Dishonest auto repair shops..

[jimmy40]

If I want to hang out and talk with Junior, the mechanic I normally use, he will let me stay right there in the garage without a problem. If it is a quick fix I will stay there or just right outside the garage but still within site. If it is going to take longer than I drop the car off and come back.

I also don't have to worry about him charging some outrageous price for labor or parts. Heck he says what is wrong and what parts he needs. If I want I can go buy the parts from a parts store and bring them to him or he will go get them at the same price I paid without a markup.

You really do learn to appreciate some things when you are forced to go elsewhere at times.

Junior don't deal with OSHA.

 

[vta]

It's all a scam predicated on keeping you on the tit. Keep coming back keep giving them money. I do a lot of leg work just to find someone honest. I had an old Italian guy who wouldn't even charge me labor for an oil change. Good and honest, but a little slow on repairs. Unfortunately he passed away and I spent a lot of unnecessary money finding the right guy again.

Amazingly a close family friends brother turned out to be the biggest scumbag of them all. Ironically when I was there some girl was complaining about having to keep coming back for problems, but I really didn't think he'd had done that to me. As it stands the dirtbag, ruined my radiator and my exhaust thinking I'd just keep coming back.

The dealership is full of **** as well. A simple oil change turns out to be some big scam that costs me damned near a second car payment for the month, so I ditched them too. I found an Acura certified Italian paisano to do all of my work without the garbage and over priced nonsense.

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

The average person with a broken car is at the mercy of sharks with greasy hands. I took my car in to a local shop because the AC has stopped working, and to get an oil change. The guy called me back and showed me that a rock was lodged in the condenser and it had leaked the freon out.
He then said I would need a new one and it would cost $300.00 just for the part, plus labor. I thanked him and left. A condencer for my car on line is from $72-$94.00.

Going to buy one on line and take to a shop I know in Arkansas at the end of the month and have it installed. Instalation plus evacuating and refilling the AC system should be around $200.00 or less. I hate thieves...

If the shop was buying the condenser from a dealer then that price is really comparable. Aftermarket parts are generally cheaper (in price & quality) and going online you'll probably find them even cheaper (as u seem to have found out) but some may not fit correctly so it can be a crap shoot.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Junior don't deal with OSHA.

You can go to many places and stand outside the bay of the garage and still see what they are doing. Making sure they are not taking 10 minutes to put in a part and then nobody touch your car for 110 other minutes only to get your bill calling for 2 hours of labor.

Heck even if you just get an oil change at a wally world you can stand outside of the garage if you wanted to and watch.

It is a scam by many places that will not let you near the people when they work, not for safety reasons either but because they don't want you to see how much time it actually takes so they can just milk you some extra labor hours. Because there are many times when they will mark up the parts high enough but you still wind up paying just as much, if not more, for the labor.

 

[Seven]

Just had a pool repairman that was recommended to me quote replacing a filter. He has a nice 100% markup on the filter from what I can buy it online for. I'm sure he can get it for less than that if he's buying wholesale.

Never trust anyone you don't know completely when it comes to matters with money.

Retail industry standard is a 110% markup.

 

[Seven]

Junior don't deal with OSHA.

Isn't that a little town in Wisconsin?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Isn't that a little town in Wisconsin?

Do they have OSHA in Kenosha?

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

You can go to many places and stand outside the bay of the garage and still see what they are doing. Making sure they are not taking 10 minutes to put in a part and then nobody touch your car for 110 other minutes only to get your bill calling for 2 hours of labor.

Heck even if you just get an oil change at a wally world you can stand outside of the garage if you wanted to and watch.

It is a scam by many places that will not let you near the people when they work, not for safety reasons either but because they don't want you to see how much time it actually takes so they can just milk you some extra labor hours. Because there are many times when they will mark up the parts high enough but you still wind up paying just as much, if not more, for the labor.

Mechanics get paid by "book hours" so if the job calls for 2 hours and the tech does it in 30mins, then it is what it is. Most of the experienced ones find shortcuts to doing a job if he's done it enough times so it's rare that a repair is going to take them as much time as the book suggests.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Mechanics get paid by "book hours" so if the job calls for 2 hours and the tech does it in 30mins, then it is what it is. Most of the experienced ones find shortcuts to doing a job if he's done it enough times so it's rare that a repair is going to take them as much time as the book suggests.

What it means is...If I catch the mechanic taking 20 minutes and charging 2 hours than he gets a book in his arse. :laugh2:

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

What it means is...If I catch the mechanic taking 20 minutes and charging 2 hours than he gets a book in his arse. :laugh2:

 

[YosemiteSam]

What it means is...If I catch the mechanic taking 20 minutes and charging 2 hours than he gets a book in his arse. :laugh2:

I think you mean BUCKshot in his arse.

 

[Jon88]

I had a clutch put in my old truck and the idiots charged me an extra $50 because it was so hard to get to with the seating and carpet. If it had been now I wouldn't have paid and would've made them feel bad for even thinking about doing that.

 

[CF74]

If the Dr says you need open heart surgery you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, why not do the same when car repairs quoted are high?

 

[Jon88]

If the Dr says you need open heart surgery you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, why not do the same when car repairs quoted are high?

I know a guy that saved over $2,000 doing that.

 

[vta]

If the Dr says you need open heart surgery you get a 2nd or 3rd opinion, why not do the same when car repairs quoted are high?

If it's extended suggestions, like breaks and tires you can just tell them you can't swing that right now, but sometimes it's worse. More often than not your car is pretty much opened up in their shop, time is of the essence and the idea that they might do something to it that they shouldn't occurs. Like up above with the knife cut.

Sometimes you can just drive away, other times they have you over a barrel with a debilitated car. I hate the dealer, but in a pinch I'll go, rather than take it to someone I'm not familiar with. They'll concoct some BS, but they won't damage your car intentionally.

 

[CliffnDallas]

If the shop was buying the condenser from a dealer then that price is really comparable. Aftermarket parts are generally cheaper (in price & quality) and going online you'll probably find them even cheaper (as u seem to have found out) but some may not fit correctly so it can be a crap shoot.

I have decided to buy the condenser from Autozone. It's a little more expensive than buying on line, but at least I can return/exchange it if there's a problem.

Cant wait for the cool air to flow once again!

 

[Jon88]

I have decided to buy the condenser from Autozone. It's a little more expensive than buying on line, but at least I can return/exchange it if there's a problem.

Cant wait for the cool air to flow once again!

Oh man you would die over here. We're up to the mid 90s already.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I know a guy that saved over $2,000 doing that.

I saved a ton getting my old VW inspected. They wanted to charge over 2,000 at this one spot, and I got it done for like 200 at my neighborhood Precision Tune Auto Care.

 

[CliffnDallas]

If it's extended suggestions, like breaks and tires you can just tell them you can't swing that right now, but sometimes it's worse. More often than not your car is pretty much opened up in their shop, time is of the essence and the idea that they might do something to it that they shouldn't occurs. Like up above with the knife cut.

Sometimes you can just drive away, other times they have you over a barrel with a debilitated car. I hate the dealer, but in a pinch I'll go, rather than take it to someone I'm not familiar with. They'll concoct some BS, but they won't damage your car intentionally.

I hate to think this shop would "do some thing" to create work. But I'm damn sure going to look at the old part and see if it was a rock, or say a screwdriver.

 

[CliffnDallas]

Oh man you would die over here. We're up to the mid 90s already.

It's in the same here in Dallas.