How to keep from getting scammed by your oil change center

Do you trust your oil change repair person? If you do, you are not in the majority. It seems that every year, oil change and auto repair scams end up near the top of consumer complaints year after year.

Old, young, men, women. It doesn’t seem to matter. Frustration, fear, and exasperation seem to be the words people use the most.

The end result tends to be poor work, unexpected extra charges, and lousy customer service. Others have been taken by actual fraud.

Bait and switch

Many scams are sprung on unsuspecting customers who come in (coincidentally) with oil change coupons or a special they read in the local paper. Some complaints have been that a vehicle owner goes in for a $29 oil change special and leave spending a hundred dollars or more. This is usually because the repair person will return claiming there are other things that need to be fixed, or other fluids that need to be filled or replaced.

What To Do If You Suspect You Have Been Scammed

Right away, report your oil change center to your local consumer protection agency, your state attorney general, and let the Better Business Bureau know.

Make sure when you file these reports you have all your paperwork, receipts, written estimates, warranty information, and anything else remotely related. Documentation is their worst enemy.

Speaking of documentation, this is one of the signs you can look for before the oil change even begins. In fact here is a good list to print out and take with you:

Sucky Oil Change Center Checklist:

Are the oil change specialists brash, not patient, condescending? Do they answer your questions in technical auto-speak, or not give definite answers? These are important warning signs you might want to take your business somewhere else.

Messy or cluttered garage. Good shops should be organized, uncluttered, and should have high quality modern equipment.

More than an oil change, are you served with a repair bill? Be sure to specify that any repairs should be authorized by you first.

Nothing in writing. Make sure the oil change center gives you the final price in writing before they even start. Ask them if they offer a warranty on their services and get a copy of that warranty document. Quite often these warranties are printed on the back of the oil change invoice, but make sure you have a copy. Any reputable oil change center should stand behind their work!

How To Find A Good Oil Change Center

In the interest of promoting this site, we have reviewed most of the large national chains on our oil change center reviews page.

But a great local place to start is asking co-workers, family, friends. Often you will learn where they have had bad experiences and where they have had good experiences. Sometimes you’ll even be lucky enough to find someone who say, “I have a guy. He’s great.” Then you can go to that auto tech and namedrop your friend’s name and you’ll often get preferred service.

Sometimes it’s good to be straight up with your oil change tech and say, “Look, there might be some other things that need repair but I can’t afford it this week. Give me an estimate and I will return when I am able.” This way if there really are things that need repair you can go and get a second opinion if necessary.

When you leave an oil change center, you should reflect on how proactive they were. You should be able to talk to the actual mechanic (or oil change specialist) directly. They should have provided you with a complete invoice stating exactly what they did and what parts (with part numbers) they used on your vehicle.

Certified technicians is a good sign your oil change tech or mechanic knows what they are doing. “ASE Certified” is a reputable certification. ASE certification means that at least 75% of the techniciansare ASE certified, and one (at least) technician is certified for EVERY service offered by the shop.

AAA is another good place to search for reputable oil change centers. They have a service called “Approved Auto Repair” that screens every auto repair shop and oil change center based on honesty, pricing, ASE certification, and reliability. If you happen to also be a AAA member you will receive a written guarantee and a plethora of free services, oil change coupons, as well as an extended warranty on top of the existing one from the oil change center.

While all of these things might be great at easing your mind before getting the oil change, there is still a chance your auto shop might still have some issues or problems. Because of this it is always good to do the obligatory check with your local Better Business Bureau. When checking you should be on the lookout for “consumer complaints” in their report.

Do Your Research In Advance

Finally, the best way to ensure you get a good oil change center is to be proactive about finding one. Don’t wait until you desperately need an oil change and you are forced to go to the nearest place. If you have several oil change locations in the area that are complaint free when you do your Better Business Bureau check, then go to a different one each time for awhile and then pick from the cream of the crop. This guarantees you’ll eventually find one that has a technician you “identify” with or “trust”.

Trust is the most important building block in any relationship – your auto mechanic or oil change specialist is no different.

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