A-1 Collision Masters

I install windshields for a living. I dont usually make mistakes, but if i do, Mario at A1 Collision Masters is my go to guy for paint and bodywork. He got me in on a weekend on short notice. The color blended in perfectly. I highly recommend this shop for any paint and body needs.

the side plastic molding of my car was missing a bolt/​screw so it was hanging a bit loose. the guys at auto techs told me to come here so i figured why not, plus it was close to where i lived. getting here, the two or three employees were just hanging around talking to themselves. eventually i just decided to go in and find someone else. mario, the owner, was there and he was less than friendly. he ordered the necessary parts and called me a few days later to tell me they were in and i told him i’d go in wednesday. he said ok and to call beforehand to make sure he had available employees. wednesday rolls around, i call 6 or 7 times throughout the morning but no one picks up. i decide to risk it and go in anyway. luckily they were there so i drop it off and decide to wait. the garage is run down and old with no waiting area, so i decide to wait outside. they take my car to a blocked off area (driving a bit recklessly might i add). this is the first time i’ve ever been to a garage where you can’t see the work they do on your car, which is a bit shady and makes me feel a bit uneasy. since it was such a small thing to fix i didn’t make a big deal of it. eventually they screw it back on and i go in to pay. it was pretty price (around 90 bucks to just screw on a bolt or two) and surprise! cash only. there were no signs indicating this but fortunately i had a benjamin on me. they didn’t even have change for cash so i had to wait when they went to go get it. overall, unprofessional, shady, and pricy. no wonder i didn’t really see any other customers.

My experience with Collision Masters was less than satisfactory. I originally chose to take my car to them for minor body repairs because I was impressed they called me about a week after I brought the car in for an estimate to see if I’d chosen a shop for the repairs. I like small businesses who seem to care whether or not they get your business, and based on that I chose this shop over the other five that I’d also taken the car to for estimates.
The reasons I was dissatisfied with my experience:
1) Vehicle wasn’t ready on promised date. They informed me it was because they underestimated the repairs and would need an extra day, during which time they would make an additional claim on my insurance for the extra hours of labor.
2) Vehicle wasn’t properly repaired. The back hatch, which is what they were supposed to repair, wouldn’t close properly. I was told to bring the vehicle back the following week, at which time they would file an additional insurance claim for me. I absolutely felt like they were trying to nickel and dime as much out of the transaction as possible.
3) When I expressed concern about being without my vehicle for additional time, I was rudely informed that «when you get in an accident, being without your car is just something you have to deal with». After having already been without my car for longer than promised, I felt the comment was rude and out of line. Of course I never bothered to take my vehicle back to them and it’s still not fixed properly because I don’t want to deal with them anymore.
4) Final cost for repairs was more than 10% above their estimate. I understand that an estimate is just that — an estimate, but when they tried two separate times to get me to authorize and additional claim on my insurance I absolutely felt like they were trying to squeeze more $ out of the transaction, which I found less than respectable.
I certainly won’t take my vehicle to this shop again, nor would I recommend it to any of my friends.