You do not. Several questions arise here. One is integrity. Another is the ability. Another reason is trust.
If you expect your vehicle to a dealer of new vehicles, a garage, a gas station, tire store, auto service shop specialized branch or any other type of service centers to be treated honestly and fairly. You do not want to, which exploits are being lied to unfair advantage, says you need parts or services you do not really need for parts that were not replaced, or services that have not been charged, or deceived in any way feel conveys, as it were, is not it?
If you take your vehicle for routine maintenance like oil changes, tune-up, tire rotation, etc., you should be told what items are repaired or replaced, how much parts and labor cost and how long it will take. You should then complete the work, as will be described in a reasonable time to wait at this price.
If you take your car because you obviously do with some kind of problem with her or because she needs to operate, make an accurate diagnosis of the problem, a complete description of what the parts and / or services will be replaced granted to the problem, a fairly accurate estimate of what repairs will cost, and an estimate of how long it takes to fix. No work is to begin before they are allowed (preferably in writing) and no additional compensation should be done if you allowed to work after someone explains why the extra work with an estimate of costs. A shop should also be ready to show you the old parts they removed from the vehicle and bring them to you if you (unless replacing a deposit for parts that may be necessary in some cases required) . wish
Since these rules, some people come away from the experience of a feeling of repair as they were torn. In some cases they were. Unfortunately, there are people in this world who make a living by cheating others. These are the crooks that identifies, tracks and put behind bars need. But in most cases no fraud is intended. The “rip-off” is really a lack of communication or misunderstanding between the parties concerned.
High repair costs
Everyone complains about the high cost of auto repairs today, and rightly so. Cars are expensive to maintain and repair, making something breaks, especially when vital to the bottom. But just because you had $ 1,500 to pay for a new transmission, does not mean were ripped off. Elements such as engines, transmissions, even computers, fuel injectors and catalytic converters are expensive to replace, makes no matter who the work.
High repair costs are an unavoidable cost of ownership of the vehicle that we all want to avoid, but often not. The more your car is, the more likely you are to spend money for major repairs. Preventive maintenance such as oil and filter changes, tune-ups and inspections can help to minimize the total cost of vehicle ownership and the risk of major repairs. But the preventive maintenance can not prevent the risk entirely. Like it or not, sooner or later break something, and you have to pay for the fixing.
Repair bills are high because the parts and labor are expensive. May be the average hourly wage rates of acquisition of new vehicles dealers charged anywhere from $ 35 to $ 60 per hour or more, as the big dealers usually have a lot of overhead. Independent repair shops, gas stations, tire dealers and other repair facilities typically cost less, but even so, still $ 25 to $ 40 per hour for the work. Time is money, and the longer it takes to diagnose and repair or replace a component is, the higher the bill. The only way to save money on call work, is, and compare the hourly rates of the work – or the work itself, if you have the skills and tools to have to do so.
In some shops, technicians are paid a commission or receive a percentage of the work they do. Consumer groups say this approach can promote linkages and dishonesty, because the technician can benefit directly. A business that pays its technicians a flat fee or hourly basis is less likely to experience these kinds of problems.
The parts are also expensive, especially for vehicles imported many parts that are imported only through dealers. And more expensive items such as engine and transmission, there are many parts, the cost to replace even hundreds €: the engine computer, anti-lock braking modulator and pump, air bags, catalytic converter, air compressor, the alternator or possibly start depending on the application, electrical pump, fuel injection, disc brakes, rack and much more.
Most workshops select the parts they install. They buy their parts wholesalers or distributors, bearing 30 to 50% on the “list price”, they invite you. They are able to receive their parts well with a price because they buy so many parties. While charging you list price as a rip-off seems to be, it’s no different than buying goods in a shop. All transactions to increase in the prices of their products to make a profit. In the case of auto repair facilities, the additional advantage of using the parts to make the overhead and offset transactions. In fact, the majority of traders and businesses not to stay in business without resorting to additional margin parts.
Most shops will NOT install the parts if you provide them, because they do not receive their usual markup. They say it’s the equivalent of your own food in the restaurant and ask the chef to cook you a meal.
If you are a competent do-it-yourselfers and can be a starter, alternator, battery, brake pads or other to replace it yourself, then you can probably save a bundle on parts and labor through the purchase of your parts in a retail store auto parts, discount stores and other point of this. But if you are unable to do it yourself, then you for the privilege of setting, when it comes to paying someone to do it for you.
SKILL & Integrity
This brings us back to issues of integrity and competence. With the high cost of parts and labor, is the last thing you want to pay for a lot of unnecessary work. In most cases, a service manager that the service writer or technician will not tell you your car needs something, if it really is – that is, if they are honest (most of them are).
The technicians are trained to do, for things that one must look to repair. After all, that’s their business. If you see a leaky pipe or a director or to take a suspension component, they will tell you, because their work. In fact, they could be held liable for negligence if they fail to see something larger, which requires attention later contributed to an accident! So you’re not trying to rip you off. You try to tell you what needs to be repaired so that you have specified. You might not want to hear what they, because it costs you more money than you say the expected cost. But as we said, the repairs are an inevitable part of the basic and painful, and maintenance of a vehicle.
What to do, but the difference between repairs that are really necessary to explain, and these are only recommended for preventive maintenance or other reasons.
Repairs needed would be one that the problem should be as fast as possible, because something important is worn, not broken, damaged, fail out of operation, to loose, or create a dangerous condition. This type of repair must be done, because your car could fail or in some sort of big problem, if the repairs are not made.
In many cases, certain repairs recommended that the vehicle manufacturer’s warranty to be fair. If you are in the manual explains the spark plugs every 30,000 miles and the oil and filter change at least once every 7500 miles should be changed in order to hold the motor to guarantee in force will be replaced, you’d be crazy not to have made necessary maintenance. Preventative maintenance is much cheaper than the change or a new engine.
Sometimes the repairs are recommended, or suggested, because they could offer some advantages for you (as the more reliable starting, better fuel economy, improved ride and handling, etc.). This type of repair can be postponed, but should be considered based on their own merits considered. Replace worn a series of shocks can be, for example, moves to improve the way your vehicle handles and extend the life of your tires well.
Unnecessary repairs
Many repairs are unnecessary because of the mistakes that are made to diagnose a problem. Unfortunately, you pay for this mistake. If a technician to replace something on your vehicle and it does not solve the problem, you just pay for unnecessary work.
The diagnosis is often the most difficult problems, from behavioral problems, including how hard stalled solve misfire, hesitation, elevated emissions and so on. Nobody bats an eye when a doctor charges a small fortune on diagnostic tests, but they scream bloody murder if they were made by the hour for work in the diagnostic statement. The shops are charging time of diagnosis is justified because in most cases to find the part to replace eating a lot more time than it actually replace it lasts. A technician can try several hours to replace a defective sensor or other component, to identify causes a problem, and then only 15 or 20 minutes to get it. While the technician must be compensated for time worked on your problem.
The alternative is probably worse. If the technicians are not paid at time of diagnosis, they can not devote the time needed to properly diagnose problems. They will consider jumping to conclusions and start replacing parts. If a party does not solve the problem, they will try something else – but you pay for the processing and fault diagnosis. Finally, it can actually be replaced at the party must fall, but until you pay for a large number of coins that you do not really need.
Questions to ask before proceeding
Before putting your trust in a service establishment in particular the following questions:
* Has the ease of maintenance in question has a good reputation? If you do not know, ask. Ask friends. Ask the Better Business Bureau if there have been complaints. If so, what kind of complaints? Ask for references. If the service facility does not provide names of satisfied customers can, take your business elsewhere.
* Do they participate in the program Motorist Protection (MAP) Code of Ethics? (See related Issue 133)
* Do they employ ASE certified mechanics? (See related Issue 131)
* The facility to promote the training of their employees? Enter displays for wall certificates, clinics or training programs, recently completed or terminated.
* The property is AAA certified or listed with another automobile club or an organization trying to “approved” institutions for the police?
* Is this the right place “feel good?” A clean and tidy with friendly manner does not guarantee truth, but there may be more of a concern for customer satisfaction.
