An interesting item this morning from Snopes.com regarding car repair scams being run at some SoCal Jiffy Lubes, and they also give a link to a good bit of advice on MSN Money about avoiding such scammery.
Car repair is a difficult business--there's a lot of overhead costs and labor turnover--but when you have a clientele that is basically at your mercy, the temptation to cheat can be overwhelming to some folks. But one of the greatest benefits of the Internet Age is the ability to quickly seek out information and determine if you might be getting taken for a ride by a mechanic. It is also a great aid when you find that there are things that you can easily fix yourself.
I have remarked before and it bears repeating that I could not afford to own my old Volvo if I had to rely on other people to fix it. It's an old car, but not necessarily a simple one. Having information available (and some handy skills picked up over the years) has made it much easier to deal with economically. The same can be said for our Focus. The two major problems we've had with it, the jammed ignition lock cylinder and the leaking pollen filter housing, were able to be fixed because I was able to go online and find other people who'd gotten in similar jams, and find out how to fix the thing. The ignition lock I probably saved myself $300 on, the pollen filter, probably a couple hundred.
So in addition to the help offered by the MSN article (and more comprehensive advice offered by the Federal Citizen Information Center--the folks in Pueblo, Colorado who send you pamplets), before laying down some big bucks on your car, utilize one of the most powerful information tools you have.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at August 31, 2006 11:33 AMA loaded shotgun to the stomach of a cheatin' Mr. Goodwrench?
Posted by: skinnydan at August 31, 2006 01:22 PMThat works, too.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at August 31, 2006 02:00 PM