Paul's Battery & Tire Company

If you're disillusioned dealing with disreputable car-repair guys who talk down to women while trying to convince us to replace parts that don't need replacing, then meet John Rinaldi, owner of Paul's Battery & Tire Company. This guy is the real deal: honest, knowledgeable, kind, down-to-earth, not an insincere bone in his body.

After rotating the tires for free (and this was nine years after I bought them from his shop), John then checked the brakes, telling me that the noise I heard was from oxidation, nothing to worry about..

Thanks John. That's the kind of treatment that'll bring me back again and again.

I took my SUV in to get my battery replaced and they were fantastic. Honest, knowledgeable, and efficient. I can't recommend this place enough. Right on Geary so it's easy to find. I will be back when needed.

Quick service. Honest and detailed explanation of the problem and a fairly priced replacement tire

Good honest shop. Called with my needs and budget, got me in quick. Work was done well and timely at the quoted price. What else could you ask for?

As a woman, I admit that car repair shops have tried to take advantage of me in the past (what would I know? ha!). Paul's is a stellar exception.

My car was "clicking" when turning over so I wrote to Paul's on a Saturday, expecting a reply Monday as they are closed weekends. Imagine my surprise when I received an email that day telling me to come in on Monday to check out my car.

Under an hour after bringing my car in, I got a call that my car battery (which I had bought from Paul's eons ago) was still charging great plus they ran a couple of diagnostics to troubleshoot. Nothing wrong.

So what was the fix? Drive your car down to Half Moon Bay and back, that should remedy the issue. The price? Nothing. This is the type of shop my parents went to back in the day, and I will continue to see Paul's whenever needed. Honest, kind and fast, talk about a trifecta!

These guys are the best. I had a slow leaking tire and squeaking brakes and brought car, called made an appt for the next day. They did full test on tire, rethread the valve and couldn't find an obvious leak, but said this sometimes happens with the valve. Also, inspected the brakes and found I still had enough brake pads on rear to last another 6 months or so, nothing alarming there either. They didn't charge for any of this inspection or labor, and will definitely go back for brake pads and oil change in a few months when the time has come. Rare to come by such honest (and fast/efficient) business for car repairs/maintenance. Don't be thrown off by the somewhat chaotic/small space they operate out of...these guys are good.

I am here in hopes that the owner of Paul's Battery & Tire Co (John Rinaldi) is willing to refund my service. I did the right thing by going and talking to him about my complaint in person today, August 30, 2017, and was met with hostility and an unwillingness to right his wrongs. If you are considering using their service, let me save you the trouble and take your money elsewhere. John Rinaldi will not hesitate to take advantage of those that are paying him to be an expert and provide a service many of us are unfamiliar with and unable to perform ourselves.

Exactly one year ago, August 30, 2016, I came to Paul's shop because my brakes were making the dreaded squeaking noise. I had called around to shops I had found on Yelp with decent reviews and chose Paul's because he was the one with the earliest availability. I asked him to service my front brakes as I was sure that was what was causing the noise and he also offered to clean and adjust my rear brakes, to which I agreed for an additional fee. In my invoice, it states the following: "Front Brake Pads and Rotors Service: install front disc pads/Machine Rotors/Repack Bearings where applicable/Install Reman Calipers." Any standard brake service includes the replacement of the brake pads AND the resurfacing or replacing of the rotors (obviously, you pay for the parts as needed).

Well, this past week, I decided to take my Toyota in for servicing at the City Toyota in Daly City (I always get my scheduled maintenance done at Toyota certified shops and any additional service, such as brake service, I go to an outside shop as it is more affordable and can trust that you will be getting the same service). I took my Toyota in because the car was beginning to vibrate and make a loud squealing noise when work was applied to the brakes. I was concerned because although I had gotten my brakes serviced a year ago, I had put less than 9,000 miles on my car (in non-SF terrains) and thus the brakes should not have been producing such noises/be vibrating. I was informed by City Toyota that they "found front brake pads to be aftermarket so front rotors might not have been resurfaced when brake pads were replaced. Found some over heat marks on rotors." I was informed that not only was the wrong size of brake pads used on my car, my rotors were also not properly serviced (not serviced AT ALL actually), which has caused irreparable damage to my front brake system and thus I need to replace the pads (AGAIN) and the front rotors as well, which could run up to $700.

I walked in to Paul's shop today in hopes that he would own up to his terrible service and issue me my refund for the service not performed. Instead, he yelled at me and told me he would have to look at my car himself and decide if he had indeed made a mistake. Why would I trust him to service my car again? Let alone "check it out." He knows he's a shady business man and instead of doing the right thing when called out, he got defensive. I provided him with copies of both my invoice from his shop and the invoice and service done by City Toyota. He made a copy of the City Toyota form and proceeded to tell me that he couldn't issue me a refund because that's "not how things work." Whatever that means.

I am seeking a full refund for the amount of $302.13 that I paid this business for a service they not only used the wrong parts for but also did not perform everything they claimed to. The owner of this shop is ok with taking advantage of honest, hard-working people that bring their service to him and trust that he is providing honest and effective work.

In addition, I have filed complaints with the following four agencies: the Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the CA Attorney General's office.

Folks! The reviews here don't lie! Paul's is definitely a great place to take your car for tires and other fixes!

I recently took my car in for new tires and an alignment fix, and it couldn't have been an easier process. I drove in at 8am without an appointment and they set me up quickly and said they'd hold the car for me until after I got off work at 5pm. Very accommodating, especially since the garage wasn't that big. The staff was very friendly and seemed very honest. I personally don't know sh*t about cars so I asked a lot of questions and found the staff to be very supportive and trustworthy. I even haggled a bit to get a better deal on the tires and they were nice enough to lower the price for me.

The car was looking good and ready to go when I arrived, and the total came out to $312 for two new tires and the alignment fix. They even took off 10% because I mentioned Yelp!

Bottom line, Paul's is an honest, friendly neighborhood operation worth going to!

This is a place that runs with the old school principles of honest work. No attempts to up-sell ANYTHING. I had a leaking tire that was deflating every two days or so. 4 inch nail had gone through. The replacement tires would've cost me upward of $600. John at Paul's instead encouraged me to bring over the car to get it looked at, and see if it could be repaired. Looked at it, repaired it. In and out in less than 45 minutes. Final charge was less than the quote on the phone. I wish I had carried more cash to tip the guy who fixed the tire (who happily accepted the small tip and didn't count it or anything). Also adjusted the other tires to the right pressure without asking. Honest professionals. Now those are words one doesn't tend to use very often in the city these days.

These guys are great! I found a nail in my tire. This shop was convenient for me to drop off my car before work and pick up during lunch. They fixed my tire fast, were friendly, and were no nonsense. Didn't try to sell my new tires, or anything else. I really appreciate their fast work and honest. I'll definitely come back again for any tire needs!