mechanic troubles.

[GreenMachine]

Very surprised by some of the comments here... All those prices are fair for a mechanic to do the work. He confirmed everything with the customer before doing it. Sure, old son spent more than he could afford, but that's not the mechanic's fault.

[Day-mow]

the biggest thing that kinda fustrated me is i never got told how much the service would be. when i got contacted about the wheel bearing i asked how much the service would be and he had no idea really. i had about 430 in my bank and honestly thought thatd b suffice.

[Day-mow]

Originally Posted by Peuty

Maybe put aside the $600 odd dollars next time and buy some tools etc to learn to do it all yourself.

i can do everything the mechanic done my self. i just took it to the shop for a stamp in the log book. (which he didn't do).

[Day-mow]

Originally Posted by MNM96

Mine in blue



Your service costs what it costs. If you got what was listed, the pricing was fair for the most.

I do have some tips for you however.

Get a sticker made up for your Airbox lid saying DO NOT SERVICE! and to save a few bob, take your own oil. The oil used probably didn't cost more than $3.00 ( and as little as $1.00) so take your own bottle. You get it cheaper and can choose your own brand and quality, both things are great positives for your engine.

Find a Mechanic you can trust stick with them. They have a bad rap, but a good one is gold.

Anyone been to the dentists lately!

appreciate you input. its all pretty valid i guess i just dont know heaps and thought it would be less and kinda hoped to get a end total out.

[blueoval]

I can't speak for anyone here, but I have never paid that much for a service along with sort of work to be done on my ford. I would not consider that a 'fair' price. But a mechanic will charge what he wants to charge and if the customer accepts, then its good new for the mechanic isnt it? Looking at the situation again, I think there is a portion of responsibility required from the owner of any car.

In heinz sight Day-mow should have:
- asked for prices/quote prior to accepting what the mechanic had suggested.
- insisted to get ONLY the work he wanted done at the time.
- got a list from the mechanic of the work that needs urgent attention at the end of the service, so either a further booking could have been made on the spot if he was happy with the initial work, or he could have sought a second opinion on the work required to be done.
- questioned any work taken place without his approval.

The mechanic although I would consider his charges very high, has done the right thing by asking the customer prior to doing the work. He has charged the customer according to what HE thinks his work is worth and that's that. I don't think there is any recourse to go back to the mechanic to argue the funds if you as the customer failed to question the work or price of parts/labor at the time work was underway. Plus he should have stamped your logbook if you asked him to do that.

Yes the price was high and it was a shock to the OP, but the responsibility lies with the owner of the car to ask the questions and not assume the mechanic has your best interests. Sadly I just think this is a sore lesson to learn Day-mow.

[ratter]

Without trying to be rude, you do not know what the mechanic charges as his hourly rate, he may have only charged 2 or possibly 3 hours for that labour charge, and again with out being rude, I take it by your signature that you do building design, what do you charge to do a set of working drawings for possibly a house extension? Do you charge an hourly rate or just a set figure based on job size?

No matter what job you do for a living, some will consider what you charge too dear for just some drawing on paper, it's easy for other to sit back and think how easy soembody elses job is

[JaguarDave]

Originally Posted by Day-mow

i thought i'd get a logbook service done for peace of mind to the next person who has the car.

altho that being said he didn't even look @ the service book and didn't stamp it. i was pretty unhappy when i checked it and it was blank

Just leave a copy of the paid invoice in the logbook, that should amply satisfy the next owner that the service was done. Alternatively, if it really worries you, you could simply return and nicely ask the mechanic to place his stamp in your book, surely that's an option here?

A six hundred dollar bill for work to a car that needed more than the ordinary oil change and checkover is nothing and from what I see you weren't screwed, you sent the car in to be fully serviced and that's what they did ie. they replaced the things they thought needed replacing which is what you were employing them to do.

$220 is how many hour's labour, two to three? Sounds fair to me, as do the parts prices.

As for cleaning your air cleaner, well they won't know when it was last cleaned and since you likely won't be wanting it replaced with the proper paper filter that they would normally fit as part of a service what choice do they have other than to clean it to ensure it lasts the next service interval?

If you are really worried about the cost of things, don't ask for a car to be "serviced", work out what specific jobs you want done, ask for a quote on them and book it in only for those specific jobs.

[Bobman]

Hey, didn't you do a full head gasket replacement on this car?

Would have saved money if you had done this service work yourself and keep learning.

It's not unusual to have bills like this. I've seen much worse in my time as a mechanic and it really sucks sometimes to see people come in with simple things only to get ripped off for such trivial things like 'rag fee', etc.

[JC]

Originally Posted by MNM96

Rep points for

Blueoval for offering an insightful reply. Only thing is you mentioned the importance of a face to face to judge someone, yet some of your posts are judgmental of workshop without having given them the chance!

JC because he is rarely wrong, level headed and giving to this community for a million miles! Nice one Mate

Cheers - not too many say that after meeting me face to face!

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by JC

Cheers - not too many say that after meeting me face to face!

I don't believe you! Its not like I said you were a good looking specimen, just that you help where able, well and truly above and beyond!

[SSD-85]

Did the replacing of the wheel bearing fix your ABS issue? Im just curious also were your brakes grinding at "parking" speeds? Im just trying to pinpoint an ABS issue of my own.

[Day-mow]

Originally Posted by Scotty85

Did the replacing of the wheel bearing fix your ABS issue? Im just curious also were your brakes grinding at "parking" speeds? Im just trying to pinpoint an ABS issue of my own.

seems to have

[Day-mow]

Originally Posted by Bobman

Hey, didn't you do a full head gasket replacement on this car?

Would have saved money if you had done this service work yourself and keep learning.
.

what?

and i can do a service my self. for the 5th time i took it to a shop for a stamp in the log book.

[nt0351]

mate stop and have a good think about it,..you are seriously whinging about nothing ......the price you paid was more than fair ,..regardless of what some Eddie the experts on here would like you to believe you didnt get ripped off ,..

you say you could have done it all yourself ? ,....why didnt you ?? you didnt even know you had a noisy wheel bearing !! ,.... by your own admission the problems that existed are now all fixed ,..the recomended mechanic addressed all items of concern on your car and rang to ask for authorisation to proceed ,..what else do you want ?

you also mention your boss recomended him and has been using him for years ,..are you saying your boss is a dope or an easy mark perhaps ? .

if you were working for me and posted unfounded dribble about a business i use and recomended to you on a public forum you would be looking for another job !

not trying to offend you buddy,...your expectations and subsequent actions need a rethink .

[nt0351]

Originally Posted by blueoval

You see, that would just P*** me right off knowing that. This guy could not give 2 stuffs about you regardless of what recommendation your boss gave. A serious lack of respect.

I think the lack of respect is from the OP on this occassion

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by nt0351

I think the lack of respect is from the OP on this occassion

In life we can go through life assisting those who need help. Sometimes that means physical help, sometimes emotional, sometimes advice. Now and again it also means bringing them to see the error of their ways. This is what some people choose to do.

Some people go about it all high an mighty and do nothing but get someones back up!

While others seem to coast through life only thinking about themselves.


Which one are you?


I am member of the 1st group.
In a "lets see if I can help you see the error of their ways" moment, I will show you how I do it.

nt0351, Firstly, he had advice from his Dad suggesting this repairer was acceptable, not his boss. So perhaps you weren't reading the posts with an open mind, or at the least, certainly could have missed some 'stuff'.

The OP has come to the realization that perhaps it wasn't too expensive and that perhaps there was some shock in the initial post, having copped a $600 bill he wasn't prepared for.

Any how, onto you.

Any sort of a boss wouldn't have one iota of care to know what a 21yo boy had to say on a forum, they are more concerned with what is happening with their business. So your threats to sack people like this are worthless, because a business owner who focuses on such inane drivel is headed for unemployment himself!

My advice to any perspective staff you may or may not have.
It's time to be moving on!

[JaguarDave]

Originally Posted by MNM96

Some people go about it all high an mighty and do nothing but get someones back up!

nt0351, Firstly, he had advice from his Dad suggesting this repairer was acceptable, not his boss. So perhaps you weren't reading the posts with an open mind, or at the least, certainly could have missed some 'stuff'.

Originally Posted by Day-mow

my boss has used him for years and only speaks good things of westy but im not keen. appreciate your opinion.

You might be trying to help as you said but trying just a little too hard to find fault with other people's quite reasonable points might indicate there is more than one mind that has closed.

We all have opinions one way or the other regarding the original poster's reaction to his bill and just because some of us do not sugar coat them does not make them less valid.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by ratter

Without trying to be rude, you do not know what the mechanic charges as his hourly rate, he may have only charged 2 or possibly 3 hours for that labour charge, and again with out being rude, I take it by your signature that you do building design, what do you charge to do a set of working drawings for possibly a house extension? Do you charge an hourly rate or just a set figure based on job size?

No matter what job you do for a living, some will consider what you charge too dear for just some drawing on paper, it's easy for other to sit back and think how easy soembody elses job is

I appreciate what your trying to say mate. There are a lot of unknowns. perhaps there is some justification in what the mechanic charged. I don't know the full story, I was not there. Other than the fact the OP needed to get this information clear before accepting.

As far as what I charge, it's based on the expected time frame it will take to do the work or a sq.m rate and always a fixed quote up front before any work is done. Any changes to the design during or after the design process is underway is always charged at an hourly rate to cover my time. The client is made aware of this prior to commencing.

I find that it's my duty of care to let the client know what they are up for and if they think my services are too high, they are welcome to shop around. It's rare, but if the job takes me longer than I had quoted for, I cop it on the chin and accept it and not look for alternate ways to swindle the owner out of more cash for my mistake. That is not the way I conduct my work.

I have been thru my far share of mechanics and know basically what they should charge in a round about way. But some of these little added charges the OP has described smell a bit like a underhanded tactic to take advantage of the inexperienced. I hope I'm wrong and I will be happy to accept correction.

[Dave_Obsession]

Originally Posted by nt0351

if you were working for me and posted unfounded dribble about a business i use and recomended to you on a public forum you would be looking for another job!

Massive dislike.

So if somebody who works for you doesn't like the coffee at the local café you recommended to them, would they get the flick too? Ouch.

As you said, it's a public forum. The OP is just offering his take on the situation, which he is perfectly entitled to do in a PUBLIC arena.
Just like any other form of communication, emotions can play their part in what is said - thus the initial post may have been partly due to the emotion of being shocked/frustrated/disappointed with the price he paid.
Upon perhaps realising it may not have been as bad as initially thought (with a little help and analysis from fellow forumites), it seems he has softened his stance. Hardly something to potentially lose one's job over...

It's called life experience, and the OP has just got some more from all of this, which will no doubt serve him well in the future.

[AUIIPURSUIT]

swords down, i think the thread has served its purpose