Honesty, loyalty, and trust: they’re the most important qualities in any relationship. But we’re not talking about relationships of the romantic variety. We’re talking about your relationship with your mechanic. And if you don’t have one, it’s time to seek out the perfect partner to keep the vroom in your vehicle. Don’t fall victim to auto care rip-offs!
The fact is, you’re never going to feel good about spending your money on your car, because it sucks! But being a confident car owner will make you feel better. Let’s face it, few people enjoy taking their car to a mechanic, it can be a daunting experience. This is particularly true for women. Oftentimes, women get looked down upon, intimidated, or treated like they’re not intelligent enough to understand what their car requires.
Ask Questions
We all know the scenario of going for an oil change and being told that your car needs extensive repairs. The resulting feeling of helplessness as you realize you might be getting ripped off settles in. Because of this, we sometimes approach car repairs with a defensive attitude, assuming we’re going to be taken advantage of. It’s an understandable reaction, but I have some tips for anyone, male or female, who find themselves needing auto care. You can knock the legs out from under that fear and intimidation by asking questions.
Providing as much information and asking as many questions as you need will help minimize you from being ripped off! Nobody wants to feel like they’re being taken advantage of. When your confronting your auto repair needs, you need to feel empowered, not intimidated, at your repair shop.
Be Knowledgeable
You need to let your repair shop understand that you know what you want, and you’re not going to put up with any unnecessary fluff or scare tactics. And above all, trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable with a mechanic’s recommendations, it’s perfectly acceptable to seek a second opinion. People get nervous about car repairs because they don’t know enough about their car to know what it needs.
It’s easy for a mechanic to take advantage of a lack of car knowledge and you just end up paying, because what else are you going to do, right? You have no choice but to believe them. What’s the solution? Familiarize yourself with your cars owner manual, it’s a wealth of information. I promise you that the manufacturer who made the car will be more accurate than pages of information that are navigated from a variety of links and pages of shared content that is placed by humans, not a magic computer called Google.
Of course, no matter how well-versed you are when it comes to your car, the right mechanic is still important. Find that “special someone” who embodies all the qualities you’d ever hope to find in a mechanic. You need a repair shop that blends technologically-advanced training with the old-fashioned values of trust and transparency. This ensures that you’re getting only what your car needs, at precisely the right time, without the potential for those auto care rip-offs. Man or woman, expert or novice, everyone should get the honest car repair experience they deserve. This can only happen through empowering yourself with the fundamentals of auto repair. No Googling required!
