ALT-1 How to know if your Mechanic is Overcharging
A car is a nice thing to have. If you don’t believe this, try to imagine living in a time when getting from Point A to Point B had to be accomplished with your feet, a horse (either by itself or pulling a buggy), or at best, a coal-spewing train with a top speed of perhaps 30 miles an hour.There’s no question about it: Those who lived centuries earlier would be quite envious if they could see how convenient automobiles really are. But, as with practically any modern-day innovation, there is a catch, and quite a significant one at that. Hundreds of mechanical parts go into the construction of cars, and from time to time, it becomes inevitable that some will need to be repaired or even replaced. Moreover, maintenance is prudent if one expects to keep his or her vehicle for any appreciable amount of time.Therefore, and unless you happen to be gifted with a keen sense of mechanical aptitude, that car will have to be serviced by a professional auto technician. This will of course cost money, and depending on the make, model, and specific component to be worked on, it could cost lots of money. But…..how can anyone know if they are being fairly charged for such services or simply being taken advantage of?Dishonest auto service practicesare among the top five consumer complaints. It is estimated that some $20 billion is squandered on unnecessary or improper car repairs every year.There are two basic components to auto repair costs, and they are parts and labor.PartsParts prices will of course vary greatly, depending on what they are. For example, a water pump is going to cost more than a light bulb. Independent shops typically purchase parts from aftermarket suppliers. It is reasonable for such places to mark these prices up over their purchase cost. They have to make money to stay in business, right? Even with such a mark-up, parts will generally be far less expensive than comparable parts at a dealership. But beware, for many aftermarket parts are cheaply-made and won’t last as long as genuine factory parts.LaborThis is an assigned hourly rate the customer pays for work. Again, independent shops have lower labor rates than dealerships. However, technicians at dealerships are highly-trained, and specifically for the makes of cars the dealership sells and will thus know far more about the mechanicals than someone in an “indy” shop that works on all makes. Thus, you will pay for that extra schooling in the form of higher labor rates.In short, dealerships are not the “stealerships” that many make them out to be. The parts are genuine, and the mechanics are better-trained. You get what you pay for.This however does not necessarily mean that independent shops should be avoided. If the mechanics are certified in several different makes of generic, bread and butter domestic or imported brands, then certainly one can expect satisfactory work. Now here is the most common rip-off in regard to labor:Suppose a shop has a set rate of $80 an hour. They have a “guidebook” that says it takes six hours ($480) to replace something like a heater core. However, the technician was fast and finished the job in five hours. An honest shop will charge you just for the five hours ($400). A dishonest shop will go “by the book” even it if took less time, and of course, they won’t hesitate to charge you more if it happens to run into extra hours.A dishonest shop may tell you that your car needs a whole new brake job when you only need pads or a complete front-end rebuild when your struts just need to be replaced. Never take their word for it. Always take the car to a second or even third shop forother opinions. If you are told otherwise, then you’ll know the first place was trying to squeeze as much money from you as they possibly could.When a shop does claim to have replaced a part, ask to see the old, original part as well. Believe it or not, there are some dishonest mechanics that will blatantly lie about the work performed and try to charge you for it!Never tell a mechanic to “do whatever is needed.” If you do, he or she will, and then some. Here is what could happen: You’ll come in for a $30 oil change and end up paying ten times that amount for needless other repairs and/or replacements.Make sure a repair job was done correctly the first time, and never have work done that excludes some kind of warranty on parts and labor.. If the vehicle starts acting up just days or even hours after leaving a shop, take it right back! To avoid this scenario on a vacation trip hundreds of miles from home, make sure your car is up-to-date on all preventative maintenance before ever taking that trip.For those who are not mechanically savvy, it can still be difficult if not impossible to truly know whether or not they have been duped, but following the advice listed above can certainly minimize the risk.
