SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – With more than 370 car break-ins reported this summer at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, it looks like many in the Bay Area are likely headed to auto repair shops. When they go, they might want to make sure a woman is with them.
Even though women have more anxiety around auto repair shops, men actually lose more money due to mechanic-related scams in the U.S., a new survey from American Trucks revealed.
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Women were 65% more likely than men to say they had anxiety about going to an auto repair shop and two times more likely not to feel confident that they could identify scams. Though more confident, men on average lost $145 more to these scams than women.
American Trucks said that 30% of the 1,000 car owners surveyed said have been scammed by a mechanic. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, “unscrupulous and dishonest collision repair operators are key contributors to the nation’s insurance fraud problems.”
Around half of these scams fall under the “upselling unnecessary repairs” category, which cost car owners an average of $975, per American Trucks.
A vast majority of scams (75%) occurred at auto repair shops, and just 25% happened at dealerships.
In addition to men, luxury car owners were typically scammed out of more money than other drivers. They lost an average of $1,275 to scams, versus the $765 mainstream car owners lost. Luxury car owners were also more likely to fall victim to a false diagnosis scam.
Other scams to watch out for are: over charging for parts and labor, phantom repair scams, bait and switch scams, and part substitution scams. In California, scam victims can file a complaint with the Bureau of Automotive Repair.
Across the board, nearly one in five car owners said they do not feel confident in their ability to identify an auto repair scam. Gen Z had the least confidence in their ability to identify an auto repair scam.
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