Do you "correct" your service technician or not?

people that read bitog are usually more savvy than the average car owner. you have 100 people come in and offer them all the same services ,needed or not. probably 90% will bite. its all a numbers game.

i would just say no thanks and be done.
 
Which is exactly why those that can, do it ourselves.

The old saying goes, "Those that can, DO, Those that can't, Teach"
 
It is one thing to recommend replacing items. It is another to take a car in for inspection and for them to lie to you telling you you need new brakes and rotors all the way around only to do it yourself and find out everything was in good shape and well within tolerance. Verified by a 3rd party. They were not that busy hoping to make a few bucks I am sure but in the end lost my business forever and i usually tell others it was the Sear Auto in Johnstown, PA. Probably no longer in business.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
Which is exactly why those that can, do it ourselves.

The old saying goes, "Those that can, DO, Those that can't, Teach"



Thing is that even some that can do themselves might from time to time spend good money at a shop, but never will because these places attempt to
flush their wallets, it's a certainty that these businesses lose untold big money but they will never change. Of course even those that can't will always suspect any shop honest or not of ripping them off because of all the bad dishonest places .
 
Personally I don't see any reason to "correct" these people. No reason to get worked up over this or feel they need to be "educated". They know what they are doing, i.e. lying and upselling either on their own or being forced by their management, so they will not change their ways. Just politely decline the services and tell them to only fix the issue.
Afterwards check everything they claimed they checked to ensure they put everything back together properly.
 
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You really have to ask this question? I mean, isn't this pretty much standard operating procedure to drum up business? Of course they are not checking, that would take valuable time so they just say you need this and you need that to everyone that walks in the door. You'd be surprised how much money this generates.
 
I just say no thank you and never come back. I try to get inspections at an oil change place that does not do service work or alignments. They don't try to sell me anything more than oil or trans service.


You should just reply to upsells , by stating, It has new cardinal grammeters, and i replaced the tremmy-pipe.
 
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They don't call them "STEALERSHIPS" for nothing!! That includes a lot of chain service companies, including but not limited to Firestone, Goodyear, Car-X, Midas, Munro, etc., etc... If you can find a GOOD, honest indy mechanic to handle the jobs you can't (or don't have time to), they are worth their weight in GOLD! Reminds, me, I need to buy mine a couple pizzas!
 
I once had a van that had the intake manifold replaced at a chevy dealer .
When I picked it Up I get a bill for the intake gasket, belt and a few other items they said needed replaced.
I blew up, that belt was replaced a month ago by me.
They could not produce my used one. They even brought the tech in to tell me it was worn out.
I finally got it removed after getting very load and saying a few things.
I will never go back.
 
Originally Posted by tblt44
I once had a van that had the intake manifold replaced at a chevy dealer .
When I picked it Up I get a bill for the intake gasket, belt and a few other items they said needed replaced.
I blew up, that belt was replaced a month ago by me.
They could not produce my used one. They even brought the tech in to tell me it was worn out.
I finally got it removed after getting very load and saying a few things.
I will never go back.


Was that a long time ago? No reason to get loud today. Just say you didn't authorize that work and therefore, you're not paying for it.
 
I expect a up sell of some kind if I have a car worked on. I just politely say no, just fix what I brought it in for, nothing else. Never a problem and the tech is just doing his job. I am sure they make plenty on folks who don't know better.
 
Originally Posted by Leo99

Was that a long time ago? No reason to get loud today. Just say you didn't authorize that work and therefore, you're not paying for it.


What does it matter, the bottom line is that the sleazy aspect of this business NEVER changes and keeps on scamming people out of who knows how much money every year.
 
AAA used to offer a multi-point inspection service to members in my area that took about an hour to complete and cost an hour of labor (approx $110 if I recall). They provided a written report of findings and the tech explained them to you with focus on anything they thought needed attention. They did not perform repairs or maintenance service, only the inspection. I thought it was a great idea as there was no conflict of interest. You could then take the report to your shop of choice and have them validate it and perform the work.

Unfortunately, the AAA center in SF that used to offer this service closed a while ago.
 
Some great responses! This is an independent. I didn't understand it all because they didn't try to sell anything, just told me. After reading along here, I think it may be a pretty stealth ploy to get the upsell without pushing it (like a dealership would). I'm sure 2 to 3 times out of 10 they get a "can you guys take care of that?" response. The jury will always be out on whether the the tech actually looked at things before putting the notes in, and that's why I asked. Good stuff.
thumbsup2.gif
 
My wife took our now departed 2010 Elantra in to the dealer for an oil change.
They wanted to change the cabin air filter for $90.
It takes 10 minutes if you take your time doing it and costs $10 or so for the filter.
Now I understand the dealer is there to make a profit.
But $90 ?
 
Originally Posted by marine65
My wife took our now departed 2010 Elantra in to the dealer for an oil change.
They wanted to change the cabin air filter for $90.
It takes 10 minutes if you take your time doing it and costs $10 or so for the filter.
Now I understand the dealer is there to make a profit.
But $90 ?


The $tealership will cry and whine about their high "overhead" but in reality there is no way that a pedestrian Hyundai or Kia (or similar brand) requires a margin of
over 60% to keep the bills paid as well as make a reasonable profit, the fact is they are trying to rip you off, it's a scam.
 
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Last time I needed tires I just brought the wheels & old tires in for mounting & balancing.
Saves awkward discussions about blinker fluid, a non-existent catalytic converter & computer 'reflash' or 'update'. (I pulled my OEM unit out & sold it)
Long story.
 
Once took my 2009 Tacoma to a well respected Indy shop for a state inspection. Mechanic later came out to tell me I needed front struts (coilovers on Tacoma)...said they were leaking oil all over the frame. At the time they were 3-4 year old Bilstein 5100's with very low miles self installed along with lift coils and upper control arms. Definitely not stock looking.

No leaks to speak after many years later... replaced and never leaked one bit. The oil on frame was from yearly oil miix spray for corrosion protection. Pretty easy to see that entire frame and underbody was coated. No way a small leak from a strut or coilover on a Tacoma could cover the entire undercarriage. Fu..ing morons! Never went back there and bad mouth them every chance I get.
 
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