A car that won’t start can turn a great day into a stressful one fast. And if your car’s problem is a faulty ignition, there’s no mistaking it: you need a solution, and you need one fast. If you’re in a panic about what to do—and whether going to the dealership or calling an independent ignition repair specialist is a better choice—here’s what you need to know about the cons of going to the dealership for your ignition repair.
Excessive Parts and Labor Costs
While going to the dealership will often get your ignition back into tip-top shape, it’s often at the cost of excessive parts and labor expenses. A dealership knows that it can make a buck by charging you more for ignition parts and cost of labor than would an independent company; in fact, in 2011, car owners who went to dealers for repairs rather than independent companies spent an average of $306 per year more on basic repair services. If you want to get the best deal in DFW, an independent company is a better choice.
Unnecessary Upselling
Because dealerships provide a variety of automotive services—as opposed to an auto locksmith service that specializes in auto lockout services and ignition repair—you may fall victim to unnecessary upselling. Upselling occurs when a dealer leads a customer to believe that they not only need a more expensive item related to the ignition repair, but that they might also need a non-related auto fix, too, like new tires or an oil change. Unnecessary upselling is common scam at auto dealerships, and can end up costing you a pretty penny or the nuisance of having to decline service you were never interested in.
Slow Service
If your car won’t start, it may take hours—or even days—for a dealership to get around to actually figuring out what’s wrong with it. And that doesn’t even take into account the time that it will take to actually repair your ignition. On the other hand, a trained locksmith from an independent company can often tell you right on the phone what’s wrong with your ignition just by learning your vehicle’s make and model. Because customer service is of the utmost importance to local companies, your ignition repair will be a top priority, and handled quickly.
Excessive Towing Fees
When you need your ignition repaired and choose an auto dealership, they’ll suggest that you tow your car in. Towing can be extremely expensive in Dallas, and can cost you upwards of one or two hundred dollars. However, you can save on towing costs by calling an independent service that comes to you.
In fact, at A-1 Locksmith, we have a mobile ignition repair service van that will travel to you. Not only will this save you money, but it also means that you won’t have to stand in the hot sun for hours wondering what to do or waiting for a tow. If you’re in an emergency lockout situation, or if your ignition won’t start, don’t hesitate to call us for immediate service now.
“Ignitiion” image based on “Ignition Lock” by BigPresh, CC-BY-2.0.
