Trimmer repair.....

[itsmecindi]

I dropped my trimmer off at a Snapper dealership in town to have the primer bubble replaced. I was warned that this particular repair shop was expensive, so I made sure to get an estimate before I left. I was quoted not over twenty dollars.

There was a man in the shop dropping off a piece of equipment to be looked at. He kept stressing,....do NOT repair this without calling me with a price. The last time you fixed something for me you did unauthorized repairs and expected me to pay the difference. I figured since he was making a scene and I did get an estimate that I should be okay.

WRONG!

They callled this morning to let me know that the trimmer was ready. I don't know why I asked, but I wanted to know the amount of the bill. It should have been covered with a twenty dollar bill, right? 39.50.

This is double what I was quoted. I complained and the woman said, 'I'm sorry he should have called first'. She claims he found a leak in the gas tank, replaced a hose and the gasoline filter, which I just had replaced at the end of last year. I saw the repair ticket. It said.....replace primer bubble. It did not authorize any other repairs and had 20.00 or under written on it. What would you do?

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What would you do? )</font>

I'd hand them the estimate that they gave you, along with the $20.00, and thank them for repairing something they didn't have authorization to fix. I'd remind them that a reputable repair shop would have called you about the "extra" problems before proceeding with the repairs. Assuming ( /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif ) they accept this, thank them on your way out and let them know you won't be back!

 

[itsmecindi]

Oh they were real apologetic on the phone...so sorry...blah blah blah....but the fact that there was another person in there complaining about the exact same thing when I dropped it off clues me to the fact that this is a regular type event. They are the only small engine repair shop in town, the next one if five miles away, which is not far, and I should have taken it back there, but I pass this place every day and I figured I couldn't go wrong with an advance price. How much can a primer bubble cost?

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How much can a primer bubble cost? )</font>

I don't think it matters how much the primer bubble cost. I think what really matters is the way this place does business. It appears that it is a common practice of this repair shop to perform unauthorized work. And until enough people complain about it, they will continue to do this. They may "give in" to the occassional customer who raises a stink, but if most of the customers just complain a little and then go ahead pay what the shop is charging, then the shop has an incentive to continue this practice.

I would take a few minutes and call the local Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce, or whatever you have in your area, and lodge a formal complaint against the business. If enough people do this, then some "agency" may be able to get to this business and get them to modify their methods of doing business.

Of course, this is just my opinion! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Currmudgeon]

What are the consumer laws in your neck of the woods?

Of course, you could refuse to pay. Then you have no trimmer. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I'd complain to the BBB and to whatever name- brands he sells. Tell them you're considering taking them off your approved vendor list (One unit every 17 years /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif ) because of his disreputable behaviour.

You could take him to small claims court for the difference. Claim some time lost as well. The victory there, would not be the twenty bucks, it would be his cost of having to go to court.

You could challenge him to a duel. Rapiers at midnight behind the school. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[GaryM]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You could challenge him to a duel. Rapiers at midnight behind the school. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif )</font>

How about trimmers at midnight. You could give him a "whippin".

 

[DUMBDOG]

You did not say if you received a written estimate.

Once a person gets into a job, and sees related items that need replacing in the same area, primer bulb, gas line and fuel tank leaking, it seems easier at the time to just do the job, it takes longer to call, sometimes it takes several calls to get through, than to do the job.

If the trimmer was sent out with a leaking gas tank, and there was a problem the first person who gets the blame is the person who repaired it last. not the person who did not want it repaired.

It is not easy being in business, working on small things where the total sale is twenty dollars or less, where the total time spent writing up the order, making all of the calls that the customer wants, the overhead time costs more than what the repair was.

Granted the fourty dollar repair bill was more than likely a third of the cost of replacing the trimmer, that is why a lot of consumer items that we deal with are now disposable.

 

[Bird]

David, I certainly agree with you about the time to call, multiple calls needed sometimes, extra paperwork, etc., and the folks who repaired Cindi's trimmer may have thought they were doing the right thing. However, I've worked in some repair businesses myself and when I gave someone an estimate, the final bill might be less than the estimate, but was never going to be a penny more than the original estimate without the customer's prior approval.

When I was working in my brother's tire dealership/garage in Anchorage, I gave a guy an unwritten estimate for a job, and it so happened that I was out of the office when he came and picked up his vehicle and paid for it. That evening when I was adding up the day's business, I came across that invoice and it was $3 more than I had told the guy. The mechanic had to replace one part I had not included, and the customer didn't tell my brother about the estimate I had given. So I called the guy and asked whether he wanted to stop by and pick up the $3 or whether he wanted it mailed to him. When I tell someone what I'll do and for how much, that's the way it is, whether I make money or lose money, and I expect the same from others.

Many years ago, the automobile repair business in Dallas had so many complaints about the situation that Cindi had that they passed a city ordinance that written estimates are required if requested by the customer and the final bill cannot exceed the written estimate by more than 10% without the customer's prior approval. Unfortunately, that ordinance doesn't apply to anything but automobile repairs.

 

[itsmecindi]

The way I was raised, if you quoted someone a price, that's what they paid, even if you messed up and had to eat a loss. Doing unauthorized repairs is the same as spendng someone else's money.

I gave these folks my cell phone number and it's always on and has a voice mail feature.

I hate to make enemies, and if I go in there and call them on it and they try to keep my trimmer that's exactly what is going to happen because you can bet my next weekly column is going to be about disreputable business practices and hidden charges and unauthorized repairs.

What gets me is that I know the tank wasn't leaking the last time I used it, course it could have sprung a leak, but it galls me that the repair bill is twice what I was quoted. I did not get a copy of the repair form, but I could swear that I saw him write 20.00 on the ticket. Just before he wrote down my phone number. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I have a feeling I won't decide exactly what to do until I get in there tomorrow. I want to see the repair slip first.

 

[Oregon_Rob]

A couple of thoughts come to mind.
What they did is wrong and short sighted.
It’s hard to stay in business doing $10 repairs.
They need to find a better way to do business, if they aren’t willing to work on anything for less than $40, say so by setting a minimum charge of $40.
I had a shop do similar things to me with our cars. I don’t go there anymore.
Small engines are easy to work on, there are probably plenty of guys around working out of their garages that could fix it just as well, if you can find them.