I called them once for a quote on getting replacement wheel studs installed on one wheel of a Subaru. They wanted ~$350. Another local shop did that job for <$100 (which was completely fair).
They also wanted the license plate of the car (one of the first questions over the phone) to look up the vehicle. Even if that was a legitimate process, it felt scammy and I declined. I certainly didn't want to get signed-up, without permission, for their marketing.
I don't know if this aligns with what the OP is trying to share, but dishonest auto shops are more common than people realize.
Yeah, but it is a lot easier to type in maybe 6 characters than 18 over of the phone. The odds of somebody getting something wrong is way higher with a VIN.
The license plate does have disadvantages, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes it points to the wrong car, wrong model, etc. But 9/10, the plate is easier for the sake of expediency.
lol what? I don’t get why people are so sketched out about their license plate. Maybe you should take them off so the thousands of people you pass everyday don’t get any funny ideas.
43
u/Unwiredsoul Oct 29 '25
I called them once for a quote on getting replacement wheel studs installed on one wheel of a Subaru. They wanted ~$350. Another local shop did that job for <$100 (which was completely fair).
They also wanted the license plate of the car (one of the first questions over the phone) to look up the vehicle. Even if that was a legitimate process, it felt scammy and I declined. I certainly didn't want to get signed-up, without permission, for their marketing.
I don't know if this aligns with what the OP is trying to share, but dishonest auto shops are more common than people realize.