Originally posted by Karen
It always is annoying when a car dealer - never mind mechanic, talks to Paul instead of me. Hello! I was raised in a family of mechanics, he wasn't. Never been ripped off by a mechanic, I have been fortunate, and let them know, up front, that I DO know what I'm talking about. It's a matter of attitude - and luck, too, I guess.
Same with me. I like cars, I'm interested in them and try to learn about them ... although there's a lot of stuff I don't know yet, that's for sure.

Treat a car repair like you would any major purchase in your life ... shop around, get several opinions, do some research ... even just enough to throw out an appropriate phrase at the right moment.

I once went in for a new battery ... the woman who worked at the shop tried to tell me it wasn't the battery, it was the alternator. Oh, puh-lease. I just let her talk, telling me why I needed to spend $500 on repairs, instead of $50 on a battery ... then told her manager about it. So, it's not only guys trying to rip off girls ... I'm sure this woman pulled the old alternator/battery switch on many an unsuspecting and uneducated man, too.