Ladies...I tried to get my car inspected on Saturday and after waiting in line for 30 minutes and finally getting up to the front the gentleman told me I would not be able to pass inspection unless my headlights were clear. He said: I can clean them for you I almost took the bait until I said: okay how much does that cost? He said: $39.99 Me: Um...thanks but that's too much I'll clean them myself. I'm sorry but that is crazy and I totally felt like he was trying to take advantage of me in that situation. Luckily I had seen a DIY video on Facebook on how to clean your own headlights for PENNIES! It literally took 5 minutes and all I used was Windex, followed by a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, followed by Windex again. Needless to say, I'm not going back to this Shell station. I hope this helps someone else not get screwed over. read more

No issue here. Came because I saw they had reasonably priced gas based off of gas buddy. I signed up for the discount using my phone number and saved .05. Quick and easy. No issues. Keep the price down or acknowledge my account and I'll be back. read more

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Every dishonest, they rip you off. My son had a gift card and he went to use it. The card said approved and he went out to use the pump, they never turned it on and told him to re-scan the card and of course it said denied because it already went through the first time. The card was charged to that shell plus he had to use his own money to get gas when they told him to come back in. Scammer's...... read more

I go here to get gas when it's convenient. The price is about average for the area, but substantially higher than in Centreville or Manassas. However, this time I wanted a car wash. I've had washes here before, and they were mediocre. However, I wanted to get some of the summer dirt off. The gas station has three wash levels: the most expensive, the "Home Run," is $14. I usually get the mid-priced wash, but thought I'd "splurge" this time. That was a mistake. I paid for the wash and luckily--it was a nice day--there was only one car in front of me. Unfortunately--and this isn't the station's fault--I got stuck behind someone whose payment kept getting rejected. That's happened to me before and the customers use the "brute force" method of trying the same card or payment method over and over again, only to receive the same rejection. Finally, he gave up and just drove through the wash. I approached, entered my number, and all went well. Except . . . the timing here and at other points during the wash seemed off. My car was quickly, superficially spritzed with water. Then the rest of the wash took place. Basically, it seemed to be spraying foam on the car, then washing it off. The foam sprayed again, then was washed off again. Maybe the "extras" such as wax were sprayed on, too. I don't know. Quite quickly, it was over and the light directed me to pull slowly forward for the 60-second air dry. It was closer to 35 seconds. The clock would count down some, then just seem to skip 7-10 seconds ahead. That happened several times. So I emerged with a still wet car. As for quality: No. I'll post a couple of pictures of the car after the wash--one of the front of the car and one of the rear. The car was still covered with now-wet dust and dirt. If anything, it looked worse than when I went in there. You probably can't see it in the photos, but you know how there's a small area on the windshield that your wipers don't get? After the wash was done, I could plainly see the dirty untouched areas of my windshield. Value? No. I really couldn't tell that anything had been done to my car for $14. read more

Shell - Front of my car after the carwash. Notice the windshield and front of the hood. - Gas Stations Near Me - Clifton, Virginia

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Zero stars for this place. I went to get my car washed there and I put in my cc for payment. The payment appeared to go through so I waited for the door to the carwash to open. Once the car ahead of me finished, the door to the wash wouldn't open and there was now a line of cars behind me. So, figuring the payment must not have gone through, I inserted my cc again, and this time it worked. Once done, I looked at my email receipts and the payment had actually gone through twice. I went in to ask the attendant to refund my card for the amount of one car wash. I showed him my phone with the 2 separate emailed receipts received a few minutes apart. He asked to see my phone to get a transaction number, so I handed it over. He started swiping and doing something on my phone so I asked for it back. I asked him if he was messing with my phone and he said 'I only see one receipt?' And sure enough, he had sent one of my payment receipt emails to the deleted folder. I couldn't believe this! The nerve of this guy. I asked him for a refund in cash, which he did eventually. But was completely unapologetic and even confirmed that he had deleted one of the receipts on my phone. I will NEVER go to this place again. Not only do they usually have the most expensive gas in the area, but they also use deceitful business practices. read more

dropped car for inspection and oil change and no worries. car was ready for me in a few hours. Staff has always pleasant and helpful. read more

These guys are awful. They charged me for an inspection just to tell me the check engine light is on and it won't pass. They could have told me that before the inspection. Total rip off. read more

This is actually a Shell gas station located in the Union Mill shopping plaza. I'm guessing it's the same owner as the 13401 Lee Hwy location down the road since they have the same prices and do the same WEEKEND DEAL (premium gas prices are the same as their mid-grade gas). Also FREE AIR!!! read more

Shell - Shell at The Colonnade at Union Mill - Gas Stations Near Me - Clifton, Virginia

The service was amazing!!! I brought my car in to be serviced and they were extremely fast. The owner even paid for my lunch at panera while I waited. I will definitely be coming again!! read more

One of the cashiers tried to unload a counterfeit $1 bill. When i asked for a real $1 bill he chastised me that I had to take it. I told him that it didn't look right. He said he accepted it so I had to. I let him know that he had the right to refuse counterfeit bills (as the USPS and any vendors do with customers with even Canadian pennies, $2 bills, and older bills without security stripes on them). He continued to complain and was nasty. I will not be a customer anymore. It is ILLEGAL to pass off counterfeit money and I did him a FAVOR by not reporting his unethical behavior to thw FBI. read more

- I dropped off my car on 1/29 for my emissions and safety inspection . I was told since I can't leave my car for a long period of time, to come back on the 5th and they will fix it the same day. I drove back an hour to the shop, dropped my car off on the 5th and kept getting, "it will be done tomorrow, it will be done first thing in the morning, oh it will be done first thing TOMORROW morning, and it should be fixed by the end of day , we're gonna have to finish it tomorrow"... and now I am frantically trying to find a shop to help me before my 14 days are up. I intended on finding someplace else the first time i came in, and THE ONLY REASON i drove multiple hours to this shop was because i was assured my car would be done on the 5th, and that this would be the best price in town. both of those ... very wrong . When i picked up my car, jacob told another mechanic we wouldn't be working on my car and he said "sweet".. I feel uncomfortable that I left my car here for so many days already, and found stranger's vapes left in the car. How can you smoke in my car but not work on it ...? Now i'm upset that i spend money on the inspection and headlights . I recommend Centreville Tire and autos , who are graciously saving the day, or Chantilly Craftsman who were so willing to jump through hoops and costumer service was amazing read more

This station used to have the best touch less car wash in the area. Used their car wash this morning and they now have a soft touch car wash and it definitely does not do as good a job. The wash is half the length of time and it is a waste of money. Go elsewhere, I will not use their car wash again!!!!!!! read more

I was out of town on a business trip and needed to get our vehicle state inspection completed. My wife took our Truck to this Shell Service Station and was grossly taken advantage of. Our vehicle did not pass inspection cause the headlamps were too scratched. The Technician said it normally costs $79.99 to buff out the headlamps, but could do it for $59.99. Not knowing this was a total rip off, my wife reluctantly agreed to have the service done. Upon my return, I was sickened to find out my wife had spent so much to get this issue resolved. In reading Charlottes W's post, it seems this happens a lot and they possibly prey on women. Shameful! I took our other vehicle to VA Tire & Auto and paid $16.99 for the inspection. That's it. Please don't let yourself be a victim. read more

The only reason why I'm giving it a star is because they were nice enough to watch my car for a few days. My tire had popped down the road, and I was lucky enough to wobble my hunk of metal into their parking lot. So, up until today, their customer services was great. However, today around 11am, I called to tell them I would be coming to pay for the services and I needed a quote. They called me back and told me they needed my key. And that the new tire and everything would be $100. Great. I live nearby, I arrived within minutes. I've had tires replaced before (Don't judge), and it usually takes about 15-20 mins. That includes checking out at the cash register. The place wasn't busy at all. Two of the mechanics were just sitting around. I figured they might have been on a break. So, I went to sit down and wait. An hour goes by and my car is still hoisted up in the parking lot. I went to ask what the hold up is, and the attendant informs me that the boss stepped out to another location, and the tire "is being delivered from Manassas near the airport." Mind you, I had told them I was coming today. The guy performing the labor was supposed to size my tire and call me back with a quote. But never did. And I tried to be understanding. Shit happens and sometimes you drop the ball. But to not have the tire on site when I arrive, after forgetting to call me, AND leaving me in the waiting area for an hour without an update is horrible service. So, the one attendant told me that he doesn't have the number to the company delivering the tire. So, we have to wait for the manager to come back. "Should take about ten minutes." His words, not mine. THIRTY mins. later, the manager returns and takes another twenty mins. And still, no one says anything to me. I go and ask the same attendant, what's going on, and he informs me that the tire is going to take another hour. I had already been there for a total of two hours. I was so pissed, I walked home. Finally, two hours later around 3:40, I called to ask if my car was ready. They tell me yes. (OK, why wasn't I notified?) I get down there and they charge $149.03 After they told me I'd only have to pay for the tire. This is my first and last time going to this gas station for gas, service, water, or anything. They gave me the worst service I have ever received at any business. At the risk of sounding pretentious, this is Clifton. I've lived here for nearly 15 years. I expected more. I will be going to ManassasTire.com from now on. I purchased two used tires from them a year ago for $90 and that included labor. Took all of twenty minutes. I don't want to make this an age thing. But the young Latino men at ManassasTire were Millennials, while those at Union Mill were Boomers. Millennials always get the worse reputation for work ethic. But these 4 were efficient, courteous, and honest. They do great work and don't purposely misquote you. Excellent service. read more

They used to be great but someone else took over about six months ago. I brought my car in for brake problems and they said the tires had been overinflated the last time I got my oil changed, and this was causing my problem. *They* had changed it. I took it somewhere else and it was a completely different problem, and the fix was much cheaper. Then I reluctantly came back here because it's convenient for state inspection and my car was dented while it was here. I don't know if it's their fault but after the previous bad experience I'm definitely not coming back for gas or anything. It's not worth the risk. I really liked the previous owner/mechanic. He was honest and did a great job with my car every time. But unfortunately he's not here and they are completely different. Disregard any old positive reviews. RIP. read more

If i could give 0 stars I would! I got my car inspected, the guy told me to get my brakes replaced ASAP ! Pads & rotors , he said do it today or tomorrow, don't wait! I went home, afraid to drive my car, by the way, it passed inspection, my husband bought brake pads $50 & took the car apart, brakes are in perfect shape!! Rotors are in perfect shape!! This guy also told me they were having a brake sale. I will Never trust them again !! I was also wandering why if they are this bad, cause he told me also my car might not stop, how did it pass inspection? read more

This is my favorite shell gas station In Clifton va and I love going there and New car wash is excellent and cleans The car beautifully the car comes out Shining will always use the car wash And what good deal on gas and service Victor is working as a mechanic for 22 years They are very helpful read more

Up till now I got my cars inspected here every year. This time my car failed for worn out brake pads which thy offered to change $350. No thanks, I'll buy my own for $30. A few days later I get new brake pads delivered from Amazon and go to change them, turns out the garage never gave me my wheel lock back! I went back to the garage on a weeknight at 6:45 but they were closed. Cashier said he couldn't help but to come back later (pretty sure he was the owner and same man who tried to sell me on $350 pad change.) so now I've lost a night of work and have to hope they still have the lug nut. And hopefully I don't get a flat in the meantime!... Ridiculous Next day update: "comeback tomorrow when the main inspector is here". They guy wouldn't even look for it. read more

Tried to wash my car here a few days ago and selected the most expensive option. Outcome was very poor so I am not going back there again. (Tried the same carwash at this station a while back with the same poor result. Complained to the attendant in the store who gave me a voucher for a second wash and used this directly afterwards with no change. read more

I always use Union Mill Shell for my 2004 Saturn Vue. They never try to sell me things I don't need. Also use for inspections. You can give key and not have to wait. They have even pull nails out of my tire, plugged the tire, when I asked how much I owed, they said you're a good customer, don't worry about it. read more

They did a safety inspection for my car and told me of a repair I needed. I checked with the dealership to get the repair, and they were two times as expensive as the Shell at Union Mill! Not only that, I paid three times the amount I would have had to have paid at Union Mill Shell for the same diagnostic test for the repair. I will be going to them again! read more

Not surprised to see such low reviews here. I got my car inspected here a while back. They failed it because supposedly several parts needed to be replaced (over $1,000!). They repeatedly used a skillful low pressure approach to get me to have them do the work. Sensing this, I opted to take it somewhere else and found out the parts were fine! They tried the same thing several years ago, but I thought I'd give them another chance. Not again. If you do have them do an inspection for you, make sure the inspector knows you will have work done somewhere else. Watch out for these guys! read more

Very rude owners. It's damn rude when you're pumping gas, and all of a sudden ALL the lights AND the PUMPS are turned OFF! You're standing there with the pump still in the car, with no gas flowing into your car, in total complete darkness. Who the f*ck does that? So absolutely rude! And it's not even 10:00 pm yet! It's 7 min till closing. This is not the first incident either. read more

I loved how they had free air for your tires, but not anymore. They got rid of the free air recently and now you have to pay $1. I know it's only $1, but it was nice knowing they didn't charge for air, which I think should be free anyway. read more

Horrible customer service! This location claims to be a neighborhood one stop service center however they seem to be highway robbers. Such disrespectful and sexist people work for them; they think women are uneducated when it comes to their cars and charge them 4x more for labor and parts! I am so disgusted by such people who think women are second class citizens! I would not recommend anyone sending their wives or daughters to this location at all! read more

Went to this Shell for 15 years then they changed owners or something, it has gone done hill. If I was out of gas I would walk to the next station and don't trust there service shop either they make promises they can't keep. read more

COMPANY THAT SHELL USES FOR CREDIT CARDS, SELLS PERSONAL INFORMATION, LITERALLY. I found this out after applying by automated prompts for nearly 45 minutes over the phone on a call a few years ago. I received a rejection letter, but at the very beginning of the call I was asked to state my name. They got my recorded name wrong & I only realized it in the rejection letter that all the other information I had typed into my phone for 45 minutes was useless without them having gotten the first name right. The rejection stated that the individual did not have enough background information to be approved for a credit card. Now that EXACT wrong name, address, age, same last name, etc is up for sale on a website. There is an obvious connection to the rejection "name" which does not apply to anyone else in this area, and shows no other history (unlike all the other names it is selling online.) I've always loved Shell and trusted them. However, I can't deny that the company they are using to process credit cards IS SELLING PERSONAL INFORMATION. It was awful to see all my personal information online being sold, even with the wrong first name & no other history, and next to the matching file that actually had my correct name, address, phone number, kin, etc. :( There aren't two of us. It's just me & a mistake they cataloged inaccurately. Because of the mistake, there is no mistake. I know exactly when and where this happened & that it is the only time my name has ever been mixed up like that. It was when I applied for a Shell Card, and never before or since. I didn't mark down the location rating on this post, (probably improved this Shell's low score) but really would have given a 1 if I could have found a link to rate the Company in it's dealings with Credit Cards on Yelp. read more

I had the exact same service that I had done at the Newgate Sunoco, and Shell charged 65% more. Now I'm questioning whether I needed to empty my savings account to pay for the repairs they said I "needed" last year. I will never go here again. Go to the Newgate Sunoco - they're great. read more

I would give them zero stars if that was an option. I filled up my car today and paid $14 at the pump for the "Grand Slam" car wash. I went through the car wash normally, like every other time that I've used it. After the wash ended and I was directed by the arrows to pull forward through the activated dryers, I noticed that I was having a really hard time seeing out of my windshield and windows. I finished drying my car as the timer was running out and used my wipers to clear the windshield. I didn't have time to see what the issue was until I got back to my office. Instead of washing my car, the car wash actually made it dirtier! There is a thin layer of black dirt or dust ALL OVER MY CAR NOW FROM THE CAR WASH! I called the Shell in Union Mill to tell them that something is wrong with their car wash. The response I received was disgusting. First the man who answered the phone told me that I probably didn't use the car wash correctly. Excuse me? You mean following the arrows that tell you when to advance to the active dryers? Yes, I'm pretty sure that with my graduate degree I had enough brain power to figure that one out. Then he suggested that it got dirty from something else. Seriously? Something else WHILE I WAS HAVING IT WASHED IN HIS CAR WASH? His finally response was "What do you want me to do about it?" Obviously, I want you to fix the car wash so you don't make anyone else's car dirtier than it was to begin with! He wasn't interested in checking on the car wash or even reimbursing me so that I can pay more money to someone else to actually wash my car after the mess that his car wash made. DO NOT GO TO THIS GAS STATION, AND DO NOT USE THEIR CAR WASH! You will regret it! read more

Beware Union Mill Shell State Inspections I wanted to pass along a warning to my friends and neighbors about the State Safety Inspection and mechanic services at Union Mill Shell. OVERVIEW I had my van inspected there and it failed inspection. I questioned and challenged the inspector on WHY my van failed and the manager who used to do inspections for a decade went out and re-inspected van itself and found it did pass. So they scraped off the rejection and put on an inspection. I see this as a fleecing of the citizens of Clifton and Centreville. Probably 1 in 100 patrons have the mechanical experience and knowledge to challenge a State Inspector. When I did I found that the reason I failed were totally false - the brake parts that were cited as being out of specification had many times the spec needed to pass; i.e., this was not a close judgment call this was very clearly a deliberate act. This is clearly a strategy to perform work and replace parts that do not need to be replaced. THE SITUATION Like many of you I have had my vehicles state safety inspected at Union Mill Shell over the years. When I dropped off my band this week I expected this would be a routine inspection but it turned out to be anything but. When I went to pick up the van I was informed that the van had failed inspection. The manager was in the process of writing up a work order to remedy the problem when I questioned why. They told me that the brake pads and rotors were too worn and out of specification and needed to be replaced. They also stated that the front and was loose and be wheel bearings needed to be repacked. For those who don't know me, I have many motorcycles and a fairly high degree of mechanical knowledge. I knew for a fact that my brake pads were fine and many times the specification needed to pass state inspection as I had inspected them not 1000 miles before. So I told the manager I did not want to have services performed there and he seemed surprised. Most people just pull out the checkbook or credit card and pay them. I asked why the rotors and brake pads failed and I was told that they were both out of spec. I challenged the manager and asked if they actually measured the thickness of the rotor. The manager danced around the question and then went out to talk to the inspector. After a few minutes of a private discussion he brought the inspector in to speak with me. I asked the inspector why he failed my brakes. He said they did not meet specification. I asked him what was the minimum thickness specification for my brake rotors and he looked stunned. I asked him did he actually measure the thickness and if so how did he do it. He danced around the question but finally admitted that he did not measure the rotors. I was incensed. I asked how he could fail my vehicle for rotors when he never measured them. He stated that you always replace the brake pads and rotors together. This is flat not true. This told me that he is either an amateur who doesn't know what is doing or trying to scam me - or both. I asked him if he measured my brake pads and he said yes. I asked him what measurement he determined and he said less than 2/32 of an inch, which is the Virginia State inspection minimum. I was highly confident that my brake pads had significantly more - many times that much pad material - and I challenged him on it. He insisted that he measured it and it did not meet specification. The manager asked him to go back out and re-inspect the brakes. I asked the manager to go inspected himself which he did. When the manager pulled off the front wheel to inspect the thickness of the brake pads a quick glance to a trained eye made it very obvious that the brake pads had many times the required thickness. The manager measured it himself and confirmed this. The manager then told the inspector to pass the van and the inspector was not happy. Go figure. When they were mounting the wheel back on the van, he started using an air powered impact wrench to tighten the lug nuts. I objected and asked him why he did not use a torque limiting extension so as to not over tighten the lug nuts. They did not have this tool. This is a $100 tool and every shop re-mounting wheels should have one. I then asked them to use a torque wrench and everyone in the shop checked and nobody had a torque wrench. For those who don't know a torque wrench is a fundamental tool for ensuring you don't over or under tighten nuts and bolts and is required by Virginia state law for them to use. Union Mill Shell is falsely failing state inspection on vehicles presumably in an effort to generate more business by replacing parts and performing work that does not need to be done. This totally violates my sense of business ethics and I have to wonder how many people have been fleeced and how much money has been spent to correct problems that didn't exist. Bottom line, I would recommend you get your vehicle inspected elsewhere. read more

The attendants are rude and there is no such thing as customer service here. The people who work here make me feel like they don't care and don't want my business. Will not be back. read more

Convenient location to my house. But beware of the car wash SCAM. If you do not want to get a wash the same day or within next couple of week do not buy it as they have an expiry date on the wash code. Why is there an expiry date for service you have paid for is beyond me!!! I have ended up losing the entire paid amount a few times already due to inclement weather. Oh, and the attendant is very rude. read more

I'm used to filling up at this Shell gas station every time I start my drive home. Unfortunately, after the terrible attitude I received one day, I don't think I'll be a patron at this gas station anymore. I liked the car wash deal; buy a car wash and receive 20 cents off per gallon of gas. Great! I needed a carwash after all the salt on the road from the earlier winter storm. I purchased the Ultimate Car Wash for $12 which includes the undercarriage wash and the triple foam conditioner. After I finish filling my gas tank and complete the sale outside, I hit the option for carwash, got my code and went to the carwash station. I've used this carwash several times before, so I know what to expect. That particular day, there was something wrong with the machine (the triple foam conditioner wasn't spraying). After finishing what was left of the wash, I parked my car, went inside and explained to the owner there was something wrong with the conditioner spray. He said that I got the wrong carwash option; I had to pay for the next higher option. I quickly countered that false statement by showing him his own advertisement. I then went on to further explain to him what had happened. Instead of apologizing as you would expect, he started laughing while he said "What do you want me to do?"...a discount would be nice. I had to explain to him what it means to buy a defective product or pay for a service that was not properly completed. He takes a look at my receipt. With a smug attitude he says the best thing he can do is offer me the next lower option carwash. I'm thinking to myself I don't need another carwash, I just got one! It was obvious he didn't really care. I grabbed my receipt and said, "Nevermind, you just lost a customer!" As I walked out the door he had the gall to yell, "I never lose a customer!" I won't ever be going back to that gas station. read more

I had my car serviced here and the manager, Terry, was the best. He explained exactly what my car needed, how long it would take to fix, and how much it would cost. He was friendly, courteous and very respectful. He's got my business from now on. If you're looking for a place to service your car that knows their stuff, treats you well and only fixes what you need, this is the place to go. read more

this is my favorite shall gas station in clifton excellent services state and emission and all type of work

BEWARE!! I stopped in there Friday on my way home for work to fill up my gas tank. I swiped my card one time and pumped $99 worth of gas. I closed out the pump and printed out my receipt. First thing Saturday morning I checked my account and found not one, but THREE $99 charges to my card. One for Friday the 2nd and two for Monday the 5th. BEWARE!! Having experience in retail and accounting someone had to intentionally process those two additional charges. read more

Went there due to convenience to get my emissions and inspection. Dropped car off. Came back to a failed sticker..Service managers comes out and says car has a exhaust leak that needs fixed, so didn't do emissions test. Inspection fail because of a mis aligned headlight??Pay $16..SO I ask how much to repair exhaust leak?Says he couldn't give be a price until they put it on the lift, and couldn't do it for 45min..I leave. Took it to my mechanic the next day..No exhaust leak found(car makes noise due to high mileage-valve tapping-boxer engine-NOT exhaust leak!..doubt car was every in the air) head lights were within specs. Union Mill Shell Station is sketchy! Beware! read more