CAR gets a constant stream of complaints from readers about the way they’ve been treated by dealers and their workshops. Some don’t give us all the facts, or expect miracles, but many of them have genuine reasons to be unhappy.
These tales beg the question: Are there really so many dishonest workshops? There must be some honest ones, too, but the truth is that nobody’s going to contact us after a successful repair.
A workshop has to be extremely well organised to satisfy many customers and still make a profit. Many of them have to cope with inadequately trained mechanics and are often forced to use unskilled labour to do some of the work, so it’s unsurprising that some resort to downright fraud and lies to show a profit.
To counter this impression, the motor trade likes to refer to its workshop personnel as “technicians”, despite few having undergone relevant training. It takes three years of postmatric theoretical training plus a great deal of practical experience to become a technician. In this country, most are employed in assembly plants doing far more advanced work than you will find in a repair workshop.
What follows is a list of the major scams that have come to our notice:
USING THE WRONG OIL
These days, most hi-tech vehicles need expensive synthetic oil. Workshops have been known to use inexpensive oil which is barely adequate, with the result that the engine eventually fails. If this happens under warranty, the dealer will be found out, because the oil is usually tested after a failure. If this happens when the warranty period is over, the owner will be left wondering why the engine failed and will be handed a huge repair bill. This scam is of concern to all motorists because even the most basic engine will last longer if good-quality mineral oil is used instead of budget specials.
CHARGING FOR WORK NOT DONE
This is a very common occurrence. For example, very few mechanics go through all the items listed in the service booklet, but concentrate on what is obviously wrong or essential. There are many other situations where the owner will never know what has been done, so that it becomes easy to load the bill.
CHARGING FOR PARTS NOT FITTED
Some mechanics can’t resist the temptation to clean an old part and re-use it. The owner will be billed for a new one while the mechanic takes the new one home to sell or use it for a private repair. Some mechanics even go so far as to keep a worn part in their lockers to show their customers if they’re asked to do so.
Sometimes the workshop foreman knows nothing about this. When the old part eventually fails, the scam comes to light, but the foreman will be able to deny all knowledge of it with a clear conscience.
DOING MORE THAN WHAT THE CUSTOMER ASKED FOR
This is an easy way to load the bill. The scam is worked in one of two ways. The owner’s instructions are either interpreted loosely, so that “fix the misfire” can mean anything from replacing the spark plugs to overhauling the engine, or else the mechanic “discovers” a fault that was unknown to the owner but had to be fixed immediately. It may be a genuine problem, or it may be fictitious, but it’s a good excuse to load the bill without even the courtesy of asking the owner’s permission.
OVERSTATING THE JOB DIFFICULTY
Most workshop foremen have a whole litany of excuses ready when a customer complains about the bill. For example, on most engines the camshaft-timing belt and its adjuster can be changed in not much more than two hours. On a few designs, the engine has to come out, which adds some hours to the time. Some workshops will charge over R10 000 for labour because “the engine had to come out”, even if this is not true.
PUTTING-OFF WARRANTY WORK
Most workshops do not like to do warranty work and will go to great lengths to fob you off with a story. This is mainly because the manufacturer pays them less for any warranty work than they can extract from the customer for the same task.
HOW TO SAFEGUARD YOURSELF
Take a serious interest in what the workshop does to your car, so that you can spot any deviations from what you asked them to do. Give them clear instructions that cannot be misinterpreted. Keep in mind that, if you know very little about cars, there’s a greater chance of being ripped off, so take a knowledgeable person with you whenever possible. Ask for a quote beforehand and don’t hesitate to get a second opinion.