Auto Repair Scam Prevention Advice

It is VERY easy to be the victim of an auto repair scam. The easiest way you can keep this from happening is to stay informed. If you have taken your car in for repairs or maintenance then you should read up on what they will be doing. Spend some time on this site learning more about what is going on with your car. This will make it much easier to know what the mechanics are doing with your car.

How To Prevent Being Ripped Off

• Know your car. If you know what was replaced and when you will know if it needs to be replaced again (you can find a list of when things need to be replaced in your owners manual). If you don't know anything about your car the auto mechanic can pretty much say whatever he wants and you wouldn't know if it were true or not.
• Get a detailed estimate. If you are having anything other then simple maintenance done on your car then you need to have the repair shop give you an estimate of exactly what they will be doing, what they are replacing, the tests they will be doing (if any), the parts they plan to replace and the amount of time they think it will take. This estimate is basically a contract and in most states they can't do anything that is not on the estimate without your approval.
• Learn about auto repair. This website is a great place to learn more about cars and what all of the different systems do. You can also find many other great websites on the internet that can help teach you anything you might want to know about cars. The more you know about car the better you will be able to relate and understand the auto mechanic when he talks about what is wrong with your car.
• Have a plan. What if you do get ripped off? What if you are the victim of an auto repair scam? Think about it and have a plan for what you would do. It would be a good idea to have a lawyer that you can contact if needed. If you don't have one, we offer an "ask a lawyer" service through this website. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you can ask a lawyer anything you want. Be sure to have as many facts as possible so they can help you better. This service is great if you need quick, cheap legal answers.
  
  If you think you might have been the victim of an auto repair scam then you can use the form below to ask a lawyer. I highly recommend it. They will be able to tell you what you should do next in minutes based on the specifics of your case.

Final Advice

Ask questions and learn about your car. If you can ask educated questions about your car then the mechanics will know that you are paying attention and you have won half the battle. The easiest people to rip off are the ones that do not know anything about their car.

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