Women are more likely to be overcharged at garages - here's how to steer clear
ITV News' Consumer Editor Chris Choi breaks down how to avoid getting a worse deal for work done on your car.
New data appears to confirm what many women drivers have long suspected - they get a worse deal from the motor trade.
One thousand female motorists took part in the research, which has been given exclusively to ITV News. One insider says women are treated like “an easy target” for overcharging.
As I did my background research for this assignment, I spoke to a number of motor industry experts and I’ve distilled down what I think are their most important tips:
Do your homework
Get some sort of idea about what might be wrong with the vehicle and likely costs before you go to the garage. It means you can have a much more effective conversation with the mechanic.
Shop around
It is the oldest rule in the book, but for some reason, we don’t often do it with garages. We tend to choose what is geographically close or has been recommended.
Once you get a quote from a garage you can call others and see what they’d charge. Find out what sort of guarantees their work comes with.
Hold onto receipts
Keep all your receipts and emails in case of any disputes later. Choosing garages that are members of a professional association can help if you later have a complaint.
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The new survey of 1000 female motorists given exclusively to ITV News by Carly Motor Diagnostics shows 77% don’t trust garages, and more than half believe they will be treated better if they are accompanied by a man.
Of those surveyed 61% now support the idea of a specific new law to protect female customers from overcharging in this sector.
The motor industry acknowledges it has a big gender imbalance which can affect customer service.
It has a range of ambitious and well planned initiatives to recruit more women - and that can’t come a minute too soon.
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