Car repairs are something that none of us like forking out for and often they can spring up from nowhere and usually at the time that is most inconvenient.

Unfortunately, some garages will take advantage of the fact that many of their customers do not know a lot about the internal workings of a car and therefore trust that what the garage says needs to be done is correct. Although this is against the law, some garages will quote for additional work that does not really need doing. They may also quote for work that does need doing but at a lot higher price than you may expect. If you use a chain garage such as QuickFit or National for example, they are often a bit more expensive than an independent one, but usually have set prices for work.

To try and avoid being ripped off by a car garage there are a number of things you can do. Firstly, try to get to know your garage – Try and find a garage that you like and trust and stick with them. Ideally use a garage that has been recommend to you by a friend or family member and build up a relationship with them. Another thing you can do is to shop around for quotes first. Once you have been quoted a price for parts and / or labour, speak to a few other local garages to find out what they will quote you.