Hot Lines Offer Repair Advice
Getting a second opinion on a car repair can save a motorist plenty of money and grief, but consumers often don’t have time for such precautions.
If the car is already in the shop, who wants to go looking for another estimate? You may end up back at the original garage, swallowing your pride. It would be great if you could find an expert.
Now, help is a phone call away at a subsidiary of General Electric. Named CarPro, it has a toll-free number that members can call for information on repairs, diagnosis, estimates, pricing, warranties, service bulletins and vehicle pricing.
Advice is dispensed by about 60 mechanics who are certified by Automotive Service Excellence, the leading national association that tests and certifies mechanics.
The limitations of a service like CarPro should seem obvious, since the mechanics cannot physically inspect a car and must rely on owners’ descriptions. Still, a lot of repairs are routine, and the GE mechanics can provide a solid opinion on whether a repair seems legitimate and whether it is fairly priced.
The service costs $49 a year, and GE offers a money-back guarantee if customers are not satisfied. Subscribers to CarPro can make unlimited calls without any time limit between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time during the week and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
The GE mechanics have access to the technical service bulletins issued by manufacturers, which can be invaluable to owners with specific problems. In addition, they have information on warranty changes and recalls.
The program also offers discount coupons for such service as oil changes, tuneups and tires as well as a regular 5% to 10% discount on the “lowest price” service offered by many nationwide vendors of auto services. They also offer discount rates on car rentals.
Since the hot line was offered last July, 600 customers have signed up, a GE spokeswoman said. The hot line number is (800) 2-CARPRO.
GE officials say CarPro is the only service like it in the nation. There are, however, some toll-free referral services that help motorists find mechanics. One is 800-FIX-A-CAR, which does not dispense advice or any information other than the names and locations of garages that might provide service.
The service does not dispense pricing information, but it will arbitrate disputes with garages that participate in its program. The service receives a referral fee from garages, located from Bakersfield to San Diego, to which it sends customers.
Fix-a-Car says it screens the garages for equipment and services and requires garage owners to sign waivers so that the service can look into complaints against garages filed with the California Bureau of Auto Repair. Every shop participating has ASE-certified mechanics.
Another such service is 1-800-GOOD-TEC, which operates in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Anthony Chery, a board member of the service, said it reviews all receipts from the garages to ensure that motorists who are referred by the service are charged fair prices. It also offers an arbitration service.
As a matter of practice, Chery said, the service frequently discusses repair problems with callers before making a referral and tries to help motorists understand what sort of repair they might need. The phones are staffed by mechanics.
And finally, some auto manufacturers have toll-free customer service numbers, staffed with representatives who can give limited help for owners of their cars. Often, these toll-free numbers are listed in owners’ manuals or are available from dealerships.
