By Bennett Ulm
Chloe Mullis, a student at the University of Georgia, believed she was ripped off by a car mechanic last spring when he charged her $500 for a replacement battery.
Mullis, a 21-year-old from Cochran, Georgia, first noticed something wrong with her car while she was at the gym, she said. Back home, the chain auto repair shop her family uses is locally owned, so her parents suggested she have it checked out at the same branded shop in Athens, Georgia.
Mullis recalled the overall experience as negative, saying she was catcalled by a male employee upon arrival. She then went inside and was impolitely asked for her keys and gruffly told to go sit in the waiting room. Finally, she was told something was wrong with her battery, but the next conversation was at the cash register with the mechanic where he asked for $500 for the new car battery he had just installed in her car.
He refused to do anything until I paid him, said Mullis.
According to Batteries Plus, the cost of a car battery should range between $50 and $200 depending on the make and model of the car. While some locations offer installation for free, the cost of replacing a car battery should range between $100 to $325 for a complete battery replacement.
Mullis is not alone in feeling scammed by an auto repair shop. According to a poll conducted by Consumer Affairs in December 2023, only 17% of respondents said they feel like they are charged fairly for auto repairs, and 78% said they do not always trust their mechanic.
“It’s tough because there are negatives out there, that give bad advice, bad recommendations,” said Danny Chester, owner of Canton Tire and Wheel in Canton, Georgia.
Chester grew up working in the automotive industry, coming on board with Canton Tire and Wheel in 1987 as a lube and tire technician. In 1992, Chester began to work the sales counter and eventually became the shop manager before becoming the full-time owner in 2021. He has his Automotive Service Excellence certificate, meaning he is fully qualified to work on every electrical and mechanical component as well as every system in a vehicle.
“That is taking advantage of somebody,” said Chester when he was told about Mullis’ experience. Spending $200 to replace a car battery is more realistic, said Chester, but not $500.
“The biggest thing is to find somebody you trust,” said Chester. “Ask around, make sure it’s a legit place.”
Chester said the most common way people get ripped off is paying too much for routine maintenance services.
Mullis believes she was a target for overcharging because she was a young girl with sorority stickers on the back of her car.
“Never go by yourself,” said Mullis regarding advice for those wary of getting ripped off. “Especially if you’re a girl, because they’re just going to eat you alive.”
Bennett Ulm is a journalism student at the University of Georgia
