Just a question on paying for car repairs

sljgolden, Mar 11, 9:04am
do garages ask for credit references? Is this usual?

intrade, Mar 11, 9:06am
na they wont give you the car back untill you paid in full
thats what is usuall as when they do they cant take the car from you again to make you pay when you dont after by law.

skull, Mar 11, 6:46pm
I would think payment in full on completion would be the norm as intrade says. If you are expecting credit that should be something you jack up before getting the car serviced. Maybe jack up the funds with your bank would be a better option.

bjmh, Mar 11, 6:53pm
If you are applying for credit from a garage. yes.

kazbanz, Mar 11, 7:57pm
No it isn't "usual" to ask for credit references.
The normal situation is that the repairs are done and the customer comes in and pays in full for the repairs.
If you want to pay repairs off then the garage is giving you some form of credit facility. So are acting as a finance company.
Finance companies ask for credit references.

sanremo, Mar 11, 8:38pm
Depends on the garage.

I had just under $1k of repairs done recently at a place I'd never been to before - I was pretty surprised when the garage owner was more than happy for me to just take the car home with only the promise that I would pay via Internet Banking.

brapbrap8, Mar 11, 8:43pm
They have all your car details, if you failed to pay they would have BayCorp repo your car quick smart I would say.

socram, Mar 11, 8:59pm
Only if you want to set up an account as per #4, then yes. In other words, they will bill you at the end of each month for all your purchases (fuel, shop purchases if any, servicing, repairs etc.) maybe for you and either employees or family members.

Long term restorations costing many thousands may be another good reason, as garages are littered with dead projects where the owners never coughed up.

bjmh, Mar 11, 9:22pm
As a small garage owner . one of the worst things is not to determine how the customer expects to pay for a job.I now ask new customers . how do you want to pay for this. then its sorted ,one way or the other.Some I suggest to them that they open a bank account and when they have X amount of $ in there,they come back and I will do the job. you don't usually see them again.

mopsy3, Mar 11, 10:15pm
LOL. If only it was that simple to claim outstanding debts.

gmphil, Mar 11, 10:19pm
wow!
lucky he hasn't sein ya trademe name lol

lookoutas, Mar 12, 5:58am
A garage here has an option for their customers to pay X amount every week (or so-often) When it comes to WOF's and repairs, there's usually around about enough in the "kitty" to cover it.

It has been suggested that someone should go and ask their own mother to lend them money. How I know this, is coz my ears weren't far from the gob it was coming from.

sw20, May 3, 5:59pm
Thanks for the good laugh.