Recently a guy called me and asked what I thought about a car he had seen on Craigslist for sale. This story isn’t about the car, but about what I happened to notice on Craigslist after looking at photos of the car in question.
What I noticed is there are a lot of unlicensed mechanics advertising on Craigslist. In multiple ads I read how they are cheaper than going to the real shop.
That is simply not the truth in a lot of cases. Recently a customer comes in with a brake problem and a receipt from a Craigslist mechanic. This mechanic had previously worked on the brakes and the customer was still having problems and had decided it was time to go to a real shop with a real mechanic.
Guess what? His prices are higher than mine!
After looking at the invoice from the previous work, I was really miffed. This very guy on CL advertises he is cheaper than going to the real shop. He’s not. His prices were considerably higher than mine.
The funny thing is, he’s really smart. He screws up your car, there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it other than small claims court. If you can find him. No accountability… what a perfect business plan. I’m such an idiot.
If it was a real shop, you could file a complaint with the DCCA and they would investigate. If they found the shop was at fault they could fine the shop and make them pay restitution. Not so with the Craigslist mechanic. The state can’t do a dam thing to him because he’s not licensed. Perfect.
What About A Warranty?
Well the great thing about being a Craigslist mechanic is you’re here today and gone tomorrow so you don’t have to worry about taking care of faulty parts later on down the road. It’s the famous 30 30 guarantee. What does that mean? 30 feet or 30 seconds whichever one comes first.
What Sticks In My Craw
Is I don’t think there is one licensed mechanic advertising in our local Craigslist. I’m not talking ASE certified.
The state of Hawaii requires an automotive repair shop to have a motor vehicle repair license and a mechanics license. These 2 licenses and ASE certification in the area of repair that the shop performs is whats required by Hawaii state law to the tune of just under $400 every 18 months or so.
About Joe Trent
