How To Repair Your Car
Unless
you are a "telecommuter" (someone who works from home) or
work very close to home, chances are you will spend a good deal of time
in your car commuting, shopping and running errands. It is important
to have a trusted repair service on your side to avoid being inconvenienced
or worse, stuck in the middle of the highway at rush hour.
To make
sure you don't get "ripped off," do the following:
- Ask
for a free written estimate for all parts, labor and service. You
can compare estimates from different repair services without purchasing
any service.
- Contact
your local Better Business Bureau
(BBB) to get a recommendation. Miami Office: http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org
Email: westpalm@gte.net Phone:
(561)842-1918 Fax: (561)845-7234 2924 N Australian Ave. West Palm
Beach, FL 33407
- Word
of mouth can be valuable - ask friends and acquaintances whom they
would recommend.
- In order
to converse knowledgeably with the repairman, it will help to know
how your car works - take a class from the local community college
or read a manual.
- !To
prepare for a potential breakdown and/or car lockout, it helps to
be a member of AAA,
the American Automobile Association. For $50 a year they will
provide free roadside assistance 24 hours a day. The wait is usually
20 to 45 minutes. A private tow service or locksmith can cost hundreds
of dollars, so if you travel often or tend to be forgetful this service
will pay for itself.
!
A cellphone can help you contact roadside service or the police in case
of an emergency, but it may not work properly in certain areas. To learn
more about cell phones, click here.
