Six in 10 motorists claim they worry about hidden costs when they book their car into a garage for an MoT, service or repair, according to a new study.
Conducted by RAC Garage Compare, the study revealed that 24 per cent of those who were fearful of hidden costs describe themselves as being 'very concerned' about expected additional charges.
Most car dealers like to make sure they can quote the right price to customers before they begin work, but that isn't always possible if the garage doesn't have the chance to test the car before they begin repairs or services. Many car dealers will take out road risks insurance so they are protected when road testing a customer's car before providing a quote.
Despite being concerned about additional costs, more than half of motorists surveyed rate local garages as being 'good' regarding pricing, while 28 per cent labelled them as 'fair'.
However, 31 per cent of respondents said they felt it would be useful to be able to compare prices for MoTs, services and general repairs upfront.
An RAC Garage Compare spokesperson said: “Even though we now live in a society which is obsessed with comparing prices for almost everything we buy, this behaviour has not become commonplace when booking a car in for an MoT, service or repair."
