Common ways you could be swindled at the repair shop

According to at least one online survey, many car owners would prefer a painful visit at the dentist rather than take their vehicle in for repairs. Motorists describe the auto repair business in such unflattering terms as "legalized larceny" and "stealerships," among the printable comments found online. Is there another enterprise where consumers end up feeling more helpless and victimized than auto repair?

As cars become more reliable and service intervals lengthen, the temptation for garages to cheat grows. The evidence is in the number of independent repair shops that are closing, fewer parts sales by jobbers, and dealerships that are having trouble keeping their service departments busy. Mechanical issues reported by owners of three-year-old vehicles have plunged from an industry average 273 problems per 100 vehicles in 2003 to just 151 problems in the latest J.D. Power and Associates dependability study.

It's a proverbial jungle out there and guess what — you're the prey. We asked George Iny, president of Montreal-based Automobile Protection Association to outline some of the shady practices APA investigators have documented in undercover sting operations at chain and independent repair shops in various Canadian cities. Here are 10 strategies service centres often adopt to coax you to surrender your wallet.

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