Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Paying with a Check or Credit Card for Car Repair

Auto repair rip offs are so common nowadays, so you always have to look out for mechanics and shops out to trick you into spending more than you should. As an added level of protection, you must familiarize yourself with and practice some ways that will keep you away from rip off. Do you know that many people advice paying check or credit card to an auto repair shop when you bring in your vehicle for a service?

Why?

Well, it’s very easy to pay cash to your mechanic for a repair and then forget about it afterwards. But, should you encounter a problem, should you realize later on that you’ve been ripped off, you will have no way of getting back the cash that you threw away.

When you pay check, on the other hand, you can simply cancel the payment should a rip off occur. Meanwhile, when you pay using credit card, most credit card companies offer automatic protection against fraud. When the shop personnel know that you’re paying through check or credit card, they might be deterred to rip you off.

You have to be sure, though, that the shop accepts credit cards or checks. Before you authorize the shop to do any repair or service, you must have a clear agreement with the shop manager as to your mode of payment.

Some drivers relate instances when a shop refuses credit card after the repair, asking cash instead even if the initial agreement was to pay using credit card. To avoid something like this, try to get your agreement into writing even before the job is started. This way, the shop won’t be able to refuse you and you’ll have something to hold on to in case problems occur and you find the need to file a complaint. By doing this, you’ll have an edge over the shop.

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