Thursday, January 20, 2011

Saying No to a Mechanic’s or a Shop’s Recommendations

Mechanics are there to fix your car, but they’re also there to earn money. So, it’s not surprising that some of them go to the extent of offering or suggesting extra services every time you bring in your car for a particular repair or replacement (check out my previous post about common add-ons that some shops insist).

However, you can always say no to the suggestion of the auto repair shop. After all, it’s your money that will be spent on the repair, so you have the right to decide on which to use it. But, how do you know whether the suggested add-on or service of a shop is valid or if the mechanic you have talked to is only upselling?

  1. Familiarize with your vehicle manual. Your manual consists of all the information that you need to know about your car. It lists all the maintenance intervals for given parts, as well as the interval for performing such services as a tune-up. If you are familiar with your vehicle manual, you’ll know when it’s really time to perform a certain service on your car, and you can easily argue with your mechanic when he suggests something that is not in accordance with your manual.
  1. Take note of the last time when a service or replacement has been performed in your car. This will help you decide whether the tune-up that the mechanic is offering is already needed, or if the replacement filter suggested by the technician will actually be helpful.
  1. Don’t trust anything you do not understand. Is a mechanic suggesting that you purchase a cleaner for a specific part of your vehicle? If you’ve had your vehicle with you for many years and you’ve never had to use that cleaner, chances are you don’t actually need it. If you want to consider the offer, be sure that it is clear with you what that is for before you agree to anything and shell out cash. 

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