How to avoid garage scams
Collaborative Post
Do you sometimes feel intimidated taking your car to the garage? This is a common issue that many motorists have as they often fear that they will be scammed or taken advantage of due to their lack of knowledge about cars. While most garages are friendly and reliable, you will find that there are some bad eggs out there that look to take advantage of older, vulnerable and/or rich motorists. Keep reading to learn how you can avoid common garage scams.
Know Common Car Issues
Knowledge is power and one of the best ways to avoid scams is to know a few of the most common car issues. When you know what the most common issues are, it will help you to gain a better understanding of what your mechanic says and have an idea of what work needs to be done. A few of the most common issues include:
- Sputtering engine
- Dead battery
- Flat tyres
- Squealing brakes
- Shaking steering wheel
- Overheating
It is worth reading up on these common issues so that you know how to prevent them from arising and also what the work will involve if you end up taking the car to the garage. This will make it easier to understand what the mechanic says and could prevent you from being scammed.
Common Scams
So, what are a few of the most common scams that you hear about? A garage finding extra MOT faults that will cost more to fix is a common scam as many motorists will not look too closely at the MOT report. To prevent this, you should research garages to find one that is reliable in your area (a personal recommendation would be ideal) for your annual MOT and for a car service.
Another common scam is overcharging for parts or labour. This is a problem because an average motorist will not know how much various car parts cost to buy. Therefore, you should always do some research before agreeing to the work to get an idea of what you should be paying.
Who Should be Extra Careful?
All motorists should be wary and take their time to find a reliable garage, but you will find that there are certain demographics that are targeted as they may be viewed as people that do not know much about cars. This can include young motorists, women, pensioners and people with wealth.
While most garages are trustworthy and reliable, you will find that there are some bad apples that will attempt to scam and rip motorists off when it comes to maintenance and repairs. This post should help you to avoid being scammed and hopefully give you greater confidence whenever you have to take your car into the garage.
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
