How to Avoid Auto Repair Scams

When you walk into your local mechanic’s garage and explain the new symptoms your car is exhibiting, do you automatically trust him when he tells you what the problem is? Do you just hand over the money for repairs or replacement car parts? Unless you’re a mechanic yourself or you spend every weekend under the bonnet of your Vauxhall, chances are you probably don’t know much about the Vauxhall parts that make up your vehicle. Sure, you know how to change the oil and maybe even a filter or two, but if you had to point out the master cylinder or manifold, you might not be able to spot them.

This is one of the biggest problems car owners have when it comes to maintenance and repairs, and many dishonest shops take advantage of our ignorance and force you to pay for services and repairs your car doesn’t really need.

So, how do you avoid this?

Avoiding Auto Repair Scams

• Choose a Shop you can Trust- One of the most important things you can do to ensure you never waste your hard-earned money on unnecessary repairs to Vauxhall parts is to find a shop you can trust and stick with it. It may not be the most convenient garage or the cheapest, but if you know you can trust their word and their work, you’ll be better off. Consult friends, family members, co-workers, and even reviews online to initially find a mechanic that will work best for you. If you end up with a few different shops that might work for you, give each a trial run, then see which will offer the best prices, best service, and best fit for your specific needs.

• Write Down Car Maintenance- One of the easiest ways for a dishonest shop to get a little extra money out of your pocket is to call you and let you know that your Vauxhall is in need of its regular maintenance. If you haven’t kept accurate maintenance records, you might not know if they are calling before the maintenance actually needs to be done or not. Keeping a proper record will prevent you from heading into the shop too soon and spending more than you need to.

• Avoid Motorway Bandits- Travelling for vacation or a business trip? If you stop at a local petrol station and are told by an attendant that something is wrong with your Vauxhall, (something they might have heard or noticed when they checked your oil for you,) don’t fall for it. This is often a scam. If you’re concerned something might actually be wrong, find another repair shop nearby and have them perform a diagnostic check.

• Get the Estimate in Writing- If you need to take your car in for repairs, always get an estimate in writing before you allow the shop to perform their work. If the written estimate doesn’t have the prices listed, wait until they are on the sheet before you authorise the work.

• Be Careful of Discounts- Everyone loves a good bargain, right? Be careful of these discounts when it comes to routine maintenance. A shop down the road may be temporarily offering oil changes at a significantly reduced price, but once you’ve driven your car in, they may find a number of Vauxhall parts that need to be replaced or repaired. While it may seem easy to ignore this added pressure to allow them to perform more work on your Vauxhall, they will often make the repairs seem necessary, as if getting back into your car would be dangerous or even life-threatening. Paying the regular price at your trusted garage will cost less in the end because you won’t end up paying for services you don’t really need.

Tired of being the victim of auto repair scams? Be careful what mechanic you trust around your Vauxhall; find a shop you like and stick to it.