Hidden garage cost worries

Six in 10 motorists worry about hidden costs when booking their car into a garage for an MOT, service or repair.

Almost a quarter (24%) of those who admit to being fearful, describe themselves as being ‘very concerned’ of unexpected ‘extra’ charges, according to research carried out by RAC Garage Compare.

For one in 10 (12%), the concerns turn out to be well-founded as their bills end up being more expensive than the garage estimated, with only 3% actually ending up paying less than they were told it would be.

More than half of the motorists (51%) surveyed rate local garages as being ‘good’ in terms of the fairness of their pricing, whereas only 5% class them as being ‘bad’ and one in three (28%) believing them to be ‘ok’.

Nearly a third (31%) of those surveyed felt it would be very useful to be able to compare upfront garage prices for MOTs, services and general repairs before booking.

“Despite most motorists being reasonably satisfied with the cost of their bills, one in 10 (11%) claim not to trust local garages at all while a wary 41% say they do ‘a little’ which doesn’t really seem like an overwhelming vote of confidence,” said RAC Garage Compare’s Pete Williams.

“Even though we now live in a society which is obsessed with comparing prices for almost everything we buy, this behaviour has not become commonplace when booking a car in for an MOT, service or repair.

“This is partly because it had previously been a case of having to phone around to get prices and partly because there wasn’t an online service simplifying the process.

“With RAC Garage Compare it couldn’t be easier to compare costs for an MOT or service which therefore helps to make the often-expensive maintenance element of the cost of motoring that bit cheaper. But if you would prefer to speak to someone, we have a team of mechanics ready to answer your questions and you can also book a garage over the phone.”

The RAC Garage Compare research also found:

• 90% would find it useful to be able to look-up what’s included in the different types of service for their cars
• 88% of motorists would find it beneficial to compare prices
• 80% would like to check out online reviews of garages
• 65% would benefit from being able to book their car in online