Warnings over car bidding sites
Bidding sites for car repairs and servicing are an accident waiting to happen, according to Approved Garages network manager Phil Seymour.
New research has found that few motorists are loyal to a particular garage, and that 72% of motorists shop around when looking for the best deals on car repairs and servicing.
While shopping around is always a good idea, Approved Garages’ network manager Phil Seymour has warned motorists against using one of a number of car repair bidding sites that have recently sprung up.
‘A badly maintained or repaired vehicle is a potentially lethal weapon, and a system that forces garages to undercut each other for work, and compete solely on price, is a system that rewards the use of low quality parts and the work done to the minimum standard’, said Phil.
‘Yes, you want value for money, but price discounts should never come at the expense of quality. Your car, and the safety of those who travel in it, are simply too important. A system that encourages garages to bid for work encourages corner cutting and the use of low quality parts, both of which could prove dangerous.’
On top of that many bidding websites don’t vet the ‘garages’ they are happy to entrust with your car. In other words, you could end up with anyone working on your car, trained or otherwise. Is a modest saving worth that risk?
‘At Approved Garages we believe in value for money – but never at the expense of quality,’ said Phil. ‘All our 500 plus independent garages are inspected by either the RAC or the AA, and they’re all members of Motor Codes, the government backed, Trading Standards approved code for garages and they have access to industry leading training courses.’
Approved Garages only use original equipment or matched quality parts. Phil said, ‘Our garages have a 99% customer approval rating from the Motor Codes customer review system, higher than any other independent garage network and well ahead of the franchised main dealers. Customer reviews – good, bad and indifferent – are shown on the website, so you can see what other customers say about a garage before you book.’
