It’s one thing finding a good mechanic for your car. It’s another thing altogether finding a mechanic who will do a good job and not ridiculously overcharge you.
The problem for many of us, though, is it’s hard to know if we are being ripped off. Most of us have no idea of the parts or labour involved in car repairs and service.
This dilemma was highlighted in a short scene in Seinfeld, the iconic US sitcom. After Jerry receives a call from his new mechanic to say his repairs will cost $2300, he hesitates. “I’ll think about it,” he says, reeling from the shock.
Hanging up, Jerry turns to his friend George and says, “I think they’re trying to screw you.” George replies, “Of course they’re trying to screw you. That’s what they do.” He explains how mechanics will take advantage of our lack of knowledge. “They can make up anything. Nobody knows. ‘By the way you’re gonna need a new Johnson rod.’ Oh well, a Johnson rod, better get one of those.”
Of course there’s no such thing as a ‘Johnson rod’, but how many of us would really know?
Who will an unscrupulous mechanic target?
My dad strongly encouraged me to work with my hands when I was growing up. He failed. Mechanically I am a pretty much a simpleton, which makes me vulnerable to the ‘Johnson rod’ tactic. And it seems that unscrupulous mechanics prey on such folk, historically at least.
Also historically, women have also been viewed as vulnerable and lacking in mechanical knowledge. And a recent story told by an ABC reporter suggests women have long been the target of car mechanic rip-offs.
Coincidentally, the ABC reporter’s name happens to be Keely Johnson. Ms Johnson recently shared her experience of a mechanic attempting to overcharge her when she was a university student.
When Ms Johnson’s car failed to start, her father suggested a new starter motor might be required. Her nearest mechanic quoted $650, which sounded ‘a bit steep’ to her dad. He promptly called the same mechanic and was quoted $200 less for the same component.
After sharing this story, Ms Johnson was swamped by similar stories from other women. Their stories had one common theme – the price of a repair being dropped after a male friend or relative was introduced into the equation.
Sydney’s Rose Pennington is one example. Presented with a $3000 quote involving many new parts, she asked her mechanic to explain it to her mechanically minded boyfriend. “Suddenly, when he was on the phone, I no longer needed all this work done,” Ms Pennington said.
One would have hoped that such appalling gender-based exploitation had been left behind a generation or two ago. Sadly, it appears not. Keely Johnson’s incident occurred “a few years” ago. It seems the potential for being ripped off by a mechanic remains.
Preventing a rip-off
This is not to denigrate all auto mechanics. No doubt the vast majority do the right thing when it comes to service and repair costs. But how can we avoid being scammed by the rogue few that give the rest a bad name?
Perhaps the simplest thing we can do is to go to an ‘accredited’ mechanic. In my home state of Victoria, the RACV has given accreditations to many Victorian mechanics. To receive such accreditation requires the mechanic to meet a long list of standards, including “the highest standards of quality and professionalism” as well as “honesty and integrity”. Other states’ automobile associations, such as the NRMA in NSW, provide similar accreditations.
Regardless of accreditation, all mechanics should provide this level of service and honesty, says Geoff Gwilym, outgoing chief executive of the Motor Trades Association of Australia. “Our message is very clear: treat every single customer with dignity and respect. Don’t treat anybody like an idiot, [and] explain in detail why a repair needs to be carried out.”
For customers who don’t mind becoming more involved, further options are available. Inner Sydney qualified mechanic Michelle Hardwicke laments the unscrupulous mechanics who “give us a bad name”. To customers who think they might be being deliberately bamboozled by such a mechanic, her advice is clear: “If you don’t think it sounds right, don’t hesitate to get a second opinion.”
Have you had a car mechanic try to ‘pull the wool over your eyes’? How did you deal with the situation? Let us know via the comments section below.
Also read: It’s summer – time to review those car air-conditioning myths
