Whether you live in Bend Oregon or Detroit Michigan, you could be the victim of an auto repair scam. Auto repair shops across the country are taking advantage of consumers like you and making millions of dollars more than their normal profit.
Now not all auto repair shops are doing this. The majority are honest and above board with their customers. However, this particular business type has the highest rate of scams and fraud of any other types of business. A recent study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that American consumers lose tens of billions of dollars every year due to faulty or unnecessary car repairs.
Unethical mechanics find it very easy to convince car owners that unnecessary repairs are needed on their vehicles because most car owners know very little about their cars. Most often, they aren’t even aware they’re being scammed! This makes proving car repair fraud almost impossible.
Here are some typical auto repair scams and how to avoid them. Scams are sometimes hard to detect so be very alert to any signs or key words you see or hear as you’re talking with a repair shop.
Repair Scams on the Road
As you’re travelling cross country on the open road, you periodically need gas, air in your tires, or to get your oil checked. Some crooked service station owners will take this opportunity to scam you by dripping oil under your car, cutting fan belts or hoses, and even puncturing a tire. Then they’ll charge you a premium to do these repairs. Read the rest of this entry »
