I'll give a free inspection if you'd like. Never hurts to put it on a lift and torque all the bolts.

 

I've always had good experiences with Ballade over the years. I know Alex can be a bit of a salesman at times, but I've always trusted him with my car. It's a bummer to hear about all these bad stories.

 

I would highly encourage anyone who has had issues or experiences with Ballade Sports to file a complaint with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Comp...orm/index.html) and to post their review on Yelp to make things more visible. I've been getting PM's from people stating that they too have had similar issues with being talked into repairs that were not necessary, aggressive tactics, etc... The Bureau of Automotive Repair is aware of the issues and the shop is currently under investigation as they've been without a license for half a year and shouldn't be preforming repairs.

 

Yeah I like Ballad too. He was 100 with me on my car. I prefer them over the people at Rockstar. Alex takes the time to explain things. I can understand the upselling part but that's any business. Sounds like people didn't do their homework before getting work done.

Alex and the team are out there hustling and you guys are trying to run him into the ground.

 

Someone mentioned LHT in Florida was considering another shop in So Cal at a recent gathering. Anyone know if that is true? Because if it is...Im on it! Their attention to detail and professionalism is unmatched anywhere.

 

Not sure why anyone would want to start a business in California... My good impression of LHT's attention to detail is based only on information here. It's directly attributable to a couple of guys turning the wrenches. Hard to see that happening with different guys thousands of miles away from the owner.

-- Chuck

 

No shop should upsell services. If you have a good repair shop AND an online parts business and need to up sell, it is a huge indicator that you are not making money because few people want to come to you Having grown up with a shop in the family I cringe when I hear these stories. It was great for my father, who stayed covered up because he did NOT do these types of things and most others did, but still crappy to see it going on.

When taking a car, or anything in for repair, it is NOT the job of the customer to "do their research". They are paying a "Qualified" professional for guidance and services and should not have to protect themselves from getting screwed and sold things they do not need. Most folks going to a shop do so because they are not experts on working on their cars, so they trust the shop is going to lead them in the right direction.

And sorry, that much for a TCT install is worse robbery than many dealership stories. That alone is a huge warning flag. It is literally a 30 minute job.

I have never dealt with them other than looking at their site (Which admittedly does remind me of too many "tuner" sites out there ... but who knows). I am just basing my comments off the stories and inputs here and if those are true, it is a sad review of this business.

 

Yeah, an upsell does not a good shop make.

If you're working on my car and see something that is on its way out or could be problematic in the near future give me a call and let me know .

But to just suggest work that doesn't need to be done is wrong.

 

There is LARGE difference between an upsell and selling people things they don't need.

If a shop gives the option to upgrade a part (that needs replacing) with something that offers higher performance, that's an upsell. If a shop tells you that while they are working on your transmission they can replace your clutch because it needs it in the near future and you can save money by pairing them together, that's an upsell. Nothing wrong with an upsell as long as they are being transparent.

 

That's a different thing from what others seem to be suggesting Ballade is doing.