Mechanics see a woman coming and BAM!!!

[moosmom]

I found what I THOUGHT was a great auto repair place down the street who came recommended to me.

In the past year, I've put over $2,000 into my car to keep it running. I asked them for a repair history and noticed I got charged TWICE for a left front axle!!!

I called them on it and they said that yes, they made a mistake. When I picked up my car yesterday, I heard Curt, one of the owners, tell a customer over the phone that he overcharged HIM and to come back and they'll credit his account.

IMAGINE my surprize when I see the left front axle on my car history TWICE. Once last year, and again last week!!! I am SO pissed right now. I told them to take the overcharge and put my motor mount in. It's going in on Friday and that's the last time they'll see me!!

BUYER BEWARE!! Learn from MY mistake!!

[Lady's Human]

What does this have to do with you being female?

He's evidently got someone working for him who's double billing, he needs to find out who it is and fire them.

Thieves don't care what your gender is.

[happylabs]

I agree with you. I think mechanics take advantage of people who do not understand cars, mostly women. If you Google it, you will find tons and tons of articles about it.

I would be irritated too and definitely take my car to someone else.

With my car, I always question everything they tell me I need. I have an all-wheel drive Subaru. I got a flat on one tire and they told me I had to replace all 4. I checked into it and found that it wasn't completely necessary because I didn't have that much wear and tear on the other 3 yet.

Also, they are always trying to sell me filters I do not need. I go in and say oil change and that is it. No extras.

I just read an article that said to read your manual for your vehicle to know what the usual repair/replacement items are.

[Lady's Human]

If all mechanics take advantage of women, then how is going to a different mechanic going to help?

Don't use quicklube places, they don't really check your vehicle, and they try to sell you everything. However, air filters, cabin air filters, fuel filters, etc. DO need to be changed occasionally.

Find a shop you can trust (and no, contrary to the articles, cleanliness has JACK to do with how good the shop is) and use them, even get oil changes there if you can't do them yourself (and they're ridiculously easy to do), build a relationship with them and you'll be fine.

Sheesh, ain't broads funny, they don't know anything about cars.

[Freedom]

Read your owner's manual and only get what they suggest for regular maintenance.

Find an online forum your car - make, model AND YEAR - and read what folks say!

This was critical for me when I bought Carmine, the Prius, 3 years back. (Wow, 3 YEARS already!) Back then even Toyota dealers didn't know all the ins and outs, and would try to sell you stuff you just plain didn't need - the Prius didn't HAVE that part!

Changing the cabin filter on the Prius is a 10 minute job, I do that myself. Haven't actually had to CHANGE it yet, I annually take it out, hold it under running water to clean it, and put it back. Learned this from the forum, they told us what signs indicate you need a new one vs. cleaning it.

Every time I have my oil changed, the place will put a sticker on my windshield. Each and every one suggests I go back in 6 months of 3000 miles. But the Prius owner's manual is every 6 months or 5000 miles!

You really do have to pay attention, just like reading labels for foods. UGH!

Thank goodness for Prius Chat, or I'd have been done for!

[moosmom]

I have a high school chum that has a garage in Wethersfield that I was taking it to. The only reason I tried this other place down the street was because it was so convenient. I have a call into my friend now. My car is going into his shop tomorrow to get another estimate on all the work the other shop claims it needs.

Sorry Lady's Human, but I disagree with you on this one.

[Lady's Human]

Yeay stereotypes!

You blonds are just so sily.

[Catty1]

I heard Curt, one of the owners, tell a customer over the phone that he overcharged HIM

Unless HIM is transgender?


I hope your car gets all the right stuff at your friend's garage.

[Lady's Human]

So.....

What if the mechanic's a woman? Does that mean she automatically takes advantage of men?

[Karen]

Caveat to those who might think LH is being serious - he knows better than to disparage anyone based on gender - or hair color, either, really. Ma'd zap him with a lightning bolt from heaven if he was serious.

Moosmom, and everyone - ignorance is always taken advantage of by the unscrupulous. As was stated before, READ your owner's manual. Technical writers put a lot of effort into making them understandable to average people.

Educate yourself, that is your only defense. And ask questions, and pay attention to the answers. Write things down if you have to.

[happylabs]

If all mechanics take advantage of women, then how is going to a different mechanic going to help?

Don't use quicklube places, they don't really check your vehicle, and they try to sell you everything. However, air filters, cabin air filters, fuel filters, etc. DO need to be changed occasionally.

Find a shop you can trust (and no, contrary to the articles, cleanliness has JACK to do with how good the shop is) and use them, even get oil changes there if you can't do them yourself (and they're ridiculously easy to do), build a relationship with them and you'll be fine.

Sheesh, ain't broads funny, they don't know anything about cars.

I didn't see where anyone wrote that it was all mechanics.

[Lady's Human]

The title of the thread?

[Lady's Human]

As to the tons of articles on the interwebz from googling something....

One of the articles that's been posted and reposted is someone from consumer protection group abc takes a plug wire off of their car and goes to x number of shops to get it fixed, and then compares prices for the repair, complaining about the inequity of the quotes.

2 problems with that:

1) many shops have signs right in the window clearly stating that if they pop open the hood they're going to charge you 1 hours for diagnosis, regardless of what's required. If they're telling you this up front, how can you complain after the fact? Those advanced code readers that they're using can cost north of $15,000, and they have to pay for having it.

2) Plug wires don't just come off on their own anymore. in 1980 that little trick might have been a valid test, but not anymore.

[happylabs]

The title of the thread?

Okay, I still don't see the word "all". I just see "Mechanics see a woman..." I guess you could take it either way. I guess if you aren't a woman and haven't been through this you wouldn't understand.

[Lady's Human]

Not everything is related to gender, race, or other categories.

Opposed to the current President's policies? You must be a racist.

Someone screwing off on the job and gets caught but nothing happens? Must be because they're a Union worker.


There are unscrupulous people in every field, and they'll take advantage of anyone who doesn't know what's going on.

Seriously, people, this racist/misogynist/fill in your category here victim crap needs to end.