog check and failed because I had my check engine light on. BTW, that's an automatic fail, which I didn't know at the time. I thought $30 (that's including the electronic filing to the DMV) was a bit higher than others around, but my gf's dad said they were good with helping you pass.
Anyways I went there on a Sat morning and there was literally no one there. It's in the middle of what I can only call an "auto mini-mall". There a tire shop and a mechanics shop in the same complex. Still, there was 1 older man there and he hooked up my car and told me I failed. He gave me a pamphlet on how to get funds to fix my car if I was low-income. I wasn't however, but he still told me that I needed my O2 sensor fixed and said to bring it back for a free re-test. So I paid him for his servicing and he said I could wait to pay the fee to e-send it to the DMV. I quickly fixed it and he re-tested me and I passed.
Soooo, fast forward to last week 10/26/10. I bring my car in with the check engine light on again. I never got around to fixing it and have been driving around with it on for a while since it didn't seem like it was a major issue. Also btw, don't drive with that thing on, it makes your car burn more gas because it thinks something is wrong with it and runs more "rich". Not sure what that means but that's what I was told.
I get my car checked. This time it is the OTHER O2 sensor so the guy, Arturo was his name, has me pay for the test again and says I can come back and re-test for free once it's fixed.
I get there this time and this other guy RAY is there. Both he and Arturo were in their twenties. I think the older guy is the owner and only works the weekends, 'cus this year I went both times on a weekday. Anyways, there of course is no one there again and as I walk up to the guy and show him my sheet he says that I don't qualify for a re-test. I told him that I was just here last week and he slowly says that they guy last week, Arturo was only a temp and not the owner. The shop policy was not to allow re-tests when a customer brings in a coupon. If I wanted to re-test I would have to pay they full amount again, or he would give me a discount if I had another Penny Saver coupon on me.
Of course I was like WTF, I came last year with this same problem and got a re-test. Fine I didn't have a Penny Saver coupon last year so let me just pay the difference between the full price and the coupon and re-test (the coupon was only a $5 discount, making it $21.98, which was still $2 more then another one I saw just down the block). RAY said that he could not do that and that I had to pay for an entirely new test. Why not? Are there any other customers RAY?
I was out of there! No way was I going to give them more money. I'd rather just go somewhere else. So I looked in the Penny Saver and found a place another couple of blocks away that did it for $9.98. Econo lube in Whittier. (I also tried to find the same coupon in Penny Saver to see if there was any fine print about no re-tests when using the coupon but they didn't have on the week after.)
If Bellflower is gonna be that cheap on their service then don't expect me to ever come back. I can't believe they could treat me so well 1 time and then the next time just basically take my money and run. This is why I buy stuff online nowadays, there's no customer service anyways. read more