There have been nearly 900 complaints made against auto repair businesses in Oregon so far this year, according to the Better Business Bureau. BBB spokeswoman Angela McCrea said there are 101 of these businesses that currently have unsatisfactory ratings with the organization, and this includes businesses in Eugene.
“Consumers are reporting that auto repair shops are not honoring their warranties or will fix something on a car that is not authorized,” McCrea said.
She said there are things consumers can do to ensure they receive quality service and ways to make a business responsible when it doesn’t provide this service, including checking the status of the business with the BBB.
When a consumer files a complaint against a company through the organization, the company must respond to the complaint if it wishes to maintain a satisfactory BBB standing, she said.
It only takes one unanswered complaint to ruin a business’s standing, and at least one shop in Eugene has an unsatisfactory standing with BBB.
A business owner can almost ensure a good standing by becoming a member of the BBB. To do this, however, 14 standards must be met, McCrea said. These include responding to all complaints, not having a large volume of complaints filed and operating with ethics and standards.
“There is a certain amount of trust that goes along with being a member of the Better Business Bureau,” McCrea said. “If someone wants to know if a business is reliable, they can find out through us.”
Whether a business is a member of the BBB or not, the Bureau can still process complaints made against a company and record them for the public’s knowledge.
Another way for the public to check the reliability of a business or to file a complaint is through the Eugene Chamber of Commerce; however, if the business is not a member of the chamber, there is no guarantee any information will be available or that a complaint will be handled, said spokeswoman Dina Fartier.
“We will take complaints in writing, but if the business is a chamber member, there is nothing that can be done,” Fartier said. “I do record all of the complaints, so people can still find out about nonmembers.”
Dan Bryan Automotive Repair Ltd., which is a member of both the chamber and the BBB, has been serving Eugene for four years and currently has a satisfactory standing, said co-owner Carol Bryan.
She said she has seen people who have been taken advantage of by other shops.
“I see a lot of single women who feel they have been taken advantage of,” Bryan said. “They end up with parts that weren’t needed or their cars not being fixed right the first time.”
She also said it’s hard to tell when a business will provide quality service.
“The best advertising is always word of mouth; that’s how you can tell if a business is good or bad,” Bryan said.
Steve Romania, owner of the Romania Toyota, Hyundai, Subaru and Chevrolet dealerships and service stations in Eugene, said checking out a business and following some guidelines can keep consumers from being taken advantage of.
First, he said, consumers must insist they receive a free written estimate for parts and labor. Second, expect to pay for a diagnostic exam of the car if the problem is unknown. Romania said mechanics are usually paid by the hour and performing a diagnostic test is factored into a labor cost. Other things should not be paid for, he said.
“It’s a good idea to set a ‘not-to-exceed’ limit on how much you will pay for service,” Romania, whose business has a satisfactory standing with the BBB, said. “If they exceed this amount, don’t pay for it. The shop should get authorization from you if any further repairs are going to be made.”
Joe Allen, of Dave Allen Automotive, said consumers should also look for mechanics who are certified under the Automotive Service Excellence, a certification process that tests mechanics every few years to ensure their knowledge.
Lindsay Buchele is the community editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald. She can be reached at [email protected].