With colder weather here to stay, it may be time to consider having your vehicle winterized.
Alberta is the only province that regulates automotive service and repair businesses, meaning an automotive service and repair business operating in Alberta must be licensed by AMVIC. If someone is offering prices that are too good to be true, they could be a backyard mechanic, which is an unlicensed service and repair facility, sometimes operating from a residential property, often violating zoning and environmental bylaws. Before you decide where to repair, look up the business on amvic.org to ensure they are licensed.
Here are some quick service and repair tips:
- If you ask for an estimate, it must be provided to you in writing.
- A business can only exceed an estimate by 10 per cent to a maximum of $100.
- You must agree to any additional service and added costs before the work is started.
AMVIC offers a free service and repair consumer guide that includes more tips, as well as an authorization checklist. For more information on backyard mechanics, visit amvic.org.