Car repair scams can be avoided if you are careful

Owning a car is expensive. They have many more feature than they did a few years ago and the do it yourself mechanic of twenty years ago never had to deal with computerized systems that now control virtually everything on a modern car. As such, cars and auto repairs are more expensive than ever, and fewer and fewer people are able to do the work themselves. That being the case, consumers have to pay professionals to do the work for them. That’s fine, as most auto mechanics are honest, reliable people who do good work. But there are and always will be a few dishonest types out there that exist only to take advantage of people who don’t know any better.

Some of the age old scams that are still in play are some such as these:

• Quoting higher prices to women than to men
• Quoting for new parts but using used parts for the repair instead
• Charging for repairs that aren’t actually made
• Advertising a price in the paper but then failing to offer it because your car “is a special case”, which doubles the cost of the repair for no apparent reason

These scams have been around for years, and they are very profitable for the shops that use them. Your car is broken, it’s already there, so what are you going to do? Most people just go ahead and pay them. It doesn’t have to be that way; all you have to do is plan ahead of time to find a good, reputable shop that can take care of you later.

There are several things you might consider doing in order to find a reputable place to have your repairs made:

• Talk to family and friends. Many people have been taking their cars to the same place for years; their recommendation is probably gold. Talk to them and find out if their experiences suit your needs
• Belong to AAA? The American Automobile Association can recommend someone in your area that can repair your car. If you’re paying the AAA, you might as well use their services.
• Check with your local Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints against a particular shop. You cannot infer anything from a lack of complaints, but if there are any, that will be useful.
• Check to see if the shop has technicians that are ASE certified. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offers certification programs for car technicians. This will guarantee at least a minimum amount of proficiency from the people who work on your car.
• Check out the facility in person. Is it clean, orderly, and professional looking? The looks can tell you a lot. 
• Do they offer a written quote? You probably don’t want to do business with someone who will not give you a written estimate in advance.

Taking the time to research an auto shop before you have a problem is the best way to go. If you are looking after the problem arises, it’s already too late.

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