Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday’s Advice: Questions Not to Ask Your Mechanic

In my post last Friday, the discussion was about the things that you shouldn’t say to your mechanic if you want to avoid a rip-off. It’s important to watch out what you tell your mechanic, especially if you don’t have full trust on him just yet—what you say could be all that your mechanic has been waiting for to rip you off.

Other than what you tell your mechanic, it’s also important to think about the questions that you ask him. Your questions could be dead giveaways that could make you vulnerable to a rip-off or fraud. Here, let’s look at a couple types of questions that you shouldn’t ask your mechanic.

1. Very general questions. I’ve mentioned this in my last Friday’s post. Questions like “what does my car need?” could be the opening lines that your mechanic has been waiting all along, opportunities that will allow him to suggest parts more than what your car really needs. Instead of asking your mechanic this question, you can first do a research yourself and then narrow down the problem so that you’ll have an idea about the parts that your car may need—no need to completely rely on your mechanic.

2. Dumb questions. These questions are what you would really consider as dead giveaways about your lack of knowledge regarding your car. As a vehicle owner, it is your responsibility to know when certain procedures and services are already needed—that’s what your car manual is for. If you have to ask such questions to your mechanic, it will be like “hey, I don’t know anything about my car and I’m at your mercy.” Your mechanic will know that he can suggest anything and you’ll believe him.

Knowing all these, you must be careful about what you ask your mechanic. Do your job and familiarize with your car so that you’ll know how to deal with your mechanic when you come in for repair.

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