Frequently Asked Questions

If you can’t find what you are looking for below, CONTACT US.

General FAQs

  • Patrice Banks, our founder, and CEO is currently not available via phone at our repair center. If you would like to reach Patrice Banks please fill out our ‘We’d Love To Hear From You!’ Form on the Contact Page.

    Do not call to get in touch with Patrice as you will be directed to the Contact Page.

  • Patrice is available for a small number of speaking engagements per year.

    Speaking Fees may apply. Request Patrice to speak at your next event.

  • Yes Patrice is currently available for press interviews! Please email info@girlsautoclinic.com or fill out a contact us form to request Patrice for an interview.

  • No. Patrice Banks is currently under contract with Warner Bros and Brownstone Productions and is not available for documentaries, reality TV, or scripted content around her life or Girls Auto Clinic.

  • We hope to expand Girls Auto Clinic Repair Center and bring services and products to women across the country. Stay tuned and join our newsletter to get GAC and Shecanic updates!

 

 

Shecanic

  • Please join our #sheCANic Facebook page to ask any car questions to woman mechanics and post your questions there. This is a private Facebook group for women to ask questions about their cars, learn car care tips and tricks, and share any stories about their automotive experience. Shecanic Facebook Group

    Our shecanic community is open only to WOMEN.

  • Unfortunately, we are only in the Philadelphia area at the moment but we can help you find a woman mechanic or woman-friendly shop.

    We invite you to join our #sheCANic Facebook page to find a repair shop near you, ask any car questions to woman mechanics, and share any stories about your automotive experience.

    Check out these websites that offer help finding woman-friendly repair shops in your area.

    Womenautoknow.com

    askpatty.com

    openbay.com

    repairpal.com

    Also, grab a copy of the Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide. It will teach you how to talk to a mechanic, how to take care of your car, and what to do in an emergency. Keep it in your glovebox!

  • See our Page, “how to become an auto tech.”

    If you want to be a tech you will likely have to go to school for automotive technology. Community colleges usually offer courses and they are cheaper than the for-profit institutes that teach, like UTI.

    If you cannot go back to school you must apprentice/intern. Yes, this could mean working for free in exchange to learn from someone who already knows. This is the quickest way to learn something new. Find a shop that will allow you to work for them for free in exchange for you helping out wherever you can at work. Cleaning up, running errands, returning parts, etc.

    If you are struggling with working around a lot of men or being the only woman at work, we understand this can be a challenge. Our best advice for you is to have confidence in yourself. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dream. Other people, especially men may try to shake you and break you down. You will feel stupid. You will make mistakes. You will think you are asking stupid questions. Do it anyway. Ask it anyway. You will grow as a person, learn and inspire others to have the courage to face their fears. Keep focused on your goals when things get hard or don't work out how you planned. If this is really for you, nobody should stop you.

    If somebody tries to belittle your dream, bring you down or give you a hard time, remind yourself of your goals, and if this person can't help you reach your goal. If not, let that stuff fly, and don't let it bother you. They can't do anything for you but bring you down more. Tell those people to "Get Out of My Way. I'm on a mission here!" You can do it!

    Check out our Page, “how to become an auto tech” and join our #sheCANic Facebook page to get exclusive workshops, ask any car questions to female mechanics, and share any stories about your automotive experience. I think you would be a great fit as a female tech to help out our new #sheCANics with their cars!

 

 

Car Care Workshops

  • To sign up for a Girls Auto Clinic Car Car Workshop please go to our workshop webpage. Choose between a Community Car Care Workshop (free) and a Plus Car Care Workshop ($). The Community Car Care Workshop occurs once a month between the months of April and December and the Plus Car Care Workshop is scheduled on demand.

  • The Community Car Care Workshop is Free available for any and all to attend. It requires sign up and has a long waiting list. The Community Workshop lasts about 2 hours.

    The Plus Car Care Workshop guarantees attendees a spot into a car care workshop. That sets the Car Care Workshop Plus apart is the hands-on practice you'll receive, tailored specifically to YOUR vehicle. We'll guide you through each step under the hood, showing and telling you about the most common car parts, when they need to be replaced, how to identify repair needs, and the typical costs for various repairs.

    To get more information on the Girls Auto Clinic Car Care Workshops click here!

  • We currently host all of our workshops at Girls Auto Clinic Repair Center, 7425 W Chester Pike Upper Darby, PA.

    However, our workshops require only a parking lot so we can come to your location if you are interested in a private workshop for you and your group. If you are interested in a private workshop, please fill out our Workshop Interest Form.

  • Our Community Car Care Workshop is very popular and tickets to RSVP for this free event fill up in 10 mins or less. There are some rules to help reserve a ticket when they are released.

    Tickets for the next available Community Workshop will be available to RSVP at 10 AM EST on the second Monday of the current month. For example, If you want to RSVP for a December Community Workshop, tickets to RSVP will be released the second Monday in November at 10 AM.

    Set a reminder on your calendar because spots fill up quickly!

  • The Community Workshop is Free but does require sign up and has a long waiting list.

    The Plus Workshop costs $200 but is a guaranteed spot into a workshop and includes extra learning like show and tell, take home tools and swag for your car and a Glove Box Guide - your workshop on the go!

  • Our Community Workshop is held every second Saturday of the month at 10 AM. Our Plus Workshop does not set a schedule and is based on demand. Join our newsletter to be the first to learn about the newly scheduled Car Care Plus Workshops.

  • We appreciate your interest in a Girls Auto Clinic Car Care Workshop. Please fill out the Private Workshop Request Form if you want to schedule a private workshop for you and your group.

    In the meantime, please grab a copy of the Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide. It’s like a workshop on the go!

    And check out our Car Care Videos created from the workshop!

  • For our Community Workshop we accept 15 participants.

    For our Plus Workshop we accept 10 participants.

  • To cancel your RSVP for a community workshop email workshops@girlsautoclinic.com. There are cancellation rules however. Please see our website for the Workshop Rules if you need to cancel an RSVP for a Community Workshop.

  • These are our Terms and Conditions for Plus Workshop Ticket Cancellation

    Cancellation Notice Periods:

    **14 Days Notice** If you choose to cancel your ticket(s) at least 14 days before the scheduled date of the Event, you will be entitled to a full refund of the ticket price.

    **7 Days Notice** Tickets canceled with at least 7 days notice but less than 14 days before the Event will be eligible for a refund amounting to 50% of the ticket price.

    **Less than 3 Days Notice** Unfortunately, tickets canceled with less than 3 days notice before the scheduled date of the Event will not be eligible for any refund.

    Refund Process: To request a refund, you must contact our customer support team at workshops@girlsautoclinic.com. Refunds will be processed using the same method of payment used during the ticket purchase. Please allow a reasonable processing time for the refund to be credited back to your account.

    Event Changes or Cancellation: In the unlikely event that the Event is canceled or rescheduled by the Event Organizer, you will be entitled to a full refund of the ticket price. We will make reasonable efforts to notify ticket holders of any such changes in a timely manner.

    Other Conditions: All refunds and decisions made by the Event Organizer are final. No-shows to the Event will not be eligible for refunds. Any request for refunds made after the Event has taken place will not be entertained.

    By purchasing a ticket and attending the Event, you acknowledge and agree to these terms and conditions. It is advisable to carefully read and understand these terms before making a purchase.

    If you have any questions or concerns regarding these terms, please contact our customer support team at workshops@girlsautoclinic.com.

  • The Community Workshops lasts about 2.5 hours.

    The Plus workshop lasts about 4 hours.

  • Absolutely! If you would like to bring a guest with you to learn on your car at the workshop, one additional ticket is available for $75. Email workshops@girlsautoclinic.com

    after you purchase your vehicle ticket, we will send you an invoice for your guest. Please note, all attendees must be at least 12 or older.

  • We do completely understand if you are traveling from out of town or do not have your own car with you to work on. You are still more than welcome to attend a Community Car Care Workshop without a car! You will work in a group with a preselected car for the hands-on portion of the class. Please note, all attendees must be at least 12 or older.

    Because attendees of The Plus Workshops work on their car, you will not be able to attend a Plus Workshop without a car.

  • Part of our workshop is outdoors, so we do reserve the right to cancel the event and reschedule your tickets for a new date if necessary due to weather. If you cannot attend the rescheduled date, your ticket will be refunded. Please see our full cancellation policy for details.

  • Our car care workshop is hands-on and detailed, but also designed to be an overall course on why a car needs maintenance and how a car runs in general, so it's definitely heavily focused on modern cars with internal combustion or hybrid engines. We do not have any specialized tips for electric vehicles. With that being said, we welcome all cars and drivers at our workshops!

 

 

Repair Center

  • Girls Auto Clinic Repair Center and Clutch Beauty Bar are open

    8 AM - 6 PM Monday - Friday

    We are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

    Both Girls Auto Clinic and Clutch Beauty Bar accept their last appointment one hour before closing.

  • 7425 W Chester Pike Upper Darby PA 19082 .

    Girls Auto Clinic Repair Center is located on the corner of W Chester Pike and State Road in Upper Darby PA. We are about 1/4 mile from 69th Station and from West Philadelphia.

    You’ll see the Clutch sign next to Keystone Pizza and we are catty-corner from Taco Bell. Look for the big red heel on our roof!

  • Most customers drive their cars up to our bay doors on the State Road side and enter at the service advisor door.

    There is an entrance/exit door on W Chester Pike, which can be used for Clutch customers but it is not a main entryway for the shop.

    There is a parking lot behind our building where you can park your car if the area in front of the bays is full. Turn right at the alleyway behind the building and park between the white fences.

  • If you have a vehicle repair emergency, first, use your AAA or similar service or your car’s insurance to get your vehicle towed.

    If you have a vehicle repair emergency, first, use your AAA or similar service or your car’s insurance to get your vehicle towed. If you don’t have either, we can recommend a tow company to help get your vehicle fixed and running well again. Call or text us 484-461-4693 to let us know when to expect your tow in or to get a tow truck recommendation.

    If you have a vehicle repair emergency and we were the last certified mechanics to work on your vehicle, your repair may be under warranty. Please call us at 484-461-4693 so we can advise you on how best to manage your specific situation in order to maintain that warranty.

    If we are closed during the emergency, please text us at 484-461-4693 AND email us at info@girlsautoclinic.com. We will return your message within 24 hours.

  • Girls Auto Clinic offers a 2-year/24,000-mile, whichever comes first, warranty on most repairs performed at our repair center. Our warranty covers replacing failed parts that were installed by us, along with labor necessary to replace those parts, under the conditions outlined here.

  • Yes, you can REQUEST an appointment online. Use the chat box in the lower right corner to request an appointment online. You can also text us using this chat box with any questions or requests to make an appointment.

    An appointment request is not an actually appointment booked. Please give us 24 hours to respond to your request with a confirmation or a proposal for a new time.

    You can also book an appointment by calling or texting 484-461-4693.

  • Yes! We have a seamless drop-off and pick-up procedure so you don’t have to rush to get to us or back to your vehicle. Text or call 484-461-4693 to schedule a drop off appointment during after hours

  • You do not need an appointment at Girls Auto Clinic to get a service at Clutch Beauty Bar. We welcome all customers to Clutch for manis, pedis, waxing, and facials. Make an appointment today!

  • Unfortunately, we do not give estimates over the phone or by text/email. Estimates can vary greatly as there many variations in vehicle makes and models, and parts brands.

    Please book an appointment with us before anything is set in stone. We will do a courtesy inspection for you to look over your car then, we’ll be happy to give you pricing on your service.

    We do not repair cars based on a diagnosis that did not come from a technician at our shop. We will need to verify the diagnosis and determine whether other parts need to be replaced or repaired before we give an accurate estimate.

  • We are always looking for auto techs, especially woman techs! Please check out our work with us page to see if there is a job there for you!

    Yes, we hire men!

  • If you are a current customer and you have questions about your car please call or text us 484-461-4693.

    If you are not a current or potential customer we don’t answer car questions on our website or via email because it is for general-purpose use.

    We have a solution for you!

    Please join our #sheCANic Facebook page to ask any car questions to woman mechanics and post your questions there. This is a private Facebook group for women to ask questions about their cars, learn car care tips and tricks, and share any stories about their automotive experience. Shecanic Facebook Group

    Our shecanic community is open only to WOMEN.

  • While we cater to women, we love men and we love their money! Haha. We know men deserve to feel good about their car choices as well and there is no shame in a little pedicure indulgence fellas! Please come check us out.

  • We currently hire women AND men at Girls Auto Clinic. Our mission is to include more women in the automotive industry. We offer car care workshops and apprenticeship programs to educate and train women to be technicians in the automotive industry.

 

 

VID Memberships

  • We’re excited about your interest in our VID memberships and we understand this expense can be scary to make before speaking to someone on our team to make sure you are doing the right thing to save time and money. There are several ways to get more details about our program.

    Visit

    VID Memberships Page

    Email memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    Call our 484-461-4693 ext 103 and ask to speak to our Membership Manger.

    We will be able to help guide you through our memberships, select the correct membership for you and your vehicle, and set up a plan to bring your car into our repair center to maximize your membership.

  • While we cater to women, we love men and we love their money! Haha. We know men deserve to feel good about their car choices as well and there is no shame in a little pedicure indulgence fellas!

    Membership in our VID (Very Important Driver) program is open to people of all ages and gender.

  • Yes, as soon as your sign up, you are a member, and your services are active immediately.

    Also, if you are at our Repair Center for a service and are not yet a member, but decide to sign up after your services were done or while your services are being completed, we can apply your membership to your current visit. As long as the invoice hasn’t been paid, we can switch you over.

  • Yes, you can! In fact, a membership program is an idea for an Uber or Lyft driver.

    If you NEED your vehicle for work, you NEED a maintenance plan. All that extra mileage really takes a toll on your vehicle. Keeping it in the best possible condition will save you money and hassle. For all you road warriors, we offer a VID Pro Membership that covers all the additional maintenance needed for you to stay in business.

    Call or email our, VID Membership Manager to learn more about the VID Pro Memberships for Vehicle Owners who drive more than $15,000 miles per year.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

  • Yes, you have the option to pay monthly for your membership or for one-year upfront.

  • Subscription auto-renews each year. To see when your membership is set to renew, log into your subscription portal to access your details.

  • Log into your portal and confirm the billing info was entered correctly. (You should have received an invitation to your portal account when you initially enrolled.)

    If you cannot find your invitation to your member portal, Call or email our VID Membership Manager, and request a new portal invite.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

  • Sometimes the year just doesn’t go as you planned. We get it. If you need to cancel before your one-year commitment is up, we will look at the value of the services you received compared to the membership payments you made. If you received more in services than you paid for your membership, we would bill you the difference as your cancellation fee. It is a transparent process and we do not tack on extra penalties.

    To cancel your membership, call or email our VID Membership Manager, and request a new portal invite.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

  • Log into your subscription portal to access payment methods. (You should have received an invitation to your portal account when you initially enrolled.)

    If you cannot find your invitation to your member portal, Call or email our VID Membership Manager, and request a new portal invite.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

  • While our VID membership is for our Very Important DRIVERS, it covers a single vehicle. When you enroll, you will need to designate which vehicle is covered under the membership plan.

    You can save even more money by enrolling each vehicle! And, if your primary vehicle changes during your membership year, just let us know and we can adjust your membership level accordingly.

    Call or email our VID Membership Manager if you have more questions.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

  • We’re all ears! If you would like to talk to someone about our VID Memberships and how we can make it better, call or email our VID Membership Manager.

    memberships@girlsautoclinic.com

    484-461-4693 ext 103.

 

Online Store

  • We don’t offer returns and exchanges, but if there’s something wrong with your order, please let us know by contacting us at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com

  • Refunds are only offered to customers that receive the wrong items or damaged items. If any of these apply, please contact us at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com with photos of wrong/damaged items and we’ll sort that out for you.

  • At this time, we don't offer exchanges. If you’re unsure which size would fit better, check out our sizing charts—we have one for every item listed on our store, in the product description section. Though rare, it's possible that an item you ordered was mislabelled. If that’s the case, please let us know at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com within a week after receiving your order. Include your order number and photos of the mislabeled item, and we’ll send you a new one, or issue a refund!

  • We’re so sorry if the product you ordered arrived damaged. To help us resolve this for you quickly, please email us at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com within a weeks' time with photos of the damaged product, your order number, and any other details you may have about your order. We’ll get back to you with a resolution as soon as possible!

  • We ship to all Countries worldwide excluding Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Ecuador, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

  • An additional customs and tax fee can occur on international orders. This fee is not in our control and is assessed by your local customs office. Customs policies vary widely for every country so please check with your local customs office directly to see if they apply duties and taxes to your purchases.

  • Usually, it takes 3–7 days to fulfill an order, after which it’s shipped out. The shipping time depends on your location, but can be estimated as follows:

    ● USA: 3–4 business days

    ● Europe: 6–8 business days

    ● Australia: 2–14 business days

    ● Japan: 4–8 business days

    ● International: 10–20 business days

  • We work with an on-demand order fulfillment company with facilities worldwide!

  • You’ll receive a tracking link via email when your order ships out. If you have any questions about your tracking or shipment, drop us a line at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com.

  • Before getting in touch with us, please help us out by doing the following:

    ● Check your shipping confirmation email for any mistakes in the delivery address

    ● Ask your local post office if they have your package

    ● Stop by your neighbors in case the courier left the package with them

    If the shipping address was correct, and the package wasn't left at the post office or at your neighbor’s, get in touch with us at shopgac@girlsautoclinic.com with your order number.

    If you did find a mistake in your delivery address, we can send you a replacement order, but shipping will be at your own cost.

  • We work with a print-on-demand drop shipper. They have locations worldwide, so depending on where you are, your orders are printed and shipped from the facility that can do it most efficiently!

    Tip: Check out Printful's production footage​ to see how we fulfill specific products.