damn scamming mechanics!

so i finally got my car back from the mechanic after 10 weeks and he charges me 900 dollars! this is what the prices were

spark plugs and wires 35part price 120labor
right wheel axel barrings 68part price 120labor
brake pads 38part price 78labor
caps and rotor 30part price
hose bypass 5part price 150labor
(the heater hose was cut and ran inside the car so
liquid was running inside the car, so he bent the hose to point outside
the car, HE DIDNT FIX IT)
brake rotor 60part price
wheel lug nuts 20part price
oil 30part price
oil filter 10part price
replace turn signal switch 120labor
( i bought the part he just put it on because he couldnt
find one, i found one the first place i called!)
Water pump replacement 160labor
(once again i bought it and he just put it on, he also said he couldnt find it when the main NAPA wharehouse is 2 miles away, they had them in STOCK!)
Gasoline 25part price
(when i dropped the car off it had 5 gallons in it, then it somehow runs out of gas from him moving it out of the way for him to work on HIS car and it runs out so he "refills" it and charges me, i go to pick it up drive 1/2 a mile down the street and IT RUNS OUT OF GAS!)



not to meantion the fact it sat there for ten weeks and the other numerous things that i told him to do he didnt do. also igot him to inspect it before he gave me the bill, then payed, then get in the car and notice right off the bat almost nothing on the car should of passed, i dont even have bolts in the seat and no seat belt for the passenger!

does this price actually sound right to anyone? and also whats the legal actions you do on someone who doesnt pay you...because i stopped payment on the scamming bastards check...

 

yep, he saw you coming.

 

All that stuff is pretty easy to replace. Why did you take it there in the first place?

 

i had to get it inspected its last inspection was 2000

 

Sounds a bit expensive to me. However, I don't believe you can arbitrarily withhold payment since it sounds like he did the work listed on the invoice (without regard to whether or not the work was done to your satisfaction). I would expect a lien to placed on the car if I were you. I am no lawyer so I could be completely incorrect here as well.

The lesson here is to get an estimate and agree on a price before having the work done.

 

Stopping payment on the check is going to cost you more headaches than it's worth...IMO (and from experience). Chances are the owner of the busines will turn it over to a collection agency. In some cases they will file suit for the amount owed for the repair.

That said, you could have easily avoided the situation by talking to the person who did the work. Did you ask for an estimate before any work was done? If not...then you don't have much of a case. The work order most likely states to repair/replace the parts and it looks to me that it was done. Now, if you find any fault with anything that has been done (like the leaky heater hose) and the shop in question has any kind of warranty, then they should take care of it. But, if they don't have any warranty or guarantee...well....you've learned a valuable lesson.

I agree that the prices seem on the high side. Is this a busy shop or someone's garage at their house?

and as far as the 10 week wait...well it happens. We're about 8 weeks behind right now...can't take in any more work until we catch up a little. At one point we were close to 14 weeks behind but some overtime & ball busting work, we've whittled it down to 8. I'd like to be no more than 2-3 days back. Just enough work to stay busy but not so much as to have to turn away work.

 

I'm planning on offering him the price of the parts in full(they were priced ok) but the labor is crap so hes gonna have to change it.about the estimate i asked him countless times on how much it was gonna cost, everytime he gave me a " oh not to much" answer and when he did he told me about 380. It's a mechanic shop but not to busy, about being backed up wasnt the problem every time you drive by the place was empty it was parked in the same spot for 5 weeks. even better the day they told me they were gonna inspect it he told me he couldnt get to it because some things they had to get....turns out he left the key in it and didnt want me to find out he killed my new 60 dollar battery. also the work order says nothing, all the boxes are unchecked only thing on it is my name address and prices, oh and also the fact he didnt keep this "record" until he was done. once i went to pay he pulled out a blank sheet and had to ask the other employees what had been done to the car to right it down then wrote random prices for all of it, so hell if im paying for this joke of a idiots crappy job...also just found out 10 mins ago my gauges still dont work at all...didnt really think inspection passes to well without those...

 

Check your state and local laws. In Iowa you are only liable for the estimate price + 10%.

 

Did the $380 estimate include everything listed in your first post? IMO estimates are worthless unless they are in writing.

 

It makes me glad I or my son do all our own work...I hope you at least got a kiss after the screwing you got. pardon my french...Jim

 

Must of had it worked on down on Carroll Av. LOL!! J/K...
Where was it so I dont go there...

 

Figuring he's charging $75 per hour .... those prices for labor aren't outrageous ... except for the plugs and wires.

 

You got ripped. it's your own fault though. 'Sorry it happened...

 

I find that people who dont know how to work on old cars seek to find someone cheap to work on their car. Probably alot of communication lost in this transaction. I am not laying blame on either party, just that some people should either learn to work on their own car, or be willing put up with so called mechanics that are less than honest. All the inspection things could have easily been done by anyone with limited mechanical knowledge. To post things like this here is just asking to be flamed, and I seldom flame anyone. I probably opened a hornets nest here, but I have been working on other peoples cars all my life, either in a shop, or in my shop. Best of luck to you and I hope you get all the problems resolved.
Dan

 

Not all mechanics are rip offs..........

First clue should have been the 5 week wait.......

Labor is typically 65-105 an hour. Try owning a shop before you complain. The speciality tools required are tremendous in cost. I can open any givin drawer in my tool box and see about 2500.00 in tools some drawers are 10k. this aint the 60's were all you need is a hammer and a set of adjustable wrenches. Come on down and I will be glad to let any of you that think it is easy to "repair" todays cars for just one day. 99 percent of you wouldn't last 20 minutes. Those that could would likely not stand up to the constant time restaint. Job has to be done by 2:00 it's 1:00 and no parts yet. Gee no lunch break again for the 12th day in a row. Like I said you can't walk away till tommorrow or take a couple hours to find a solution.

Books dictate labor times. It's the fairest way for all. Consumers and mechanics alike. Some stuff like tune ups on some cars cost a little more than they should and the mechanic walks away smelling like roses. The flip side is an engine in a PT cruiser books for 12 hrs for a long block install and the mechanic takes 20 hours. The customer walks away for the better. In the end it evens out.

Factor in good mechanics(not hacks) aren't going to work for less than 40k and upwards to 100k. They would starve otherwise. I have more in training and tools than most college grads for a diploma.

Everybody knows the electrician sells you a wall outlet for 25.00 and you could by it for 5.00. With his labor it costs 180.00 You pay for professionalism.