Who Ever got ripped off at a auto repair shop.

[birdee]

40 hrs in a 10 hr day sorry ken but somebody's nose is getting long.maybe some days but not every day they might get 15 or 16 hrs if the stars align correctly .
but he industry average is 5 hrs of billable time per 8hr day. the tech still wants to be payed for 8hrs.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by birdee

40 hrs in a 10 hr day sorry ken but somebody's nose is getting long.maybe some days but not every day they might get 15 or 16 hrs if the stars align correctly .
but he industry average is 5 hrs of billable time per 8hr day. the tech still wants to be payed for 8hrs.

Funny how nobody believes me, I guess the 15 year mechanic is just full of manure. I didn't question him, didn't ask for paperwork, didn't care. He quit there for several reasons, one of them being them charging out so many hours on his ticket and not compensating him any form of bonus or anything other than whatever time he had between clock in and clock out.

Believe him or me, I don't care. I believe him, it sure is not the first time I have heard that or similar story. Like I said, I have collected for lots of shops, it is no secret they bill book time independant of actual time worked. Sometimes they lose, more often they win.

[fed]

This thread is what's wrong with ALL THE TRADES! I have 17yrs or so experience and I can admit I've screwed up. I'm an auto tech and have seen everything almost as you never know what's coming in the door. There was an article put out a while back explaining how auto techs are their own worst enemy by bashing other shops work or trying to get work on things not needed. This was in an automotive publication that comes to shops only usually. But thinking of it can anyone on here think of a trade that hasn't been ridiculed for ripping someone off? A roofer does a roof or a plumber charges to much for a job. Most of their jobs are things that last 20yrs or so. Don't complain if your vehicle dosnt last that long or something breaks. It's not that we try to rip you of, but think if you all ran your vehicles for 20yrs and see what you'd think of your mechanic. If you can find a trade that everyone praises and pays good, let me know.

[omega50]

Buddy just worked on a 2005 Kia Sorrento with very low mileage. Blowing oil like a fog machine. Owner said it was just serviced by a popular oil change franchise.

Buddy removed 5 litres of oil just to get the level down to normal fill levels.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

$4000+ engine job vs my time? I'll sacrifice a bit of time. Still running that engine in a different car and it's pushing 400K, only time it ever let me down. Even the dealer is impressed Takes me 4 hours to change the $40 T-belt every 60K, should I complain about that as well?

And how is all that a ripoff?

Well now we all know who to go to for future repairs!!!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by fed

This thread is what's wrong with ALL THE TRADES! I have 17yrs or so experience and I can admit I've screwed up. I'm an auto tech and have seen everything almost as you never know what's coming in the door. There was an article put out a while back explaining how auto techs are their own worst enemy by bashing other shops work or trying to get work on things not needed. This was in an automotive publication that comes to shops only usually. But thinking of it can anyone on here think of a trade that hasn't been ridiculed for ripping someone off? A roofer does a roof or a plumber charges to much for a job. Most of their jobs are things that last 20yrs or so. Don't complain if your vehicle dosnt last that long or something breaks. It's not that we try to rip you of, but think if you all ran your vehicles for 20yrs and see what you'd think of your mechanic. If you can find a trade that everyone praises and pays good, let me know.

I thinkers etchings tha makes people made is the way my vehicles are left in the parking lot after the work, oil, dirty finger marks etc

Just had my bike serviced at two different locations around here, one forgets a exhaust gasket and breaks a few plastic shrouds, got my parts ordered in after a heavy conversation with the so called manager, the other place I book to get a tire installed, bugger is never around to do the work, sign says open, the other place finally got the tire on etc but the bike looked like they used it to wipe thier hands...man I use to wrench in my earlier days and I tell ya the boss made us go over the vehicle with a clean rag, fast detail but then again we were more caring and sociable with customers back then too...imagine that eh!

[TUFFBUFF]

I hate Dealers ships and book time - especially at 135/hr

I had a quote for front end on my 2500hd - 5500 bucks. Reading it first line was remove front skid plate 1/2hr. Like come on, I suck at wrenching but I took those 4 bolts out with a normal wrench in 7 minutes...
I bought parts for 1200 including 4 shocks that weren't on the quote and 2 mechanics I knew stuck everything together for 800 bucks, 8hrs each @ 50.

I also had injector issues with the same 2003 chev hd duramax, dealer found someway not to cover under the special bulletin. Watched it go into the shop at 930 and got a call at 1245 said done and road tested and cooked the ones on the other side during road test. 6.1/2 hrs labour on that bill for 3.1/2 work including coffee break and maybe some lunch....wow.
ended up being over 7k and had to get both sides done, I didn't pay and wrote a letter and had a meeting - first thing owner said is why should I penalized my guy for being good. Guess he had a point but...he came down to 5k, think it was one side n/c on labour.

I have a neighbor lately that is good that I use whenever I can nowadays, from tractors, mowers and vehicles. I'd rather give my money to someone I know.

[leeelmer]

Flat rate is the only way to quote work properly. But most places double dip.
Flat rate is there so if I have a good day and do the job quickly or a bad day and it takes a long time to do it, you the customer pay the same amount.
It goes like this.
Dodge 1ton needs the following
Drive axle u joints
4 ball joints
front rotors and pads.

So if you quote each job flat rate, the number is really high. like 12 hours total
But you have to remove all those parts to change the ball joints. So you only need to charge 1 extra hour to pound out the drive axle ujoints in the vice and re install. So your bill should be about 5.5hours
But the dealers will flat rate out each individual piece.
Thats where you get screwed. A good shop with a good service writer will recognize this and bill properly. But if you pay someone that has no clue what is involved in doing this job $15.00 per hour to do up your bills, then you the unknowing customer will pay the price.
My mom had this happen on her Volkswagen. She had it in for the 100000km timing belt change, also I had bought a new temp sensor for it as her's had quite working, but app-on reviewing the book on how to change it, you had to pull most of the same stuff off. So I told her just get the dealer to change it when they are in there, the coolant was going to be drained to change water pump anyway, and one wire plug to undo, then screw out the sensor and screw in the new one.
Dealer tried to charge her 5 hours to change it.
I had to go in and yell at the service manager. They finally changed the bill to charge 0.5hr to change it. That was the proper amount.

[does it ALL outdoors]

Originally Posted by dewalt18

On a trip out to the parents a few years ago, had the alternator go on my cummins. No biggie, bought one, and a belt since I was in there anyway, and did the quick swap in the driveway. Next weekend I take it into Mr. Lube for an oil change (don't judge, it was cold out and I don't have a shop). Anyway, told them all I wanted was a lube and filter. Don't touch the air box, it's a K&N. So the kid comes up to me about halfway through, and tells me I should really consider having them replace the accessory drive belt, as mines in pretty bad shape. I kind of chuckle, and say really? He proceeds to hold up this ugly, broken up and frayed thing and says yeah, you may not even make it home on this. . .

So I proceed to get out of the truck, which he repeatedly told me was against their policy. I was asking for the manager before I had both feet on the ground. Walked around to the front, looked down, and sure enough, there's my nice new belt, right where it was when I installed it a week ago.

Manager was fairly good about it, considering how I went off on him about illegal practice, ripping off customers etc. the oil change was on the house, and he gave me a bunch of coupons for things like windshield wipers and stuff like that. They got thrown out, and I've never even considered going back to any place like that.

What happened to you was "added sales", classic Mr.Lube. Employees are required to sell XX amount of dollars on top of each and every Oil change and if one person declines, the next guy gets hit up even harder. It was around $13 per car about 20 yrs ago, guessing its a lot more now. Keep a close eye on your air filter when they pull it for inspection, you would be amazed how many I saw get dropped and drug through the tire grates, an air filter would cover the added sale requirement. DO NOT take your car to Mr.Lube, the shadiness just oozes off the walls there. SELL! SELL!! SELL!!! I worked at the St.Albert location where everyone drives newer cars and most take them to the dealership, I saw ALOT of stuff....

[Tactical Lever]

Yup. Years ago at Zarowny Motors in St. Paul. Bought a used truck there and during the test drive I noticed that one of the front brakes was dragging. I really liked the truck (too much), and they came to the conclusion that it needed brakes all around and I would pay an extra $1000 for it. They are probably still laughing over that.

I noticed that it still seemed to drag, and pull a little. I told them about it, they "looked at it", and told me nothing was wrong, except in the meantime I had replaced a bad tire with a very similar used. They blamed it on that, and charged me $100. Not too long later, the brake that was dragging caught fire, cooked my fluid and master cylinder. I found that they didn't even change the front calipers. It would have been a whole $70 (retail price) for the parts.

They also wanted to charge my uncle about $800 for a new radiator, thermostat, and stuff to fix his overheating problem when he took it to them.

Ended up being the clutch fan, and I think all in the fix was under $100 IIRC.

[Reasonable]

I always pop the hood to check their work - at least until I got the guy I currently use.

I have found -

oil filler cap missing "oh yeah that fell down on the skid plate, guess I should have replaced it." - (Dodge dealer)

Air filter nut missing - "oops - here is a replacement"

Oil drain plug not tightened "good thing you caught that!" (Ford dealer)

Rad cap left off (GM dealer)

Upon looking in at the zerks- after an oil change.
Me"Before I pay - what all is included in my oil change"
Cashier: "Oh we inspect and fill all the fluids, grease everything ..."
Me - "My zerks are dry"
Cashier (blank look)
Me: "It has not been greased"
Cashier - to idiot "Did you grease his truck"
Idiot "uhhhh no"
Me: "Did you use synthetic"
Idiot "uhhh we don't have any"
Me : "Bet if I go around the corner I will find it on the shelf"
Other mechanics in chorus "We have synthetic!"
Me: "The oil is black - I don't think you even changed it! I am not paying and I want to speak to the manager."

Manager calling me a day and a half later "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

Lesson - Never take anything to Canadian Tire and never trust a stealership.