A young woman has lashed out at mechanics claiming they charge her ‘twice as much’ as male customers because she is a female.
Alice Bleathman was left in tears after claiming she had been exploited by two different mechanics while trying to get her van fixed.
She shared her outrage on TikTok claiming that some mechanics appeared to deliberately do a ‘s*** job’ because they knew they could get away with it.
‘I hate being a girl sometimes,’ Ms Bleathman said as she sat in her car, her eyes red.
‘I know that so many other women struggle with this. I’ve had two men come and try to fix my van and do bits and pieces and charge whatever.
‘But it’s like they take you for a ride because you’re a female.’
The influencer went on to say she believed it was because she doesn’t ‘know any different’ and the male mechanics who worked on her van did a substandard job.
Through tears, Ms Bleathman added: ‘Then I have to go and pay another person.’
Influencer Alice Bleathman (pictured) posted a teary video on TikTok claiming she had been taken advantage by ale mechanics simply because she is a woman
‘You just feel like a f**king idiot. And I end up spending twice as much money,’ she said.
Ms Bleathman went on to say sometimes she wishes she ‘wasn’t a f**king girl’ and was sick of being taken advantage of – which she said ‘happens all the time’.
‘This is the reality sometimes of being a female and asking for help,’ she said.
Social media users were divided by the heartfelt post, with some agreeing with Ms Bleathman that women are charged extra by mechanics.
‘This happened to me too. They charged me for things that don’t even need fixing or they don’t fix the thing they’ve charged me for,’ one wrote.
‘A mechanic tried to charge my wife $600 for a window button… I got the part from another mechanic for $60. The struggle is real. C’mon tradies, do better,’ one husband said.
Another added: ‘Misogyny is very much alive and well’.
Other Aussies said it wasn’t just mechanics who took advantage of women.
‘So frustrating! Same with me and getting quotes for our house Reno. I just know as soon as they hear my voice on my phone, that they are going to rip me off,’ one woman wrote.
Many men assured Ms Bleathman it wasn’t just women being taken advantage of by tradies.
‘That’s terrible, it happens to men as well, not everyone is a mechanic,’ one wrote.
‘It’s not just girls, it’s all trades taking advantage. Honest people are hard to find,’ another said.
A third added: ‘Happens to boys too. Mechanics suck.’
Some Aussies said males are just as likely to be overcharged by mechanics (pictured stock photo of a mechanic)
‘If it makes you feel any better I’m a white collar male with no idea about a bunch of trades. Pretty sure this has happened to me too,’ one wrote.
But there were some Aussies who didn’t feel sorry for the influencer – advising her to become better educated so she is not taken advantage of in the future.
‘Women need to start taking up trades so we don’t get ripped off,’ one wrote.
‘This is why I did certificate two mechanical, electrical and panel beating and spray painting, so I could build knowledge off a good foundation,’ anther said.
But when some Aussies wanted to blame the influencer for having ‘no idea’ about what things cost and that she wasn’t being unrealistic, Ms Bleathman hit back.
‘I did do my research, they just didn’t do it the right way,’ she said.
‘They charged me for the job that they didn’t do properly, end of story.’