We ran a short story Tuesday about a state agency's accusation that a Modesto-based company with four Valley Midas Auto Service Center franchises sold unneeded goods and services at a higher cost than advertised brake specials.

In repsonse, Trevor Traina, co-founder and chairman of San Francisco-based DriverSide, sent a note explaining a little about his business and some tips on how consumers can protect themselves. DriverSide's stated mission is to protect consumers from being ripped off, while also saving them time and money on automobile ownership.

“It’s not uncommon for large auto repair chains to take advantage of consumers," Traina said via e-mail. "Frankly, consumers are sick of being ripped off. They’re already paying high prices at the gas pump, now they’ve lost trust in their mechanics.

"And last month, we (DriverSide) issued a survey and found that nearly one in two (46%) lack confidence that their mechanic is charging them a fair price.”

Here are five things Traina says consumers can do to prevent being ripped off:

1. Ask friends and family for recommendations.

2. Do Internet research on sites like Yelp, DriverSide and Angie’s List for reviews and exact prices and certain repairs.

3. Check with the Better Business Bureau for a list of auto repair shops that have had multiple complaints.

4. Get multiple quotes but don’t always go for the cheapest.

5. Research an exact price before walking into a repair shop.