How to not Get Scam in a Car Repair
If you were handed an estimation to replace a water pump on your automobile, would you know if the price was fair? Could you trust the price? How about for a tie rod end, mass air flow sensor, or an evaporative emissions sensor?
Most of us have no idea what these are, don’t worry about the price. Yet it is parts like these that are frequently used to over charge you, the car repair customer.
We no longer live in a period of trust, so how do we guarantee that our car repair costs are legitimate.
How many times have you had a suspicion that you paid too much, but could not prove it? How many times did the price appear exorbitant for even easy repairs?
To illustrate just how “At Risk” the everyday auto repair customer is to OTT auto repair prices, here’s a recent real life example from a “reputable?” dealer.
A customer brought her Audi to a permitted Audi dealership for the standard timing belt upkeep service.
The price for this service averages $1575 at the dealership level, (including pulleys, water pumpetc ) and about $1275 at the independent fix shop level.
Yet the girl left the dealer with a bill for $2025.68.
What happened?
According to the repair order, there were no aberrant circumstances, no problems noted by the technician such as rust or any other extenuating circumstances that would have perhaps increased the labor, or added further parts.
In short, it seemed to be a straight forward service, but the bill was $450.68 higher than it should have been. There is simply no legitimate reason to have “that much” discrepancy.
How’d they get away with it?
The answer is easy, and it’s a point that I don’t want any one to miss:
They get away with it because they can!
Think about it. The average person doesn’t know how much auto parts cost. And who knows how much labor time a correct should take? To what sources does one turn to find out this information? Who even has the time to investigate!
Upon investigation of this lady’s fix order, it was discovered that she was charged a full four hours “more” than the standard work time. At $100 an hour, this added an extra $400. The remaining $50.68 came from the parts, which were billed higher than MSRP.
She was quoted $2,025 for a fix that tops out at $1575. The lady failed to know. She just paid the bill and left.
How many times do people just pay the bill and leave? Just about that is all one can do given that there is no accessible information for the auto fix shopper to adequately query a repair bill. Additionally , few even know what inquiries to ask!
The automobile repair industry has been over-charging for decades-sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly, definitely often. The proof for this is overwhelming; yet, there are no easy solutions available for the car repair customer.
Government agencies can not help. The Better Business Bureau can not do anything. Even supposed “car correct pros or advocates” lack the appreciation of the breadth and insidiousness of the automobile correct business at all its levels.
A dealership operates differently than an independent correct shop, and a franchise, like Midas, is fully unique. Who really knows what goes on in the underground of such a diverse and complex industry?
The Solution?
First and foremost, auto correct patrons need access to information on car repair prices. Without this, they’ve got nothing discernible in which to determine fair charges. They also have to be in a position to navigate the maze of parts and labor charges for automobile repairs and maintenance.
Like the rest, information is the key to guarantee fair treatment. Without it, the vehicle fix consumer will continue to “swim with the sharks” without any protection.
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