A-1 Auto Body Ltd

Category:	Auto Body Shop
Address:	5304 1a St SE, Calgary, AB T2H 1J2, Canada
Phone:	+1 403-253-7867
Site:	a1autobody.ca
Rating:	4.6
Working:	8AM–5PM 8AM–5PM 8AM–5PM 8AM–5PM 8AM–5PM Closed Closed

Location

Photos 81

Reviews 4

Alison Brong

Mixed feelings... Pros: Great staff (friendly & accommodating); Good workmanship. Cons: Lack of communication within the organization resulting in unnecessary delays & the need for multiple trips to/from the shop; No walk-through after the work had been completed to ensure customer satisfaction prior to the release of the vehicle. The nitty gritty: I called A1 Autobody to book an estimate to replace the bumper of my Subaru Impreza. The front desk staff were extremely helpful and got me in right away, working around my schedule - the estimate itself was quick and painless. A quote for the work was emailed to me promptly however there was little follow up after that point. About a month passed (time flies) at which point I contacted them to book in. I was told the work usually takes 2 days, but that they book 3 just in case. I dropped my car off Sunday night for the work to be completed Monday-Tuesday/Wednesday - Aok! Tuesday, I called the shop and was told it would not be ready until Wednesday - No problem. Unfortunately, on Wednesday, the shop called stating that a part required to complete the job had not been ordered (? dealer vs. A1s fault) and that the repair would be delayed another 2 days... possibly over the weekend! Without hesitation, I was offered a courtesy car at no charge - excellent, though this meant another trip to the shop to pick it up. Friday I received a call stating my car was ready for pickup. Upon arrival, I was asked to sign paperwork before seeing the car or reviewing the work that had been completed (which seemed strange to me...). When I arrived at my car, I instantly noticed three things: 1) The new bumper was a different style than the original (luckily Im not picky.... but a heads up would have been nice) 2) there were still pink marks on the rear panels of my car despite being told that it had been washed (likely from marking things off in the paint shop) and 3) some of the clips in the wheel well appeared to be missing. I went back inside but had to flag someone down to come take a look... at which point I was told they couldnt believe the car had been released. I was assured that the clips would be ordered & installed, the downside being yet another trip to the shop at a later date. I received a call the following Tuesday and went in to have the clips installed... this time I was told that the missing clips were not necessary (as theyre meant to install mud flaps) and that they didnt serve to hold the bumper in place. Again, a-ok, though explaining that in the first place would have saved the shop from ordering a second set of clips that werent needed and me from returning for a 5th time for no apparent reason.

kipchak kipchak

Unprofessional and unethical shop Facts: - Was rear ended and asked my insurance to send paperwork to this shop based on previous positive experience - Was told repairs would take 1 week and I got their rental for the duration - Called after 1 week myself and left a vmail asking about ETA (that was Mon last week) - No-one called me back - Called and another vmail last Wed - Called and finally got to a person on Thur who said that the vehicle is almost ready and I would be able to pick it up tomorrow (last Fri) - Called last Friday around lunch and was told that the vehicle is ready but they wouldnt be able to clean and polish the car - Went to the shop this Mon (after receiving the call that the car was ready), took keys, returned rental, paid $20 for deductible waiver - But when I inspected the car on their lot, one of the parking sensors was still damaged (visually visible) - They said that I can pick up the car and they would call me when the part arrives and they would drive to my work and fix it (in their shop) during that day - On Tue instead of doing the above, i got the email asking to get to their shop myself as the repair will take "only a few moments". I did this during my lunch break and it took ~45min (excluding my driving time from DT and back) but now they realized it was not only the sensor cover but the sensor itself was broken - They called me again on Thur and said they have the sensor - I asked if I could come after 3pm to get this fixed on my way back as I would be off tomorrow (and I live outside Calgary)... guess what... they said no because for their accounting they want the original mechanic to work on my vehicle - So, I had to drive back to the city on Fri to get this finally fixed - I asked if they could compensate for inconvenience and was told that their GM only agreed to return back $20 (I paid to them to waive deductibles on the rental)... I spent ~8 hours of my time and probably more on gas than $20 just to fix what they should have done in the 1st place.... even more, what if i didnt check those sensors....

S Rushmer

Hit or Miss and when they miss... they miss! Ive taken my 2013 Jetta there twice. The first time was for the replacement of my front bumper and fixing the passenger side fender. It took awhile to get scheduled in, but the end result looked of high quality. The 2nd time I took it in to get my rear bumper, trunk and frame structure fixed after being rear ended. I was told it would be about 2 weeks as there was a fair amount of work to be done. They phoned me earlier than expected on a Friday afternoon and told me my car was done. I had no indication it would be done at this time and I was at work and couldnt make it to pick up my car before the end of the day. They also told me that most insurance companies do not cover the rental vehicle for more than 24hrs after the autobody shop has indicated they are done. Thanks for the call late on Friday! I went to pick up my car on Monday when it was overcast out. I discovered that a panel in my trunk had been broken. I notified their warranty personnel and they said they would replace it. The next day in different lighting I inspected my car and found 2 paint runs! The trunk panel hadnt even been secured in place, there was a small dent in my quarter panel which wasnt there when I took it in, there was tape and paper in the door sills from the paint job, and the paint in one area looked like crap! I contacted warranty again and I eventually scheduled a time to take it in. When I finally was able to take in my car to be reworked, I was further disappointed. I pointed out a few of the issues and the person said "that is getting a little nit-picky isnt it?". To further my disappointment, they gave me their loaner/rental car with only a 1/4 tank of fuel and of course expect it to be returned at the same level. Who gives the customer a 1/4 tank of fuel? When I did come back, I was finally satisfied with the fixing they had done. It looks good now, but what will happen to the paint down the road? Not going back if I have the misfortune of getting in another accident.

Josiah Rose

In early February, I was rear ended on my way home from work. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with the body work that needed doing as a consequence. In fact, I put it off, because my experience with car places usually involved being talked down to or dismissed. Turns out, the problem was, I was going to the wrong places. My entire experience at A1 was beyond impressive. Each phone call left me feeling listened to, and like I had absolutely nothing to worry about. The staff dealt with my insurance people and made sure I knew what was going on. My estimate appointment was so fast and easy it was the best part of my day. But when the day came to drop my car off, I was a bit anxious. We’ve all heard the horror stories about hidden costs or other terrible surprises. Plus, I was getting a rental. That’s a good thing, but I travel with a service dog. Legalities aside, most rental companies insist there is a cleaning fee if you put a dog – even a service dog – in a rental. And I’ve just never had the energy to fight about it. But the staff at A1 were appalled that ever happened and downright insisted that my service dog travel with me as needed with no cleaning fee involved. Picking up and dropping off the rental was a breeze. My entire experience exceeded my expectations. And when I got my Nissan back? The work was so well done, you literally could not tell that Id been hit. And there was one more happy surprise: my car was far cleaner than it was when it was dropped off. There were even milkbones in the cup holder for my dog. Huge thank yous to everyone at A1 for making what felt like a terrible thing turn out to have a happy ending. If you need work done on your car, this is the place to take it. Highly recommended. 11/10 Would use again in a heartbeat…but I hope I don’t have to.