Arco-Santa Monica General Store

Similar experience as others. I wish I’d checked the reviews first. I explained that I had some recent work done to the smog system on my Volvo. I took the car to my usual local smog guy to get it tested, he hooked it up and told me there were sensors that needed to be re-​set before it would pass. I needed to drive it around for about 200 miles before they would be ready to test. I drive it for 250 miles, then took it back. My guy happened to be closed for some reason, so I found this Bergamont Station Arco on the Internet. I took it to him, and explained the situation. Rather than check the sensors, and tell me that there were still 2 sensors that hadn’t re-​set yet, he went ahead and ran the test, knowing I would fail, and billed me. When I complained, he looked at me and said, «You told me to run the test?», as if he didn’t know he was ripping me off. My advice, Don’t Go Here!

I’m giving this place 2 stars instead of 1 just because the gentleman helping me was nice. I’m not thrilled about giving this place my business because I called beforehand and asked the «out-​the-​door price». Was told $ 51.70. Went online, found a coupon to get the smog check for $ 39.75. Then went in and showed my coupon. The guy tells me after the coupon my price will be $ 51.50. What is the purpose of having a coupon available online when the cost of printing the coupon is higher than the amount I saved on the service? I found this to be insulting. Either offer a deal or dont. Don’t dangle a carrot. I will never come back here.

Honestly, the only thing you need to know about this place is regardless of your purchase the man behind the counter will always remind you to «keep on Rocking».
Even when you buy diet coke.
That being said, this place rules.

I’ve never received fantastic customer service here, but the station is right next to my work, so I go for the convenience. I got off work at midnight and saw my tank was nearly empty. Admittedly, I didn’t know the general store closes when I went to the window out of habit to pay for gas. However, when I knocked on the window, the man sitting behind the counter blantantly ignored me as I stood outside in the rain. I would have accepted a rude redirection to the self pay machine. I knocked again to verify that he was in fact ignoring me, then took my business to a neighbouring gas station. While there, I saw another car pull into this station and have the exact thing happen to them as well. I will not be spending my money here anymore.

Pulled up to get some gas noticed that the pay outside unit was not working. Had to go inside and prepay as I walked up to the counter a large Hispanic young lady was on the phone so I waited. Once she finished I gave her the pump number and she proceed to swipe my card at least five times back and forth on this make shift pay system. I then asked «you didn’t charge my account five times»? The large Hispanic young lady then stated «why would I charge you five times»? I said you swiped my card five times. She said no I didn’t I only did it once. Bad attitude, terrible character no customer service skills whatsoever.

First, Matthew, Tony and Frankie. Thank YOU!!! Wonderful service, HONEST about your car! I was almost ready to donate my 20yo car to charity because after it failed the smog test, and three mechanics including the first smog station told me that my car needed $ 1500 in repair to clear the smog test (their estimate without even looking at it, and oh yes it was going to be a $ 200 charge to ‘look’ at it!) I coud not believe that it failed and started having doubts so, I stopped in and chatted with Matthew (they had been helpful when I stopped once before) and he ran tests and diagnostic stuff for only $ 45! And all i needed was a new regulator and hose! TG I trusted my instinct about those other places and found this trustworthy, FAST service station!
Awesome! Don’t go to get a smog test or general repairs anywhere else! And their gases prices are usually lower than other stations too!
So:
Honest
Helpful
Courteous
Excellent prices
FAST

$ 51.50 – all in – for a smog check if you have the coupon. (Google it – they always have one available.) And they’re fast! If you check in on Unilocal,you get a free soda, which is nice while you’re waiting. (But don’t drink enough that you need to use their restroom – it was pretty yucky…)

The fastest smog check ever. awesome!
The guy said 15 minutes. He wasn’t kidding
WOW!!!

Definitely my favorite gas station! I’ve been coming to this location since I got my license and my family would always come to this one before that. It’s always cheaper than the surrounding gas stations and conveniently located right when you get off the I-​10. It’s great when running errands and you can go to the nearby Ralph’s and get gas all in one trip.
I recommend paying in cash! Avoid the $ 0.35 fees card fees.

Had an issue with the guy working as the cashier and the owner (Robert) dealt with it promptly and professionally.

New owners and new attitude. Sorry to say I have been a loyal customer here for decades but NEVER again. The techs are scammers and I no longer trust them to touch my car. Prices are no longer posted in plain view and change depending on who is at the counter at any given time. I got the feeling from the tech that he would purposely damage my engine just to create more work and income.
Untrustworthy scam business.

Great station mechanics are great and quick with there work they will have you in and out in seconds
The cashier victor is awesome has a great attitude and is always super friendly with the customers by far the best looks and customer service to ever happen to a gas station

BEWARE THIS PLACE. I came in to do a smog check, and after working on the car for almost 30 minutes, they told me a connection in my car for one of the tests was broken, so the car failed since the test could not be completed. They then said that if I wanted to leave the car for an hour (@ $ 89 in extra labor charges), they could probably fix it and complete the smog check. That sounded fishy so I left.
The next day I went up the block to Santa Monica Motors, where I was told that nothing was wrong with my car, and they successfully completed the smog check in about 20 minutes.
So is Arco-​Santa Monica General Store just incompetent, or is it worse than that? I know I’m never going back.

I had to get my smog emission taken care of so I could my car registration without any late penalties. They were able to accommodate me immediately and were very nice. I will be going here again.

Robert (the owner) is personable and patient, and he really cares about his customers. The service is fast, the prices are the best in town, and the staff is knowledgeable and efficient. I was in and out in under 20 minutes. Can’t beat that!
The first time I tried to get a smog check here, I didn’t have the best experience. But the owner contacted me and apologized and made a sincere effort to turn my negative experience into a positive one. From now on, I will be taking my car here when I need a smog check in the future, and recommending it to my friends as well.

I got my car smog checked here today and it was great. Bobby is very friendly and it is obvious that he really cares and takes pride in what he does. I will be back!

Found this location from a coupon website and glad I did! I rolled up to the garage 3 minutes before close and they were happy to help me out anyway. Went for a smog check, which was cheaper than other stations in the area (even without the coupon!), received friendly, efficient service. And, found out they are a full service repair shop! They do it all here – oil changes, tire repair, smog, etc. location is easy to miss due to the lack of «one stop shop» signage, but it’s at the Arco gas station, just off of Cloverfield and Michigan.

Pros:
Good price — use the coupon for a $ 34.95 smog check.
Location — easy freeway access and back door entry.
Speed — I was in and out in about 30 minutes, but I was able to pull right up.
Cons:
Service — The techs there don’t speak English well and at times I wasn’t sure if they were talking to me or to someone else. I sort of had to figure out where to go and what to do on my own, instead of being guided through the process. Nothing horrible, but I’d appreciate someone coming out and saying «leave the keys in the car and the seating area is right over here.»

Forget about Mobil. If you want to give your girlfriend a memorable goodbye night, this is the spot. All you can wish for is right there…

Best price for a smog check in Santa Monica (they’re a lot less east of the 10). The $ 34.95 advertised price comes out to $ 46.70 total as there is an $ 8.25 certificate fee and a hazardous materials fee for $ 3.50. In and out in 25 minutes. Easy breezy.