I would guess that most people have no idea of what a DOT number is on your tires. This is perhaps the most important number associated with a vehicle tire, even more important than the price, it’s the age. Watch the following report from ABC news before you kill your family or friends trying to save money and time:
Posts Tagged ‘repair’
Deadly contact!
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009NEW NEVER GETS OLD?
Monday, November 9th, 2009In the U.S. we seem to be in love with the word “NEW”. We want new cars, new girl friends or boyfriends, new shoes, new relationships, new furniture, etc. Why? that’s what I want to know. New is always going to get old eventually, are we just going to trade up ever time there is a “NEW” available? Why not fix that car, relationship, girl/boy friend first and then see how things are.
Cars are HAE’s specialty, not girl/boy friends or shoes. When it comes to the automobile, people are often to quick to through in the towel. Sure if you have an extremely high mileage vehicle that is costing you repair money of more than a car payment monthly, you need to consider looking for something else. But, ig you do the math and consider that a car is a depreciating asset, you might find that a new car payment (Typically around $478 per month for 6 years) is a lot more expensive than the repairs for that same period on your existing vehicle.
The auto manufactures would like you to buy a new car ever few years, that keeps the wheels of industry rolling, but can keep your budget rolled up! In reality, you can keep your car repaired and servicing your needs for many years beyond the last payment as long as you do the required maintenance. There are published reports that show savings in most cases of over $15,000 during a 6 year period of payments versus repairs. That’s $15,000, WOW! Imagine the credit cards that you could pay off and get rid of the high interest loans.
The next time you think “NEW” car, stop and ask yourself, “How much have I spent on actual repairs over the last 2 years?” Excluded maintenance, since that has to be done even on the new cars. Then figure out the expected car payment and see which one is less, I would bet the repair is going to win out on that.
The 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.
A real testimonial to our mission!
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009Scott, I couldn’t find where to write a response on the website so I just wrote it here. I would appreciate it if you could copy and paste it on the website please. Thank you again for all your help.
Thank you Honest Auto Estimate! My 2000 Honda Accord had some A/C problems and so I went to Meineke Car Care and after I paid $158 to get the A/C fixed I come to find out a few days later that the A/C doesn’t work again. I bring the car back into the shop and they tell me my accumulator needs to be replaced and so of course i pay up $212 because they told me THAT was the problem now. After driving the car a couple of days later, the A/C didn’t work AGAIN! I bring the car back into Meineke and they want to replace something else on the car that will cost me another $212! I decided to not go through with it and Thank God that Scott Lind from Honest Auto Estimate was here to help me with the situation. Scott let me know that I was being overcharged for labor and parts and advised me on what I should be expecting for the charges that are associated with the repairs that I SUPPOSEDLY NEEDED. Scott fought for me and contacted the my Local News Station, Meineke, AND CORPORATE at Meineke to get to the bottom of the problem. After a lot of hard work Scott managed to get me back some money because I was overcharged at the shop. Honest Auto Estimate has given me the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE OF MY LIFE! Thank you Scott very much and keep doing what you are doing on this website, it’s great to know that there are still GOOD, FREE, RESOURCES out there to help people in need.
– Jonathan – Sacramento, California –
Help is now FREE!
Monday, May 4th, 2009Honestautoestimates.com is now FREE to all auto repair consumers. Consumers can now join as a member and use all of our services for FREE. This makes HAE one of the most important consumer tools since the invention of the telephone. The problem of being overcharged is a $22 billion annual consumer nightmare, according to the U.S. Government. Now with a FREE HAE membership consumers are completely protected. We also allow auto repair shops that meet our strict criteria to join as a repair shop member and honor our estimates. HAE has a lot of great new consumer advocate tools coming very soon inlcuding a way to purchase auto insurance, auto parts, vehicles and even request consumer events for your area. We urge everyone that owns an automobile to join the fastest growing consumer movement in America, honestautoestimates.com and take advantage of the tools we provide for your protection.
Thank You First Coast News
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008We here at HonestAutoEstimates.com would like to thank Mr. Phil Amato, and the rest of the First Coast News team, for making our business your “Website of the Day“. We thought that your segment was very professional and portrayed our company in a positive light. It showed our dedication to saving consumers money and stopping the excessive overcharging by auto repair facilities.
Thank you again for the great coverage given to our company. The presentation was great, and Phil Amato did an outstanding job describing exactly what we do, and our mission to help the consumers. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to showcase our company on your station.
Thank You,
HonestAutoEstimates.com