Article
If
you’re a car owner in Lagos, you must have been a victim (or still a victim) of
mechanics’ deceitful and tricky ways of taking advantage of your situation,
either by hiking the price of spare parts ridiculously or by recommending wrong
solutions in a bid to extort money from you. FindADriver247, Nigeria’s foremost
driver hiring platform, shares 5 things to do to escape being exploited by your
mechanic. These tips are useful to new and old car owners. Enjoy!
Check
prices with friends & family
There are always people
who have used your type of car before; they might be friends, family, or
colleagues. So check with them when your mechanic gives you a spare part price.
They are more knowledgeable and can tell you the real price. Once you confirm,
be bold to tell your mechanic the price you got. Chances are he will adjust the
price given initially to the new price you got.
Monitor
your repairs and keep record of new spare parts
If you have the time,
FindADriver247 advises that you stay with your mechanic when he’s fixing your
car. This helps you to know what exactly he’s changing and what he’s just
servicing. If you leave your mechanic to work on your car in your absence all
the time, chances are he won’t fix half of the things you paid him to fix; he
might even pocket the money for the new spare parts and just service the old
one. After all, you won’t know especially if the part is in a hidden area.
It’s also advisable to
keep record of your last repairs and the new spare parts purchased. This helps
you to know the durability. The more durable, the more likely your mechanic
bought an original spare part. Hence, he can earn your trust. Otherwise, you
need no further proof that your mechanic is exploiting you.
Check
online for suggestions
There is nothing new under
the sun. So whatever problem your car is giving you, rest assured that millions
of people around the world have experienced it before. Go online, google some
of the most common issues associated with your brand of car, the suggested
solutions are just too many. When your mechanic starts to exaggerate and over
exaggerate the issue, just tell him the issue and the likely solutions. In
fact, tell him in addition how much the workmanship may normally cost. He will
be shocked to hear this. You will leave him with no choice than to follow your
advice.
Build
a rapport with spare part sellers
Most mechanics, if not
all, buy car parts from sellers in Ladipo or Oyigbo market. These are some of
the two biggest spare part markets in Lagos. To avoid being exploited by your
mechanic, endeavor to know one or two sellers in these markets so you can
verify prices given to you by your mechanic. Once you counter your mechanic
with the real price, he will know you can’t be exploited because you have a way
of verifying. If possible, contact the sellers directly to supply you these
parts.
Hire
a trustworthy and reliable driver
Sometimes, mechanics
collaborate with drivers to exploit car owners, and then share the loot. If you
always send your driver to take your car for repairs at your mechanic’s,
chances are they are both collaborating to exploit you. The only way out of
this is to hire reliable & trustworthy drivers especially from a company
providing such services and taking responsibility for the drivers’ behaviour,
such as FindADriver247.com.
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