Handy’s Service Center

Had a wiper break in the rain. Saved the day with a smile! Great service, excellent price and immediate attention. Thank you Charlie Handy and crew.

My friend and I took her car to Handy’s this morning to get her coolant topped off. Two mechanics took a look under the hood and as one told us how to check the radiator hose for leaks (after asking if we were «scared of aerosol cans»), the other replied, «She’s a girl, she’s not going to be doing that…» Oh boys, you’re gonna have to start treating women with a little more respect, it’s 2015 for heaven’s sake. We can push human beings out of our bodies, I think we can handle an aerosol can. If you don’t believe that women are just as capable as men, that Handy is going to have to last you a long time. We had heard good things about the service at Handy’s, but alas we were very disappointed by the disrespect we received. We know that these were harmless comments, but it is experiences like this that lose business and further the divide between men and women.

These people are crooks. DO NOT take your car there, even if it gets towed by them do not go there. My car broke down and was taken in, I towed it there because I was not sure if they’d tow to my own mechanic. Charlie (the owner) called me and left me a message in the morning to say my alarm needed to be deactivated to do a diagnosis, I never approved this. Forty five minutes later he called and left another message saying he looked at the car to call him back. I called and he told me the work that needed to be done. I cross references it with people that I trust and know about cars and said that it sounded like he was overcharging me. I called triple a to tow my car to another mechanic and triple a said I needed to settle a bill. I called back and Charlie proceeded to tell me I owed $ 159 for the alarm disarmament which supposedly took two hours– a lie. I challenged him and he yelled at me and hung up on me. Eventually, called triple a and complained, they were able to get my car back. When the car was delivered to my other mechanic the people at Handys took parts out that they weren’t supposed to. My mechanic also did the work needed for half the price and twice the politeness. I am in the plans of communicating with triple a to stop referring their customers to this crook.

Handy’s is wonderful. I recommend them to all of my friends. As a student at UVM, I live in downtown Burlington and have been taking my car to Handy’s for the past few years. Charlie is so good to me and my husband. He explains exactly what is going on and tells us how we can avoid costs and save money. My husband is frugal and skeptical of auto repair sales tactics, but even he trusts our cars with Handy’s Service Center. I also love how close the shop is to our apartment; very convenient. Just a few weeks ago AAA sent a Handy’s Serviceman to jump start my car after the battery had died. He arrived promptly, only about 5 – 10 min after I had finished speaking with the AAA representative. I was not only impressed with how quickly the serviceman arrived, but also how courteous and pleasant he was to talk to; very professional. The shop reminds me of the local gas station my parents used to take our family cars to be serviced. They’re located right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Burlington and seem to have their pulse on everything going on in the area. They create a small town, know everyone kind of feel, even in the city. I’ll be sure to see them at my next oil and snow tire change.

I have been using Handy’s for all my routine and unexpected repairs for over 10 years. Charlie is honest and will take great care of you and your car. No high pressure sales pitches or games. Just good, honest, service at fair prices.

. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS. If you get towed by AAA and they happen to send these guys, immediately ask to be brought to a different service station, you’ll thank me later
Might I also add that this business claims to have respect for our beautiful city of Burlington, yet they have been caught dumping hazardous waste into the Winooski River (used oil and mercury) and paid $ 70,000 dollars in fines because of it… Their blatant lack of respect for the laws and environment speak much louder than their words, they have no respect for the towns residents or the health of the town itself. This is not the only violation that this business has had. Do us all a favor and do not give them business.
Link to article :
be sure to share with friends in Burlington area

Get towed by Spillanes! Seriously I am not from the area and have no conflicts of interests. Do not make the same mistake that I made. Do not get your car towed by Handys!
My truck would not start on the side of the rode in Burlington so I called my insurance companies road side assistance. My insurance rep ordered a tow from Handys Texaco which should have arrived at 3:10. By 5:30 I became concerned and called my rep. She put me in contact with one of the tow truck drivers who informed that it was a busy day and that he would be by later. I understood and waited till 9:00pm. I called back but they kept taking my info and said a driver would call back. No one was calling me back and when I pressed the operator for more information he became sarcastic and at not point apologized for the inconvenience.
Finally, I called back my insurance rep who contacted Spillanes. Their operator was extremely polite and the service was prompt. I wish I contacted them from the beginning.

Two stars for prompt tow service at 930pm on a weekend night. Minus two stars for quoting me $ 600+ of «urgent» repairs for one part that can wait (and should only cost $ 200-​ish) and one part i got replaced at Dolan’s Auto for $ 60. Also minus a star for the tow guy taking advantage of my ignorance and taking my car to their shop rather than the place I had originally wanted.
They might be the place your roadside assistance gets to tow you, but get your repair work done elsewhere.

Awful I went there for an inspection I am a car guy. Told me I need all new rotors and brakes because there was wear on the rotor from the pads. Among other things 380 dollar quote. Brought it to a different inspection station passed. Rip off

These people have ripped customers off for years, saying things needed to be fixed that didn’t need to be, and then screwing up what they did ‘fix’. Oh yeah, and a while back they drove one of their tow trucks into my friend’s car that was parked on a street, and then claimed they only damaged one part and not the other. I honestly don’t know how these scumbags have not been shut down by the state.

Car broke down. My insurance company called and said that the truck will be there within 20 minutes. TWO HOURS LATER, I was still waiting. It was very cold and I had no heat. I ended up walking home and calling another truck in the morning. The guy called me at 4am and said he «fell asleep» and he was «sorry.» I will. Never. Ever. Trust this business again.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! Fraudulent/​Scam!!!
I needed emergency service on my car since it decided to overheat while in Burlington on vacation. Handy’s was able to see me as a walk in, however after having it for over 3 hours, they called to tell me it was ready to be picked up, that there was nothing wrong with it except air in the radiator. When I arrived I was shocked to hear I owed $ 115 for a service I had no clue they had provided, let alone was never asked permission to give. Normally when your car is at a mechanics they call to explain the problem they found (after extensive search) and then tell you what they need to do to fix it and how much it would cost to fix. Charlie at Handy’s never did that.
I paid after some protest, and not even 2 blocks later the car started overheating again. Yet Charlie said they were unable to duplicate the problem. I brought it right back for them to look at, and after another couple of hours was told it was the head gasket of my engine, roughly a $ 1500 fix!!! It was clear to me they had not taken the time from the beginning to go through all of the components of the system to see what was causing the issue. They did work without my approval and charged and insane amount to do so. They quoted me $ 1500 to do a job 5 other service stations in the area said they would do for $ 900.
I went to Handy’s to get my car and declined the service, and immediately took it to Noye’s automotive on Pine St. After 20 minutes under the hood I was told there was absolutely NO way it was the head gasket, something everyone else I spoke to said was most likely the case as well.
Avoid Handy’s at all costs, this place is unprofessional and inexperienced at best. At the worst, they are overpriced and a complete scam. Save your energy and go to Noyes, Kaigles or Gurlington.

This place does not have it together. The employees are nice enough but that was not compensation for my bad experience.
When I brought my car in to have an oil change and have the maintenance required light turned off, they hounded me into getting new filters etc — $ 75 worth of repairs. They wanted to replace more but I declined. Then, after changing the oil, they forgot to turn off the maintenance required light. I brought my car back at 4:30pm, 30 minutes before they closed and I was told «sorry garage is closed.»
Not only did they fail to do the simple service I had requested, they LOST the registration to my car. They were very understanding on the phone but did nothing to fix the problem– all the employees that were working the day I had the oil change were now on a long labor day weekend.
This service center caused more of a problem than it solved.

Went here for a flat tire. The puncture was on the tire wall which means that it can’t be patched, but they patched it anyway. By the next day the patch was undone and the tire was flat. Brought it back and they replaced the tire. Down to earth, honest and friendly employees. No bullshit. Would definitely recommend. I just can’t give five stars since they did patch my tire wall…