| Most know the most glaring auto repair pricing | | | | investigation has revealed that 98% of all repair |
| abuses: Service centers overcharging $100's even | | | | shops (dealerships, local shops, and franchises) are |
| $1000's for repairs, or charging for repairs that | | | | price-gouging their customers in one form or |
| were never done at all. | | | | another. |
| To be sure, this still happens every day. However, | | | | The following exchange, between a service |
| there are many other techniques which involve | | | | manager and service advisor, provides an idea of |
| flying just low enough to avoid detection. | | | | the "scope of scamming" below the radar. |
| The savvy service centers increase the price so | | | | A service advisor asked his manager how to bill |
| as not to set off any alarms. It has become so | | | | more hours per month, which is another way of |
| common that it's not just an accepted industry | | | | asking how the advisor can make more money. |
| practice, but even service customers have | | | | The service manager casually stated: |
| accepted paying higher prices. | | | | "Simply add an additional two tenths to every |
| Knowing how ingrained price-gouging is within the | | | | ticket you write." |
| automotive service industry, it's shocking (although | | | | In other words, every customer this service |
| understandable) that even service customers | | | | advisor "helps," he was instructed by a superior to |
| have succumbed to excessive car repair prices. I | | | | add a "little" extra. So if the labor rate is $100 per |
| frequently hear service customers' state: | | | | hour two tenths would equal $20. Rather than pay |
| "Yeah, I know I was ripped off, but my car's | | | | $100 per hour, the service customer would |
| fixed now." Or, "I know they charge too much, | | | | actually pay $120. |
| but they're convenient." | | | | $20 doesn't sound like much compared to the |
| This is insane! To accept auto repair price-gouging | | | | gross injustices we all know. However, whether |
| is to allow its continuation. The difficult part, of | | | | it's an overcharge of two cents or $20, it's too |
| course, is how to stop it. Given that the | | | | much. |
| automotive service industry is so big and powerful | | | | If you visit a shop practicing this strategy alone |
| (and so frightfully necessary) how does one battle | | | | (there are hundreds of strategies, many applied |
| such a force? | | | | simultaneously), you may end up paying over a |
| Perhaps the first thing to understand is the | | | | $100 or more by year's end. |
| degree to which this type of stealth-like | | | | What's really shocking is that being ripped off |
| price-gouging occurs. A two-decade undercover | | | | $100 over a year's time is actually minor! |