Maybe I am old fashion, but I think that auto repair should be auto repaired. So many times we take our cars to a repair shop only to hear, “We have to start with this and hope”, hope? Why not fix! With the level of computer intergration, most vehicles self diagnose. If a shops says this to you, look out wallet! They are telling you they are not sure whats wrong but if you don’t mind footing the bill, we can throw enough parts at the problem until it goes away. I know some problems are difficult to find, but dilligence can be a money saver. The key to getting a direct answer to “What’s wrong with it” is really a 3 pronged appraoch; 1) Technical knowledge 2) Tools 3) Technician. If you have these things going for you, there is a good chance you will only pay for the repair and not that shops training session on your car.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Hey is it just me or did I really see………………
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009The real world of auto repair
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009In the real world of auto repair shops, the bottom line rules. As the economy has tightened up, many shop have found themselves struggling to make it. Some have turned to overcharging the customers they do get in just to make ends meet.
HAE does not recognize the reasoning of “anything goes, I have to stay in business.” The truth is that it is possible to stay open and NOT overcharge consumers. The key to it all is getting the word out that no matter how bad it gets you will not resort to “Ripping off” consumers. Association such as HAE, BBB and AAA can be valuable resourses for both consumers and repair shops. They can connect “Honest” shops with consumers who don’t mind paying “An honest days pay for an honest days work”. HAE offers shops the ability to connect with it’s consumer members only if they meet the standards set to protect the members. These shops must meet criteria including being subjected to “Mystery Shopper” estimates. HAE makes sure that shops treat every consumer with respect and honesty or HAE will make an example out of that shop.
HAE is considered by many to be the authority concerning auto repair rip offs. We spot them a mile away and expose them everyday to our consumer members so they are not taken. Shop who think “Profit above all” or “Do what ever it takes” will pay the price, but those shops that join HAE and GUARANTEE they will not overcharge will reap the rewards!
Effect of Cash for Clunkers on Auto repair shops
Thursday, August 20th, 2009The Cash for Clunkers program seemed to help the failing auto sales industry, but at what cost? Auto repair shops rely on older cars to survive. The honest repair shops make an honest living providing repair and services to consumers that allows them to keep their cars well after the payments stop. This is in line with what most economist would like to see American’s do, get out of debt! By repairing and servicing a car it can last for a long time and the overall cost of ownership is significantly cheaper than having car payments. The “Cash for Clunkers” program takes these cars off the road and replaces them with newer vehicles under warranty for repairs. This mean that the finance companies gain revenue, the dealership gains revenue, but the repair shops lose revenue. The normal rate for vehicle turn over is out the window now, causing a sudden impact on the repair shop industry. Under normal conditions people often by cars if their is no longer economically viable to repair and this turn over process take place over a period of time. What the Government has done is cause an instant change in the landscape that is affecting repair shops and eventually consumers. If repair shops no longer have cars to work on all at once they will go out of business, then when these “cash for Clunker” cars come out of warranty there will be far less repair shops around to provide service and repair. Adding the fact that these cars will all come out of warranty at about the same time, this will mean there will be a greater need than supply for auto repairs and service. The rule of supply and demand will kick in and people will be forced to pay a lot more to have these “Cash for Clunker” boomers worked on. Now, since the auto repair industry employs 3 times as many people as the manufacturing industry, the impact on the economy will be more dramatic than the sales industry. Maybe there would have been a more equitable solution that would not have an adverse affect on the repair industry. Perhaps a “Cash for Clunkers repair” program allowing people to have their vehicles repaired to bring up the fuel mileage.
Protect your A/C
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009$4500 Cash for Clunkers, will not work!
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009Yeah the problem is that the cash for clunckers bill is not worth the paper it is written on. You see people who are driving cars that will qualify for this program do not have good credit or at least the credit it takes to buy a new car now a days. Most banks now require down payments from beacons of even 760. Those with scores below 670 are not even going to qualify, even with down payment from a “Cluncker Buy out plan”. This means that very few are really affected by this. The deal is for purcahse of a new car not used. The used car buyer will only get about $1500 at best, now that may help a little, but in reality we are just feeding the helpless to the lions. By that I mean the people foolded into trading their car to get the bail out money, have good enough credit to buy and can qualify for the $4500, are more than likely driving cars that are worth more than that anyway so it will not make any difference. The people that are buying used cars and can only qualify for $1500 assitance, do not have credit for new cars and that means they are relying on secondary finanacing (which was not as affected by the credit crunch because most is “In House”) that is at wildly high rates. These rates can go as high as 22%, so when I say leading to the lions, I mean causing people that might pay $500 to fix their current car they have no payments on, to trade that in for interest rates that are out of this world. The eventual outcome from all of this will be that these “Low credit score” people will not be able to keep the car because the payment is too high, they are also the group most likely to be laid off so they will have the car repossed and ruin their credit even more. Mean while the people with good credit are not going to buy because they can afford to fix what they have and will not feel any benefit from a $4500 assistance program because their car is worth more than that. End product, the governement annouces a plan that benefits very few and causes more hardship on those that need no more, but it all looks good on paper! If the government wants to help people and the car industry, work out credit issues so people can finance cars agian with little or no money upfront. Then get consession from the auto makers to lower the price to put them within range of todays budgets. Finally, take the bail out money going to the BIG BUSINESS and spread it around the country in SMALL BUSINESS, which always seems to save the country in times of hardship.
Today’s world!
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009In today’s world of unsure decisions, one thing you can count on is that HAE will stand up and be counted as a consumer advocate for auto repair. Our mission is simple, protect consumers! We are not perfect, our website may have a few flaws, but our mission is striaght and true.
A real testimonial to our mission!
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009– Jonathan – Sacramento, California –
Schooling consumers!
Monday, May 18th, 2009As auto repair consumers we are programmed to think that cars are more expensive to work on because they are more advanced. In reality, technological advances have made diagnosing cars easier in some cases. And in all cases it’s still the same nuts and bolts. Auto repair shops would have you believe that cars cost more because it makes profitable sense. Cars are not easy to repair by any stretch of the imagination, but the idea that repair cost have gone up an average of 23% in the last 6 months is not substantiated by repair cost increases along, but by the ability of a repair shop to play on the fact that most of us assume.
Americans for Americans
Monday, May 18th, 2009At a time when companies are sending more and more of their telephone jobs overseas, HAE has not. We believe in Americans helping Americans, Americans jobs staying in America. IF companies continue to move jobs outside of the U.S. we will slowly move on economy out of the country. By paying workers in other countries with our wages, we effectively take money from our economy and infuse it into other countries. The U.S. should not be isolated from the rest of the world, but as Americans we should at the very least take our citizens into consideration when making decisions not just profits.
Motorcycles are a cars best friend!
Monday, May 18th, 2009When you are driving your car down the street and find yourself sharing the road with a motorcyclist, remember, they get great fuel mileage. Why is this important to the car owner? Easy, if those cyclists get great fuel mileage, they are leaving more fuel for you. This keeps the cost of gasoline down by conservation. The rules are simple when driving near motorcycles:
1) Watch for them when changing lanes
2) Allow a large gap when you are following, they don’t have bumpers.
3) Always signal your lanes changes to allow time for them to react.