Hit the Brakes on Car Repair Rip-Offs
Complete and thorough, this award winning 164 page book will save you and your loved ones thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs.
This is not a how to change your own oil book. Nor is it a book filled with hundreds of stories about lying, cheating or thieving repair shops. It is a down-to-earth, easy to read, COMPLETE guide on how to avoid being ripped-off by unscrupulous mechanics.
The book also contains sections on common problems and how to diagnose and deal with them. And where to go to handle many repair issues. There are sections that also address driving safety and maintaining a safe vehicle.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue/Introduction
Chapter 1 American Automobile Association (AAA) – Your Best Friend
Chapter 2 Don’t Look Cheatable with Brief Statistics and
Enforcement Actions
Chapter 3 Preventing Breakdowns Before They Happen
(Minimizing the Necessity for Emergency and/or
Unnecessary Repairs)
Chapter 4 Symptoms of Potential Problems & Emergency Driving Responses
Chapter 5 Where to Go for What Problem
Chapter 6 Tricks of the Trade (Scams)
Chapter 7 Free Stuff - - Secret Warranties, Standard Warranties,
Recalls & Lemon Laws
Chapter 8 Safety Tips
Chapter 9 Safety Kits - - Always Carry These Items in Your Car
Chapter 10 You Did Everything You Could, But Still Got Taken
Epilogue
Resources
Index
Quick Mechanic Locator & Who NOT to Use
About the Author
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EXCERPTS
from Chapter 1 - American Automobile Association (AAA) – Your Best Friend
I was not contracted to write this book by the American Automobile Association. I have deliberately started this book with this chapter because through the years, AAA has saved me a bunch of money, countless hours that would have been spent by purchasing the wrong car, and tons of grief having to deal with a bad car or dishonest mechanics.
from Chapter 2 - Don’t Look Cheatable with Brief Statistics & Enforcement Actions
Are certain types of customers more likely to be victimized by unscrupulous mechanics and shops? The answer is, yes.
1) The Busy Person. You walk in talking on your cell phone. You need to get back to your very busy schedule and you just want the car fixed. Dishonest mechanics throw parties in the back room when you leave, because you don’t have time to care. "I don’t care, just fix the car." I cannot tell you how many times this line is used by a "busy" customer. Nor can I tell you how much fraud this sentence brings about.
from Chapter 3 - Preventing Breakdowns Before They Happen
(Minimizing the Necessity for Emergency and/or Unnecessary Repairs)
Just as location is the most important factor in purchasing a home, maintaining your car is the most important factor in preventing breakdowns and improving performance. AAA reports that a well maintained vehicle will run more efficiently and last up to 50% longer. Obviously, we have no guarantee that our cars will never break down, but simple things such as regular oil changes and keeping tires properly inflated can make a huge difference. Below are a few maintenance tips.
from Chapter 4 - Symptoms of Potential Problems & Emergency Driving Responses
This chapter will address the symptoms of something going wrong and whether or not the situation may require your immediate attention. It will also address things you need to do in an emergency situation. Emergency measures are discussed in each section of this chapter, described as "Situation Response."
example from chapter:
Metal-on-Metal Sound: The important thing to know is that you need to pay attention to the noises. If you hear a metal-on-metal type sound when you step on the brakes, the rivets which fasten the pads to the brake assembly are probably scraping against or cutting into the discs (rotors).
Situation Response: If you hear metal-on-metal, you need to get the car to a certified brake shop immediately. The reason is beyond safety, since the other 3 sets of brake pads are probably okay. Once you have metal cutting into metal, the cost of a brake job can skyrocket. If you do enough damage to the rotor (disc), it will need to be replaced – and rotors are not cheap.
from Chapter 5 - Where to Go for What Problem
Nationwide Specialty Stores
The Nationwide Specialty Store handles one primary category of service – oil changes for example. Prices offered through Nationwide Specialty Stores are usually extremely competitive (for the basic service). These shops specialize in "get them in and get them out – fast." Examples of Nationwide Specialty Stores are Jiffy Lube® or Midas Muffler®.
from Chapter 6 - Tricks of the Trade (Scams)
This chapter contains 19 known scams with 14 intra-category tricks.
How to Combat: If the car is apart, tell them to just change the pads. Don’t turn the rotors. Don’t replace the cylinders. Don’t let the car out of your sight until they have replaced the pads, removed the car from the service area, and handed your keys back to you.
from Chapter 7 - Free Stuff - - Secret Warranties, Standard Warranties, Recalls & Lemon Laws
The Act prohibits grossly unfair contracts and also has any ambiguities in the warranty interpreted AGAINST the manufacturer (or drafter). The Act does not override state laws that may be more restrictive. Nor does it prevent a consumer from seeking redress under state laws.
from Chapter 8 - Safety Tips
Keep your car key and house keys on separate rings. Service shop people sometimes work in tandem with thieves or other criminals. Once they have your house keys, they can copy them for access at a later time. They can also have someone waiting at your home when you return. Or, knowing you will be out of the house for the next couple of hours, they can simply send someone to your home while your car is being repaired.
from Chapter 9 - Safety Kits - - Always Carry These Items in Your Car
1 flat-fixing container. These containers can seal small leaks while filling your tire with air so as to enable you to drive to a safe location to install your spare. They can be purchased for about $7 at most drug and grocery stores or at any car parts store.
from Chapter 10 - You Did Everything You Could, But Still Got Taken
4) You cannot not pay a bill just because it is expensive. You need to be able to show that the shop made a mistake, grossly overcharged, failed to complete repairs or did work without your authorization.
from Resources
Alabama
Office of Attorney General
Consumer Affairs Section
11 South Union Street
Montgomery AL 36130
voice 334 242 7334
toll free 800 392 5658
www.ago.state.al.us/consumer.cfm
NOTE: All 50 states plus District of Columbia are included in this section. In addition the 4 primary Federal Enforcement Agencies are listed.
from Index
EXTREMELY thorough indexing section. One category listed below.
Belts 8, 19-20, 22, 34, 36, 38, 55, 57, 59, 70, 84, 109, 113, 139
from Quick Mechanic Locator & Who NOT to Use
14 pages that permit you to enter the names, addresses and phone numbers of trusted mechanics for specific categories (such as oil changes).
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What prompted the writing of this book?
About a year ago I was standing in line at the post office. There were 2 women in front of me having a conversation about how the first woman’s college daughter had just paid "more than $700" for a brake job. The second woman followed that up with how a mechanic had tried to talk her into replacing her ignition switch. In her situation, she had called her husband who told her to turn the key and tell him what she heard. She heard the car try to "turn-over." Since a bad ignition switch would have produced no sound at all, her husband told her to call a tow truck and not to let the car out of her sight.
In hearing this conversation I realized 2 things. 1) I and everyone I knew had at least 1 story of how I/we had been ripped-off. And 2) I knew that I could write a book that might help people from being victimized by unscrupulous mechanics and/or repair shops.
I sat down and wrote the book. The book has received rave reviews and also won an award for Writing Excellence from Apex Publishing.
