I just moved to the area and was looking for a repair shop that specialized in BMWs. I found All German Motorworks located at 109 Weber Ave, Leesburg. On my move to The Villages, my X5's AC blower gave out and needed replacement. I know enough about cars to self-diagnose. I took my car to Gary, a British man who manages All German Motorworks, and explained the problem. He explained their process of performing their diagnosis for $130. Gary told me that if my diagnosis were correct, and they completed the work, I would not be charged. I researched the labor time involved and the cost of the parts. Gary advised they charged $130 an hour and estimated it would take about 8 hours to complete the job. I knew what components had to be replaced and how much a BMW distributor charged for the parts. Gary told me I needed the blower motor (which I knew) and a resister (a secondary part) that I knew did NOT need replacement. I didn't say anything since the resister was less than $100.
I brought my car in on a Monday and was told it would be ready by Thursday or Friday at the latest of the same week.
Since I had not heard from All German, I called on Thursday afternoon and was informed their distributor had sent the wrong part, and they were expecting the correct one on Friday. Gary was hoping to have the work complete by the end of the day on Friday. Gary gives all sorts of excuses on why the car was not ready and blamed his parts distributor for sending the wrong part. I'm not upset; I understand that unforeseen things happen and have a second car.
The car was not ready on Friday.
I called on Monday and was told they had received the part, and that it would be installed on Tuesday, and the car would be ready by noon. At the end of the day on Tuesday, I receive a call advising my vehicle is ready, but it's too late in the day to pick it up before they close.
I pick up the car on Wednesday, and Gary explains that his mechanic had a problem installing the passenger side airbag because of an aftermarket stereo I had installed. The dashboard had to be removed to get to the blower. Gary tells me that reinstalling the airbag could cause a decapitation if reinstalled because of missing components and foam removed from the car when the aftermarket stereo was installed.
Gary looks for the airbag to show me the bag, and bracket it attaches to, but cannot find it. Gary has one of his other mechanics call the mechanic that had worked on my car and found out that the mechanic was able to reinstall without a problem. So, by this time, bells are starting to go off, and I'm beginning to wonder just how informed Gary is.
Gary is a non-stop talker (kind of like a used car salesman) will not let you get a word in. In haste, I pay my bill and forget to give the office manager a coupon I got out of the paper for a 10% discount.
On Thursday, I call and tell Gary I forgot to give him the coupon and asked if he would apply it. He immediately shuts me down, saying that he cannot issue credit because my credit card had already been charged. He was very abrasive, rude, short, and offered no other solution. I was speechless and hung up.
I regrouped and called him back. Now keep this under consideration, I was told my cars work would be complete on Thursday, and it wasn't finished until the end of business on the following Tuesday. During the process, I've had to call to get statuses on the work and delivery. I'm being charged full retail prices on original BMW parts that I can call a local BMW dealer and purchase directly from the dealer at a lesser price. And I've been charged for a part I did not need.
I tell Gary that it is not good business practice to not honor his coupon after the concessions I've made. Gary flies off the handle and starts screaming; he will "not be bullied" into give me credit for the coupon. From this point on, things escalate, and I end up hanging up the phone.
I would not recommend this shop as it has no sense of customer service. In my opinion, they prey on car owners that don't understand mechanical issues of their cars and, most importantly, the older folks in the community. They overcharge for parts and their labor. The most disturbing part of the ordeal was the lack of customer service, Gary's used car salesman tactics, and Gary's volatile temper.
The following week I drove to my son's house in Texas, and my radio stops working. I take to my installer in Texas, and he tells me that whoever worked on my car recklessly cut several wires. So now I have the added expense of fixing the radio.
Please beware and smart consumers and look up the price of OEM parts. Use car blogs to inform yourself on labor cost and time need for your repairs. Again, I would not recommend Gary and All German Motorworks.
