Don't Back Down

On Tuesday, we took our car to the AAA Automark shop on Albermarle Road here in Charlotte. It was having power issues. The battery was losing it's charge with increasing regularity. A taillight (the right one, if it matters) has a tendency to blow just a few days after we replace it. Something seemed strange.

On their counter, they have an "electrical system check" for $18.95. Sounds cool. Of course, by the time I actually provide the information to the gentleman helping, I've been signed up for an "electrical system check" for $69.95. What is more, no one at the location can explain the difference. Nice. In the end, it came with a AAA discount, so the final price was $65 or so, but still.

During this check, it was determined that we needed a new battery and a new alternator. We received a call about three hours later with the total for the needed work. $800. Ka-ching. This is in addition to the earlier fee, bringing the total closer to $900. For whatever reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I told them to skip it and we'd pick up the car later that day.

In the meantime, I checked Angie's List for a local auto service provider with good marks, and found Woodie's Auto Service. I made an appointment for Thursday morning.

Yesterday, we went to visit Woodie's, where we were helped by a gentleman named Duane. I told Duane the story of the car (though not the story about the AAA place), and he said they would check it out and get right back to me. Within an hour, he had called and said the only problem was the battery. $135. Hmm. I grilled him a bit about the alternator, and asked some generic questions. He seemed certain that it was the battery, and even offered to check the system again after installing the new battery.

After getting out of my doctor's appointment, I checked in with Duane, and he informed me that the system checked fine. The battery was the one and only problem. It was repaired, and the car was ready to go. This, for not even double the cost that AAA charged merely to check the system, and in less time than it took them to run the test he had everything finished.

We ended up spending an extra $65 that I really wish we hadn't, but at least we didn't spend $900, and in the process we found someone who seems to be a trustworthy mechanic. Of course, there is always the possibility that Duane didn't find a problem that AAA did. We'll keep our eyes open for that too.