Negotiate Car Repairs
Car repairs can be negotiated just like anything else, more so even. Your mechanic or service manager at the dealer, knows for a fact that you are being over charged, that means that all you have to do is ask for a discount. If your mechanic is worth his salt he calls you before he does any work on your car, that is when the negotiation should start. When your mechanic tells you that you need a new “flex capacitor” and it cost around $800, your first reaction should be “Can you give me a better price?”
Or better yet “Can you do it for $700” . You need to make it clear from the very beginning that you want a discount. A ten percent discount is always a good starting point, you are only trying to get a small discount, which is better than nothing. The biggest mistake you can make is to wait until your car repair is finished. At that point he basically is holding your car hostage until you pay him, so that means he is in full control of the negotiation. The very little control we do have is before any work is done, because we still have the ability to say no thanks I’ll take it somewhere else.
Most people want a discount, but most people don’t like negotiating. Let’s face it, it’s not for everybody. The reason car repair is set up for negotiation is because your mechanic or service manager knows that he can give you a discount but he certainly is not going to offer it. You’ll be surprised to see how easy they will give you 10% just for asking. The next time your you need a car repair follow these steps to get a 10% discount::
- Make sure you tell the service manager or mechanic to call you BEFORE he does any work to your car.
- Always ask for an estimate when he tells you what repairs you need.
- What ever amount he says, ask for at least for a 10% discount. It’s much better saying a specific price instead of 10%, so make sure you have your math ready.
