I just worked on a friend's Toyota RAV4 yesterday. He had brought it to a chain shop for an oil change two weeks ago. He paid the extra for Mobil 1. The oil was black. The filter was obviously on the car for a long time. BUT, there was a smear of bright pink 'torque stripe' paint across the oil pan drain plug. After doing other maintenance, I changed the oil for him, and advised him to never bring the car back to Grease Monkey.

If you cannot do your own maintenance, make friends with someone who you can trade labor with. Perhaps you are an accountant, or good with wood working. Barter. Find a way. Too many shops are perfectly willing to rip off folks who do not know how to work on their own stuff.