
Car Mechanic
Car mechanics are one of the worst kind of rip-off artists in Australia. But generalizing a group of people to portray in bad light may not be a fair thing to do. Keep the prejudices away; and that was exactly what I did for almost ten years. The results were devastating.
K-Mart Service Centre, in a northern suburb in Melbourne once charged me around $400 for servicing my car which they did not even bother to open the bonnet, and gave me a print out of my previous service summary.
Ultra –tune once quoted me around $1900 for unnecessary repairs , but by then, I already lost my faith in auto mechanics and have became a doubting Tom.
The list is long, but everyone will be having their own cud to chew.
Compared to any other trade, there are too many bad apples in Auto industry. Every new migrant is a target for these rip – off artists. They forego repeat customers as there are no shortages of new migrants. Endless greed defines their horizons and lack of skill explains their poor workmanship.
But after so many years in Australia, I was impressed by the honesty, sincerity and workmanship of one Auto mechanic in Epping, Melbourne. A workshop run by a Sri Lankan Migrant re- established my faith in Human Kind. I thought I must share it here, to appreciate the one and only non-greedy auto mechanic, I have ever seen. This is the address
Epping Auto Plus, 17 Railway Road, Epping, Victoria – 3076
Phone: (03) 9401 3344 / 0421865868
Email : rohana04@optusnet.com.au
If any of our readers had any good or bad experiences with them, please share it here. Before publishing this article, we have contacted seven of their customers to ensure that every single one carried a good opinion about them.
If you are a new migrant to Australia, there are a few tips to save yourself from being ripped off by unscrupulous elements in this trade.
1. 1. If your car needs repair, get quote from at least three mechanics before you choose one. You will be amazed to see how different their diagnoses and quotes are. Ask your friends or colleagues to suggest good mechanics. Some crooks may give you the lowest quote, but once they start repairing, with a phone call they will inform you that , it is going to cost more. That is where references will come handy
2. 2. Branded service centres are the worst offenders. Never undertake repairs suggested during the service of your car. Postpone the suggested repairs for some other time. If you really have a problem get quote from other mechanics and choose the best. Never ever get your car repaired at the service centre. One catch here is, some service centre operators will deliberately break or make things worse, if you don’t undertake the suggested repairs.
3. 3. Most of the time breaks plus has the cheapest prices for brake pads. Beware – They make money by making you do other things like changing the disc, machining the disc or break pad holders. Always use your third eye, if you are suggested to do all those things. Inspect yourself before giving a go ahead.
4. 4. The business that is overly nice to you is suspiciously working you for more business and to earn your trust. Beware of a repair shop treating you too nicely. Also, beware of a shop where the employees are aloof and distant. They generally hate customers and will have no mercy on you, so get out of that place and get your vehicle fixed elsewhere. ( This advice is from another blog )
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