Q&A

 Master

we get asked this a lot lately. a few things you should know before giving you an answer. my shop has to pay the
technician every Friday and we have to pay for the parts
we install every other Friday. let's say a repair is $400
and $200 is for labor and $200 is for parts. the customer
only has $200 and they will pay me the balance in a month. after a very short time, we can't pay our bills or
pay our suppliers and we close the business. also, if anyone decides that they can't pay the balance for whatever reason, we have no recourse at all, we just lose that money. this is why most all shops take all sorts of credit cards; we cannot be in the finance business. dry cleaners, grocery stores, pharmacies, home
repair companies--do not extend credit in most cases. so,
don't get mad at the shop; it's not their fault. owning and maintaining a car is a big expense which many cannot afford because of their economic situation.

 Master

Other options are doing business with 'company' stores (Goodyear, Firestone) that offer simple credit plans with 6 months no interest financing.
Or, have the shop your car is at prioritize the repairs. Does all the work need to be done at once? Can certain things wait and the car still be driven safely? If you hold off on some repairs, will the vehicle still be reliable? These are things you can ask!