I've never been offered anything in a Costco, other than by the people at the phone kiosk, or the people along the wall as you're exiting. The people at the phone kiosk know me by now, and know that I already have T-Mobile (which is the carrier they represent), and the people at the exit simply ask if you're interested, and don't push if you say no. But, we were talking about the ethical and unethical use of loss-leaders or come-ons, to get people in the door.

The Costco example is totally passive. It's why the rotisserie chickens are in the back of the store, so you have to walk by other things. It's also why they move stuff around fairly regularly, and have no signs on the aisles stating what's in there. The repair shop / dealer service shop are much different. The unethical ones use scare tactics to try and sell you work that's unnecessary or marginal at best. I take my vehicles to an independent mechanic (NA & NB Miata specialist) that charges $160/hr for labor, which is about what dealer rate is. However, he has never tried to sell me something I didn't need, and when I've had my car there for work, and asked him to check something, he's been totally up front. Sometimes he says it's needed or should be done in the next 6 months, and other times he has said that it's good for another 1-3 years. He's out of the way (45 min. away) for me to get to, but I won't take my vehicles anywhere else. The shop I used to take it to charged me almost $800 to replace the AC compressor and re-charge the system. Turns out that they never replaced the compressor.

 

Bottom line is only fools are easily parted with their money no matter what business or service they use.
I get my tires at the shop with the best price (40 miles from me) and never take them up on any of their other special offers (alignments /etc.).
I only pay for work or services that I have specifically asked for and/or signed a contract for
A local shop service writer failed to inform me of their labor rates when I took my wife's Buick Encore to her preferred GM garage.
State law here requires they inform you every time when writing up the work order. I knew what their rates were, but they failed to inform me.
When they finished, they tried to charge me two hours labor $186 per hour or $372 for an oil change and tire rotation.
The service writer apologized for not telling me and I said politely, "an apology doesn't override the state law".
I paid $186 and will now take her Buick to local quick lube (Prompto) for oil change $49.95 synthetic oil and VIP for tire rotation ($19.95).
Which is where I always take my CX-5 for those services.

As for replacing parts I always ask to see the old parts and check to see if new ones were installed where possible.
I had caught one service tech pocketing parts and not replacing them when I went in for a plug and plug wire change and tune-up.
It was just before closing and back then you could drive the car out of the garage and as soon as I started it, I knew he'd done nothing.
Luckily the garage was owned by a good friends' parents and his brother managed it.
I nearly got into a fight with the tech, but we opened his toolbox and there were my parts among others.
He was immediately fired and my friends brother let us work after hours to do the job on my car in the garage and another tech let us use his tools.
I'd only taken it to the garage as I was just married and working two jobs with near zero free time and at the time had no garage at home.

 

Understood and I agree. The shop that didn't install the AC compressor is across the street from me, and was taken over from the father by his son and friend. I've known this guy since he was a kid, and his father worked on my cars for years. They said they had to send the old compressor back as a core, which made sense. Didn't think they would actually try to hustle me like that. Lesson learned. Sucks, as it was super easy for me to get oil changes and tire rotations done. Oh well.

 

Hmmm maybe you should ask yourself this after reading the last few reopposes. LOL

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