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September 2023 by Joshua Gagnon
DO NOT TAKE YOUR VEHICLE HERE!!!This is a review of Alan's Auto RESTORATION on Saint John Street in Portland. This is not a review of the Alan's Auto Service on Riverside. (The Alan's Auto on Riverside is a great shop, the head mechanic is very knowledgeable and is fair with his pricing and work. Many people confuse this and it's the reason their are some positive reviews on the Restoration shop.)This is the most accurate representation of a typical encounter with Alan's Auto Restoration. I do not know how any customer would leave his shop any bit satisfied, in fact by the time I had my car back from his barb wired compound, I wanted to sell it.Alan will probably respond to this review with a big long response about how he helped write the Maine State law to help consumers be fairly treated by the Auto repair industry. Well Mr. Lawyer, you helped write that law only to benefit you! You use that law to strong arm customers into repairing things they never approved, but because they signed one piece of paper at drop-off, that covers you.Alan made no mention of his VEHICLE MAINTENANCE ANALYSIS before drop off, but will still do it at almost $400. That simply benefits Alan, to find more stuff wrong with the customers car that he will fix, and charge them for, without approval.Alan can't simply follow his own law, "29A M.R.S.A. § 1805, Notices.A repair shop must post the following notice in a place where it is reasonably likely to beseen by its repair customers. The notice must be completed with information on charges andprinted so that it is conspicuous and can be read by the average person."His labor rates and the rest of the required information are not even posted in his shop! But the picture of Alan with Angus King when he was governor found room on the wall.Once Alan sent his first "weekly bill" I told him to stop working on my car. The car had been there for almost a month at this point, he didn't touch it for the first two weeks. I checked his detailed bill over and he charged me for numerous things that I specifically told him on the phone 'DON'T TOUCH', but he had the signed authorization on drop off to cover him in a court of law (remember he wrote that law!)I called him and argued my points to him and told him I wanted the charges reversed, because I didn't authorize them. He told me that's what I have to pay if I want my car back. So I didn't talk to him for a week, he then filed with the state for ownership of my car. He did not wait the 90 days as Maine State Law requires.I called him up a week later and settled the bill with him, surprisingly he took a small amount off a $2500 bill. I paid him the following week and he finally released my car from his barb wired compound! And I thought the story with Alan was done.I get a call over 2 months later that the state has awarded Alan ownership of my car. I can't understand this, I had paid the bill and picked my car up 2 months ago?! Well Alan did not alert the state that I had properly paid the bill. So he "legally" stole my car out from under me! After talking to the State, I find out he has stolen almost 20, YES 20, cars from his customers in the last 14 years.Now I have spoken to many mechanics that all say they have never seen a shop need to use this law, so why has Alan used it so much?Is this the experience you want to have to get your car fixed? Alan is a crook and a thief, but acts like your best friend when you drop the car off. He will lull you to death on the phone about how the old cars are hard to find parts for, and act like they are performing rocket surgery on your car. When in reality, he is just lining his back pockets with your hard earned money by lying and cheating on your bill. But don't worry folks, this is not just how a customer feels about Alan, his mechanics feel the same way about him. And once they see how he operates his business, they leave.So thanks Alan for being an example of what not to do. I will bring my car to all the mechan
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July 2021 by Sean Ashcraft
I can't say enough good things about the Alan Auto team, they do simply amazing work there. I recently purchased/imported a low-mile 1983 245 Turbo from Italy after 21 years in long term storage there and it needed to be gone through thoroughly. I sent it off with a long list and they went through and performed each task to perfection. Not only that, but they made improvements and updates to things not on the list, with my approval first of course, to make the car run as good as new. They're very communicative and let you know what's going on every step of the way so there are no surprises. Alan is a wealth of knowledge and Andrew is a master mechanic and problem solver and along with the rest of the team there they make for an unbeatable combination of Volvo experts. I would not hesitate to take the car back to them for additional work if needed, and/or any restoration work needed in the future. Thanks to everyone there for making my experience a phenomenal one, we will definitely work together again!
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April 2021 by Chrystie Henderson
Our 1990 240 DL was restored by Alan and he and his team did an outstanding job. When done the car looked like it just came off the showroom floor when it was purchased new. Alan's attention to detail is outstanding. They kept us informed weekly of the progress with pictures and decisions that needed to be made. They delivered on all their commitments, very professionally! Highly recommend Alan to anyone restoring a Volvo. I live on the west coast and shipped the car to Alan in Maine because I felt they were the best and I was right.
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March 2021 by Adam Sise
They have taken great care of my classic Volvo, finding rare parts and fixing difficult problems. No better place for know-how of these great machines.
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March 2021 by Jon Levy
If you need a REAL Volvo mechanic, soup to nuts, wiper blades to transmission rebuilt, this is the best shop in the world. But, you should know that they mostly handle vintage RWD Volvos, that I know of. This place is the REAL DEAL, no BS, Honest and Caring! Alan Auto Restoration is very easy and fun to work with. Alan's team is meticulous and they are all Experts in their field. I cannot say enough good things about my experience working with Alan Auto, and even during the COVID Pandemic, they are very helpful to make sure I am aware of everything that was happening at any given time during my repairs.
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August 2020 by V. M.D.
I have worked with Alan Auto on major restorations over the past twenty years, and have three award winning vintage Volvos as a result. There is no better, more experienced Volvo restoration specialist in North America that I am aware of. The staff is friendly, professional, and highly skilled, with the vast majority of all work, mechanical and body, done in house. The facilities are spacious and first rate, and the entirety is well maintained , well supplied, and unusually clean and tidy. Their pricing is not cheap, but fair --- restoration work, whether for an Aston or a Volvo, is always going to be expensive and probably twice as much as expected. Alan himself is incredibly knowledgeable and still very much engaged in the process, which is what it is all about really.
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July 2020 by Gerri Fitzgerald
Alan is the best; we had our 240 transported all the way from Dallas, Tx.We had to rely on him doing what he said because we aren't locally. Alan is trustworthy and I consider a man of God. He not only became our repair guy, he also became a friend. Our 1993 240 is chugging along -lol
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November 2019 by Jakeornot
Never agree to anything without a complete work order no matter how minor it might be presented as being, including who will work on the vehicle. Have nothing done no matter how desperate you might be without dealing in person and with the signed work order signed by both parties. Adhere to this procedure. Do not waiver, no matter what.
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April 2019 by Dan Fahey
Alan is condescending. He took my car hostage. I needed a fuel pump. My car was originally from Connecticut. It had never had a inspection sticker. All I wanted was to fix the fuel pump but since it had never had a sticker he said that the lights, tires, and horn needed to be replaced. Be that as it may, he called me and threatened to call the police if I left his lot in my car. I hadn't got my tax money back so i asked my mother to help me pay for his "service" and when she called to pay he had gone on a wild shopping spree. He fixed everything but the fuel pump and it cost me more than a thousand dollars and it stalled not even 24 hours off the lot. I brought it back to him like an idiot and this is when he took my car hostage. since my mother was using her credit card i had to literally asl permission to take my own car back after his secretary told me he left it running for 6 hours in his drive way. I took the car even though he told me "You're not a paying customer." I'll never go back. I might sue him for doing work that i didnt want done.
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January 2018 by Paul Drinan
Great work by Igor. He kept us in the loop with problems and progress, making sure to get approval before we spent our hard earned money. We appreciate the open communication and recommend his service.
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September 2017 by Norwood Beveridge
Long and painful process- starts with pointless intake where he notes things like “missing original cigarette lighter†and “frayed seat belt†and ends with a box of metal parts and empty wallet. If you are lucky, the thing you came in for has been fixed, if not...
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June 2016 by James Epstein
I have been bringing my 2003 V70 to Alan Auto for about 5 years. From the beginning I was shown respect and professionalism. Now living an hour and a half away in central Maine, I never hesitate to make the trip to Portland to have Alan and his team handle the maintenance and repairs on my car. With my mom receiving cancer treatments last year it was vital piece of mind to be able to depend on my Volvo to get me to my family whenever I needed to... thanks to Alan Auto. I will keep my car for much longer than anticipated due to the service I have received from this establishment. I really enjoy being shown faulty parts when they are removed to help me learn and understand the reason behind the repairs. A great example of this was when my catalytic converter needed to be replaced. Alan made a point to show me the removed part in the shop and its faults. That was great! I have also appreciated recommendations on the proper tires for my car which has saved me lots of time and hassle dealing with a tire store on my own. The willingness to accommodate my need for a loaner car is always appreciated. At other establishments it is difficult to attain a loaner so this is an excellent service to have!!! I would highly recommend taking your Volvo to Alan Auto if you want it to last!
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April 2016 by Realizm HF
I had the best experience going to Alan's Volvo, start to finish! Everyone I came in contact with, went above and beyond my expectations. They gave me all the information, whether it was good news or not. I appreciate their honesty. Any issues that come up, I will be calling them first. I truly love my Volvo and feel it is well taken care of when I leave it with Alan. I would recommend them to anyone who values honesty and professionalism.
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April 2016 by Steve Northup
I have been taking my 240 to Alan for almost 2 years now. His extensive knowledge of the model keeps me coming back. He has in depth knowledge on every part, allowing him to quickly and knowledgeably assess when to use aftermarket parts vs when to pay the extra for the Volvo name. His thorough mentality can occasional cost more, but after having 2 'repairs' by other shops that left me stranded on the side of the road I always go to Alan to ensure that the job is done right. He also has the experience to explain when and how to preform preemptive maintenance. As a true Volvo enthusiast, he was happy to chat with me for long durations about what parts of my car were likely to fail next, where the rust generally sets in, etc., and how to prevent these occurrences. He was happy to share insider knowledge that allowed me to make many minor repairs on my own, even at the expense of costing him more business. I take my car to Alan because I want him to not only patch the problem, but to approach it with a detailed understanding of the car. He fixes problems once, so that they don't come back again. I know that I can be confident leaving his shop that I won't end up on the side of the road.
