How is this not robbery?

[LD1]

What would have charged to install a wiper motor in my truck, a 92 F-150?

Maybe a Twenty and a case of beer But I dont have a million dollar business/overhead and a ton of bills to pay either

I think you are missing the point. At least IMO, shops do NOT charge by the hour to repair your vehichle.

Yes they have an hourly rate, and yes they have a book that gives estimated hours to do the job, but thats it. They quote you a flat price to do the job. The only think that "book time" and "hourly rate" do is give the department a fair way to pay employees, and have the ability to give you a firm quote of X dollars to do job Y. And THAT is all you should have been told.

They should have told you "Mr. JJ, it will cost you $135 to install that motor". THAT is IT. If you accept, it shouldnt matter to you or anyone even if it only takes them 15 minutes. But the fact that they slipped up and told you book time is 3 hrs just opened this whole can of worms.

Again, book time isnt how long it will actually take them. It is just a reference to figure out a "FLAT" price per job.

How many customers do you think would let them work on their car if they said " I have no Idea how long it is going to take, we charge $50 per hour, I'll let you know when I am done"? What do you think the techs are going to do on a slow day if that were the structure? Obviously they would probabally milk the job as long as they could, because they dont get paid unless there is a car in front of them.

 

[Leejohn]

JJ I think you said it all right here.



I don't care if some one is speedy or not. Time is money in most things, but you have to do the work for the time.

If I tell you I am going to cut your lawn for $35, that is what you expect? It might take me 30 min, or maybe 2 hours. You get your moneys worth when I finish.

 

[Turbys_1700]

After reading a lot of this thread I have just a few thoughts...
Dealerships are in business to make money...
Personally, I don't think that it is ethical to charge a labor rate for several vehicles at the same time, but I understand maximizing profit...
The main thing is that I don't like surprises and when I am quoted a price for repair that is what I expect within reason...
Personally, the solution to this problem is to find a good local mechanic that has low overhead and charges by the job...
The last job my mechanic did was installing a CV axle in my Buick...
Total cost out the door...
$150...

 

[davygp38]

After reading a lot of this thread I have just a few thoughts...
Dealerships are in business to make money...
Personally, I don't think that it is ethical to charge a labor rate for several vehicles at the same time, but I understand maximizing profit...
The main thing is that I don't like surprises and when I am quoted a price for repair that is what I expect within reason...
Personally, the solution to this problem is to find a good local mechanic that has low overhead and charges by the job...
The last job my mechanic did was installing a CV axle in my Buick...
Total cost out the door...
$150...

I have to agree. I just got my Honda (commuter car) back from the dealer For a complete tune up, and 120000 mile service. The hourly price was $105. I was given a price for the service/tune up, but they found my drive belt was bad, and a transmission mount was broken. The flat rate to change the belt was 1.50 hours. The rate for the tranny mount was 3.2 hours. I paid $1400 for this work. On the other hand my local mechanic charges $60 per hour. He always saves the old part for me. The price quoted, is the price paid, unless there is a major surprise. The problem is that the car companies, especially the Japanese, have an iron grip on their suppliers, and make it almost impossible to get parts. My mechanic advises me to go to the dealer for this reason. I cannot even get an air filter for my car at walmart. I would really like to know more about how Honda, and others have such a strangle hold on the after market parts suppliers. It seems to me that an after market supplier would make a killing off hond parts. I'll bet dollars to donuts that these foreign car companies are doing something shady to allow them to be the only place you can go to get your car fixed.

 

[Car Doc]

92 Ford F-150 wiper moto,r two plug. Thats all.

3 bolts, about 6 screws, raise the cowling, remove the clip on the shaft, replace motor, insert clip, screw the cowling back down, and done.

This post was not meant to rile anybody, but if I ruffled anybody's feathers, I am truly sorry and I hope you have a better day.

I am happy that I got the wipers fixed, but I will never like the price, even though some say that it is general practice.

Hey JJ,

The labor rate according to my Snap-On Shop Key program which is Mitchel labor I am quoting says 1.5 and the factory warrantee time was 1.0 on a new truck. hth I would have charged the 1.5 and if I had broke a bolt etc had **** getting the cowling off etc I would have called you and explained I needed to add more.

edit: Now here is the kicker and is what most of the guys here are saying and its true is they screwed up telling you hours and not just saying an amount and be done there would never be a question. I am NOT sticking up for them gouging you an extra 1.5 w/o and explanation so you know that ok that is something that will bite them in the arse sooner or later!

edit: Like I said earlier I NEVER say hours only an amount it isn't relevant to fixing the car only what does it cost that all anyone needs to know the small details always get people tangled up. fwtw

I have done them but its been so long ago I dont have a comment or opinion on why there is a problem in your case just dont remember?

I agree with you now, if they charged you 3 hours something is not right is all I can say there either is a reasonable explanation why they went over book that far for some other reason that needs explained and you apparently haven't gotten that.

The shops I am aware of that will put peoples parts on and charge them extra labor to do so wouldn't double the book price but they would add a half hour to that job just guessing fwtw.

I am not angry but I and some others here dont like to be lumped into any dis-honest group of people just because they chose to hang a sign out does not make me or any other honest hard working auto technician one of them fyi.

 

[beppington]

The labor rate according to my Snap-On Shop Key program which is Mitchel labor I am quoting says 1.5 and the factory warrantee time was 1.0 on a new truck.

If I understand correctly, you're saying that when the factory's paying for the repair they'll pay for 1.0 hour ... Yet when a customer's paying for the repair we must pay for 1.5 hours (50% more, aka an easy 50% profit boost)

 

[LD1]

I still cant wrap a handle around the $45/hr shop rate though??

But you are correct, if actuall book time is 1.5 hrs, and they did it in 1 hour, that is about right. But charging and telling the customer it is a 3 hr job, something is definatally off.

Inless (and could be a good posibillity) is that they have there shop rate cut in half and are just charging double whatever bood time says. Because a sign that reads $45/hr shop rate looks more appealing than $90/hr shop rate.

Either way, something is definatally wrong with the billing and paperwork. But IMO, the end result is right. $135 to do the job IMO is fair.

How they got to that # is where the problem is. they charged $45/hr x 3hrs

And it should be a more realistic $90/hr x 1.5hrs:thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

If I understand correctly, you're saying that when the factory's paying for the repair they'll pay for 1.0 hour ... Yet when a customer's paying for the repair we must pay for 1.5 hours (50% more, aka an easy 50% profit boost)

Warrenty repairs are usually on newer and lower mileage vehichles. NOT 15 year old vehichles with 200k+miles with 15 years of rust/grime etc.

Working on newer things almost always goes smoother. Fewer broken/stubborn bolts, etc.

 

[Car Doc]

I thought this was kind of interesting in the software for labor rate .

[ Multiple Labor Rates - Have up to 4 different labor rates ]

What is that all about?

one rate for friends

another rate for good looking women

another rate for avg Joe

another rate for someone you don't like.

That is not how the aftermarket labor rates work JJ the factory labor has skill or difficulty ratings and thats where you get your a-b-c-d labor rates.

For a tech the better techs get the a labor jobs and the new tech shool graduate may get c and d labor jobs.

Generally A labor is electronics diagnosis and takes the most skill and pays better and say D labor is brake pads and valve cover gaskets may be C labor if that makes sense to you? You dont want the lube guy diagnosing your check engine lite in other words.

 

[Car Doc]

If I understand correctly, you're saying that when the factory's paying for the repair they'll pay for 1.0 hour ... Yet when a customer's paying for the repair we must pay for 1.5 hours (50% more, aka an easy 50% profit boost)

Whoa get one thing straight here an old car is a whole lot more difficult to work on you have all brand new tractors or what are you not aware of rust and dirt making things harder to take apart? :laughing: