Monterey and Pacific Grove Auto Repair

Monterey: (831) 288-5711
550 E. Franklin St., Monterey, CA 93940
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Pacific Grove: (831) 531-2295
1123 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950
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5

Dropped off my truck at 8:30 AM. Service work, multi-point inspection, and engine light diagnosis were finished by 11:00 AM. I was promptly called and explained my options and costs. After authorizing the additional work, it was all completed as quoted and they had me back on the road by 4:00 PM. As a contractor working out of my vehicle, this type of same day service was invaluable.

1

The Owner Kevin is unscrupulous. He quoted me a price that was about 50% higher than two other shops with far better reputations. He charged me over $150 for a lousy inspection he did not perform in under an hour. And once I sent a tow truck to tow my vehicle to another location, he refused to accept my Visa payment by phone without a copy of my driver's license and my credit card, which is highly improper, and forced the tow truck to leave without my vehicle since I could not provide him the copies he demanded due to being out of town. This is the same guy who apparently declared BK to avoid a $30K debt to his mother. Go imagine! This guy will be out of business inside a year I predict....and rightly so. STAY AWAY FROM THIS IDIOT!

Hello Counselor, Or is it no longer appropriate to address you that way given your disbarment. I will keep to the facts with this response and will attempt to keep it as professional as possible, despite your unwillingness to do so. I will respond to your statements not to dignify you, but to clarify for our readers the specifics of the recommended repair and the subsequent interactions and allegations. To begin with, you called me at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday December 31, 2019. We discussed that you were experiencing a transmission that was not shifting properly and scheduled an appointment for the morning of January 2nd. You signed documentation authorizing an inspection costing just over $157.00. Upon completion of the diagnostic process which included a test drive, computer scan and removing fluid from the transmission. We were able to confirm your concern and could tell by the condition of the fluid that there was reason to believe an internal failure had occurred. The computer had no information stored and had possibly been cleared at some point before we took possession of the vehicle. We were fully aware that you were enjoying your New Year at the Pebble Beach Resort and were doing our best to fit into your time constraints. We understand the inconvenience and anxiety caused by unplanned vehicle repairs. The total cost for parts for the unit with a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty was $2,418.75; labor was quoted at $1610.30. For an after tax total of under $4,500.00. I believe you would be hard pressed to find and equivalent product on the Monterey Peninsula at a reputable establishment for $3000.00. You may, however, find a lower price in the Sacramento area or El Dorado Hills, but I doubt it. Refusing to allow your vehicle to be towed before payment was made, is a wise business practice. In order to charge a credit card without the card holder present, we have been advised by our credit card processing company to require our clients to complete a credit card authorization form. (incidentally and ironically, ours was modeled after the one Pebble Beach required you to fill out in order to pay the deposit on your room reservation). This form is to protect us from people attempting to dispute charges. I am sure you are aware of this being a person formerly licensed to practice law in California. And given your propensity for avoiding your obligatory payments, I am glad Kevin requested you fill out the appropriate forms. Additionally, we offered you shuttle service to and from our facility, so renting a car was not necessary, counselor. The Allegation that Kevin filed bankruptcy to avoid paying a debt to his mother is preposterous. You have no grounds for the statement and the fact that you are willing to make such a comment in a Yelp review should be all the testimony necessary for our readers to consider the source, but just in case they need more substantiated evidence of your character, please follow the links below. United States v. Wanland, 14-10170 Conviction Disbarment 09-C-10046 Don Wanland

- Pacific Grove
5

Thank you for coming in for your vehicle's maintenance! We hope to be able to service your car in the future.

- Pacific Grove
5

Thank you for coming in for your vehicle's maintenance! We hope to be able to service your car in the future.

- Pacific Grove
5

Outstanding. Thank you Kevin and team. FIVE stars

5

Speedy and competent repair service with good communication. Thank you very much. Will recommend your service to friends.

5

Kevin and his guys take such good care of me! i always feel that I can trust them, their work and not to oversell me plus they give me really personal service that just makes me feel really valued as a customer.

1

Overcharges and is dishonest. Avoid this auto shop. Kevin who I spoke with was kind and thorough, but I quickly learned he was just a salesman. Basically, he charged us $150 just to look at the cars issue but that money didn’t go towards the actual repairs...which he failed to tell me...even the BMW dealership puts the assessment fee towards the work that’s completed. Then he charged me nearly $500 to repair a hose...when I called the BMW dealership to price shop they told me it would cost $380 and that was including the assessment fee. I paid Pacific Motors $680 for them to replace a hose in my cooling system. After that work was completed they called to let me know actually I needed a new radiator which they offered to get an after market one for $1300...a new BMW radiator is only $600. I got my car out of there so fast after he said that. I went to a local PG mechanic because I thought he would be trustworthy, but because he believed we were from out of town and didn’t know I grew up here he tried to rip us off. Would highly recommend staying away from this shop if you don’t want to be over charged and taken advantage of.

Hello Brittany, I appreciate your review. It is unfortunate that you believe I tried to "rip you off". It is our intent to service all of our clients properly regardless of whether they live here or are traveling through Pacific Grove. I am not aware of any BMW dealerships that will include the inspection fee in any completed repairs (it is counter to how they compensate their technicians). Our rates are commensurate with the services we provide. We are the only AAA approved shop on the Monterey Peninsula and provide a 3 year/36 month local and 2 year/24 month nationwide warranty, have ASE Master certified technicians on staff, offer shuttle service, as well as rental cars for larger repairs. We are a 5 Star service provider with 4 Star pricing. After completing the initial repair for your vehicle and pressure testing the cooling system to insure the repair was complete, we discovered a small leak coming from the radiator. It is our duty to inform all of our clients of the condition of their vehicle and give options for repair. The total cost for the radiator repair was just over $700 including parts and labor. We also made some recommendations based on the poor condition of several other systems, which you also declined. It may be that you have been taken advantage of by someone in our industry in the past or that you tendency is to be distrustful, but I assure you Pacific Motor Service is an organization that prides itself in providing crystal clear, honest information to our clients. I am sorry that you feel you were misled. The shocking irony is the information in your review is incomplete and also rather misleading. Funny....

- Pacific Grove
5

Kyle did an excellent job throughout the service experience. Thank you!

5

Everything was done.

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