Finest Collision Center

This is an approved AAA auto repair shop.My van shut down Friday night (3/18/16).I had it tow to that location because I had no other choice.I was told to call the morning which is Saturday,they would check to see what's the problem.When I call I was told they don't open on weekends till Monday.This was rediculus.Anyway,I was called Monday morning and told diagnosis would cost $125.00 plus parts and labor.OK Second call,the camshaft position senser.$140.00 plus $85.00 labor.Total $350.00 plus tax =$381.06.Third call your van is ready. Ok. Go pay the bill and pick up the van,drive two blocks, van shut down with the same problem.Call the shop,they would send the tow truck in a few minutes.It took about thirty minutes.Check the van,the $140.00 CPS is no good.The day is finished.Have to wait another day.The guy was not rude,keep saying that he is sorry but for me, this is very rediculus.Drove the van to my place and it did not shut down this time.

I broke down in Inwood Sunday Night 6pm. Could not crank car. I already had the battery checked by another AAA service truck prior before relenting to the tow. I thought that after the battery check it was an Immobilizer, Alarm, Ignition, Starter or Alternator. I guess I really no idea but not a chance to get it started. I called AAA. Opted for the authorized Service Station which turned out Finest Collision because my usual mechanic is A) Closed and B) too far away . Finest Collision also provided the Tow Truck. Firstly, the two people doing the towing were extremely professional, polite and empathetic. For some reason I did not expect that. The woman asked me the problem. I explained and then the gentleman proceeded to run his own field test on the car to see if he could bypass alarm or immobilizer to see if he could get it started before towing. "To spare me a greater headache" if possible. Definitely appreciated that but in the end, I was going to need the tow. Ok, on to the repair. Honestly, I was very concerned because I didn't know the shop or it's reputation. I feared that a shop may take advantage of my situation because I didn't feel I had much choice on a Sunday Night. Came home, did some research on the problem of the car and on the repair facility. Admittedly, this caused me even more anxiety. I called first thing Monday morning...like 8:30am. A very personable Christina greeted me on the phone and took down some information that I thought would be relevant to diagnosing the problem that I didn't provide the Tow Driver Sunday Night. And again, I did not expect this genuine courtesy from any garage. She was polite, courteous and thorough. An hour and a half later, 10am, I get a call from the Master Mechanic: Ralph. This man just as exemplary in his kind and professional demeanor as all the aforementioned...MIND BLOWN!. He told me that it was the Starter and how much it would cost to fix ( I checked later, their repair cost skewed on the lower end of estimated cost per national average for my model and make of car). I green light the work. Ralph calls me at 12pm to tell me the repair is finished and I can pick it up at my convenience. Great!!! I hang up and then my head starts working me again from all the horror stories I've heard about mechanics and some reviews I've read about perhaps a previous owner of the shop. I can't help myself, I call back and get Christina again. and then ask if I may inspect the repair and replaced part. She said "Sure"!!! "I will tell the mechanic". I get there, Christina greets me just as kindly as all of my other interactions (mind you, it's 5pm and she's been there since at least 8am...I could not pull off that demeanor nor fake it very well at the end of my day...and she was genuinely kind and patient with me. Ralph meets me at the car, turns it over, pops the hood and Viola!!! Shiny new starter!!! He then proceeds to show me my old corroded starter with a burned out failure of a heavy gauge connecting wire. Understanding that I was just doing my due diligence, Ralph shares with me that he's not in the business of taking advantage of people and that the owner is a dear friend of his plus he's governed by the standards of AAA (not that he needs to be. He seemed like a real stand up guy). So...Thank you Ralph. I've found my new mechanic! Thank you Christina, I've found my new garage! Thank you AAA for turning me on to this Repair Facility (I have a feeling I will need more...bought the car used). From an evening tow to finished repair: 16 hours. Amazing. This turned out so well. Very Grateful. Thanks Finest Collision. Also...there was no storage fee or charge per calendar day tacked on to my bill either. I read that from a earlier review on this site. This was not the case for me.

New Owners, New Shop... I received excellent service and now my car is running perfectly

I once took my car there years ago, and I was overcharged (they also underestimated) and did work that I found out later wasn't necessary, but because of the name change and not being sure what to do, I let AAA tow my car to them this past weekend. Long story short: Do not take your car to Don Glo or “Finest” as they are now calling themselves, probably because Don Glo's rep was in the toilet. If AAA tows your car to them and you decide to take it elsewhere, maybe because they YELLED at you for asking them a question they will charge you $30 a day for “storage”. Just to be clear, that's $30 per CALENDAR day, so if your car goes in there at 11:55 pm on Friday night and you manage to drive it or get it towed away at 12:05 AM on Saturday morning, that will be 2 “calendar” days or $60!!! for your troubles. That's how they count days. If you pick your car up first thing when they open Monday morning, you'll be charge for Sunday and Monday too! But that's still better than leaving it there and having them overcharge you on repairs by hundreds of dollars. OR worse having them totally screw up the repairs and yell and scream at you when you express any concern, criticism, or mention something you think might be important for them to know. If you have GEICO, they are a Geico- Express shop, but don't believe for a second that it's all good because the insurance is paying because they'll probably do a lousy job and you'll still be out the deductible. They are “winners” in every way – rudeness, incompetence, and the art of the rip-off. Here's my lesson learned: If you've got AAA, get AAA Plus so that you your car is never towed to them. If your car does wind up there, get it out before they have a chance to mess it up and overcharge you. Don't even bother to question the storage charges because they will just repeat the words “calendar” days and then start yelling and screaming at you. If you were unfortunate enough to have a bad experience with them, let AAA know as that's how they make a lot of their money, and let other customers know by reviewing them. Also considering reading some of the other reviews that aren't currently “recommended” as they are almost all very negative. As far as just having them jump start your car or other service, that may be ok, but under no circumstance let them tow your car to their shop.