08/02/09

I wouldn't hesitate to stopby SF Honda before you finalize

by kmaintl

I have to say that the customer service I received from Christopher Scharf was what I wished all car sales people would behave like. None of that back and forth stalling, keeping you at the dealership for hours. Never over talked the merchandise nor pushed for a sale, he just helped me get the information I was looking for. I was considering either the Toyota Highlander or Honda Pilot and you know what I ended up with.

What is unusual about Chris Scharf's customer service is that he continued to give me the information I needed without expecting an immediate sale. The reason is that when I stopped by on Fri, 7/31, in hopes that I could take advantage of the Federal stimulus program, "Cash for Clunkers", SF Honda had already decided to suspend participation with the program as the funding was exhausted. Without the $4,500 rebate, I wasn't planning to make my purchase and he knew this... but still he showed me the Pilots he had in stock and explained the features as best he could and even let us test drive one.

I had tried several days earlier, contacting the Internet Sales department, to get an on-line quote on a 2009 Pilot EX-L 4WD, and the availability and colors if available. Without success... and running out of time on the "Cash for Clunkers" program, I just stopped by the dealership to see if I could get a live person help. Chris Scharf told me exactly what was in stock, went over the 3x 2009 Pilots, all 3 were exactly what we were looking for. I was struggling on waiting for the program to be reinstated and possibly loosing the Pilots. Chris Scharf can see the struggle and just suggested that I wait as $4,500 was an outrageous consumer benefit to not take advantage of. He reassured me that since SF Honda had several models, he didn't think they would all disappear immediately. Well, today, SF Honda reinstated their participation and we purchased our Pilot. I got a great deal without no haggling on price as the best price they could offer was a excellent price. Checkout True Car dot Com and see what I mean by a excellent price, that's what they gave me. If you checkout all the other Bay Area Honda dealers, you going to find that they rate closer to 2.5 to 3 stars by yelp users. SF Honda rates 4 stars overall, but go see Chris Scharf if you're looking for a Honda as he's a 5 star rating. Thumbs up for Chris.

• Pros: Soft Sell, Great Customer Service
• Cons: No Response to Website Inquiries for Quote and Availability

03/12/07

Rip Off: Unless your car is under warranty, don't take it here

by ithinkiamsmart

I learned this the hard way: unless your car is under warranty, do not take your car here. I got an estimate for repairs from these guys for about $1300. I got it towed half a block away and only spent $800.

Bottom line: they're a dealer. Most cars they service are under warranty, so they can jack up the prices without worrying.

I learned this the hard way: unless your car is under warranty, don't take it here.

09/15/06

Rip You Off

by moneysworth

Took in my 2000 Odyssey for routine maintenance and rough idling problem.

After charging me $138.50 to diagnose the rough idle problem, they couldn't find the cause, but said the engine was idling low and the only way to fix that was to replace the throttle body, a pricy little job at $703.

They also discovered the front brakes had 10% wear left and recommended new brakes and rotor resurface for another $302.

At this point, I told them "I think I'll shop around." Imagine, $138 later and they still didn't know what was the matter.

Here's the kicker. I took it to Shum's Auto Clinic on Ocean Ave. Brake job? Including rotor resurface? $170. And they use Honda brake pads, which they get from the dealer. Rough idle problem? Cleaned the throttle body and readjusted the screw that the Honda service goons messed with. Total? $225.10.

I saved almost $800 on repairs. I would have to be an idiot to go back to SF Honda, the rip off artists.

• Pros: Clean facility
• Cons: Expensive, especially considering their incompetence