btm
8th September 2008, 11:04 AM
Thought this was pretty interesting...
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24309358-5007132,00.html
MOTORISTS in some suburbs are being slugged double for routine car repairs than others, depending on their postcode.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal hard-pressed motorists in Parramatta are paying twice as much than those in Surry Hills.
And the wealthy waterfront suburbs of Woollahra and Manly offer cheaper mechanical work than Blacktown, Parramatta and Liverpool.
Consumer watchdogs believe labour costs are jacking up the bill, but mechanics say it's the price you pay for quality parts.
Of the 640 complaints made to the Office of Fair Trading in the past financial year about vehicle repairs, 44 related to costs and 360 were about costs and standards.
Southwest Sydney mother Tahnee Bouckaert, 22, searched Sydney for a service for her car as part of a Daily Telegraph investigation and found the Western Suburbs were among the most expensive: "There was a huge difference in pricing. It would cost twice as much for a service in Parramatta than in Surry Hills.
"It came to $600 in Parramatta and $300 in Surry Hills for basic mechanical work. The mechanics really couldn't explain to me why there was such a massive difference."
Ms Bouckaert, who recently moved to NSW from Queensland, also asked for a blue slip which is required to change her registration. Even that inspection varied from $50 to $80, while a regular registration check was just $31.70 at all mechanics.
Motor Traders Association boss James McCall said the price differences were an indication of a competitive market: "Like plumbers, electricians or hair dressers there is a wide variety of pricing with mechanics."
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm93/btm_photo/whatyouwillpay.jpg
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24309358-5007132,00.html
MOTORISTS in some suburbs are being slugged double for routine car repairs than others, depending on their postcode.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal hard-pressed motorists in Parramatta are paying twice as much than those in Surry Hills.
And the wealthy waterfront suburbs of Woollahra and Manly offer cheaper mechanical work than Blacktown, Parramatta and Liverpool.
Consumer watchdogs believe labour costs are jacking up the bill, but mechanics say it's the price you pay for quality parts.
Of the 640 complaints made to the Office of Fair Trading in the past financial year about vehicle repairs, 44 related to costs and 360 were about costs and standards.
Southwest Sydney mother Tahnee Bouckaert, 22, searched Sydney for a service for her car as part of a Daily Telegraph investigation and found the Western Suburbs were among the most expensive: "There was a huge difference in pricing. It would cost twice as much for a service in Parramatta than in Surry Hills.
"It came to $600 in Parramatta and $300 in Surry Hills for basic mechanical work. The mechanics really couldn't explain to me why there was such a massive difference."
Ms Bouckaert, who recently moved to NSW from Queensland, also asked for a blue slip which is required to change her registration. Even that inspection varied from $50 to $80, while a regular registration check was just $31.70 at all mechanics.
Motor Traders Association boss James McCall said the price differences were an indication of a competitive market: "Like plumbers, electricians or hair dressers there is a wide variety of pricing with mechanics."
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm93/btm_photo/whatyouwillpay.jpg