Money

Envy wrote:

scootiebee wrote:

We have the same problem, save up to do something specific, and then an emergency happens. We had to replace our roof, my husband's car needed a new exhaust system and radiator, and my truck needed new tires all in the same week. So much for having been ahead. It always seems to go that way.

Argh..That reminds me of something else. My mother went to get her car MOT tested (don't know if you have that in other countries but it basically checks your car is in full working order) and the mechanics said that loads of things were wrong with it and it would require 800 pounds to repair..

All of the prices for cars have risen since the whole 'Scrappage Scheme' was introduced in Britain to encourage people to swap their cars for newer ones..My mother got a second opinion and the price was more than halved - And she had trusted the first mechanics since she had bought that car 9 years ago (requires 10 years ownership to scrap it for a 2k subsidy).

My economics teacher had the exact same problem - His 9 year old car was MOT tested and didn't pass, with the mechanics demanding 800-900 pounds..He didn't get a second opinion as he took their word for it, decided the car just wasn't worth it, and ended up getting his car scrapped for 100 pounds. :S

^ That just really angered me.

We have something similar here... every two years you have to get a safety inspection done on your vehicle. There are rules, but a lot of it is left up to the discretion of the mechanic (my husband is a mechanic, so I have a bit of inside info). If something is on the borderline between pass and fail, one mechanic might pass it and the next one might fail it. If it's the same in England, that could explain why your mother got two different opinions.

Morgana wrote:

We have something similar here... every two years you have to get a safety inspection done on your vehicle. There are rules, but a lot of it is left up to the discretion of the mechanic (my husband is a mechanic, so I have a bit of inside info). If something is on the borderline between pass and fail, one mechanic might pass it and the next one might fail it. If it's the same in England, that could explain why your mother got two different opinions.

Ah, but my mother's opinions were at two extremes. One was rational, stating that the brakes were a bit worn out and therefore ineffective. The other stated that my mother's steering wheel wasn't coordinated with the wheels and other details that made it sound as if the car would fall apart at any minute! My mother hadn't really driven the car at all since her last MOT as well, so there would be no real logic behind one of the mechanic's claims of everything being completely dysfunctional.

If only we had a mechanic in the family. We've noticed that the quote can depend on who brings the car in - My father or my mother. Which is extremely annoying, being female myself. Once, my mother's car was taken in for a mirror replacement (the old one had been completely cracked by some idiot), the mechanic *cellotaped* a new mirror on *top* of the old one and charged 10 pounds. Sometimes things are just ridiculous. It really infuriates me.

thats messed up with him doing that. i think its stuipd how when if you are female and take a car in to get looked at they treat you like you don't know anything but if you are a guy they talk to you like a nromal person.

I feel very lucky that my step-father is a mechanic. He is great. I always call him before I agree to any major repair. Plus, I do a lot of my own repairs. I have learned enough that I can do a full tune-up (change spark plugs, tune engine) by myself. I would change my own oil, but it is not allowed in our neighborhood, because the lake we live on is the county drinking water supply, and they won't risk an oil spill into it, which I fine by me.

The next best thing to a mechanic in the family, is finding a mechanic you can trust to tell you the truth. I have been going to the same place for more than 10 years, and it makes a big difference. They know you, they want you to keep coming back when you need repair, they don't want to lose your business, and they won't lie to you. I still double check everything with my step-father, and often I buy my own parts for repairs (like my husband's exhaust system, I bought the parts myself because I got a better deal from a wholesaler rather than the garage's distributor), and they don't mind that. They know I am not made of money! But buying my own parts saved me about $300, with the total repair costing about $700 for labor and parts, but that beat the more than $1,100 I would have had to pay. It is a big job, but I don't have a car payment, we have two well serviced, reliable (but slightly older) cars, and I feel safe driving them.

I start driving next January - When the weather should be better.

Half-dreading it really, due to the costs I know are at the other end after passing. I know I'd never have the motivation nor interest to read into repairing cars.

Do mechanics go to university or do they go on vocational courses? Because if it's university - I know who I'll need to befriend. :woohoo:

necie1286 wrote:

thats messed up with him doing that. i think its stuipd how when if you are female and take a car in to get looked at they treat you like you don't know anything but if you are a guy they talk to you like a nromal person.

I've had a major problem with this too. I know cars. I come from a family of mechanics so I practically grew up in the garage. Yet, when I take my car in for servicing I'm treated completely inferior. Once my husband and I were out for the day at a park and when we returned to my car, we found that it had two flat tires. No big deal, I have roadside assistance and called for a tow truch which towed me directly to my dealership. The folks in the shop there proceeded to talk to my husband about what was going on with the car while he completely ignored them and I tried to get them to even look at me. My name is on all the paperwork, I'm paying for the car, and they're talking to a guy who doesn't even drive. It's really unfortunate how women get overlooked in situations like this. Mind you, if I'm wearing one of my corsets guys seem to be tripping over their own feet in their rush to come to my assistance . . .