EZ Star Smog Oakland

EZ Star Smog Oakland: Fast. Good price. Polite. Clear. Easy.

He submitted results directly to DMV for us.

See you in two years.

Beware the "Gotcha game"! Better show your coupon BEFORE he starts!!!
What started off perfectly ended tragically. One star because the guy did his job of smogging my car. Minus 4 stars because I had to pay nearly 3x (!!!) as much for the smog check due to the asterisk* gotcha of failing to show my coupon when giving him my keys and waiting 10
Minutes for him to come back and say he was done. Apparently he can't honor the coupon if it's not shown at the exact time. He can show the *fine print as he did with me and claim "I can't do anything about it now". Even though he owns the business and is the one putting the invoice through. Go figure. I asked why he couldn't/wouldnt resubmit, that it felt like he was cheating me--and he told me bluntly "if everyone used the coupon I wouldn't be in business".
Wtf!?! Why offer a deal that you can't honor don't want to honor and that will put you out of business if you did?!? He told me--people shop around. Oh, so offer a fake price, get people to bring there car down and bait and switch them--when it's too late (according to the guy in charge of everything), say "sorry" and charge the full $70. Oops, you should read the fine print.
Oh, for the Better Business Bureau and the like--the coupon shown below, the one I showed him when presenting my credit card for payment--it says NOTHING about when it needs to be presented. I feel like I was cheated of $40+ for this transaction and it leaves a bitter tastes in my mouth.
I hope everyone does go to EZSmog and brings a coupon, because that seems like it would be precisely the justice this scam deserves to be met with.

Richard Martinez, the owner, manager and sole employee of EZ Star Smog Oakland is both a dedicated professional and someone who is so conscientious in the way he works, you'll be sorry you can only return once a year for your emissions inspection! The hood news is, that Mr. Martinez can also complete your registration and instead of filling out the forms and sending them to the DMV, he can do EVERYTHING and give you your inspection sticker within minutes of his completed inspection. I arrived at 8am and I was on my way home at 8:20! I highly recommend EZ Star Smog!

First time getting a smog check for my DMV registration in years. It's first come, first serve, and I came at a perfect time where there was no wait. The smog test took about 15 minutes and it was done. Prices a reasonable. On top of that, this is a one stop shop, after getting smog, a customer can also pay registration and get your registration sticker here.

Couldn't recommend EZ Star Smog enough.

Rick is the man.

I was in and out pretty quickly. It's worth calling ahead to see if he's busy or not. He mostly is because of all the returning customers.

I would recommend this spot if you need a reliable and straightforward mechanic. It's really cool to find a go-to person for a SMOG check.

Of course everyone's car, time, and results will be different.


I'll surely come back here next time around! See you in two years, Rick!

Quick, easy and helpful. And with the QR code on the website: affordable! I went mid-day Monday and was in and out in 15 minutes.

PROFESSIONAL, TRANSPARENT & SOLID SMOG SERVICE!

Rick, owner and smog tech, created a clear, transparent web site and did the same in his office, by posting all fees. He runs an efficient & honest business.

TRUE VALUE
Currently, for many of us whose vehicles are 2000 and newer, the walk-in rate is $69.75, plus the standard CA certificate fee of $8.25. Go to the web site for a QR code, show it to Rick at check in & get a $30 discount, to pay $48.

You will find a few smog test sites that low-ball, with coupons. Be forewarned, per my experience, some have refused to accept their own coupons and also erroneously up-charged for a compact SUV (stay away from Berkeley's 4Less Smog, for those reasons & more).

GOOD TO KNOW
A big plus for compact SUV owners, as stated on EZ Star Smog's web site:
the upcharge of $10 ONLY applies to vehicles with a GVWR (Gross Vehicular Weight Rating----found on inside driver's door frame) of over 6001lbs. Most, if not all, compact SUV's are under that weight. Too many other smog centers have wrongly charged additional for any SUV. Not Rick; he follows the law.

EXTRA
If you require immediate and quick DMV processing for registration, tabs, plates, Rick is certified to provide those services on site (ie AAA), for a fee.

THE WRAP
If you appreciate a positive, stress-free business transaction & paying a fair price, take your vehicles to Rick at EZ Star Smog.

Great customer service, fast smog check, clean waiting area. And they offer DMV services! Will definitely be back.

Awesome fast service!! I read reviews before coming and saw the one that mentioned the owner said he wanted to make a place his wife would feel safe coming to and that's exactly what I found here!! I hope this guy has lots more success, he deserves it!!!!

I went here on a Saturday at 1 pm and there was no one here - it took around 10 minutes to complete the test. I was also able to get my renewed registration stickers from the DMV without having to visit the DMV! All in all, it took around 30 minutes and Richard was reliable, helpful, and professional. I will continue to come back!