Quick Tips

• Consult friends, family or co-workers for garage recommendations.
• If you don’t have a personal referral, shop carefully.
• Ask for references and check them.
  Go to the repair shop and speak with the service manager or owner.
• Ask to see the mechanic’s licence (if it isn’t posted in plain view) and be wary of low estimates.
• Question any special discount offers–the lowest price may not be the best deal in the long run

Your Rights
Under Ontario law, a car repair shop is required to offer you an estimate, unless you decline it. If a fee is charged for the estimate, the consumer must be told in advance what the cost is. If the repair shop proceeds with the work, it cannot charge a fee unless the authorization to do the work has been unreasonably delayed. Besides identifying the vehicle, the consumer and the repair shop, the estimate must include:

• An exact description of the work to be done.
• A list of the parts to be installed (whether they are new, used or reconditioned) and the price for each part.
• The number of hours of labour to be billed (and how the labour is calculated, such as an hourly rate, a flat rate or some combination).
• The total amount to be billed.