If you were handed an estimation to replace a water pump on your automobile, would you know if the price was fair? Could you trust the price? What about for a tie rod end, mass air flow sensor, or an evaporative emissions sensor?
Most of us don’t know what these are, don’t worry about the price. Yet it is components such as these that are ordinarily used to over charge you, the car repair customer.
We no longer live in an age of trust, so how will we guarantee that our auto repair costs are legitimate.
How many times have you had a suspicion that you paid too much, but could not prove it? How often did the price appear exorbitant for even easy repairs?
To illustrate just how “At Risk” the common-or-garden automobile repair consumer is to OTT auto repair prices, here’s a recent real life example from a “reputable?” dealer.
A client brought her Audi to an authorized Audi dealership for the standard timing belt upkeep service.
The price for this service averages $1575 at the dealership level, ( including pulleys, water pumpetc ) and about $1275 at the independent repair shop level.
Yet the lady left the dealer with a bill for $2025.68.
What happened?
According to the repair order, there were no abnormal circumstances, no problems noted by the technician like rust or any other extenuating circumstances that would have perhaps increased the work, or added extra parts.
In short, it definitely was a straight forward service, but the bill was $450.68 higher than it should have been. There’s simply no bonafide reason to have “that much” discrepancy.
How’d they get away with it?
The answer is extremely simple, and it is a point that I don’t want anyone to miss:
They get away with it because they can!
Think about it. The average person does not know how much auto parts cost. And who knows how much work time a fix should take? To what sources does one turn to find out this information? Who even has the time to investigate!
Upon investigation of this girl’s correct order, it was found that she was charged a full 4 hours “more” than the standard work time. At $100 per hour, this added an extra $400. The remaining $50.68 came from the parts, which were billed higher than MSRP.
She was quoted $2,025 for a repair that tops out at $1575. The girl did not know. She just paid the bill and left.
How many times do people just settle up and leave? Just about that is all one can do given that there’s no accessible information for the auto fix shopper to adequately query a correct bill. Additionally , few even know what questions to ask!
The auto repair industry has been over-charging for decades-sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly, definitely often. The proof for this is overpowering ; yet, there are no easy solutions available for the car repair customer.
Government agencies can not help. The Better Business Bureau can not do anything. Even supposed “car correct pros or advocates” lack the appreciation of the breadth and insidiousness of the automobile fix business at all its levels.
A dealership operates differently than an independent fix shop, and a franchise, like Midas, is absolutely unique. Who truly knows what goes on in the underground of such a diverse and complex industry?
The Solution?
First and foremost, auto correct patrons need access to information on automobile correct costs. Without this, they’ve got nothing real in which to figure out fair charges. They also have to be able to navigate the maze of parts and work charges for automobile repairs and maintenance.
Like the rest, information is the key to ensure fair treatment. Without it, the automobile correct consumer will continue to “swim with the sharks” without any protection.
Do you like super fast sports cars? You will find www.thesupercars.org very useful for information about exotic sport cars. Make sure to also visit 2010 Audi.
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