9:27 am, February 21, 2011
BIG-hearted motor mechanics regularly slash their prices to offer discounts to pensioners, a new survey has revealed.
The findings come from RepairACar.co.uk who also discovered that mechanics never increase their prices for women or for anyone they suspect knows little about cars.
The website found that one per cent of the mechanics surveyed had lowered prices for ladies – charging women drivers less than men for the same job.
And almost one in ten mechanics had cut their prices for senior citizens, with eight per cent saying they liked to offer pensioners a preferential rate.
But the very best rates are reserved for friends and family, says RepairACar.co.uk. 18 per cent of mechanics are happy to do a job for free for a friend or relative, and 82 per cent said they would repair a friend’s car for a much cheaper rate.
None of the mechanics surveyed would admit to ever increasing their prices for any driver, although some said they had been tempted on occasions when faced with tricky customers.
Ross Edwards from RepairACar.co.uk said: ‘Mechanics have suffered a bad press in the past and I think we’ve all left a garage at some point wondering whether they’ve charged us too much for a job or whether all four tyres really needed replacing.
‘Most of us are clueless when it comes to looking after our cars and rely on their expertise to make sure any problems are picked up and sorted out. Without them, we’d be stuck.
‘These survey results prove that mechanics are a more honest bunch than we give them credit for – and are particularly generous when it comes to friends and family.
‘It’s a nice touch that pensioners are most likely to get the discounts. After all, these are probably among the most careful drivers and the most loyal customers to a particular garage.’
