If you were handed an estimate to replace a water pump on your auto, would you know if the price was fair? Could you trust the price? How about for a tie rod end, mass air flow sensor, or an evaporative emissions sensor?
Most of us do not know what these are, never mind the price. 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 do we guarantee that our car repair costs are legitimate.
How many times have you had a suspicion that you paid too much, but couldn’t prove it? How often did the price appear exorbitant for even simple repairs?
To illustrate just how “At Risk” the everyday auto repair customer 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 fix shop level.
Yet the woman 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 labor, or added additional parts.
In short, it seemed to be 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’s a point that I don’t want anyone to miss:
They get away with it because they can!
Think about it. The average person doesn’t know how much vehicle parts cost. And who knows how much work time a repair should take? To what sources does one turn to find out this information? Who even has the time to investigate!
Upon examination 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 correct that tops out at $1575. The girl did not know. She just paid the bill and left.
How many times do folks 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 question a repair bill. Similarly , only a few even know what inquiries to ask!
The auto repair industry has been over-charging for decades-sometimes subtly, sometimes confidently, definitely frequently. The evidence for this is overwhelming; yet, there are no straightforward solutions available for the auto fix customer.
Government agencies can’t help. The Better Business Bureau can not 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 completely unique. Who truly knows what goes on in the underground of such a various and complex industry?
The Solution?
First and foremost, car repair customers need access to information on auto fix costs. Without this, they’ve got nothing discernible in which to figure out fair charges. They also have to be able to navigate the maze of parts and labor charges for car repairs and maintenance.
Like everything else, 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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Tags: car repair