damn scamming mechanics!

My biggest gripe with shops is that they triple the price of parts. If a part costs $15.00, they charge the customer $45. That p!$$&$ me off! There's nothing wrong with making a profit, but charging triple is just plain ripping people off...

 

Well first off there is no per hour pricing with this guy, the biggest problem was the turn signal switch and it wasn't exactly done in a short period of time, he didn't even pull it in the garage and the steering wheel was sitting in the seat for 3 weeks. Sorry if it offened you War I didn't mean all of them were, but the 2500 dollar tools aren't really required to bolt of the water pump and take off a wheel for new brakes, and book times were never even looked at, he stood at the desk and wrote 120 for every part he put on it. Unfortunatly Dan I didn't have the option of putting it on my self, I took it straight there after I bought it due to the 2000 inspection sticker and the cop who decided to pull me over for it( and the mother who wouldn't let me drive it without inspection) I could of easily installed the parts myself. And how is it exactly "my" fault TL, not to start anything but not knowing that the guy doesn't know how to do his job can't be foreseen, also being 15 it was not really my decision on where it was taken...

 

If you want a job done in a specific time then check the flat-rate manuals and see what the quote times are. Markup on parts pays the bills. Rent costs thousands of dollars a month and it is a common practice to mark up the price of parts anywhere between 50% and 200%. The cheap parts are marked up more and the expensive parts are marked up less. It keeps the doors open.
I don't think you were treated properly by this shop but you need to take responsibility for not doing your part. Know what you want done and specify it in writing. Get a price that you are sure is fair - check the flatrate manuals and hold your mechanic to those prices. Check the work before you pay or sign off on the job. Get your old parts to assure that parts listed were replaced - know your parts so that you can't be handed parts from another car and told they are from yours.
You need to be an informed shopper if you want to be treated fairly.
There are many shops that will go out of their way to keep customers happy. They are always busy because they are trusted. That doesn't mean that you can trust them - it means that you have to let them know from the start that you are an informed shopper who holds a business to the written agreement. If you aren't informed then you really don't know whether you have been stiffed or not. By the way the labor for the wires included the tune-up - flatrate for a tune up is 2 hrs, at $75 hr that is $150. That means that you are only being charged $60 hr. That is pretty cheap rate. I charged $100 hr to do a tuneup back in the 80's - and people kept coming back. I finally quit doing tuneups - I didn't like to do them and I still don't like doing them.

 

I am pretty sure everyone here has done the same thing, if not in automotive, then somewhere else (computer repair, etc. I had recent incident with home A/C replacement )

Just pay it and learn from your mistakes.

Ask around and get multiple opinions in the future...ask us, someone on here could give you a good estimate before you take it in (that goes for off-topic items, as well, like that damned A/C i had put in and forgot to ask you guys about )

 

you could have done most of that yourself, some of it not, but thats when you shop around and look for guys that pay for the job, not by the hour

labor on plugs and wires $120? that is hilarious..if you asked me.. i would have done alot more than that for free

 

Dang.....I would've given you a better price.......and I live in Wyoming

 

I don't even wanna hear that sob-story. There's nothing wrong with mark-up, but to triple the price, or even double is outrageous...

 

Where do you work? T.L?

 

Great I have 10 evaporator jobs on Grand Cheerokees/caravans I need done for "free"



When you get done I'll tip you 25.00 for all the hard work.
By the 5th one you might actually get close to book labor time.....maybe

 

Hellschevelle,,, I apologize,, really, I did not realize you were so young. I guess I have been in your shoes a time or two myself. Take this as one of those life learning experiences. I know it sucks, but you will get thru it all, and in the end your knowledge will increase. Probably not a soul on here that hasnt been screwed by somebody somewhere. I hope you get your car up and running soon.
Dan

 

Dan <------ mindless zombie lol.
Dan

 

I've never been screwed

Dan your not a zombie................................ per say

 

That would depend on what kind of shop it was. The over head in a retail Chain store is vastly greater than that of a single independent. There is way more over head. You have upper managment/payroll department and on and on.....The upside is that customer can go to any of thosestores for warranty work. Including breaking down on vacation in another state. It's a give and take thier IMHO. Where you may pay less at an independent but have very little recourse if out of town or if you you have a complaint. Their are people over those in the chain stores they answer to. They know thier job is on the line if they fail to perform/satisfy the clientel. I noticed you said you used to do it this way.......What happend?