Has your mechanic ever taken you for a ride?
When it comes to cars and sleazeballs, we’re generally led to believe it’s the used automobile salesman who’s the least honest of the group.
But, if you’ve ever been to an unfamiliar mechanic, they sure do make a run at the top spot, don’t they?
Indeed, while most of us have the under-the-hood competency of Peg Bundy, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn a little so mechanics don’t see green money signs every time we walk into a garage.
Yet, what are the key know-hows?
Mint.com has done a good job compiling a rundown of what the amateur car owner should be wary of to make sure a mechanic isn’t taking you for a ride.
The most important step appears to working in specifics. Never pop into a garage and say something vague like, “I need a tune-up,” because that’s essentially the license to steal some mechanics may be looking for.
Know your car’s manual, which is the “most valuable defense (sic) tool when visiting the mechanic,” according to Mint.
By learning which repairs are generally needed at what mileage, you’ll be much more inclined to smell a con job coming.
“Just saying something as simple as ‘I need my 30,000 mile service’ shows your mechanic you are informed,” one source tells Mint, “and not someone he can easily take advantage of if he is so inclined.”
Also beware of common traps, like a mechanic telling you they’ll need to tow your car out of the garage because it isn’t driveable. Chances are, if you drove the thing in there, it’s good to at least drive out – and that’ll save you a hefty towing fee you likely don’t need.
Always get a written estimate, too, and get them to be as specific as they can. Don’t allow a mechanic to put “Fix Car - $800” on a piece of paper because – as the source tells Mint – that unspecific $800 could easily bloom to twice that by the time it’s fixed.
You can check out the rest of the site’s suggestions here, but what do you guys think?
What things should we always be watchful for at the garage, and has a mechanic ever tried to scam you?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Parsec | Nov 26, 2021 9:47:42 AM
One of the biggest scams out there right now is tire shops insisting that the tire pressure monitor sensors need to be replaced each time you meed a tire repair done. I had a tire dealer give me back my repaired tire telling me he threw the sensor in for free as they could not find a price on it. Turns out the sensor was never changed as it would have needed to have been programmed had it been changed. The guy had backed himself into a corner when he lied that the sensor was changed, knowing he would have needed my car to program a new sensor. On chevy's, as long as the tire goes back on the same corner of the car it came off of, you do not need to reprogram the sensors. You'd also have to be quite an idiot to damage the sensors taking off the tire from the rim so don't let that be an arguement either. If they damaged it when the repair was done they should fix it for free.
Posted by: northbayguy | Nov 26, 2021 9:55:19 AM
You people (ok some of you people) expect the world of mechanics, doctors, dentists, etc.. Must be nice to never have been wrong about anything. Sometimes to repair something is a bit of a guessing game, and sometimes the computer in new cars will tell a mechanic to change a certain part but that doesn't do the trick, and sometimes your car is in such disrepair as soon as you touch one part, three others break. The best way to not get ripped off is to ask questions, pay attention, inform yourself (try the internet), ask to see the old parts and, now this is key, use some common sense. If you drop your keys off in the morning and say "my car is making kind of a tick tick" do you expect the mechanic to walk up, change a $5.00 part, hand you back the keys, and then you can drive the car problem free for 100,000k? As for the person talking about the plumber, did you tell them all the parts they would need to bring with them? Most likely not. When doing work it is handy to have a second person to help, so sorry about that. Should that second person have stayed at your house and stare at your pipes while the other person went to get the parts? Should the boss/company pay them out of their pocket while they are running around fixing your problem? I don't think so. If you can't afford to fix your car then don't buy one.
By the way, I am not a mechanic. I used to do all my own vehicle repairs but then I came to my senses and now I would rather pay whatever it costs for a professional to do it. Sometimes they may be wrong about some repairs but at least they have the knowledge and experience to know where to start... I'll pay for that.