ComplaintsforAuto Express

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 16th, I went to for a smog check because their website says that vehicles that are from **** or newer cost $40 for a smog check. It also says that if it fails the smog check we could get another check within 30 days.They charged me $51 for my 2007 jeep and then failed me because I had a temperature reading sensor connected to the computer. The guy told me that ********** law dictates that modifying the computer is illegal and that's why they have to fail me. (This was a temperature sensor. *It does nothing to modify the computer*. Therefore they failed me by mistake)He also told me that if I wanted to get it checked again it would not be free. That their website had incorrect information that they would not honor.I paid and left. I got a call shortly after from another man (the manager/owner?) who told me that he's sorry about the misinformation on the website and that they would have it corrected (it has not been corrected yet). In the meantime, because the website makes it look like they do free re-checks, he would honor that and I had 30 days to return for a free smog check. I was with my partner at the time who I immediately told about this free check - this helped me feel a little less cheated and she remembers us talking about him saying it would be free.A couple weeks later, I unplug the sensor (literally just a temperature sensor that makes no modifications to anything on the jeep) and head back in.They say that I need to pay $31 for this second check (while also trying to tell me that $31 is half off of $51). I said that when he spoke to me on the phone he said it would be free. He denied that. I set the paperwork down on the desk, said "I'll be going somewhere else then. I'll leave a review too".To which, this manager/owner responded "Make sure to include your address in the review so we can come to your house and beat you up".

  Business response

  07/08/2022

  customer came in and got a smog check on June 16th and failed due to a programmer device pugged in to the obd2/AlDl  which ********** states that you can not have anything plugged in to the computer that modify software with out EO# and he came in after he remove it and we verified it that it was removed he was very rude and was in the way of other customers we had five other people in front of him and wanted a free retest and was arguing we told him we can do half price he  said to go f***your self to the owner that I'm going to put a bad review and he replied go ahead and do so then he got aggressive and tried to fight us the owner walked away and told me to take care of another customer. our smog on a **** or newer car is 40$ includes certificate but trucks are 50$ and if it is star or out of state change of owner ship it is 10$ dollars more because we have to spend more time you have to enter every thing manually twice and it is our policy prices are in writing on work order. and nowhere it said you get anything for free

  Customer response

  07/08/2022

  I am rejecting this response because this man is lying. The response is written by the owner who spoke English as his second language (which is apparent due to his poor grammar) while he pretends to be an employee who is paid an hourly wage and spoke perfect English.

  He says: the owner walked away and told me to take care of another customer. -The man writing this is the owner! There were two people working there. The owner wrote this response and is pretending the worker getting paid an hourly wage who spoke perfect English is responding to a BBB complaint on behalf of the owner. It's clearly the owner who wrote this because his English is broken - he is struggling with proper grammar.
  

  I've filed a police report for the threats made and if he lies again I will be contacting a lawyer to address the business not following ********** Code BPC *******. I'm not playing games. He needs to stop lying because I have records of the call he made to me where he said that he would honor what is on the website and I believe I can get video evidence refuting multiple statements he has made including that there were 5 other customers ahead of me and that I tried to fight him.

  The only evidence you need to see that he is dishonest is 1) he is refusing to honor advertisements on his website 2) he is pretending to be someone who spoke perfect English - and he is doing a poor job at it.

  "customer came in and got a smog check on June 16th and failed due to a programmer device pugged in to the obd2/AlDl  which ********** states that you can not have anything plugged in to the computer that modify software with out EO#" - There was no "programmer device". The employee who he is impersonating who spoke perfect English would know not to call it a programmer device. It's essentially a thermometer. All it does is take temperature readings to make sure the jeep doesn't overheat when climbing over especially tough terrain. It modifies nothing. It's just a cue to ease up if we're pushing it too hard.

  and he came in after he remove it and we verified it that it was removed
  I never handed them my keys the second time I came in. I dont know why he would even lie about this. How did he verify that it was removed without me ever handing him my keys? Ill be filing a police report and I believe I can get a video of the parking lot showing that no one but me ever approached my car. He better get his story straight because I'm keeping records of these statements.
  

  he was very rude I arrived for a free re-check after he said he would Honor the advertisements on the website. I have records of him calling me for this. I had no reason to be rude at this point in the interaction. He is lying again.

  and was in the way of other customers we had five other people in front of him there was one other person waiting when we started arguing. One person. Again, I believe I can get a video of the front of the business where the one other customer was waiting. If this man does not stop lying I will be contacting a lawyer for threatening me and for not honoring their advertisements.
  

  and wanted a free retest He literally said he would give me a free retest. Thats the only reason I came back. This is on their website. If you're reading this: don't bother deleting it now because Ive already taken pictures. For vehicles newer than model year ****, the testing fee is $31.75; the certificate and transmission fee are another $8.25, which makes the total cost $40.00. Should your vehicle fail the inspection, you have 30 days to submit to another test,as long as you take the vehicle to the same testing facility.

  and was arguing This is true. I started arguing about the fact that on the phone he said he would honor what the website says but when I arrived a couple of weeks later he denied saying he would honor what the website says. This is illegal according to ********** Code BPC *******.

  we can do half price (this is improper grammar - if you're going to pretend to be someone who spoke perfect English, at least have someone check your grammar) he offered to do it for $31. Please ask how $31 is half off of $51 (not to mention half off of the advertised price of $40 is $20).

  he said to go f***your self to the owner this is true. It went like this:
  Him - The price is $31. We have to make some money for this extra work
  Me - You said it would be free on the phone
  Him - No. I did not.
  Me - Ill be going somewhere else then. Ill be leaving a review too.
  Him - Make sure to leave your address in the review so we can come to your house and beat you up
  Me - Did you just threaten to come to my house if I left a review?Whats your name? Whats your name? Hey, whats your name?
  Him - My name is get the h*** out of here before I stick my foot in your ass
  Me - Go f*** yourself
  Him - Ill f*** your wife

  and he replied go ahead and do so then he got aggressive and tried to fight us This is a plain lie. Again, I believe I can get video evidence of the parking lot where this happened. If you're reading this Mr. **** the h*** out of here before I stick my foot in your ass" - I'm maintaining these statements and will be pursuing legal action if you do not stop lying and simply provide me with a refund for not honoring advertisements on your website which is illegal.

  "our smog on a **** or newer car is 40$ includes certificate but trucks are 50$ - Their website still says $40 for smog checks and makes no mention of any exceptions. This is false advertising and is illegal under ********** Code BPC *******. https://autoexpresssacramento.com/smog Thats the website. Please see for yourself.

  and nowhere it said you get anything for free" this is directly from the website that the owner said he would honor which is why I came back in the first place. Should your vehicle fail the inspection, you have 30 days to submit to another test,as long as you take the vehicle to the same testing facility.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩