Vehicle repairs are required in a variety of situations, all of them potentially troublesome and costly. Having to get your vehicle repaired due to some sort of mechanical failure is never a pleasant experience. However, equally common scenarios include getting screwed on the repairs or discovering the mechanic was not very skilled. In either case, your vehicle will require more costly repair work. If you are buying a car, you might end up with a lemon that costs more to repair than it is worth. Although inspections are supposed to help you identify all the faults a vehicle might have, things slip through the proverbial cracks. If you are buying a car or getting one repaired, the trick to quality service is based on just a few things designed to save you money and hassle.
Reviews
One of the best ways to identify a quality mechanic and stay away from someone who will likely defraud you is to read online reviews. When reading the reviews, you should pay very little attention to the five-star reviews as they might be fakes by friends and family. Instead, you should pay very close attention to the number of one-star and two-star reviews. A quality company will not have very many of these. A mechanic that offers shoddy services will have plenty.
However, the best trick is to understand that someone who leaves a one-star review might be unnecessarily angry. Conversely, someone who takes the time to leave a two-star review is dissatisfied and not entirely out of his or her mind. Such a person recognizes the service was not the absolute worst, yet a two-star review acknowledges the service was awful. In any review, this slight increase in objectivity is very helpful and often accurate. Finally, in addition to reading reviews, you should read reviews on several sites. Doing so will give you a broader picture of the service others have received.
Guarantees
You should always attempt to find a mechanic who offers a guarantee on his or her services. Anyone who does not offer a guarantee on services is not confident the repairs will last. Additionally, any guarantees should include some type of mileage. For instance, a guarantee that lasts for 30 days means nothing if you only drive your car back and forth to the store. If you find a mechanic that offers a guarantee that covers the repairs for 1,000 miles or more, you are covered for the actual driving that you do.
Referrals
When you are purchasing a car, the last thing you want is to leave your inspection up to chance. You should either get a referral from a friend or family member, or you should choose a proven service, such as a Gold Coast pre-purchase car inspection. When a family member or friend refers you to a mechanic, you should let your mechanic know about the referral. Of course, if you cannot find a referral, selecting a proven car-inspection service is the best strategy because people are always satisfied with these types of services, and there are lots of reviews indicating the type of objective opinion you are likely to receive.
Quotes
Even if you find several quality mechanics, repairs are often expensive. Consequently, you should make sure to obtain quotes from three or four people. Doing so will accomplish two things. First and most obvious, having quotes from several places will give you an idea of the price range for the proposed repairs. Second, having quotes from several places will give you an idea of the repairs each mechanic thinks the vehicle requires. If two people indicate one item needs to be fixed and another mechanic gives you a list of eleven things that need to be fixed, you can go back to the other two for verification. Chances are, this last person is over-servicing your vehicle to generate sales revenue.
In terms of getting a quote, you should always request a quote from the dealer. Typically, dealers do good work because they are in the business of selling cars. They might be more expensive, but they will generally give you an accurate assessment. Armed with an accurate assessment, you can then better judge quotes by other mechanics.
Parts
This is the simplest requirement on this list. When it comes to parts, you want to ensure the mechanic is using OEM parts. Do not use any mechanic who uses salvaged parts.
Author’s Bio:
Lisa Eclesworth is a notable and influential lifestyle writer. She is a mom of two and a successful homemaker. She loves to cook and create beautiful projects with her family. She writes informative and fun articles that her readers love and enjoy. You can directly connect with her on email – lisa@lisaeclesworth.com or visit her website www.lisaeclesworth.com