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, endeavour 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.
