When something goes wrong with your car or when an accident requires vehicle repair and replacement of parts, we look for a workshop. However, after repairing at the workshop, there are cases where the repair cost is overcharged or problems occur after the repair. In addition, there are some workshops that find that they can’t do the post-treatment. How do you avoid this situation? Today, we’ll show you some ways to reduce your damage if you know before looking for a workshop.
Also Read: Tips for Choosing a Auto Workshop
How to get my car serviced without over-maintenance
1. Quote comparison is essential!
Even when you buy one thing these days, you must compare the price, right? The same goes for car maintenance. It is advisable to find a repair shop after obtaining information about the cause of the breakdown or repair costs through automobile-related consumer organizations and automobile-related sites.
It is also advisable to visit more than one place when choosing a maintenance company. Since the quotation varies slightly depending on the company, you must select it after receiving a quotation in several places. Recently, you can compare car repair quotes through mobile applications or online, so if you can’t afford to visit them in person, these services are also helpful.
2. Gathering the repair estimate and maintenance statement
After using a maintenance company, do you get a good estimate? If you have been serviced at a workshop, you must bring a repair quote and a maintenance statement. By looking at the repair quote, you can predict which parts will be repaired and estimate the approximate repair cost. It is very important to be able to determine whether over-repair has occurred by comparing the maintenance statement and the repair estimate after the repair is completed.
In addition, you need to have a maintenance statement so that if the maintenance is not successful, you can receive a refund or request a warranty repair. Sometimes, there are companies that trick Class B products into genuine products. In preparation for this, you should request that you include the country of origin of the replacement part on your statement. In addition, it is necessary to specify the warranty period for repair so that a re-repair request can be made in the event of a defect after maintenance.
If the repair shop does not give an estimate, it is recommended to use it to check whether over-repair after repair by requesting it without hesitation because you may be subject to a penalty of less than 1 million won or cancellation of maintenance business registration according to the’Enforcement Rules of the Automobile Management Act’.
3. Checking the right price
When you get a car repair quote, it’s best to avoid offering too low a price compared to other vendors. This is because, after providing an initial estimate at an inexpensive price, there is something wrong with it elsewhere, which can encourage overhaul. In addition, since cheap products can be sold by replacing the packaging, you must request the country of origin on the maintenance statement, and if the country of origin is different, you must request compensation.
4. Check the warranty period
I said earlier that you should request a repair quote before repairing. The repair quote must indicate the repair period. This is because, if a dispute arises due to repair costs or maintenance items, there are cases in which inconvenience may be caused by intentionally extending the repair period. If the repair period is exceeded without a justifiable reason, it is said that the actual cost of transportation for the excess period can be requested according to the’Consumer Dispute Resolution Standard’.
5. Knowing the field terms (Sweets)
The reason that the workshop feels difficult is that communication is difficult because the so-called’field term’ used in the workshop is different from the term the driver knows. Automobile maintenance terms, in which most foreign languages are used, are not easy to understand because English and Japanese are often used in combination.
When looking at terms that auto mechanics use a lot, there are many terms that are difficult to understand. The correct expressions for these are △disassembly, assembly, △engine relief, △differential gear (differential gear), △AC generator. This is a misrepresentation, but it is good to know a few terms in advance to determine the exact cause of failure and repair location, and to estimate the cost of repairs, as well as mechanics who have used field terms for a long time.
6. Putting a complaint in case of a dispute
There are cases in which a problem occurred after being serviced at the workshop, and it was not resolved properly, leading to disputes. In this case, rather than responding directly, it is better to solve it through a civil complaint counter such as a consumer organization.
Particularly, when △repair estimate or maintenance statement is not given, △when the company voluntarily repairs a product that the customer did not request, △when the supplier does not inform the selection of replacement parts, △when the repair estimate and maintenance statement are not kept for one year, △company In the event of a defect caused by an error, if repairs are not made for 30 to 90 days, it is recommended to ask the Korea Consumer Agency or the person in charge of the automobile management business at the relevant municipal office to solve the problem.
In the case of novice drivers or female drivers, they are often afraid to go to the repair shop. However, if you refuse or postpone maintenance out of fear, you may endanger your safety. Therefore, you may not know much about cars, but if you know and take care of the rights of consumers in advance, you will be able to avoid over-maintenance and become a driver who can protect your car and even your safety.
