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Beware of These 7 Common Auto Mechanic Rip-Off Tricks

I am sure you do not know me to remind you that auto repair can get costly really quickly. What may seem like a minor problem or some sort of irritating noise can easily turn into a very expensive bill. You have probably gone through many sticker-shop experiences in the past.

I do not need to remind you of how big of a headache auto repairs can be both for your finances as well as for your daily convenience. As you probably already know, every single day that you do not have access to your car is a hassle. You would rather go to place, take care of the problem as quickly as possible, and go on your merry way. For most people in Americans, a day without a car is a very inconvenient day to say the least.

With that said, getting auto repair done by a competent auto mechanic is easier said than done. While most people have a fairly clear idea about what a mechanic does, they are usually pretty fuzzy when it comes to selecting the right mechanic for their particular automotive problems. This is why a lot of people are naturally fearful of auto repair shops because at some level or other, they are preparing themselves mentally to get ripped off. In fact, a lot of Americans simply conclude that if they go to an auto repair shop, there would be some sort of rip-off. It would not be a purely positive experience, and they pretty much resigned themselves to that eventuality.

Well, the good news is that you do not have to assume that you would be ripped off. The positive news is that you do not have to take this all lying down. By simply choosing to be aware of the seven common auto mechanic rip-off tricks that I will discuss below, you go a long way in protecting the integrity of your wallet. Make no mistake about it you work hard for your money. Do you not deserve to milk as much value out of your dollars as you can? If so, pay attention to the following tricks:

Auto Mechanic Bait and Switch

Be highly suspicious of auto mechanic shops that have very, very low published prices. In fact, some auto repair shops have published prices that make you think you are in a different country. You have to understand in the United States labor prices are very expensive, and some auto mechanic services make a big deal of the fact their services are 25% or even 33% lower than the competition. Well, as you can imagine, these cheap prices are enough to draw people in. Once people come in the door thanks to the unbelievably low pricing, they end up being stuck with a bill that is exactly the same or even higher than the competition. What gives? Well, this is called bait and switch, and the auto repair shop only needs to pad the “hidden costs” for you to get hit, but by that point in time, they have already “provided” the service, and you are stuck having to pay their bill. Instead of saving money, you might even end up paying a little more than the competition.

Specials that are So Specific They Do Not Exist

Another common trick low-quality auto mechanic shops pull involves very attractive “specials.” They make a big deal of these special services that are supposed to be very important when it comes to your car. In fact, you might come in for something very basic like an oil change, and the mechanic would excitedly tell you about an awesome special that they are having, which can save you a lot of money.

Well, it turns out that the special has nothing to do with the make and model of your car. It can also turn out that the special has nothing to do with how you use your car because the service behind the special is so specific in nature that it does not apply to you. This harms you because when you get excited by the fact that this company provides this “special service,” you might end up buying other regular service that you know you need. In other words, without the allure of the “special,” you might not have had work done because it was not pressing work, or you had other options.

They Use Aftermarket Parts by Default

A lot of auto repair shops play fast and loose when it comes to parts. Unless you specifically say that you want only original parts, these companies would, by default, use aftermarket parts. The shadier ones go the extra mile in terms of sleaze. They would charge you for original parts, but they would use aftermarket parts. In other words, they would charge you for genuine Toyota parts made in Japan, but when you look at the parts that they installed, they came from China. What is wrong with this picture?

No Written Estimates

Beware of auto repair shops that are all verbal. The account executive or salesperson or client representative might be a very charming person indeed. They might be very comforting. You might establish instant rapport with them, but believe me if you unless you get stuff in writing, you have no business believing what they are telling you. You cannot take their word for it because if they give you an estimate, that is exactly what it is. It is an estimate, and the worst part is that it is a verbal estimate. So, basically you are putting yourself at their mercy. When it comes time for them providing services, you might end up getting services that are more expensive than your initial expectation.

Suspicious Grease Spots

This is an oldie but a goodie. You take your car in for repairs or inspections and then the mechanic tells you that a certain part of your car is leaking. You look at the undercarriage of your car and cannot see anything, but you look at the floor beneath your car and there are grease spots. This trick has been used pretty much ever since cars were invented to get car owners to pay a whole lot more money for what would have been a maintenance procedure. This might seem quite cheap, but believe me, there is nothing cheap about it because this little trick can inflate your final bill by several hundred dollars.

Overly Technical Jargon

This is very annoying. When you walk into an auto mechanic shop, and the person you talk to just keeps talking in highly technical terms, you know that there is something funky going on. You know that they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes, and they are really trying to get you to trust their judgement. Once they get you to nod passively as they spit out jargon, they become more emboldened. They know that you do not know what they are doing, and that they can hit you with all sorts of shadow or phantom repairs, and you would gladly pay for it. Do not fall for this trick.

Doomsday Scenarios

There are many shady auto mechanic shops that would try to scare you out of your hard-earned dollars. They would tell you that you need a certain maintenance procedure because it has been linked to really horrendous accidents. Forget about the fact that the likelihood of such accidents is so low that you probably have a better chance of being hit by lightning. While technically factual, a lot of these doomsday scenarios are primarily intended to scare you to spend more for services you do not actually need. Follow this simple rule of thumb. If your contact at the car mechanic shop starts talking about worst-case scenarios and is trying to get all scary, leave the shop. That company is trying to milk you dry.

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How to Spot Issues When Looking for Merced Tire Shops

It is very easy to look for Merced tire shops that your neighbors trust. Put simply, you should look for tire shops in Merced, CA that have a proven track record in meeting local needs. This is the positive side of the story. This is what you should do. The problem is most people are reactive. Most people are not proactive.

We know what we should do. We know what is good for us. We know the right process to follow, but for some reason or other, we do not do it. Instead, we wait until our backs are against a wall, and afterwards we make the call. Then and only then do we take positive steps to change our situation.

I really cannot say I blame you because most people are reactive. If this is how you handle things, welcome to the club. You are hardly alone. Do not worry that you are not proactive. Do not wish that you thought that way. It is okay.

Instead, deal with the problem as it appears, and make no mistake about it, it is easier to search for Merced tire shops to avoid rather than finding service providers you should do business with. This is really important to know because, let us face it; there are a lot more substandard and frankly, lousy service providers out there than top-notch performers. I wish it was the other way around. I wish that there was an abundance of solid companies out there.

Tire Shop Warning Signs

Unfortunately, you would better serve yourself paying attention to warning signs or possible signs of faulty service. This way, you avoid all sorts of unnecessary drama. This way, you avoid having to waste a tremendous amount of time, effort and, yes, money trying to unwind whatever damage they cause. As the old saying goes “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It is much better to deal with problems by ensuring that they do not appear at all.

Here are some tips on how to spot trouble signs when looking for Merced tire shops. Be on the lookout for these. Keep your eyes peeled on these signs because, let us face it; tire shops in Merced, CA are not created equal. Again, I wish they were but they are not. We have to deal with reality instead of dealing with how things should be.

Rough and Difficult Intake Calls

When you phone a suspect service provider, it seems that the person who picked up your call is out to lunch. Seriously. This person, by all appearances is not completely there. The person seems totally unprepared, does not follow a script, does and does not ask the right questions. In many cases, you have to repeat yourself, and it can get really frustrating very quickly. The bad news? It all goes downhill from here. This is, in fact, the easy part. If you were to take the bait and actually make it to such tire shops in Merced, CA, you would find out that your problems have just begun. Remember, you are contacting Merced tire shops to solve a problem not to suffer from new ones.

Hard to Set an Unwelcome Walk-in Appointment

It would be nice to enter any kind of Merced Tire Shop and be warmly received the moment you roll through the parking lot. Unfortunately, that is too much to ask for very many tire shops in this part of California. It really is. In many cases, the staff members would turn around and look at you like you interrupted a party. It is very easy to feel unwelcome. In many cases, they would look at you with a puzzled and often menacing look as if they are asking you, “What the hell are you doing here?” If you get this type of impression, leave that place immediately because, believe me, there are many other shops that would love to get your business. Do not insist on doing business with that company if they cannot even muster up the fake smiles to make you feel welcome at least.

Crappy Tire Inventory

Another warning sign of substandard Merced tire shops is that their inventory of tires pretty much follows a one-size-fits-all formula. There is really not much selection. Sure, there are different sizes but that is pretty much where the selection criteria for their shop begins and ends. Put simply, the selection is nonexistent. This is a big red flag. Do not do business with a company that is basically just going to slap the same tire brand on your car without really paying attention to the specific set of circumstances that involve the usage of your car. Every car is different. Every car owner has his personalized needs. It is a very dicey call to do business with a company that simply disregards all those particular factors.

Clueless Staff

Even if you were to ask a basic question on how they are going to take off and slap on the wheel, you know you are dealing with a substandard shop when the person has no clue. Maybe the person does not even speak English. Perhaps the person does not want to talk to you. Whatever the case may be and whether it comes from lack of information, sheer ignorance or arrogance or even contempt, you have no business talking to such people. Seriously.

If they are going to give you that kind of attitude, and if they are not going to put out at least the effort to know what most reasonable customers would inquire about, then you really have no business handing them your hard-earned dollars. Believe me, there are lots of other firms and outfits out there that are more deserving of your hard-earned cash. You should not reward this behavior and attitude.

They do not Discuss Warranties

You know you are dealing with a very shady operation when they do not discuss warranties. Now, it is one thing for the company to step up and tell you about their warranties. You do not have to ask them. They just volunteer this information. You know you are in safe hands because any company that would risk losing money and time backing up their work is exhibiting a healthy level of confidence in their work.

Now, if the reverse were true, and they do not even discuss warranties even if you ask for it or even if you refer to it, then you know that this is a problem. Maybe they do not have the right protocol. Perhaps the person is badly trained. Possibly their warranties are nothing to write home about.

Whatever the case may be, none of these situations are good. You should do yourself a tremendous favor and look for another service provider. Again, believe me, you are not really asking for the moon. You are not asking for something unreasonable. You are just looking for a base level of professionalism.

Clear Price Schedules

When you were presented with a price schedule which looks like it is written in Sanskrit or looks like a map which is supposed to take you to Mars, you know that people are playing all sorts of shenanigans with you. People are trying to profit off your ignorance. You have to remember that there is a reason why automotive shops have a bad reputation with certain members of the general public.

Unfortunately, it takes only a handful of unscrupulous body shop and car repair shop operators to give their industries a bad name, and they do this by presenting confusing price schedules or using different terms to try to trick you into buying a service package that you do not really need. Do not fall for these shenanigans. If you detect that they are trying to play these games, quickly back out because, again, there are many other more deserving companies out there.