Most of the time when you go to a mechanic, it is a smooth
experience but every so often you can get scammed. Someone who is close to me,
got new tires recently and they ended up doing something to her car battery.
She had no choice but to purchase a new one. She never had battery problems
before this. Of course the mechanic would not admit it was his fault. He blamed
it on the “cold weather.” Cold weather meaning 50 degrees, which was not cold
compared to what the car had been other times. They also set the tires to 40
instead of the suggested 30. Thankfully, she had an oil change and they fixed
it for her. It’s really important that
you know what you are getting in to. The
mechanic can be intimidating when you don’t understand what they are talking
about. It’s easy to trust someone
because it’s their job. Most of the time, they are trustworthy and don’t try
and rip you off, but you need to be educated. Some prey on women or older
people who may not know that they don’t need new brakes or that’s their engine
is sound.
Here’s an infograph
by Active Insurance to help you
know what the warning signs of auto repair scams. It also gives you an estimate of what certain
parts cost and just some good tips. I love the tip about asking for the old
part when it’s replaced. I would have never thought of that. It’s to make sure
they really replaced it. You are in the waiting room and you never know what they
are doing in the garage.
