I put a query on the other day about which new car to buy, and was grateful to those who chipped in with help.
It ws triggered by my car not starting, and the AA man unable to get it going who then towed me to a place for repairs.
I got it back today, after nearly a week, and it cost $805.12 - as well as an electronic control unit, they said it needed a new battery and charged me £70 for that. (The battery was a year old and certainly did not need replacing). I am fairly sure that the cost of repair was more than I could get for the car.
Anyway, my question is, how can I, as a person who knows very little about it, avoid being ripped off by car repairers when it goes wrong?
Other than that either get several quotes (like you would do for a building job) or get yourself a friend "in the trade" who can give you advice.
Just a thought but if you can find a Make Specific Forum (such as the BRISKODA one which caters for Skodas) you could log onto that and tell them the symptoms - chances are someone will know whats wrong and tell you what to expect...
Having a haynes manual for you car is something I've always found handy. They may not carry trouble shooting guides but it will help you get to know your car and help you attempt to do the smaller jobs yourself, thus saving a small fortune.
As has already been said, get a quote before you get the work done. If this is not possible, make it very plain before any work is done, that you require the old parts to be returned to you (they can't refuse) for investigation. It might be worth having AA membership, they might be able to diagnose the problem even if they can't fix it. Join a vehicle make, specific web forum and get as much info as possible before going to a garage.
