OT What a Rip Off

The headlight on my car was out and so are my high beams so I called Meineke to see how much they would charge to fix my headlight.  The guy told me about $20 so I went there.
They checked and told me I would need 3 bulbs and they went and ordered them.  While I was waiting I asked how much it would cost.  He told me the bulbs were $30 each!  Are you kidding me?  What are they, made out of gold?  He said they were some special kind that is very expensive.
I told him there was no way I was paying $90 to get my headlights fixed and got my car and went home.
I decided to check on Ebay because I have gotten many auto parts there very cheap.  A 2 pack of the bulbs was selling for $2.99.  I couldn't believe it.  I bought 3 packs to make sure I had enough.  It will take a while to get here but it is worth it to save nearly $85.  If I have to drive at night I can use my daughter's car.
Just some advice so you don't get ripped off.  I should have known better then to go to Meineke's anyway.  Last time I took my car there for a transmission service they gave me a paper that said I needed $800 worth of work on my car.
I took the paper home and checked out the parts and prices and I could get it all done for under $300.  And since I didn't have the money at the time I haven't done it yet and I haven't had a problem.  

 NEXT TIME I WOULD HONESTLY SEND A  MALE THERE TO DO IT FOR YOU. MY DAD AND ALWAYS OFFER TO TAKE IN CAR FOR THE FEMALES IN MY FAMILY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT SOME MECHANICS AND CAR SPECIALIST TEND TO PRICE GAUGE WHEN YOU ARE A WOMAN BECAUSE THEY ASSUME YOU ARE IGNORANT ABOUT COSTS.

I WOULD ALSO BRING PRINTS OUTS TO WHEREVER YOU GO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION OF A MALE HELPING YOU.

 While I understand what you are saying here I'm going to say that this is a horrible thing to have to do and I certainly wouldn't return to a business (or send anyone else there for me) that did this kind of garbage.

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It always pays to "do your homework" in these regards. Ask a friend, or do some Googling about bulb replacement. Most later bulbs just have a socket that unscrews with 1/4 turn, pull out old bulb, insert new bulb and slide back in. Use paper towel or other medium to keep from touching bulb--oils from hands can make bulbs wezr out prematurely.

My wife's 2003 Chrysler van's light housings were severely corroded and water was getting in . A cop told her to replace them. I called the local dealership, and was told each side was about $225. I looked on Amazon. Found the pair of the housings, including shipping for under $125, including extra high intensity bulbs. Parts got here in about one week, and installation took me about 45 minutes. Saved the old bulbs for spares. Only other item I bought were new yellow tinted bulbs for the turn signals.  I have to replace the headlight housings on my 2006 Saturn Vue shortly. I'll be going back to Amazon again.  Most newer cars have acrylic housings that don't hold up much past 3-4 years, and look very corroded, so that less light get projected onto the road.  I've tried those buffing kits, but failed to find one that worked very well. Newer headlight kits make the car look much newer again. DAVE

We buy a lot of our auto parts from Ebay.  Our vehicles are 06's.  We also have the Haynes manuals for them.  If your vehicle is old enough sometimes the library even has them.

From your posts you sound pretty darn smart, there are a lot of things that can be fixed with a manual and the internet (and parts from ebay).  I am married to a man who loves taking care of the stuff but I definitely would do it if he didn't.  He has trouble shot problems with his motorcycle, (message boards for your vehicle are a wealth of information too), his truck (a $500 console turned into a finding a $20 part inside the console, online).

He loves a good hunt.  As we say in my family, "I have more time than money, I will do it myself."

I found a site called Rock Auto the prices are great check out there site you will be surprised good luck

Good on you woman! I pretty much do that for every repair and DIY project in our house. When it comes to cars, that's where I draw the line. I just don't have an interest. The shop I take my car to is locally owned and has been in business for eons. They are honest and do a great job, so I'm lucky in that respect. Got to admire anyone that can figure things out for themselves. I might just tap your brain when I have problems with my car in the future.