Maaco Auto Body Shop & Painting — Local services in Philadelphia

It seems there's another (or there used to be another) Maaco of/near Manayunk that hasn't gotten stellar reviews on the web, so let me clarify:

This Maaco (on Umbria) has only been open for about a month and is under the ownership & operation of a nice couple and their son. There's also a precious dog (that I've affectionately named Estimate Dog) happily roaming the facility.

Basically, the damage to my car was a passenger side fender dent and paint scratch. It wasn't horrible, but the estimates elsewhere were frightening. I went to four locations for estimations prior to Maaco and they ranged from $1,200 to $1,850. Basically, much more than I could afford and much more than what seemed reasonable for the damage - all of these from a mix of Mom'n'Pop shops and larger companies. I went to Maaco after receiving a flyer in the mail, expecting more of the same, but I'd settled with the fact that getting my car repaired might mean never owning a home or sending my non-existent children to college or eating food until 2016.

LONG STORY SHORT: With the help of Estimate Dog (and the actual owners), I was given an "estimate" (exactly what I paid in the end) for the damage to my vehicle, which included a dent further back on my car from the same incident. DAMAGE THAT THE OTHER ESTIMATORS HADN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED. The cost was almost half as much as what I would've paid elsewhere, and I got MORE work done than the other places accounted for. My car looks incredible. The frilly "our equipment is state of the art, we mix our paint with lasers, our entire crew graduated from the prestigious University of Cars !!!" nonsense that I heard from other auto body shops was absolutely bizarre, because my lil' car looks brand new, and the only "convincing" these folks did was reassure me that they have a good team working in the show. And they do. The accident, it would seem, never happened. They also vacuumed the inside of my car, a task long overdue on my part, and I basically almost got into another accident on the way out of the facility because I was so happy about that.

In summary: They did an excellent job for an excellent price. They were kind and accommodating, with experience and craftsmanship that are hard to ignore. They also had that dog...

I'd recommend this place to anyone, and if (God forbid) I need work done again, I will absolutely head to Maaco in Manayunk...

Deplorable customer service. Wouldn't be able to tell you whether the work was good or not since I'll be traveling to another neighborhood to patronize a more friendly Maaco.

I called today to get a roundabout estimate for full body paint on a car. The gentlemen I spoke to was so incredible disrespectful that I'd never step foot into this location.

I kindly gave him the year, make, model, and condition (certified pre-owned fresh from the dealer), and ask for starting costs. I told him I knew I would have to come in person to get exact quotes, but I am currently out of town. I just needed to have an idea to present to the client I would be bringing (a new colleague in my company I've been charged to help get settled).

He respond by telling me he could not tell me anything without seeing the car. He then asked me the condition of the car... again. I again told him it was purchased, certified pre-owned in like new condition just days ago. The client simply wishes to change the color.

Strangely, he asked me where I worked. I kindly told him, thinking he was making small conversation while he got the estimate. He then asked me if I ever went to school for car repair. I told him "no."

He responded sharply: "Well, neither did I, but I've worked here long enough to know that there is so much more that goes into prepping a car for paint. I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING OVER THE PHONE. You can make an appointment if you'd like."

I'm an area Service and Sales Trainer for fair-sized company operating in the metro area. I personally would not give them a dime of my money if they allow someone so crass to answer the phone.

To confirm, I called another location RIGHT after. The whole call took 1 minute and 49 second:

"Full body paint start at $345.00 for a basic enamel coat. It may go up from there based on what extras you'd like/need. The highest I've seen withing the last two months was around $800.00."

Not hard at all. High more professional and...

Where should I start? I recently got into a car accident where I was struck while idling at a red light. Luckily, I was okay and only suffered minor injuries. After the accident, I was left with many questions about where to get my car repaired? Would the work be quality? Can I trust the mechanics? A close friend of mine was in a similar situation recently and referred me to the MAACO on 5091 Umbria Street in Philadelphia. I called ahead of time and scheduled an appointment for an evaluation. Upon my arrival, I was instantly greeted by a warm and welcoming staff, most notable John. John answered every question I had with outstanding professional etiquette, relieved me of any stresses I had, and gave me a tour of the facility. By giving me the tour, I learned how they repair the vehicles and was shown how detailed the process was. This crash course on automotive body work reaffirmed my choice to choose this shop and created a sense of overwhelming ease. Two weeks later, I picked up my truck. I was instantly awestruck with the precision and brilliance to detail that my truck displayed. It looked better that day than the day I purchased the vehicle. In good faith I would recommend this shop, John, and his staff to my closest friends and family. I look forward to reading future reviews that are even more enthusiastic than my...