Rip off? I don't think so ........

[Father Ted]

My independant would have charged more.

And I would have paid it.

 

Want to know why?

 

Because he is good. He never billy bullshits me, he shows me stuff if its a problem (no issues about having a mooch under the car up on the ramp) he will accommodate me if its an emergency, he will work late if I need the car back that day, he will lend me his car if I need a car and he always has some interesting chod in the yard or barn and has time for a five minute natter about cars and bikes.

Hes thinking of retiring in the next couple of years. I'll be bloody heartbroken. I mean its likely that Paul (his junior) will take over and be every bit as good and accommodating. But it just wont be the same.

 

So, No £338 for something like that isnt taking the piss.

[maxpower]

Your prices sound more reasonable than my local independent garage.

 

well they would do wilko if you are wanting a quote to repair the van in your avatar

[Wilko220]

Your prices sound more reasonable than my local independent garage.

 

well they would do wilko if you are wanting a quote to repair the van in your avatar

 

 

Indeed! I'm pleased to say that my Sherpa is slightly less rusty than that!

 

But I have to agree with Father Ted above. Cheapest isn't always necessarily best - you want a garage you can trust and who you know will go the extra mile for you. Mine does and I'm happy to pay what they charge.

[michael1703]

What Mr_Bo11ox said - I'd hate to run a garage that deals with old cars.

 

I run a classic car garage/restoration business

 

I just fell out with a customer over a £315 bill, the best thing ive done, he has had good work for pennies over the last year and when he spluttered at the bill, I told him he could have it for free, take the shitty car and fuck off and never darken my door.

 

He then made a b line for my card machine and gave me more than I was asking for and just gave me a selection of cheese and crackers and a bottle of Martini as a christmas present... result

 

I only charge £30 per hour as I am a one man band

[Albert Ross]

We charge £70 Plus the Vodka, for an hour, retail, and I go the extra mile. I tested a car on Saturday, which failed on a tyre and a bent rim. Unfortunately, the spare was bald. Couldn't get hold of the customer, parts dept. about to close (Main Dealer) So I made certain I had new rim to one side, but ffered the idea of eplcing just 2 tyres instead, and popping the bent wheel as the spare. At the eleventh hour (58th minute really) the customer reappeared, turned out to be a Soldier in the same Regiment as my Son. He had to travel 200 miles the next day, and no chance of a retest. So I clocked off, fitted the tyres, and did his retest. (The receptionist had already taken his payment) I don't think he has EVER received customer service like this. He was genuinely surprised I should want to do this for him. I was glad to help him, after all, he is going out to a War Zone soon..... It was the least I could do.

[CreepingJesus]

£388 for that work's no rip-off. Altho', if it were me in my garage days, (or the independent I use now) he'd have had a flea in his ear about the state of the prop bearing. I'd have made sure he was in no doubt just how unsafe it could be.

[HBR]

I have to agree, the price for the work seems entirely reasonable & the only possible fault lies with not realising the customer's expectations (and it would seem the customer is of touch with such matters)

The car hasn't seen any maintainance in far too long & it's unknown to you so would need more looking at than a car you see often.

 

I fixed the sticky boot lock on a mate's girlfriend's car recently & around the same time someone my brother knows had an identical fault on the same model car but a genration newer sorted at the main dealer. My mate's girl's car just needed some linkage freed up which took around an hour, the other I couldn't say & it is a younger model so may be different but we are just talking about a sticky boot lock. I got my ticket to a dinner dance we're all going to paid for, would have cost £25. The newer car at the main dealer? £400! Did they fit a new tailgate?!!!

[eddyramrod]

It was the least I could do.

 

Standing ovation for Albert! You did exactly right by the lad, well done sir! Come on over to Barrow for a cuppa next winter...

[Guest]

I have distant family in Jersey, and they're all loaded. Having visited I know how dear servicing is on cars there. My C4 costs £240 for my indie place to do it. The main dealer would want at least £300 and would then ring me up on the make with problems that didn't exist. The one time it went in there (because WATANABE_FATHER had used it for ages and very kindly had it serviced for me) they rang me because I was collecting it. The conversation went something like

 

Citroen Garage: 'Mr Burgess, Mr Burgess, well, we've done your car but it needs quite a bit of extra work.'

 

Me: 'What, actually needs doing or are you just short for the staff do this Christmas?'

 

CG: 'Well no, we've looked at your shock absorbers....'

 

Me:[cuts CG short] 'Why have you been looking at my shock absorbers? My dad asked you to service it.'

 

CG:[cuts back in] 'Well, we tested them [somehow] and they're 90% worn!'

 

Me:Ooh well, bloody hell......

 

CG:Well, yes, if you want them d-[gets cut off]

 

Me: Hang on, that means there's 10% left. I can just lose some weight instead. Anything else?'

 

CG: Well, your track rod ends need doing.

 

Me: Do they? Did you used to work for Kwik Fit?

 

CG: Er, no. Your track rods need doing.

 

Me: No.

 

CG: Well, they're very worn.

 

Me: What, after two months? The two month old track rod ends that I still have the receipt for fitting that I bought from your parts department have worn out? OK.

Anything else?

 

CG: The technician says your wiper needs replacing.

 

Me: The arm or the blade?

 

CG: The wiper.

 

Me: Specific. Do you like my Brembo brakes? I had them put on when your shite OEM rotors carked on me.

 

CG: The technician says your brake discs and pads are 95% worn. You can have new ones fitted for £350 plus VAT.

 

Me: I can get 288 mm discs from a Xantia V6 fitted for less than half that.

 

CG: But your brakes really need doing.

 

Me: Nah, they're fine. I'll come and get it now. I think your technician would have a good shout at the Booker Prize for Outstanding Works Of Fiction.

 

 

Anyway, £388 sounds fair.

[Pete-M]

In a proper service they will look at your shock absorbers and stuff, Jon. They'd be utterly shit if they didn't.

 

Also, did they say track rods or track rod ends? They could be on about the rack ends - which do need doing on yours. That's what that play is.

 

Proper service is a lot more than an oil and filters change.

[gtd2000]

 

Proper service is a lot more than an oil and filters change.

 

Unfortunately, in many cases that's exactly what you are paying 250 quid for

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Hence why I have been known to take newly purchased shite to the main dealer for an 'interim service'. Invariably, the following week something would go wrong (e.g. split hose- haven't had anything really serious happen as yet) and the dealer would end up receiving a letter heavy on legalese and comments about how it could have been a safety-critical component, and coerced into doing a few repairs "as a gesture of goodwill" in order to avoid media attention and potential legal claims.

[gtd2000]

Hence why I have been known to take newly purchased shite to the main dealer for an 'interim service'. Invariably, the following week something would go wrong (e.g. split hose- haven't had anything really serious happen as yet) and the dealer would end up receiving a letter heavy on legalese and comments about how it could have been a safety-critical component, and coerced into doing a few repairs "as a gesture of goodwill" in order to avoid media attention and potential legal claims.

 

Sounds not unlike a pending situation with a KIA Picanto that I know

[cobblers]

Hence why I have been known to take newly purchased shite to the main dealer for an 'interim service'. Invariably, the following week something would go wrong (e.g. split hose- haven't had anything really serious happen as yet) and the dealer would end up receiving a letter heavy on legalese and comments about how it could have been a safety-critical component, and coerced into doing a few repairs "as a gesture of goodwill" in order to avoid media attention and potential legal claims.

 

 

Seriously? that sounds pretty low. Just have a look under the bloody car yourself if you are unsure! christ

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Cor, you sound like just the sort of person I never want to meet.

[gtd2000]

Anything to avoid the hammer and socket routine is probably good advice

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I think both of you have inferred that I would deliberately damage things or actively do something in order to catch them out. When buying something without much history, there is just too much to inspect properly. Better to pay someone to do it in a systematic fashion. Some (not many) dealers actually do what they are supposed to do and you end up with a massive list of things that could do with fixing or keeping an eye at. That's fair enough, and I respect them for it (and if their prices are reasonable, I will let them do the work, too). However, should they choose to charge for inspecting things without actually doing it, I can't see why I should let them get away with it!

[fiatdaft]

Buy better then?

[dollywobbler]

Yes but sadly it comes across as you not being arsed to check a car yourself, and finding it much more fun to send a car to a dealer, get it back then dig out the legal bollocks to get them to fix whatever it is they could have missed. Sadly that's typical of today - don't take responsibility for your own actions, but find someone you can blame instead.

[trigger]

I took my Focus i had at the time to my local Ford garage for a 60k service (It had full Ford history i was planning on keeping it that way), I paid my £180, Got the car back later that day, and found out that all they done was change the oil, everything else was a check, they even had the cheek to tell me i need two new front tyres even though there was over 2.5mm of thread left.

 

I threw a strop and took my complimentary mints and never went back again.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I obviously check the basics on everything that I buy...However, I have never had a proper-sized garage, and when I need to do something it's usually raining, I'm suffering from manflu, the wheelnut is stuck, the 'removable' washer bottle isn't going anywhere and I give up after losing my skin trying to fit a lightbulb etc...Plus I am not a big fan of main dealers (because, in addition to being mega-expensive, they are usually nasty organisations without much of a commitment to aftersales or developing their own staff and have often left me high and dry with orders for parts taking weeks to arrive, 'full' services consisting of an oilchange using the wrong oil etc), so it gets two birds with one stone.

 

Buying better is not an option...It's not so much to do with money- autoshite is a way of life!

[gtd2000]

If you want a low cost check without the dealer prices it's probably an idea (not a recommendation) to take you car for an advertised special "oil change" or such like at places like Kwik Fit.

 

They will be all over the car looking for work to be done - that would give you some guidance as to what no longer "looks like new"

 

Failing that, just book the car in for a discounted price MOT and await the grocery list of problems that accompany it

 

Kwik Fit also does these for 35 quid if you book online.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

That's a tenner too much- Kwik-fit being expensive, as usual!

 

The amount of checks included in a properly-conducted service can be pretty massive...That, and the comeback that you have in case they get it wrong, is why dealer prices can represent decent value when dealing with something that's a bit of an unknown quantity and that you're hoping to keep for a while.

[Cavcraft]

Not the first time 'Kwik Fit' and 'rip off' have been mentioned in the same breath.

[Rocket88]

We check bloody everything! Every gaiter, hose, bush, joint etc etc, List of defects on that Merc read like War and Peace, none of it particularly expensive, but all stuff that 5 years neglect reveals. Most of the front suspension bushes are shot, one front brake caliper is sticky, prop joint is fragged, thermostat housing is weeping, one front brake flexy is getting crispy etc etc etc. Just checking a car properly, including removal of all four wheels, is at least an hours' work.

It's all very well saying"do the minimum to keep it going and make it safe", but finding what does need doing, especially on one of those Mercs, which have a habit of soldiering on even when completely banjaxed. We were in two minds to even let the customer drive it away, given the state of the propshaft joint. If that lets go, the consequences could be nasty.

Did I mention we loaned him a car for two days as well?

[Felly Magic]

A loan car as well???? Now he is taking the friggin piss , moaning like that. Some garages charge at least £75 for a courtesy car now!

[Rocket88]

A loan car as well???? Now he is taking the friggin piss , moaning like that. Some garages charge at least £75 for a courtesy car now!

 

Funnliy enough, given your avatar, it was an Octavia estate.........

[Pete-M]

It's a strange old situation for garages.

 

Some folk wander into non-franchised garages thinking that "mechanics are the motoring worlds equivalent of a burger flipping droid. They're mechanics, so they can fix it. Mechanics don't work in an office and wear a suit so they can't be that clever, I've read on the internet that the problem is this, so I'll tell the mechanic how to do it. He'll thank me for my helpful advice and charge me £5. What is a head gasket anyway? Can't be expensive. These guys don't even have any plate glass and chrome, or even a receptionist. It's some dreadful oik with an oily, hand rolled cigarette who grunts and takes my keys. I make him wash his hands and fit seat covers and those paper floor towels. Have to take all my cds out and empty the coins from the ashtray. He'd go on holiday listening to my Simply Red collection". These people are wankers. They're not worth bothering with. They simply DO NOT UNDERSTAND what is going on. They only know the car needs a service because it tells them with the "little light with the red can. The one that means it needs a new engine again". They'll always moan about the bill, then appear a week before the next MOT with a box of shortbread.

[Bren]

I got a free oil change from kwik fit with my insurance. Never again.....

 

A filter change was included, however they told me that the housing was done up too tight, so they could'nt change it. Funny, I managed to do it when I got home.

 

Engine overfilled, and the lid off the bottle was left under the bonnet.

[oldford]

£388 doesn't sound too far out for the amount of work, not knowing the tax rules in Jersey, I assume that this figure does contain an element of tax as well.

 

Been getting a few calls at work lately ' How much for a service?', after 20 questions ascertaining the vehicle, mileage and previous service history and then giving a price, it invariably gets countered with 'XXXX will do a service and MOT for £150'. When you say what sort of service do you exoect for £80, they get all confused and say I said £150. Some basic maths later, subtract £50 for the MOT, leaves £100, take off £20 that the VAT man wants and your left with £80.

 

If they still can't see it, good luck to them when they're attempting to change a wheel at the side of the road and then find out that the wheel is corroded to the hub.