Dave's Auto Care

Dave's work is always first rate. They know more about detailing than any other firm in the area.

It was amazing that a business like this can survive. When I arrived, I was told that they had just finished with my car. I inspected it, and found that they had not completely vacuumed it. It was a disappointment, but not a huge issue because at least it was cleaner than when it arrived. It appears that different people worked on it, as the dashboard was great! On closer inspection, I found some kind of glue on the right rear window, on the outside. Dave saw me look at it, and said "We forgot about that. We'll take care of it now.". That is when I saw the nice dent in the right front fender. I knew that I had no evidence, so calmly pointed it out, and asked for my keys. Dave instantly became very rude. He said "I always have trouble with "you Groupon people". He knew that I was not happy, but was not about to admit anything. We went into his office where he said that my vehicle had a $50 "upcharge" because it was a large SUV (it is a Honda CRV). It was clear that Dave was not going to give my my keys until he extorted the $50 from me. I paid it with my American Express, knowing that AMEX would give me my money back (American Express contacted Dave, and he did not dispute it). I contacted Groupon, and they refunded my $99 as well. Unfortunately, now I have to get my CRV fixed. The damage was minor, but Dave's rudeness was extreme. Dave's Auto is also listed in Yelp, but I only found out after having this very bad experience. I'm not the only one that has had problems. Don't let this happen to you.

I've used Dave's auto care for the past 18 years. All my cars are hand washed by Dave and detailed regularly. I can't imagine running a $60,000 car through a mechanical car wash. I read the negative reviews and think they are bogus based on my experience. My outcomes have always been excellent. I would never have my car washed and waxed at any other place.

The detailing work was fine on 10/31/12. However, they offered to pay for the broken key and we took them up on the offer - the key cost $55! We followed up from November until March for our check ... and Dave, the owner, kept telling us, "I've told my bookkeeper to pay the check" or "The check is in the mail." I called last week - obviously getting frustrated after 5 months of following up for a check - and asked Dave to tell me when I could expect the check - I told him "The check is in the mail!" was getting old. Called again today, 3/29/13 - and this time had Dave on speaker phone so my husband could witness the call - and again was told that he told his bookkeeper to write out a check. When my husband piped into the conversation, Dave told him, "I didn't like your wife's attitude last week." Seriously! How long did you expect me to remain patient after waiting 5 months for a $55 check?! My husband started to say something else and Dave told him that paying for a $50 broken key wasn't a priority - he had other bills in front of this one. Wow - that's great customer service, Dave - good job trying to build customer loyalty. I'm not one to write negative views ... remember, I'm the patient one that's been waiting 5 months for a check ... and stupid enough to think it is coming! However, I do think it is my obligation to let other's know what they may be getting into if they choose to do business with Dave's Auto Care in South Portand, Maine.

It was a complete nightmare. First, they advertised that they pick up and deliver your car, but they asked me to drop it off. Then when I dropped it off for the service I talked to them about some glue on the tail gate, and they said they can get that off no problem without damaging the car...that they had done it many times. I asked them to deliver the car when it was done, as I did not have a ride, and they did so. We met on the street outside my parking garage at work. In the 30 second exchange, Dave (himself) gave me the keys and said "You'll be very happy". I said thank you, paid him in full, and drove my car from the street to the garage. I immediately noticed that an AC control button was missing from the front dashboard. Then I noticed that the 2" x 3" black glue was still on the tail gate, and that they had waxed over it. I called Dave, who said he would take a look at it, but did not offer to come get it. Dave told me at the time that the button likely came off when they used a high pressure air hose to get the dust off the buttons. Re: scheduling to come back, he put me off until the next day when I asked to schedule time. I called daily for a week, and he finally got me in, but he asked me to bring it to him. I said that this was not my fault, and that they should pick it up, since the represent that they do that anyway. He gave in, and picked it up. When the car was returned the 2nd time, the control button was still missing. Then I inspected the glue area....the glue was gone, but it was clear that, instead of using a non-damaging chemical to remove the glue, that they had used a sharp instrument, likely a razor scraper, and took a big chip of paint out, as well as leaving several deep scratches in the paint. They made a feeble attempt to cover up the damage that they did by using spray paint, but they did not fill the chip/scratches, and they left finger prints. They dropped it off, told me that it was all set, then drove off without mentioning that my button was still missing and that they ruined my paint job. When I called about it, he refused to help me further, even though I told him that I would ignore the fact that he damaged my paint, if he bought a new button for me. He refused that offer. . He also said that he "will have to check with his employee to see if the button was ever there". I was shocked! Anyway, I never heard back from him, so I called and emailed several times....still no response. Finally, I had a law firm send a letter to him. He did not respond. I called his cell using *67 to block my number ID, and he answered, telling me that he would "send a check next week". That was 2 weeks ago. My paint and lost button will cost over $500 to repair/replace, so I am suing him in small claims court. Do not ever take your car there! After my experience, a friend told me of other horror stories that she personally experienced there. He's a very bad person....no integrity or honesty.