HORRIBLE Experience…Beware of the Fake Reviews! My experience at DS Auto it was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had at any auto shop to date. Back in August 2020 my car started having some issues, so I called around to see if I could find a mechanic in the area that could check it out and let me know what’s wrong. I called into DS Auto because they seemed to have a lot of genuine, positive reviews on Google. Big mistake! I should have checked Yelp. I ended up speaking with Moses, the rep for DS Auto and a very deceitful man to say the least. Before bringing my car in, I asked Moses how much a diagnostic for my car would cost. he told me flat out that there would be NO CHARGE for the diagnostics. this was one of the main reasons why I chose to go to this shop versus all the other shops I could have went to in Visalia. He even told me that he could secure for me a rental car for $30-35, so that I could leave my car and go run some errands for the day while he runs the diagnostic. Of course, none of this was true. After having me wait around for more than an hour (outside in the searing heat I might add), he slipped me a $135 bill for the cost of the diagnostics. Normally, I would have said “forget it” and left, but he had already had a rental coming to pick me up from the shop, so I stuck it out. After an additional 30-40 mins of waiting, the shuttle from Enterprise picks me up to get the rental vehicle, only to find out once I get there that they actually have no rental cars available, only vans for $60 and up. I couldn’t believe it! Moses knew this full well before I went over there, but went through with the charade anyway. It’s disgusting. I ended up having to WALK from my place to the shop (a 30min walk in 100+ degree heat!) to pick up my car. The whole thing was a complete waste of my time and money. Following the ordeal, I got a message from the owner Santos asking me how my experience at DS Auto was. I explained what happened in a thorough and courteous manner, and got absolutely no response! Avoid this shop like the plague. Not only are their services expensive overpriced, but they very disingenuous and cannot be trusted. I am thoroughly convinced that the bulk of their “positive” reviews on Google are fake and paid for. There are better shops in Visalia that you can patronize that will not jerk you around like DS Auto. Never again!!!
Hi Nathan, I'm sorry to hear the perception of your service experience. Sometimes what we perceive to be couldn't be further than what really is. It's unfortunate that there was a misunderstanding in the cost of the diagnostics. We are adamant about being fully in agreement before providing any service for all of our customers. Enterprise has a professional rate that we pass on to our customers as a cost savings. I know they were struggling with vehicle availability significantly during the onset of the pandemic that we're currently in. I'm sorry that you had to experience all of these unfortunate circumstances at the same time in 100 degree weather. In our 35 years of serving the citizens of Tulare County and many surrounding areas we are always transparent even though we have the difficult position of often having to deliver unwelcomed news. Best Wishes, Santos
- DS Auto Experts