Valvoline Instant Oil Change — Attraction in Woodland

BAIT AND SWITCH - In no way am I saying the employees did anything wrong or shady. That being said, this economy has been crushing and my wallets been thin so I went to Groupon to try and save some money.

We arrived and expressed we wanted to use the freshly bought Groupon voucher we purchased. Tom let us know the voucher “MAY NOT WORK.” AND that we would have to pay full price if it doesn’t. Any cautious customer would of course ask if he can check to see if the voucher was good. The response triggers “Bait and Switch alarms.”

The response “We have no way of checking until the service is done. If the voucher doesn’t work you have to pay full price.”

As a man in sales I asked if he could just charge the sale at the till and see if the voucher worked?

He said he can’t and it’s company policy.

I was trying to be absolutely polite and explain that it is crazy that as the customer I have to gamble to see if the voucher would be honored. I explained I know it’s not you making the call but this is really weird and could potentially qualify as “Bait and Switch”...

Needed fluids changed - very overdue - and was pretty sure that I was low on power steering fluid, based on sounds made while turning the steering wheel. Popped in to this location on the way to Seattle (first time at a Valvoline), and was serviced right away. The tech almost immediately showed me my filthy air filter, but then said they didn't have any in stock to replace it. I was a little stunned ("Why would you show it to me then?") but a few minutes later when I expressed my mild displeasure, they did offer to go get another from a nearby parts store. I accepted, and to their credit, it only added a couple minutes to the process. I was disappointed to see afterward that they had checked the power steering fluid and found it to be okay... so that meant that I probably would need a mechanic to fix the noise I was hearing. A week later and the noise is getting worse - I popped my hood and quickly found that the power steering reservoir was almost completely empty. Wow. Not impressed. No surprise, the noise is gone after I filled...

First, they didn't know any of the common diesel oils or the comparable products they offer. Then it turns out they arent even qualified to change my fuel filter. By the time they were done, the technician had to ask me if the oil level was correct. They also spilled oil all over which caused a burnt oil smell, which made me think I had burnt the engine next time I drove the truck for any significant time. Lastly, they tried to tell me I need to come back in 3k miles to have it changed again (manual says 7,500 miles between changes).

I'll never take another vehicle to valvoline, gas or diesel. There is a high degree of incompetence that prevents me from trusting their work and a clear lack of training. These are certainly NOT certified mechanics, I would trust the high school kid nextdoor the same if not more...