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, ignore the cost. Yet it is components such as these that are frequently used to over charge you, the vehicle fix customer.
We no longer live in an age of trust, so how will we make sure 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 simple repairs?
To illustrate just how "At Risk" the common-or-garden car repair customer is to excessive car repair prices, here's a up to date real life example from a "reputable?" dealer.
A customer brought her Audi to an authorized Audi dealership for a 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 fix shop level.
Yet the woman left the dealer with a bill for $2025.68.
What happened?
According to the fix order, there were no abnormal circumstances, no problems noted by the technician such as rust or any other extenuating circumstances that would have perhaps increased the labor, or added further parts.
In short, it was a straight forward service, but the bill was $450.68 higher than it should have been. There is simply no legitimate reason to have "that much" discrepancy.
How'd they get away with it?
The answer is easy, 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 labor time a correct should take? To what sources does one turn to find out this information? Who even has the time to investigate!
Upon investigation of this woman's repair order, it was discovered that she was charged a full four hours "more" than the standard labor time. At $100 per hour, this added an additional $400. The leftover $50.68 came from the parts, which were billed higher than MSRP.
She was quoted $2,025 for a fix that tops out at $1575. The girl didn't know. She just paid the bill and left.
How many times do folks just pay the bill and leave? Pretty much that's all one can do given that there's no accessible information for the car repair customer to adequately question a repair bill. Similarly , only a few even know what questions to ask!
The auto repair industry has been over-charging for decades-sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly, definitely frequently. The evidence for this is overpowering ; yet, there are no straightforward solutions available for the automobile fix customer.
Government agencies can not help. The Better Business Bureau can't do anything. Even supposed "car fix professionals or advocates" lack the understanding of the breadth and insidiousness of the automobile correct business at all its levels.
A dealership operates differently than an independent fix shop, and a franchise, like Midas, is fully unique. Who truly knows what goes on in the underground of such a various and complex industry?
The Solution?
First and foremost, auto correct patrons need access to information on auto fix costs. Without this, they've got nothing discernible in which to determine fair charges. They also need to be ready to navigate the maze of parts and labor charges for car repairs and maintenance.
Like the rest, information is the key to guarantee fair treatment. Without it, the automobile correct consumer will continue to "swim with the sharks" without any protection.
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