Admit that with any visit to a car service (either a dealership, or an unofficial one, or a “garage one”), you implicitly expect a dirty trick - no matter how you are “scammed for money”, you are not forced, as the “last sucker”, to pay for completely unnecessary things for you and your car in this moment works and services. Well, fears are not in vain ...
Out of the risk zone
But first, let's reassure the owners warranty machines. They are usually not deceived. At least at the first three MOTs: in this case, the cost of spare parts is paid by the manufacturer and there is no point in straining with the client. Out of the risk zone, as experts unanimously assured Kolesa.Ru, are ... those notorious blondes! These a priori never trust anyone. More precisely, they firmly believe that they are always being deceived. It is not profitable for receivers to “steam” with them: an extra waste of time, nerves with almost always a zero result.
They also dislike “just women” in the services, who themselves earned their “swallow”, and did not accept it as a gift from their parents and all sorts of boyfriends. Such people are calculated here “at once” according to the well-groomed car, the regularity of maintenance. And further good chance car owners have to get away from the “special stages”, briefly, clearly and clearly stating the reason for their visit to the service and, if they have questions, formulating them just as clearly and calmly. And in without fail additional "services" will be imposed on people in expensive suits and boots, with good hours, with a complete lack of free time, which everyone does on the run: cars are handed over to the master, leaving the keys; Without looking, they sign the proposed papers and carelessly say goodbye: “I’ll pick up the typewriter in the evening.” Firstly, they will initially write down the excess in the work order, and then in the process of work they will “remind” and “adjust” at least twice as much as planned. However, neither "blondes", nor "clairvoyant", nor "just women", and indeed no one is immune from the latter! But this can be successfully dealt with. 
Repair without approval
When the car is handed over for repair, the owner signs a document that indicates the total amount for necessary work. And any additional, any going beyond the agreed price must be agreed with the client by phone. And every such conversation is recorded. And if there were no such conversations, but when returning the car, they will roll out the final amount to you, say, not in 10,000 agreed, but in 17,000 rubles, you have every right not to pay for uncoordinated work. At least take off what you put! However, there are nuances here.
First, when signing papers upon delivery of the car, pay attention to whether they contain a clause on the mandatory coordination of work. No, and do not want to contribute? Turn around and leave. And, secondly, there should not be many “coordination” calls. More precisely, only one: “There is such and such a problem with your car, you need to do this, it costs so much.” If the calls follow one after another, and the car is initially “not killed”, this should alert. IN best case you are really "bred" for optional work. At worst, you fell into the clutches of non-professionals ... 
Everybody's Free
A great temptation to “play with a client for money” arises from servicemen if they have free time. And if the girl on the phone, showing complete goodwill, loyalty and desire to please, reports that “all the masters are free, come whenever you want” - choose another service. After all, whether or not they will “load” the client with additional work depends, among other things, on how much the masters have time to do this. Because when a car comes after a car, you won’t jump much, you won’t find an “extra malfunction” and you won’t invent it - and so it’s all in the soap. Especially if the car owner warns that he will wait for the car at the technical center.
And if a person left the car and left, you can already do something extra. And if there is a night service, then it’s generally “walk, flaw”: anything can be done! And it is almost impossible to check or protest most of the work performed (“excuse” iron - well, we couldn’t bother you at half past three in the morning!). 
Knowledge is power!
In general, in case of any breakdown, before contacting the service station, it is worth going through the Internet. As a rule, there are nuances that other owners of cars of one brand or another (especially those united in clubs) are well aware of. They also speak differently to the receiver. So a person who first encountered this or that problem is seen in the services from afar and they begin to “exercise” on it in full. Although the problem may not be worth a damn!
A typical example. Honda Owners Jazz at one time faced the problem of strong twitches of the car at the start. When connected, the computer gave out a “crankshaft sensor error”. People bought these sensors in droves, for some crazy money they installed it, despite the fact that it never breaks. 
In fact, in the Jazz engine of those years - 8 candles and the second row of coils - "afterburning". It is too close to the motor shield, overheats and eventually just stops working. Repair is needed, of course, not cheap, but if you subtract the crankshaft sensor from the final amount, it will turn out several times cheaper. And in time, the procedure for replacing coils takes a maximum of 20 minutes.
And most often, ignorant car owners of most brands and models are “loaded” with cleaning and adaptation throttle valve(required after 60,000 - 70,000 km of run with active driving and in the range of 40,000 - 50,000 with passive); flushing the radiator (recommended at too low a run, despite the fact that it really needs to be washed every 2-3 years, even if poplar fluff “falls out” all year round); replacement of candles (although the frequency scheduled replacement registered in service book); replacing a difficult-to-install fuel filter(if you are satisfied with how the car drives, and it’s far from the planned replacement, feel free to refuse); adjustment work not prescribed for given run. But the funny thing is, it's in your best interest to deliberately give up some slack and be the same "divorced"! 
Diplomacy Lessons
According to Kolesa.Ru consultants, it is always better to agree to some of the proposed additional works. Pure psychology. When a person strongly insists: do only what is supposed to be done, and nothing more, the receiver concludes that he is in front of a miner, with whom it is better not to mess with. As a result, they won’t do anything bad to him, but if something else really needs to be adjusted, they will pass by.
If you agree to something, then the required work will be done with a soul, and “imposed”, and some other - real problem decide, and sometimes - as a gift (albeit a small one). For example, you read on the Internet that a car like yours has certain problems at a certain mileage. And the master-receiver recommends to accept preventive measures(although you can still wait) right now. Why not agree? 
... And remember: there are no services where customers are not deceived in one way or another. Before you go somewhere, read the reviews of colleagues who have already visited this or that station. In doing so, keep in mind that good reviews an order of magnitude fewer negative ones - they usually write only about all sorts of filth. But depending on how the service station employees get out of conflict situations, some conclusions can be drawn. For example, if the client is always wrong and has to pay for everything, this is a reason to be wary. 
The sooner the car service understands that if you don’t hide anything and don’t deceive the client, then a line will line up to the moon, the better for him. But the temptation to "weld" here and now is great - few people today understand prices and car design.
Therefore, among the car services in Moscow and individual masters there are frank "swindlers". They are ready to sacrifice their reputation and deceive you in small things or in a big way. Let's analyze ten common tricks of the capital's technical centers and service stations, with the help of which they cash in on customers.
inflate the price
The easiest.
Often the client of a car service is poorly oriented in prices. And there is no time to find out - breakdowns always happen at the wrong time and you want to eliminate them as quickly as possible. From here there is a rush and a call to the first service that comes across (not everyone has their own proven master). The client simply does not have time to evaluate the cost of similar offers on the market. This is what they use. Eventually simple replacement nuts and bolts adds up to a tidy sum. But the work has already been done and you will have to pay for it.
How to fight. See prices on service aggregators. It's kind of like a bulletin board. In one place in five minutes you can get acquainted with the cost of a particular service in many car services in the region. There you will also find reviews and ratings of organizations, focusing on which you can choose the appropriate option.
Problems that don't exist
Let's assume that something in your suspension rattled.
And you have little understanding of its device. You come to the service, the master sees that the penny silent block has failed. Instead of honestly replacing the silent block, the serviceman begins to groan loudly and say that at the same time the lever itself will have to be changed - it plays a lot. Maybe even pull on it to demonstrate a knock. Of course, the lever will play and knock until the silent block is replaced. If the lever itself has no deformations, the knock will go away without replacing it.
Or here - there was a real case when a guy far from mechanics came to the service. He had a broken dipstick in the washer reservoir to check the fluid level. Instead of taking it out and replacing the lid, the customer had the tank replaced. They said that the tail cannot be removed from the old tank, but it can slip into the engine and get stuck in the box. The automatic transmission will break, and it will have to be replaced. And this is very expensive ... As a result, buying a new tank instead of a penny cap with a dipstick.
How to fight. First, you need to be at least a little interested in your car. If something is broken, google it for 10 minutes - it can save you thousands of dollars. Secondly, if you are a complete “teapot” in this matter, take a friend with you who understands car repairs. If there is no such buddy, do a partial diagnosis of the car at two different car services before deciding on a repair.
Fictitious replacement of serviceable parts
Very often, if the car service has its own spare parts store, and the client is not present when the car is serviced.
The meaning of the scam is that diagnostics reveals a non-existent breakdown of a serviceable spare part, which will still work for a couple of years. But you are told that it needs to be replaced. And according to the check, it seems, they change. But you don't get your hands on old part- “We already threw it away, lost it, immediately disposed of it according to the law, dropped it into the crater of a volcano ...”
Of course they lost it, because it remained inside the car in the same place.
BUT new item it is written off from the warehouse as sold, and goes to re-sale "left".
Variation of deception. The part can really be replaced with a new one, and the old one can be ostentatiously thrown into the trash in front of you with the words that it is no longer good for anything. You leave the service, and your slightly used part will be taken out of the trash, the dust will be blown off and sold as an inexpensive analogue, or a used spare part.
How to fight. Demand that you return the old spare part.
The rules for the provision of services (performance of work) for the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 11, 2001 N 290 (as amended on January 31, 2017), in paragraph No. 35 contain the following lines:
“After the execution of the contract or the consumer’s refusal to fulfill it, the contractor is obliged to issue to the consumer certificates-accounts for newly installed cars vehicle numbered units, submit to the consumer a report on the expenditure of spare parts and materials paid for by him and return their remains or, with the consent of the consumer, reduce the price of the service (work) taking into account the cost of the unused spare parts and materials remaining with the contractor, as well as return the replaced (faulty) components and parts »
The Consumer Protection Act is also on your side. Article No. 35 of this law states that the contractor is obliged to submit a report on the consumption of the material and return its balance.
Feel free to claim your right.
Partial topping up of oil at the price of a full replacement
Service stations often sin with an ostentatious oil change.
Instead of completely draining the waste, flushing the engine, replacing the oil filter and filling in fresh oil, the master does it his own way - he simply adds oil to required level and changes oil filter. It bears little resemblance to correct shift oils in the engine.
This is done with the aim of reselling unused oil from a canister, especially if it is a premium class oil.
How to fight. Observe the oil change procedure. If this is not possible, be sure to check oil dipstick after the end of the procedure. Soot with dirt on it will subtly hint to you that the oil has not been changed. fresh oil in clean engine should be free of impurities and have a golden hue.
Intentional damage to silent blocks
One of the tricks of the capital's technical centers and service stations when diagnosing a suspension.
When a car mechanic finds a real problem with suspension arms or stabilizer links, he will dismantle them. Together with them, silent blocks are removed, which the master imperceptibly cuts or burns out for the client. What for? To show the breakdown to the client and to breed him also on an expensive replacement silent block.
How to fight. During the repair process, you can carefully monitor the tools in the hands of a car mechanic so that there is no blowtorch. If you applied with a suspension, it is better to inspect the silent blocks yourself when the car is raised.
Simulation of severe automatic transmission damage
Everyone is afraid of automatic transmission failure. Everyone thinks it's expensive. But there are cases when the repair of individual elements of the box costs a penny. And the masters don't like it. Take a lot - little money. Want more.
Therefore, it happens that when draining oil from the gearbox, metal chips are carefully poured into the drain container. Then they show sawdust in used oil - this guarantees a lasting impression. And now the client believes that the box needs overhaul or, if the service is lucky, in its complete replacement.
How to fight. Only control diagnostics of the box at another service station, or your attentiveness.
Used part instead of new
A classic, although it is more common in roadside services, where the client ended up by accident, passing through and for emergency. They already know that the client will never return to them. And he can slip instead new spare part old, but well washed and even painted. Factory original price.
How to fight. Check the check, look at the nomenclature and the name of the part that was punched. Be vigilant if the receipt contains an indefinite “good 1” or “service N”. Follow the accurate filling of the work order. Check for the full name of the master and the description of the warranty, or the availability of a separate warranty card.
It is best to carry out scheduled maintenance of the car on time. Do not delay replacing worn parts until the moment when the breakdown overtakes you on the highway and you have to call in a roadside service.
And if you find a fraud, know that Article 10 of the Law on Consumer Rights is on your side, which states: “If the product purchased by the consumer was in use or a defect (shortcomings) was eliminated in it, the consumer should be provided with information about this”
The imposition of services that surfaced during the repair
A favorite topic for employees of Moscow (yes, everyone in the world, probably) service stations.
The client gives the car to replace the hub bearing, and in the process of work, the master (not from the straightness of his hands) breaks the hub itself. At the end of the repair, he states that this part had to be changed - it was unusable. Although initially it was not specified and the issue of replacing the hub was not on the order sheet.
As a result, representatives of the service station insist that the customer will have to pay for the hub, otherwise he will not receive his car back.
How to fight. Pay only for what was originally agreed. And feel free to pick up the car. If the car service workers prevent this, call the police. If it is possible to leave without a car, go to court and win it (with 100% probability) with compensation for the damage caused - count how many days you were without your car, what profit you lost, how much money you could earn at this time, if would be on wheels.
The law is on your side.
In accordance with Part 2 of Art. 16 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" it is prohibited to condition the purchase of certain goods (works, services) on the obligatory purchase of other goods (works, services). Losses caused to the consumer as a result of violation of his right to free choice of goods (works, services) are reimbursed by the seller (executor) in full. In accordance with part 3 of the same article, the Seller (executor) is not entitled to perform without the consent of the consumer additional work, services for a fee. The consumer has the right to refuse to pay for such works (services), and if they are paid, the consumer has the right to demand that the seller (executor) return the amount paid.
Additional consumables
Most often, this problem occurs with officials. They try to make money on literally everything. Especially where only one bottle of WD-40 or any other lubricating or cleaning fluid was spent during the repair, they will gladly write three such bottles into the order.
How to fight. Based only on internal sensations that tell you that eighteen jars hub lubrication One bearing is overkill. You can try to quarrel and demand to provide an empty container.
Drove-bred
The trick of the director of a company that has a full-time driver. This person at one moment may decide that you pay him little. He may conceive a conspiracy with the workers of the car service, where your company car is constantly serviced.
Further events can develop in all the ways described. Only the service station will deceive you through an intermediary (your driver), who will assure that competent guys work there and he completely trusts them. And the fact that service calls have become weekly is because the car is simply already very old.
The driver with the masters of the service station is in the share. It is beneficial for him to “repair” the car more and more often.
How to fight. Control your car maintenance costs. If they grow, this is an indirect sign of deception. Watch the driver's behavior. If he has bosom friends and comrades on the service, with whom he increasingly meets and mentions in conversations, this is also a wake-up call.
There were suspicions - change the service. Drive the car for diagnostics to any other service and ask to be present at the inspection.
How to behave at car services
Google the problem and compare prices
Ask for old parts
If possible, be present during the repair (even if it infuriates the master)
Check receipts, follow the nomenclature
Claim a guarantee
Pay only for what you agreed
Do a follow-up inspection in different services
Methods of deception practiced by station employees Maintenance, easy to organize. There are three main types of these types of scams: tricking a customer into making unnecessary repairs, making them pay for things they didn't do, or selling the same part twice.
Moreover, which is typical, you can expect amazing tricks from any car service:. From the latter, of course, to a lesser extent, since the officials go not only under the letter of the law, but also under the eye of the automaker.
Although there are fewer fundamental types of deception than the fingers on one hand, they are brought to life with great ingenuity and variety. Therefore, it is easier to describe typical cases of "divorce" and fraud on the part of the masters.
It's a business, nothing more...
To begin with, one cannot fail to mention a fairly harmless way of divorcing a client. When extra items are added to the work order expendable materials. The author of these lines, for example, personally encountered this when, in an order for a small body shop in a service station official dealer, among other things, there were 200 (!) "jars for mixing paints"! Then I didn’t want to get into the “high relationship” between the insurance company and the service station, but I had to “wind on my mustache” such a trick. Indeed, in the case of a serious repair of the car, the client may not notice such a “trifle”. Conclusion: always and meticulously control what the craftsmen write in work orders.
Best the enemy of the good
The next way to talk about is to replace fully functional parts with new ones. They especially love this business in large service stations that have their own warehouse of spare parts. The method is good because it is difficult to prove a scam on a crane. And no one really tries: car service workers try to “breed” in this way either people who are not versed in cars or easily suggestible citizens. It is worth noting that this method workers love to practice. Under warranty, the allegedly failed node on the client's machine is replaced with a new one. Removed (quite functional) or then sold on the sly to another client, who, on a car that has already gone out of warranty, has a similar part out of order for real.
In order not to “sponsor” an auto mechanic with your spare parts, it is enough to obey not his advice, but your own common sense. If the part that the mechanic "sentences" outwardly looks normal, its term scheduled replacement not even visible on the horizon, it does not publish extra sounds and in general, it behaves normally when moving - you can safely send the storyteller from the service station to ... the repair zone, in general.
Diagnosis without diagnosis
The above method is bordered by another, called "diagnostics-dummy". It is used, as a rule, when the car owner arrives at the service station with the textbook "something knocks" (buzzes, creaks, etc.). The main thing is that he immediately pay for the diagnostics and calmly go to the client or somewhere else. No one actually diagnoses the car, and then the client is told that everything is fine with it. Or they announce that it is necessary to “change half of the suspension” (to sort out the engine, sort out the gearbox, change steering rack etc.) - as in the above case. You can easily avoid this: do not pay for the diagnostics in advance and be present during its conduct in person.
Change the broken to... the broken
Moreover, expensive repairs can result in the transformation of a more or less serviceable machine into a truly broken one. For example, in the case of “changing the suspension”, fully functional parts can be replaced with practically “killed”, but washed, repainted and with new “rubbers”. And then go and prove it. They especially like to trade like this, when the main thing for the client is often to reach the goal. Avoiding this kind of "divorce" will not work, even if you demand to return the "old" parts removed from your car. Real money for scrap metal under the guise of "new" parts and their installation has already been taken from you. If you can’t avoid it, then at least you can reduce the likelihood of getting into such a story in only one way: monitor the condition of your car, carry out all maintenance work and replacement of parts within the period recommended by the manufacturer. In general, do not count on chance, do not postpone repairs until the moment “it breaks down”.
The devil is in the details
That is, in dubious service stations, it is better to try to be present in the repair zone for all manipulations with your car. Although this is not a panacea. A normal auto mechanic will quickly understand who is in front of him: a person who understands cars, pretends to be a professional layman, or whose knowledge has little to do with practice.
There is, for example, on some models of German cars a certain gearbox repair operation. You can crawl up and do it from the outside, even without dismantling the unit. And you can do everything according to the rules - by disassembling half of the car and removing the "box". Accordingly, the price of the work will differ dramatically. And a person who does not know such subtleties is doomed to pay this difference. There is only one way to deal with this kind of spending: by increasing own level knowledge about your car. On the Internet, you can now find a lot of useful information almost any more or less mass model of any brand of car. There would be a desire.
Treaty more expensive than money
In general, the price and scope of work with the car must be agreed upon before handing over the car for repair, and not wave your fists, considering the bill after it ends. And require prior approval if any additional work is necessary. For example, at first the master will say that replacing candles will cost, say, 1000 rubles. And at the end of the repair, it suddenly turns out that for this you need to remove intake manifold engine. And this operation costs 3000 rubles. In such a situation, you should not immediately shake the bag. Demand to return everything back, as it was before the repair, and, most likely, they will not take extra money from you.
The key is to start!
For owners of expensive or “demanding” models from the point of view of hijackers, it will not be out of place to remember that even an auto mechanic who is not particularly literate in electronics is able to “sew” an additional key fob or transponder to the car alarm. Subsequently, with the help of this "extra" key, attackers easily and naturally steal a vehicle. With the massive introduction of keyless car access systems by automakers, the danger of such a development of events, as they say, is “stepping into the masses”. A certain guarantee of safety from this kind of trouble can be the maintenance of the car either at the "official" or in a large and civilized informal one. Such organizations, as a rule, value their reputation and get involved in criminality is out of their hands. On the other hand, it usually clearly records which of the auto mechanics, when and why had access to the car. In which case, this will allow you to calculate the attacker. And therefore the latter, most likely, will not take such risks.
In conclusion, let's say that the old saying of auto mechanics says: "Did the car well - lost the client." After all, a conscientiously serviced car requires only the replacement of consumables, and the routine replacement of spare parts. And it is beneficial for any car service that the client comes for repairs much more often. And for this, all methods are good. Therefore, the only way to avoid trouble is to use the services of the same service station. The one where the qualifications of the masters and the prices suit you. The staff of such a service will know you as a permanent, but knowing how much client, with whom you should not even try to turn all sorts of “tricks”.
Vlad Chizhov, an anti-fraud specialist, host of the reality show "Decisive" on the Che TV channel, tells how not to become a victim of deception in a car service.
The first thing every car owner should know after buying it is how to choose the right car service. The best technical centers specialize in individual brands of cars or types of work. For example, there are services that only repair gearboxes and will not even install pads for you. There are those who work only with cars DM, and if you arrive in a "Japanese", you will be politely refused. Be wary of car services that do EVERYTHING and for ALL brands.
Make your choice ahead of time. Be sure to read reviews on the Internet, listen to recommendations. Take a closer look at the service that is nearby, go to get acquainted, look around, make friends with the master. First, give the car for simple work: changing pads, something simple, not fatal, see how the masters work, what they put and what recommendations they give. After that, draw your own conclusions.
The most popular methods of divorce in car services
- Masters impose unnecessary work on your car and come up with complex diagnostics, actions that in fact you do not need or do not exist at all.
- They drive a fake or outright nonsense at the price of original spare parts.
- They wind up the "left" standard hours. For example, to change a part, the master has 2.5 standard hours, and you can easily drive another 1.5 under the pretext - “the bolt broke, they drilled out” or “the fasteners got stuck”.
How to start a conversation with a specialist in a car service
Price list request
Each normal service has a price list or calculation of standard hours for certain works. The cost of a standard hour is always indicated in the most prominent place.
Making an order
In this document form, you approve all your expenses and sign, and the car service announces warranty obligations for work and installed spare parts. The work order must be on the letterhead of the enterprise, and not on a piece of paper or in words.
After the approval of all works
Your task is to evaluate the quality of work, to check whether the defect has been eliminated or not. If not, feel free to object, don't listen to "this is how it should creak". Call senior. You must decide for yourself whether to buy spare parts in this service or elsewhere. But be prepared for the fact that the warranty for work with spare parts provided by you will be canceled.
The main advice for novice drivers who are faced with the need for the first time car repair, - know your car, learn to understand it. What system does it have an engine, what transmission. There are several opposite test questions, which are asked to the client in a car service, and if he is not oriented in them, he is offered services at the highest price. Based on the first questions about your car, the “master felt-tip pen” will determine whether he is a beginner or a trained person. If you don’t know your car, then you can be “loaded” with work and services: after all, you still don’t know how this or that part works.
The main rule, a signal indicating to the owner of the car for a divorce, is the dismantling of the car without the consent of the driver. Not a single normal service will even put a nut without the consent of its client, since for them there is always a risk of non-payment for the service.
If that happens, you've already hit it. Just file a complaint with law enforcement. Do not forget to leave your person at the car and record the result in a photo or video. Come with a police officer and draw up a report. All decisions and agreements must be made before actions: work order, list and cost of work, price of spare parts, terms and other nuances.
What to do if the work was done poorly and you are still divorced
In a good technical center, you will definitely be given an order with a guarantee for the work and installed spare parts. It is necessary to achieve the performance of work until the defect is eliminated, in accordance with the warranty obligations.
- Have you been divorced, and there are no documents confirming the work? Enjoy being a sucker. Re-read the article again and understand how not to do it. If the losses are too great, write a statement to the police.
- The owner also has the right to refuse payment for the services performed if the work is not agreed with him. But in this case, you need to be prepared for the fact that installed spare parts can be removed from your car, “breaking” others in the process or “finishing off” your spare part from harm. In a good car service, if all documents are signed, you do not have the right to refuse payment - they simply may not return the car to you. Just as in the case if you did not pay for coffee in a restaurant, they will detain you and call the police.
An article about how car services are deceived by imposing additional repairs, the most common ways of such deception. At the end of the article - a video about "divorces" in a car service.
The content of the article:
“I made a car in good conscience - I lost a client for a year”, this famous saying of car mechanics from Soviet times is well known to modern mechanics. Indeed, a responsible mechanic who has done a quality job is remembered with gratitude every day, but they are paid only once. But unscrupulous scammers get cursed on their heads many times, but they also provide themselves much better financially.
Unfortunately, the moral aspects of many of our contemporaries are of little concern, and today not a single car owner can take the word of a mechanic. It is required to check the price, presented estimates, inspect the car after each call to the service station. How today in car services are they “bred” for unnecessary repairs and how not to become a victim of a real crime, and not just a “divorce”?
Service selection
Choosing the right car service is to ensure quality repair your car by 50%. Choosing the right master is another 30%, and making an accurate assessment of the work is another 20%.
It is not recommended to choose a service station on the highway, near the car market, as well as workshops where they undertake to repair any malfunction. The best stations are highly specialized services where a specific type of work is carried out. If the service specializes in restoring the body, its masters will not undertake to repair the wiring. If they change the turbines, they will not take up the repair of the suspension.
The division can also be by car brands. Quality auto repair service Japanese cars, will never take a BMW for repairs.
This is the most common and "painless" type of deception in official centers and dealer service stations. The client is given additional standard hours for work, which the locksmith will spend on repairs. At the same time, the work was done with high quality, all the parts are original, there is no overpayment for components.
When signing the work order, the client must carefully consider what the receiver writes when drawing up the document. The driver is advised not to take the word of the receivers, but to ask for a price list and carefully study the prices and time that the master takes for repairs.
The price list in many service stations is quite cunning. In almost none of them you will find the columns “gluing windshield". If the sealant suddenly comes off and the windshield or rear glass starts to leak, then the car service will only offer glass replacement. If you need to change a light bulb, in the price list you will find headlight repair, etc.
The column "additional approval" is another loophole "by law" to cheat the client on additional costs. If the work order is drawn up, and during the repair process it was necessary to carry out unnecessary operations, the inspector or manager (rarely the master) informs the client and asks for permission for additional work. If the service carried out repairs at its own discretion, the client is not obliged to pay for a single extra nut.
Everyone knows that a correct diagnosis is required before treatment. And in the case of the car, the same problem can be traced as with the patient. How many doctors, so many opinions.
Making a correct and clear diagnosis of a car is a skill, and an experienced locksmith sees, if not exactly which part “flew”, then the node where the problem is located. “Divorce” consists in imposing an unnecessary diagnosis on the client, which is only on paper. The receiver sees what needs to be changed brake shoe, but can persuade to check the turbine, ball and running gear.
This is the most common and most painful type of deception. Masters recommend replacing a part with a 70% wear rate with new ones, convincing the client that it is a great miracle that he even got to the service “with such a misfortune”. IN dealer centers spare parts are replaced with new and original ones (although we are lucky), but the client pays the full cost.
The dismantled part is not scrapped, but is sold because it has not exhausted its service life. Locksmiths have a trick to throw a “broken” spare part in front of the client into the trash, where, along with rags, obvious scrap metal, knocked down nuts plastic bottles, wrappers, etc. From the "garbage bin" the part is taken after the service station is closed - not earlier, suddenly the driver will return ...
In workshops that do not belong to official centers, the situation is much worse. Here, the driver can replace the working part with absolute trash. If the master sees what is required urgent repair, the client is nervous and in a hurry, while not quite clearly understanding how much the work costs and what needs to be repaired, then the probability of a hit is 99%.
It will be a miracle if you find an honest and responsible locksmith in a workshop by the road.
Experienced locksmiths share a secret and recommend that drivers take all old parts with them if any components have been replaced. And so that instead of a standard one they don’t slip, for example, a candle from Zaporozhets, take your time and be in the repair zone during, if not the entire repair, then at least when dismantling the assembly.
Change of oil
Concern Hyundai provides its models after-sales service up to 5 years or up to 100,000 miles. Among other things, drivers receive a free oil change and brake fluid. The trick of the mechanics is that when changing the oil, only part of the working fluid. Filling in 50% of new oil, the remaining 2-2.5 liters are sold "left".
The admission of the client to the repair zone is also not always a guarantee of high-quality repairs. The driver’s oil may be completely changed, the bolts will not be knocked down with a sledgehammer, but the mechanic always has enough professional subtleties where he can cheat. The situation is saved by an extra hundred "for tea" and the lack of comments and advice to the locksmith.
In the work order, in addition to extra hours, unnecessary consumables are often attributed. These can be extra cans for cleaning the brakes, oil containers, etc.
Official services practice issuing such trifles to customers for free, but in any case, the driver should carefully look at the expenditure part of the order. This is especially true body work associated with painting and straightening.
In addition to unnecessary materials, when painting, tinsmiths often cheat and leave unpainted (and not primed) places under the washer tank, do not align the fender liner, etc. When accepting a car, it is better to inspect all hard-to-reach places completely, check how the wings are straightened, the bottom is painted, etc.
Flashing the unit, tuning and any other problems with software only needs to be decided official representative. Dealer services have access to the manufacturer's database, can contact the support center at any time and use original programs. In the price list you can see the cost of all works related to electronics.
Turning to the workshop “on the road”, you never know whose program will be installed for you, how it will work, and whether the master will install an extra chip on the alarm key fob that will help real thieves steal your car “without noise and dust”.
There are enough ways to deceive a client in services, every day mechanics come up with something new and immediately put it into practice.
How not to become a victim? If you yourself do not understand the device of the car, do not focus on the prices on the market, get at least advice from those car owners whom you trust and who always keep their finger on the pulse. And, as they say - neither a nail nor a wand to meet with mechanics and inspectors as rarely as possible!
Video about common methods of deception in car services:
