Almost half of Australian drivers suspect they were overcharged or misquoted for their most recent car service, citing inflated labour times and vague invoices as the biggest red flags, new research shows.
A nationally representative Money.com.au survey of more than 1,000 motorists found 46% believe they were overcharged or quoted too much for their last service. Another 46% said they were charged fairly, while 8% said they’ve never owned a car or had one serviced.
Among those who felt ripped off, 24% said their most recent quote raised doubts and 22% said they were overcharged by a mechanic or service garage on their last visit.
“Younger drivers are the most likely to feel ripped off at the workshop because they may not fully understand what’s involved in a car service or how to interpret an itemised invoice. Lack of experience can also make them more vulnerable to being upsold unnecessary extras or charged for work they might not need,” Money.com.au finance expert Sean Callery says.
“Car servicing is one of those expenses most drivers think they just have to grin and bear. But if a quote or final bill doesn’t match the work you actually asked for or received, you’re well within your rights to question it or ask for a remedy,” he says.
By age group, Millennials (58%) and Gen Z (48%) were most likely to say they were overcharged or quoted too much, compared with 46% of Gen X and 33% of Baby Boomers.
Drivers who felt overcharged or misquoted named their key concerns as: labour time seemed inflated or excessive (35%); the invoice was vague or not itemised (31%); the final bill was more than the original quote (24%); optional extras they didn’t request were added (23%); felt taken advantage of by the mechanic or garage (14%); charged for work not completed, such as filters listed as replaced but weren’t (13%); charged for unnecessary parts or services, such as brake pads replaced too soon (10%); and an excessive card surcharge (10%).
Automobile Magazine-AU
