Nine Ways To Not Get Ripped Off

Being over charged, having unnecessary or poor quality work carried out, causes many motorists to believe they have been scammed by a car mechanic.  Therefore picking a reliable shop can be a battlefield.

Without a doubt there are shops out there who are less trustworthy, even though most shops are completely reputable, reliable, and provide a good service. This can make it seem difficult to pick out a reliable shop when you need repairs that is not only good value for the money but also carries out high quality work.

Although car owners ultimately have to put their trust in their mechanic to do a good job, there are some simple tips that can be followed to avoid the chance of being ripped off.

9 tips for avoiding a car repair nightmare:

1. First, Read Your Owner's Manual. Be familiar with the services recommendations for your vehicle to ensure that the mechanics are following the manufacturer's guidelines when servicing your car. By understanding the services needed at which intervals, you can be better armed to know whether a suggested services is needed at that time or not.

2. Have Your Own Information. Buy a good quality repair manual or join internet forums relating to your car make and model.  This can better helop you understand the nature of the problem. You'll also gain some understanding into what your mechanic is telling you. You may find that you can carry out some basic repairs yourself, which is what this site is about. Better yet thatn a paper manual is to buy a subscription at Alldata Do It Yourself for your specific car ir truck.  It's often the same or cheaper than the print version and is undated as soon as new info is available.

3. Maintenance Is King to getting the best value from your car or truck. Service it regularly to avoid costly breakdowns. By skipping service intervals on your car you will run the risk of a more serious fault developing. Servicing your car regularly to the manufacturer's recommended service intervals can help save money over the life of your vehicle.  Quality oil change and service facility are on about every street corner in most places.

4. Get an estimate. If you take your car or truck to a shop either maintenance or repair, get an estimate before the shop begins the work. In many states an estimate is required to be givien and signed by the vehicle owner. Also insist the shop call you prior to doing any additional work that isn't covered in the original estimate.  This will help to avoid confusions and 'surprises'.

5. Get several Estimates. Don't be afraid to get a few quotes from different shops, just to be sure that the one you are leaning toward is in line with your local market. The cheapest doesn't mean the best by any means. A well respected, and talented, local independent shop may have prices greater than the local dealers. The cheapest quote doesn't necessarily mean the best value for money, but any shop that seems to charge way the norm for the area may need to checked out further.  Referrals never hurt.

6. Don't Get Confused. If your find yourself getting confused, aren't sure or just plain get a bad feeling, then don't be afraid to say 'No'.  Go off and get a second opinion.  The the shop is offended, let that be a big red flag.

7.  What Kind Of Parts? Find out where the parts will come from.  This may seem trivial, but it can be vital over the long haul.  Will the shop use OE (Original Equipment) parts or aftermarket parts from the corner parts store.  Will they even use salvage parts from the local junk yard.  Find out.  OE parts have a nasty reputation as being expensive but I have not found that to be true every time, in my experience as a shop owner.  Many times the OE part from the local dealer is about the same as O'reilly's, Autozone, or Advance.

8. Itemize The Bill.  Make sure the bill is well itemized.  Ask for a breakdown of things that are lumped together so you can better tell if they have even been carried out.  Don't hesitate to ask to be shown the repair, if it is visible.  Where is the pile of old parts?

9. Recommendations.  In the end try to find a shop that is recommend by someone, either a friend, family member, trade group, forum, etc.  It's important for your peace of mind to find a shop you can trust. It's good to know your car or truck is being well taken care of at the best available price.

By keeping these simple tips in mind when shopping for a repair facility, you can reduce the likelihood of being ripped off by unscrupulous operators.  Problems may still arise even with the best of shops.  Repairing today's high-tech vehicles can be a nightmare even for well-trained, seasoned techs, but the more informed YOU are the better things will go in the long run.