“They overcharged me” M’sian Female Drivers Share 5 Struggles They ALWAYS Face When Servicing Their Cars

Fellow women drivers, do you ever dread sending your car for servicing? 

If you do, don’t worry! There are actually a lot of women drivers out there who feel the same way! In fact, we’ve tried asking around and surprisingly, many Malaysian women share similar experiences when visiting the workshop.

Curious to know more? Just read on to find out about the struggles Malaysian women face when servicing their cars.

1. “It’s uncomfortable to wait at the workshop when most of the employees AND customers are men”

Sending our cars for service can sometimes require a long waiting time. As a result, it can become a not-so-pleasant experience for female drivers.

“I don’t have a problem servicing my own car but it can get very uncomfortable to wait at the workshop since I’m usually the only woman there. It also doesn’t help that the men there would stare at me as though they’ve never seen a woman in a workshop before!” – Nina, 28

2. “Some mechanics would try to undermine me because they assume I don’t know anything”

“I’m very particular about my car but whenever I’d request certain things during the service, the mechanics would try to refute me at first and mansplain things that I already know! They’d assume I don’t know anything just because I’m a woman.” – Lizzy, 31

We can totally understand how this can be very frustrating for the women drivers out there.

3. “One workshop tried to scare me into changing 10 different car parts”

“Once, I went to the workshop wanting to get an oil change but the mechanic tried to push me into changing 10 other car parts. He even tried to scare me by saying if I don’t fix it now, it’ll cost me more in the future! Thankfully, I didn’t listen to him because I consulted my dad on the phone first.” – Rania, 27

If you’re ever in this situation, always call up your family/friends to get a second opinion and don’t rush into making a decision!

4. “The mechanics would often use specific jargon I don’t understand”

“I do admit that I don’t know much about cars. So, I always struggle whenever the mechanics use a bunch of automotive jargon that I don’t understand. In the end, I’d always have to call up my dad for advice or I’d ask him to come with me just to be safe.” – Izzatul, 24

A survey found that 99% of Malaysian women aren’t able to identify their car’s problems. So, it’s not surprising if women drivers would prefer to have a male figure come along so that they can better identify the car’s needs. No shame in asking for help!

5. “One workshop overcharged me for their service and parts”

“Once, I went to service my car alone and it was a bit more costly than usual. When my husband checked the bill later on, we noticed that the workshop overcharged me for certain parts. They probably knew I wouldn’t refute anything.” – Ru Wen, 33

Though not all workshops are like this, this should serve as a reminder that it’s crucial to send your car to a reputable workshop and not hesitate to ask them to walk you through the bill if you’re uncertain!

Based on these experiences, it’s understandable why female drivers would avoid sending their own cars for servicing. Though this might seem like a minor issue, we believe that Malaysian women deserve to have the convenience of sending their cars to the workshops without needing to worry about being scammed or judged. An easy way to resolve this is by visiting a reputable workshop that is more transparent with their work.

One workshop that we can recommend is the GoCar Garage. Not only is it super convenient to book with them through their app (available on both App Store and Google Play), but they’re actually having a promo now in conjunction with International Women’s Day for all female drivers out there.

Throughout the month of March 2022, Malaysians can get up to 70% OFF GoCar Garage service packages with the promo code “GOLADIES“.

There are three service packages you can choose from:

• Mineral Package = RM98 RM30
• Semi Package = RM128 RM38
• Full Package = RM198 RM60

These packages will include:

• 4L of mineral, semi-synthetic OR fully synthetic engine oil
• Oil filter
• Drain washer
• Labour
• Free car wash and basic sanitation

Since the prices for these packages are already set and inclusive of 6% SST, you don’t have to worry about being overcharged and you can easily choose the type of service that you feel best suits your car. Plus, this promo can help raise awareness about this issue and hopefully encourage more female drivers to service their cars without a worry!

Pssst… male drivers are free to use the code too! But it’d be great if you can recommend your female family members/friends to visit GoCar Garage and experience the promo as well! 

Another great thing about GoCar Garage is that they accept every make and model out there aside from commercial vehicles. But do remember that this service is only available in Klang Valley. They also have a GoValet feature where you can have your car picked up and sent to you at a small fee. This means you can service your car without even leaving your house!

Sound like a steal, right? If you’re interested in the promo but your car is not due for service just yet, fret not! You can book their service from now ’til 31st March 2022 to enjoy the promo and service your car anytime before 30th June 2022. So, hurry and book your slot ASAP as this promo is available to the first 300 customers only! With this promo, you’ll even get to use a GoCar for 2 hours free of charge (capped at RM20) so you can still get around while your car is being serviced. Score! ?

So, don’t wait around! Download the GoCar app now (on App Store or Google Play) to book your slot! To find out more about this promo and GoCar Garage’s services, check out their website here.