Dilemma - to pay or not to pay?
Folks: I had an issue with a vehicle that I could not figure out; I'm a pretty competent home mechanic and rarely take anything to a shop. The shop where I took it spent 4 hours on the vehicle and...
Forum Discussion
MAYBE A DOSE OF CONSUMER EDUCATION SHOULD BE IN ORDER
- The the service writer you demand the estimate with the following points clearly spelled out
- Estimate is to be titled REPAIR, DIAGNOSE, OR DIAGNOSE TO DETERMINE REPAIR ESTIMATE ESTIMATE
- The second or follow-up estimate should read ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR
- When diagnostics are performed INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS and circuits troubleshot and results must be detailed
- This protects the customer from diagnostic failures that another shop may find in that circuit
- Ninety five percent of so-called electrical technicians replace part after part and chalk it up to parts sold AS ELECTRICAL PARTS CAN NOT BE RETURNED or EXCHANGED
- The customer may get a whole basketful of new, unneeded expensive parts added onto the bill
- Because of what I did for a living I was exposed to this PRECISE issue repeatedly. I did not take time out to do car harness troubleshooting or repair, but as an example I did find shops that did work on my level and even more talented. Ed's Auto Electric in Lancaster California is such an example. This guy was talented and fast
- Such good shops exist but percentage-wise seem to be in the 5% minority
- Protect yourself DEMAND all replaced items to be returned to you in a bag. Even a bad electrical harness plug
- In California the state department of CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUREAU of AUTO REPAIR (800-952-5210) used to be an incompetent's or Crook's nightmare
- I appeared for three depositions for the plaintiff after performing counter-diagnostics and finding obvious incompetence or fraud.
