Does anyone know if garages/service centers are required by law in California to post their labor charges in a visible location?
I don’t believe they are required by law but anything is possible. Here’s what I found online:
THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS REGISTERED WITH THE
STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR
ACT OF 1974, A CUSTOMER IS ENTITLED TO
1.A WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WORK.
2.A DETAILED INVOICE OF WORK DONE AND PARTS SUPPLIED.
3.RETURN OF REPLACED PARTS, IF REQUESTED AT THE TIME A WORK ORDER IS PLACED.
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE ABOVE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE MANAGER OF THE REPAIR FACILITY.
UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS REGARDING SERVICE WORK MAY BE SUBMITTED TO THE BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE
BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR AT
(TOLL-FREE) 1-800-952-5210, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
OR VISIT THE BUREAU’S WEBSITE AT WWW.AUTOREPAIR.CA.GOV
You might check with the website if you have a specific question pertaining to vehicle repair in California.
Why ? No offense, but are you afraid to just ask?
I do not know, But estimates are usually free.
Probably not. Remember, an estimate is an estimate, not a contract. “Oh yeah, we put our slowest guy on your car.”
I know in NH and MA they are…And since CA is a lot more liberal…I suspect they are too.
No, they do not have to post their labor rate or even put it on the final invoice. See the FAQ section in the referenced document.
http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARResources/07_AutoRepair/writeAutoRepDlr.pdf