In just the past year I have saved thousands of dollars for my family and my employer by getting a second opinion.  From medical procedures to equipment repair it is always worth taking some time to get a second opinion.  But how do you find a reliable source?  Let’s take a look at a few quick examples and then I have a few practical suggestions…

The Electric Boat Anchor

Our church has an amazingly high speed duplicator for making high volume paper copies at a fraction of a cent per page.  It is a machine often found in commercial print facilities.  Our machine is only 8 years old and this summer we were told it was no longer repairable by the only manufacturer authorized vendor in north Texas. We now had a 400lb electronic boat anchor.

We had received a bid for a new machine that was absurdly high so our church leadership decided it was time to be done with this type of duplicator.  Last week I started looking for a fair market price for selling this duplicator as a ‘parts’ machine.  I stumbled across a price for the new machine that was a part of our ‘absurdly high’ quote and it was $4,000 less than the bid we had received.  Immediately alarms went off in my head.  Our church has had a trusted relationship with this vendor for almost two decades, but perhaps that trust blinded us in this instance.

I grabbed the repair invoice that listed the parts that could no longer be found for our machine.  A Google search turned up a vendor for the part who was here in DFW.  The unavailable part kit cost $30 and came with detailed installation instructions.  Our church was set to lose thousands of dollars in equipment value over a $30 parts kit and for trusting a diagnosis that seemed unreasonable to all who were involved.

“I have how many cavities?”

In 2011 I returned to the sketchy dentist I had seen once before.  He was the only dentist in the area on our insurance plan.  After a lifetime of being cavity free I all of a sudden had six cavities that needed to be drilled and filled.  The dentist explained that our insurance wouldn’t cover the prescribed type of filling so there would be additional and substantial charges.  When I asked for further explanation and to view the x-rays, I was told that was not possible.  I left the office as quickly as possible and never went back.

I asked several friends who they use as a dentist and went to get a second opinion.  The new dentist did a full set of x-rays and took some pictures in my mouth.  He sat down with me and looked at the x-rays and the pictures and showed me some of the issues in my mouth.  He found 3 areas that needed to be watched but no possibility of six cavities that needed to be drilled and filled.  I was prepared to pay out of pocket for this second opinion when I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my new dentist does second opinions at no charge.  Guess who won my business?

Some Practical Ideas

The more technical the problem, the more challenging it can be to find a reliable second opinion.  Here are a few tricks that I use to find out more information:

• Get it in writing.  For technical repairs, get the specific repairs, parts, and/or diagnosis in writing.  Any reputable shop or repairman should be willing to provide this information.  This information can be used to research the pricing/availability of parts and possibly for getting a free second opinion from a competitor.
• Google it.  I have saved thousands of dollars in repair costs by using Google to research an issue.  Many times you can find detailed step-by-step repair procedures or YouTube videos that will show you how to make your own repairs.  One caveat to this suggestion, avoid using Google for medical issues…you will freak yourself out.
• Ask a friend.  If you’re like me you have a diverse set of people in your life who can provide some insight on issues you are dealing with.  Talking to someone who has “been there, and done that” is invaluable.
• Trust can blind you.  In just the past month, trust in various vendors could have cost our church several thousand dollars.  Our trust in a vendor that we have used for almost two decades could have cost us thousands of dollars.  My trust in Amazon to provide the lowest prices almost cost us $150 on a new office machine.  Always do your research even if you are using a trusted vendor or repairman.
• Use the phone.  I have found that soliciting second opinions by email are a waste of time and energy.  Pick up the phone or go find someone who will talk to you in person.  For instance, I am trying to find a replacement engine that is said to be unavailable.  Calling the largest vendor of small engines on the internet yielded the most useful information and some good guidance for this specific issue.
• Trust your gut.  You know that feeling…the one where you feel like you’re getting ripped off.  Trust that instinct and take a little time to do some research before authorizing a repair or purchasing a replacement item.  Even if the advice turns out to be correct you can at least rest easy knowing you are not getting ripped off.

What advice do you have?

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I’m interested in your experiences and your ideas.  Please share them below and let’s learn about this together.  Dad is always learning!  The value of a second opinion is undeniable.