do you always feel like your mechanic is ripping you off?

Answer 1

This is one of those instances where I have no chance of getting a Best Answer because I'm not going to post what the questioner wants to here, but here goes nothing anyway...

If you go in thinking you are going to get ripped off then yes, you will always feel like you are getting ripped off.

Take Bruce down below. He tells us that a shop told him he needed a Power Steering hose because his power steering fluid was low and they had to top it off. He determined they were lying because when he checked his power steering, it was full.

Of course it was full. They topped it off!!!!!!

He'll be back in soon enough for a new pump but that won't change his impression of what happened.

Why? Because a "good deal" is 99.9% subjective.

I've had customers who I bent over backwards for, cut ridiculous deals for and even outright gave free work to that still thought they were ripped off and even went to the BBB to complain! Makes me not want to bother sometimes.

But how do you know you are getting ripped off? It is a very subjective thing. One person may be convinced they are getting ripped off on a job while another will feel exactly the opposite about the exact same job.

Which one is right?

How do you know if your paying too much? Shops a few miles from each other may have very different labor rates and parts markups for example, but that doesn't mean the more expensive shop is ripping you off. The more expensive shop may be located in a neighborhood that is more expensive to do business in (property taxes, lease rates, local taxes, etc) and/or may employ more experienced technicians who of course, demand higher pay. The cheap shop may be in a seedy neighborhood where rents are cheap and the work is done by undocumented immigrants who work for cash (I'm not making this up either). Does that make them "the better deal?"

How do you know if unnecessary work is being performed?

All of this is in your control by the way. You can always say no, you can always get a second opinion, you can always pick up the phone and get a competitive quote. So if you feel you are getting ripped off it is your problem, not the shops.

My personal feeling is, find a shop you like and stick with it. Build a relationship. I have hundreds of customers who I know by name when they walk in and they know me. Do they get preferential treatment and better deals? You bet they do.

Answer 2

I did ,that's why I got into the field. I find that mechanics are not looked at much better than lawyers.... and in half the cases, people are justified for not trusting them. I encounter three types of mechs/techs in my field. there are the ones that don't know much and cost you due to butchering and replacing unneeded parts, there are the ones that think you know nothing and exaggerate or make up problems to make easy money, and then there are the rest of us that know our stuff and fix it right the first time for a reasonable price based on the complexity of the diagnostic and repair process. a good mechanic will never hesitate to answer a question or show you the steps he took to find your problem. if you think you are being ripped off,ask questions. my best customers are the ones that have some understanding of what it is that I am doing for them.

Answer 3

Those of you who feel that ALL mechanics are rip-offs, here's food for thought.

1. A mechanic has to purchase HIS OWN tools to service YOUR vehicle at a cost of roughly $40,000. (That's right, out of his own pocket)

2. Most places, namely dealerships are paid by a system called "flat rate". This means they get paid by the job NOT from the time they arrive at work, to the time they leave. (In other words, no jobs for the day, NO PAY FOR THE DAY).

3. The dealerships, which are pricey, admittedly charge roughly $80.00 to $110.00 per hour for labour, depending on the region. The technician sees AT MOST a quarter of that, around $20.00 to $25.00 per FLAT RATE hour.

4. The Warranty jobs pay a certain "set labour time" which 9 times out of 10 can't be beaten by the average technician. This means if the job pays 2.5 hours, the technician is paid $50.00 (if it's at $20.00 per hour) whether he takes 1 hour to complete the job, or 5 hours to complete the job. Most of the time warranty jobs pay ridiculous times that take LONGER than the time pays.

5. Mechanics that are paid flat rate are LOSING money if you take up their time asking them same question 20 different times, wasting an hour of his time to explain how things work, why they fail, and WHY they need to be replaced.

6. There are FAR BIGGER crooks out there (ie. LAWYERS, CORRUPT POLICE OFFICERS etc.)

7. If you've read this far, and you're still not convinced, or really don't care for that matter, go here: http://www.flatratetech.com/forums/index.php?showforum=7
and post that exact same question in Forums, under the OPEN TOPIC heading to see what kind of answers you get.

Answer 4

Yes, I just took my car in for an oil change and when he was finished he said my power steering line was leaking. I took it to another mechanic and he said that the other guy failed to tighten the oil filter, that was the leak. So I phoned the other guy back and just said do you think it was the oil filter, maybe you didn't put it on tight enough. He said no, it definitely was the power steering line and the power steering was dead empty and he had to fill it up. I check my power steering fluid and it was not even down. Then I knew that he was lying to me. So I said no more and he has lost my business for life. I found myself a new mechanic, hopefully one that I can trust.

Answer 5

i'm a mechanic,and i fully expect people to think i rip them off,however i don't and I WILL NOT LET ANY MEMBER OF MY CREW TO RIP ANYONE OFF.You should feel confident and at ease with the mechanic and crew who are working on your viehicle,just as you would your doctor.Go into a shop and talk to them.Most will offer opinions on your problem FOR FREE.If you don't feel comfortable do not shop there.Price may be a factor but keep in mind "you get what you pay for".Look for ASE certified technicians we are the elite,most of us spend as much time reading repair manuals off work hours as we do working.Trust however is the biggest factor,if you don't understand what and why something is needed it is the technicians and service advisors job to fully explain the needed repair.Regardless of your "car smarts" let them figure it out,thats what you are paying for.Also if they cannot explain and educate you on the repair walk away.Go on your gut feelings,we know what we are up against,we are not well liked because we are the bearers of bad news most often,and we are going to ask you for some of your hard earned cash.You'll be able to see where most of ours ends up,check out some of those tool boxes in the shop,the tech. pays for all that,along with training and certifications out of his or her own pocket.Hope this helps.

Answer 6

The desire to learn is a good step to making money online. The next step is to look for free resources that will give you the correct information that you'll need to get started. You can check out here http://moneyonline.toptips.org

It gives free training on how to make money online

Answer 7

Unfortunately many do! But mine was a friend before a mechanic, so I feel safe.

Answer 8

Yes, and I know they've ripped me off because any work I have had done has been at the car dealership that my car came from 6 years ago. Once a warranty runs out on a car and you don't purchase more time on that said warranty, be prepared to be screwed by your mechanic.

Answer 9

Yes. All the time. Its a shitty feeling, and thats why I always try to find people around me that know cars all right. I'm pretty sure every shop knows that if you knew what you were doing, or knew someone that could fix it you'd bring it somewhere else, so by bringing it to that shop says that you have no idea whats going on nor anyone to fix it.

It sucks. My advice? Try and become friends with some mechanics! I was lucky enough that my neighbor went to a local trade school for it, so he fixes a lot of my stuff for pretty cheap but stuff that he doesnt have the equipment for and I have to go to a shop for.. gah. My empty wallet hates mechanics. haha.

Answer 10

You guys!!!
YOU disappoint me!!!!

I come to this site, helping You,answering all Your question .....
and what? .........
the mechanics this............. the mechanics that.......

I bet You go to a hospital and tell the doctor .You know what You ripping me off.!!!!
and guess what??? HE IS ripping You off in all ways. economical and skin deep physical........period

leave my lawyer alone, she is so sweet and so nice!!!!