Mechanic shop!!!

[Pentabilly]

Okay, I have brought all my vehicles to this mechanic shop since I've been driving. Never had anything major go wrong with any of my vehicles, so all I've ever had them do was my oil changes and tire rotations...

So, my air conditioner stops blowing cold a few months ago, but it was too cold out for them to do a check on it. So I bring it back to them 2 weeks ago. He gives me a call and says, I have some good news and some bad news. Good news is, I can have it fixed and ready for you today; bad news is it's gonna cost $786 to fix it. I pick up my car and their list of parts/labor and take my car to a friend of mine who is a mechanic.

I don't know if it's just mechanic shops now-a-days or because I'm a woman,(I've always heard myths that the shops see a woman an automatically wanna cahrge more, however, never thought that to be true...until now.) but they highly over charged me.

I not only got the parts that were a good $150 over-priced cheaper, but my friend is going to help me put the parts on for free...or rather, I'm going to help him put the parts on.

All-in-all, I am saving a good $400-500!!!! Labor was a big part of that, but the over-priced parts really disappointed me. I no longer have faith in my what-seemed-to-be awesome shop. I understand the labor charges, but when I realized they over-charged me that much on the parts I lost all faith in them.

I am soooo blessed to have such amazing friends who are willing to help me out!

So...you think shops just charge an arm and a leg period, or is it because they saw some potential extra money walk in the door?

[bayoubikebruiser]

Your shop is just conducting business like any other shop. Your savings on parts is your friend buying them around jobber and not marking them up. You can't get that from ANY shop you just walk into.

Markup is anywhere from 70%-120%-more on materials in mechanics shops. The labor is flat rate, so two things that can be done in 45 minutes together get charged as separate occurrences. I do not doubt that the majority of the total savings is in labor.

Don't hate your shop....they are all alike. Be veeeeeery nice to this mechanic as the mechanic has stirpped away the gnarly veneer of shopdom for your repair and may be a good ally for more of the same in the future.

[Pentabilly]

Oh, I'm definitely cooking him supper and some brownies!!!!


Your shop is just conducting business like any other shop. Your savings on parts is your friend buying them around jobber and not marking them up. You can't get that from ANY shop you just walk into.

Markup is anywhere from 70%-120%-more on materials in mechanics shops. The labor is flat rate, so two things that can be done in 45 minutes together get charged as separate occurrences. I do not doubt that the majority of the total savings is in labor.

Don't hate your shop....they are all alike. Be veeeeeery nice to this mechanic as the mechanic has stirpped away the gnarly veneer of shopdom for your repair and may be a good ally for more of the same in the future.

[scootertrash]

Go buy any part at any part store. Should have a list price and then what you pay.

You buy the part you get a good deal, however go to a shop and you pay list for the part. Then you have to cough up the labor. Which if a shop has a ASE cert. mechanic and you KNOW them you might be ok. I think I would rather lay my nuts out on a bed of fire ant's then to trust some shop doing work on my vehicles. I don't trust them, back home I had buddies with shops and could get parts at cost and all that crap. But it's different story over here. Wish you luck Racheal Ray..... and did you say brownies???????

[Pentabilly]

Lol1 You crack me up...you're right, it's really all about knowing the right people, in every aspect of life.

Are brownies not good enough...should I do pie??



Go buy any part at any part store. Should have a list price and then what you pay.

You buy the part you get a good deal, however go to a shop and you pay list for the part. Then you have to cough up the labor. Which if a shop has a ASE cert. mechanic and you KNOW them you might be ok. I think I would rather lay my nuts out on a bed of fire ant's then to trust some shop doing work on my vehicles. I don't trust them, back home I had buddies with shops and could get parts at cost and all that crap. But it's different story over here. Wish you luck Racheal Ray..... and did you say brownies???????

[bayoubikebruiser]

should I do pie??

I can see this careening downhill in a hurry.... Popcorn2

[Juice]

I vote for that picture that you girls spoke of... That would work for sure....

[Pentabilly]

qwer3 then he might start stalking me...and we haven't done it yet, maybe very soon!!!!! Next girls night out! Rock on!



EDIT: See guys, this is why Juice should be stoned...he gets to read the chic threads, and you don't! BWAHAHAHAHA!


I vote for that picture that you girls spoke of... That would work for sure....

[shortie]

Rach, I feel your pain...

I have had shops give me ridiculous quotes before.... So now I get my dad and uncles to do all my work (and yes, I usually have to sit around and be a gofer all day while they do it)... Usually costs me a day's time, a case of beer, and cost of parts.

[Pentabilly]

Em...PM Juice about the chic thread...why aren't you in there yet???


Rach, I feel your pain...

I have had shops give me ridiculous quotes before.... So now I get my dad and uncles to do all my work (and yes, I usually have to sit around and be a gofer all day while they do it)... Usually costs me a day's time, a case of beer, and cost of parts.

[nickatnite]

Lol1

Are brownies not good enough...should I do pie??



hmmmmmm warm apple pie!!!!!

[shortie]

Em...PM Juice about the chic thread...why aren't you in there yet???

i'm there! lol

[Ritten]

hmmmmmm warm apple pie!!!!!


Home-made or McDonalds??

[scootertrash]

Lol1 You crack me up...you're right, it's really all about knowing the right people, in every aspect of life.

Are brownies not good enough...should I do pie??


Warm Pie and the Pups..... oh man I would blow somthing.. Hit It Cool12 :food; :)

[Pentabilly]

Head Bang We're talking about Racheal Ray here....



Home-made or McDonalds??

[Shakey75]

qwer3 then he might start stalking me...and we haven't done it yet, maybe very soon!!!!! Next girls night out! Rock on!



EDIT: See guys, this is why Juice should be stoned...he gets to read the chic threads, and you don't! BWAHAHAHAHA!
I hate you Juice! :D Not really. I'm kinda scared to know what they talk about in there! lol! Although I have heard about this pic. ;)

[nickatnite]

Home-made or McDonalds??



asdf
dumbass.... It's like grandmaws......

warm and yummy!!! :food;

[Shakey75]

Warm Pie and the Pups..... oh man I would blow somthing..
Eekster :eek:
That just don't sound right Kev. haha.

[minig0d]

and yeah i think shops do try to take advantage of women... Katy needed 2 new tires on Friday and they kept trying to sell her some $150 tire that wouldn't even match the others on her car and that they couldn't get the tires that matched her car for a week... when I found a place that had the exact tire for her car for 97$ mounted and balanced and in town and in stock which happened to be the distributor which the first shop was going to get them... and she called em and they gave her some run around about it...

I've also had I'm not going to mention the name of the dealer but I'll just say its an Isuzu dealership (she had a rodeo) try to mess over my lil sister a few times and she just calls me and hands them the cell phone now and I've caught a few shops trying to play little price games that they would never try to pull on a guy... I mean I will say it may not be completely gender related it could be partially knowledge of car related (which my sister is clueless about)... (for example I've seen those jiffy lube type places try to change air filters that weren't in need of changing bragging about how dirty they were but that wouldn't fly with someone who had a clue and knew the difference between a dirty and a clean one) so its not necesarilly gender related although men stereotypically of course are more mechanically inclined (not saying that there arent women that are too I'm just speaking in general so don't flame me for it)

just some food for thought (to go with the brownies)

[Ritten]

asdf
dumbass.... It's like grandmaws......

warm and yummy!!! :food;



No........THAT....just doesn't sound right!!

[Pentabilly]

+1 Greg

[Katy]

ok, rach, i had the same problem in my suburban last year. the shop tried to say i needed a new AC compressor and a new serpentine belt and all kinds of crap. they said ok, its gonna be $600. i said ok do it. Then they called back, uh no, its gonna be $1200. Well, i called my dad, he said ok do it. I went to go get my car 2 weeks later, they slapped me with a bill of over $4000, said they had to bring in an airplane mechanic to do it... anyway, I called BS, and said they were supposed to let me know in advance of any repair that would be over $300, and they told me $1200.... never told me any more than that. So, we had to dispute it and eventually i dont think they ever got ANY money from us, and I got my shit fixed.

As far as the woman thing, i think it has some merit to it. I'm just glad I keep a man around now, so I can go consult with him first before I make any rash ignorant decisions.

...now go make that man some Brownies!!

[Pentabilly]

That's exactly why I just picked up the car and called my friend. See, men are good for something. :D


ok, rach, i had the same problem in my suburban last year. the shop tried to say i needed a new AC compressor and a new serpentine belt and all kinds of crap. they said ok, its gonna be $600. i said ok do it. Then they called back, uh no, its gonna be $1200. Well, i called my dad, he said ok do it. I went to go get my car 2 weeks later, they slapped me with a bill of over $4000, said they had to bring in an airplane mechanic to do it... anyway, I called BS, and said they were supposed to let me know in advance of any repair that would be over $300, and they told me $1200.... never told me any more than that. So, we had to dispute it and eventually i dont think they ever got ANY money from us, and I got my shit fixed.

As far as the woman thing, i think it has some merit to it. I'm just glad I keep a man around now, so I can go consult with him first before I make any rash ignorant decisions.

...now go make that man some Brownies!!

[scootertrash]

That's exactly why I just picked up the car and called my friend. See, men are good for something. :D

Like there was any doubt about that WTF

[Katy]

That's exactly why I just picked up the car and called my friend. See, men are good for something. :D

yes, they are, especially when you need to lift something heavy.

[HeReaux]

well,i hate to hear these kinda horror stories,but if any of yoouse get in a bind,i have a friend thats ase full stripes,managed autozone for 5 years,knows prices off the top of his head,and is the kind of guy you can call,who is honest enough,and will take the time to tell a total stranger if your being over charged.He's a chevy guru, a master electrician,and also does HVAC. If you find yall need help,i'll pass his # on to ya. ...... cy