Car Repair -- Practices That Will Protect You

When it comes to car repair, there are undoubtedly more fair and honest shops than there are those out to scam you out of your money. But like everything else, the bad ones give the good ones a bad name. And the bad ones are out there. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell from a sign or an ad in the paper which category a shop falls into. To protect yourself, you have to scratch beneath the surface a bit. Here are some practices that will ensure that you don't get taken for a ride.

Do Your Research

Don't just take an ad at its word. Don't just pull into the first car repair shop you see on the highway. While location is certainly something to take into consideration for convenience's sake, it shouldn't be your only factor when choosing a mechanic. Do some simple research and find out what people are saying about the mechanic you're considering. Run their name through an internet search and see what comes up. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed. Ask around for recommendations and opinions.

Ask Questions

For some reason, there is a perception that the more questions you ask, the dumber you come off. This couldn't be further from the truth. While you may expose yourself as not having a great deal of car repair knowledge, this isn't anything to be ashamed of. The more questions you ask, the less likely it will be that a shop will try to take advantage of you. Put yourself in the shoes of a selective scammer. Are you going to be more likely to try and run one by the customer that feigns disinterest and just wants the car "fixed" or the person who wants to know every detail and reason behind everything the shop is doing? The answer is obvious.

Demand to See the Work

Fifty percent or more of car repair customers never ask to see the work they just paid to have done. So how do they know the fix was ever done? Of course, if your vehicle wasn't running properly and now it is, you know something was done. But what about those situations where a shop fixes one problem and then says, "Oh, and you should really get this and that replaced while you're here." It is those instances that you should immediately become reasonably suspicious. A good, honest shop will say these things, of course, but you should ask to see the work that has been done and the dirty part they replaced. Just to make sure anything was actually done at all.