Own a car and it is going to cost you money, unfortunately it is as simple as that. Besides the costs involved in loan payments, insurance, registration and fuel there is regular servicing and maintenance costs and there is always the chance of a costly breakdown. These expenses are part of life and unless we leave our cars parked in the garage to collect dust we need to be prepared for them.
Being prepared for them is only part of the equation, if we arm ourselves with the right information we can also stand to make considerable savings when it comes time to have our vehicles serviced or repaired. There are many traps that the motorist needs to be aware of and believe me while spending the last ten years of my life working as a motor mechanic I have seen many innocent car owners fall for shady workshop practices. A couple of important money saving tips are outlined below.
1. Many workshops use 'advertised specials' to get you to take your car to them. Have you ever heard the saying, "there is no such thing as a free lunch"? Well this is especially true with these so called 'advertised specials'. Sure they will change your oil and filter for twenty bucks and carry out a free safety inspection for you. Oh, but what is this big list of problems they found while doing the safety check and why are they saying I shouldn't drive my car without having these fixed first? Classic example of up-selling. Be wary of offers that sound too good to be true because that is usually exactly what they are!
2. Educate yourself on the basics of a motor vehicle. If the workshop owner is having a slow month or is not completely honest and you drive in proclaiming your complete lack of mechanical knowledge you may as well hand him a signed blank check! In the age of the internet there is really no excuse for not having even the most basic knowledge of your motor vehicle and if you come across as someone that has even half an idea of what you are talking about you are less likely to be taken for a ride. Pardon the pun.
3. Last but definitely not least, when looking for a suitable workshop to care for your car, take the time to talk to people to get their recommendations. Word of mouth is by far the best form of advertising and it works the other way as well, if someone has had a bad experience with a certain workshop they will go out of their way to tell you about it if you ask. Talk with family members, co-workers, neighbors, shop owners in your area and even automotive internet forums are a good place to start your search.
Being educated and informed is all important if you want to save yourself money on your car repairs. Granted there is a lot of honest, reliable mechanics and workshop owners out there but there is also just as many that will take advantage of someone that comes across as not knowing if they are being ripped off or not. Take the time to learn what you can about the tricks used to squeeze more of your hard earned dollars from your pocket and you stand to save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your vehicle.
| Did you find those tips useful? You can learn a great deal more about Saving Money on Auto Repairs by visiting our Website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Wilson |  |
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