This article is inspired by the recent finding where a particular service center in Malaysia that fails to perform the oil change and parts replacement. The employee of that service center had instead sold the parts for a profit.
To avoid workshop scams, we would like to share 5 tips to our readers:
1. Set aside a budget
It is important to understand what is it that needs to be done for your car and what is the
market price. Then, set aside a budget and do not exceed your budget. Workshops would almost always try to cross-sell their other products and services to you. Always ask for a clear quotation before committing to any work.
2. Ask first
Knowledge is power, so if you know enough about cars, it is quite unlikely that the workshop is able to scam you. Ask around, there are a multitude of resources and helpful people who will give you an idea of the potential problem, estimated price and time to fix it. Try automotive forums, Facebook car clubs, Whatsapp owners group and other forms of digital media to ask for help. If you know of a reliable workshop, you can always ask your favorite mechanic for a quotation before committing to any fix.
3. Choose your workshop carefully
Ideally, the workshop you choose should demonstrate their willingness to listen to your car problems(some may even listen to your other problems :) ). Choose a workshop that demonstrate openness to share knowledge and good work ethics. A good workshop will also constantly give you updates via channels like Whatsapp, calls or sms. At the end of the day, a good workshop would want to build a long term relationship with you and would not charge you exorbitant charges for a quick profit.
4. Observe
Monitor what the technician is doing. Make sure the workshop do what they say they will do and they install the parts they say they will charge you for. Ideally, choose a workshop that allows you to have a full view of the working area from the comfort of the waiting lounge. When in doubt, ask. A good workshop would always be able to explain why certain parts needs to be replaced. They will quote you a fair price and actually perform the parts replacement.
5. Service On Time
Expensive repairs generally happens when owners do not maintain their car in a regular interval. It is important for owners to understand the maintenance interval for every wear and tear components in their car. When in doubt, check your service manual or iDrive(for BMW).
We at Vebo Auto Service sincerely hope that our readers will not be scammed by unscrupulous workshops. Happy Driving!
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