Okay. Not all mechanics are shady, but most of them. I have one shop that I always go to. It’s the shop that my dad went to, and all my brothers go to. It’s just our place. That is the only place I feel safe. Anywhere I go, I have a sneaking suspicion that I am getting ripped off. I think this started when I went to get an oil change a few years ago, and it said $30 on the sign. I confirmed the cost (I probably was making minimum wage, working part time and in high school). So they took my car into the shady shop, and do shady things to it. They come out 20 minutes later and ring me up for almost $100!
I was so angry. They “changed” a few filters, replaces all my fluids, and whatever else they always try and sell you on. I told them I didn’t ask for any of it and I wasn’t paying for it. I seriously sat in the shop for about 30 minutes arguing with this shady dude. Arguing is huge for me, usually I will pay extra just to not deal with confrontation. I am so meek and shy when it comes to strangers. ESPECIALLY when they are in an industry I know nothing about.
The end of the story is that I ended up calling my dad to come down, they heard the call and immediately told me they would only charge for the oil change. Luckily my dad didn’t have to come down and bust some balls. However, this experience had made me very weary of going to get anything done for my car. I am pretty sure everywhere that I go I am going to get ripped off.
I am telling you all of this, because I desperately need an oil change.
Oooooh, that's shady! I go to Firestone, they recommend stuff and they won't do anything unless you give them the go ahead. :)
ReplyDeletexo,
janmloves.blogspot.com
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i have been there before! They are actually pretty good about ALWAYS calling first!
Deletehahaha i have the perfect video for you to watch! it talks all about shady mechanics! i hope it makes your day better!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PrWt-BclKE
DUDETTE! I will watch that video in approx. 1 hr, when I am off work.. BRB ;)
Deletehaha i hate getting oil changes! luckily my husband is handy and does oil changes all by himself! but in high school i would go and say "hi i need an oil change AND NOTHING ELSE. DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE" haha
ReplyDeleteLUCKY! I need to tell Jared to go and take an oil changing class. He's only changed oil when it's necessary, but he thinks it's too much of a hassle and to just pay the $30, he doesn't understand the shadiness.
Deletei get my oil change at MIDAS. Never have an issue with them.
ReplyDeleteHmmm I will have to look them up. Gracias por la suggestion.
Deletetotaly agree! i haaate having to get anything done with my car. sooo freakin annoyin. ugh.
ReplyDelete1000 miles to go until my next oil change.
xox
Don't drive very much, and that 1000 miles will last months! I am like 800 miles over... I keep thinking I have to go, but just haven't yet...
DeleteThankfully my bf can do a lot of car things, and I know a lot about cars now because of him. I usually tell them that they're doing stuff wrong! haha
ReplyDeleteha ha ha ha! Good for you, I wish I knew more about cars.
DeleteI hate going to do anything done with my car too! They totally overcharge and take advantage! Little do they know we'll get our men (or dads) to come to our rescue and make it right. Ha. I've got a place I go to down the street for oil changes. They are so dang expensive! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI hate that! Sometimes it's advertised for cheap and then when it comes down to it, it's actually like 20 more than they advertise. UGH! So shadyyyyy. I will totally get a man to go after them.
DeleteI'm the same as you. I had a mechanic until a few years ago that was the only one I trusted. He unfortunately went into business for a dealership for a car that I don't have so I had to start all over in L.A.
ReplyDeleteOH no! I probably would just sell my car, and give up. You'll never find another good mechanic, just kidding... there's probably ONE out there.
DeleteI hate going too! That's why on the last car I got, I worked in free oil changes for the life of the car. When I was playing the negotiating game, I heard another sales man offering that deal to another customer. So once a price was settled on- I threw that in at that last minute! :) Now I just call, make sure they've got the time and show up! Then when I take it home, my boyfriend will check to make sure they've really changed the oil! I feel just as skeptical as you do about mechanics! Why are they so mean to women?!
ReplyDeletexo Kayla
WHAT!? why are you the most intelligent woman ever? That is awesome, a totally worthwhile negotiation. Seriously, I am impressed right now.
DeleteI agree. And I find that they aren't so shady when the have male customers. But when it comes to a female walking in alone....BOOM the HUGE bill comes out at the end. Sometimes I will sit in a shop and wonder if they have even done anything to my car. I guess that is why I always have a male accompany me to get my oil changed or anything done to my car because I have no idea what they are saying to me and I don't always want what they are selling. I am glad I am not the only one whos dealt with shady mechanics.
ReplyDeleteYES! It is a total sex profiling thing. I am sure of it. Jared never gets questioned when he does anything, and with me it's like a huge long story of why everything on my car needs to be replaced, or they tell me I can't drive out of there legally because they flagged the car as unfit to drive.. IT BUGS ME! My car is only 6 years old! Not that bad!
DeleteThey are hard to trust! When we got our new car we took it into a place near our home. They ended up breaking things on purpose and then telling us they needed to be fixed. We took it to another place (a place people kept telling us we should go to in the first place) and they told us that that shop does that all the time. My dad ended up taking two 5 hours trips to come fix what they messed up. :/
ReplyDeleteWHAT!? That is so so so so shady! How are places like that even in business still? That's totally unacceptable by any business standards! I'd go light their shop on fire. That's annoying your poor dad had to spend all that time and probably money fixing what wasn't broken.
Deleteoh my i hate mechanics like that. one time in high school i went to get a simple oil change and walked out paying $120! like what the hell? my dad just laughed at me. So now my husband changes my oil, i am not allowed to change it myself.
ReplyDeleteSERIOUSLY! That is exactly what I would do, just pay it to avoid looking dumb and starting a fight or something. I am far too passive. I always make Jared go with me too.
DeleteHey Miki! Hope your first week at the new job is going well! I just nominated for you an award. Check it out:http://simplysplendidlove.blogspot.com/.
ReplyDeleteYAY!!! I am going to check it out right now!! Thanks girl, the job is going AWESOME!
DeleteMan...that just strengthens my determination to never go to a mechanic. Thankfully Angel can fix a lot of stuff on our cars and when he can't fix it I just trust that he'll get a decent mechanic who can.
ReplyDeleteAngel is awesome. That is all there is to it. I have a really good friend who will help me with car stuff, but he no longer does it since he's going to nursing school. NOOOO! I am so lost in the car world.
DeleteHaha my dad is a mechanic so thank goodness mostly everything we need done on our vehicle he can do it himself. Although I've heard that many times when just a woman takes her car in for something that they are more likely to try to rip you off because you are female and they think it's easier to do so which is totally not cool.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I need a mechanic for a dad or brother or anywhere. I think most women, like myself, just don't educate themselves much on cars. So it's easy to talk us into things. I am so stubborn now, I say NO to everything, even when I should do it, like an alignment. ha ha!
Delete