Mechanic crazy fees

[matthewb0051]

I have a few Land Rovers. I can do most of the work myself but at times need to take it to the mechanic, a Land Rover only independent shop. For example, my 2001 Range Rover front axle seals were leaking following ball joint replacements. It takes a specialist tool that runs around $2k IIRC and it isn't readily available. They adjust a collet at the bottom of spindle and get the half-shaft properly aligned top to bottom.

While it was there, I also asked them to look at the Y-Pipe as to O2 sensors were stuck. They got them out but threads were damaged. Claimed they couldn't find a bung to weld in place. The Y-Pipe with two cats is $699 retail. They quoted me around $950 for the part and informed me that they are 40% markup on parts. They didn't even have a wholesale agreement with the place that carries the part (I use that company as well). I ended up getting it shipped to me for $750 and will do it in my garage. Actually, I ordered it from Company B, which got it wholesale from Company A and had it dropped shipped from Co A. Genius, since Co B made a quick $100 for just taking an order.

The fee that really puzzles me is their credit card fee. My bill for the axle work was a bit over $1,200. They charged $43 as a credit card fee. I asked the kid at the desk why I was paying credit card fee since the card was a debit card. Logic in my mind. He said that any time the card reader is used there is a fee.

Isn't the credit card fee just a cost of them doing business and shouldn't they just roll it up in their hourly rate? BTW, hourly is $195 now. I'm sure if I had walked in with $1,300 in cash they wouldn't have been able to make change and likely wouldn't have accepted, ditto for a check. It just seems a bit over the top to charge a fee just for making payment.

Don't get me started on shop supplies fee, which seems to be everywhere. Honestly.

[911 Rod]

I pay 4% in credit card fees and my policy is to charge the 4% if a credit card is used on an order over $250. I usually don't charge it, but it is on their invoice so hopefully they ready it and pay another way. The reason I do this is because I got tired of people bragging about the bonus points they get on their personal card and their business will reimburse them. It's me paying for your bonus points!
You got scammed on the debit card. I pay I think 10 cents when a debit card is used for any amount.

[Tobra]

CC company charges them a fee, they charge you a fee. Depending on where you are, it is illegal for them to charge you more than the CC company charges them.

[javadog]

Vehicle service costs have gotten out of hand and often the quality isn't what it used to be.

I do all my own work now and I'll limit future car purchases to used cars that facilitate my working on them.

[aschen]

Credit card fees are a bad look for a buisness IMHO. It is somewhat better to have a cash discount, but still cost of business as you say.

I had an upholstery shop knock like 30% off a bill for cash. My assumption is they don't want to report the income. I don't like doing business with places that are don't value honesty.

Shop work is expensive in general though so none of your numbers suprise me.

[Steve Carlton]

Around here a seller has to disclose if they charge a cc fee or maybe offer a discount for cash. I've heard some debit cards charge the vendor as much as a cc card. I usually use a cc if there's no surcharge or discount, as it's nice to get a discount when I buy something on Amazon.

[Zeke]

What does it cost for things like Apple of Google pay to the vendor? I picked up a computer today from the shop and paid $9 in fees. I asked what are the alt payments accepted? Cash. What world is he living in?

I'm old and even I'm carrying a lot less cash around. I went to a walk-up out side bar in a food court that sold beer. They took no cash. For 7 bucks they don't take cash? WTF in both situations.

Oh, but the beer place had a tip jar. Fooking stupid. That's where a large % of tips come from, change. Really fooking stupid.

[JackDidley]

Any muffler shop should have the O2 bungs in stock. I think they charge about $20 to weld one in.

[ryans65]

195/ hr is cheap too by the way, there's dealers in jacksonville charging 270+ and I've heard some in south florida over 300.

[Chocaholic]

Just paid $942 to have a 5” scratch repaired in the gel coat of our boat. Took my breath away.

[David]

My wife took her Panamera in for service recently. They said it was due for an oil change, brake fluid flush and cabin air filter. I told them I'd do brake and cabin filter, you do the oil change. Oil change was $629.99!!! Then while it's there they said it's due for the 40K mile transmission flush even though it only has 28K miles because it's 4 years old. I said no. So what did they want for brake fluid flush, cabin air filter, engine air filter replacement, oil change, flat tire repair fluid, and transmission fluid exchange? $4,957.62!!! I love Porsche's but I think I'm done with new ones.

[javadog]

How is any of this sustainable?

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by ryans65

195/ hr is cheap too by the way, there's dealers in jacksonville charging 270+ and I've heard some in south florida over 300.

Wow, my local shop is $130/hr but there are some repairs they aren't equipped to handle.

[ryans65]

It's not. This the is result of kids being told to put on a suit and tie and get an office job rather than learn a trade though. Now your skilled trades cost an eye watering amount.

[ckcarr]

I do my own general maintenance on my cars & motorcycle fleet however sometimes it's too much.

I just paid a $4,300 repair bill on my Rubicon... plus an additional $1,000 for all fluids changed.
At the last second I saw the little sign taped to the desktop.. We charge a 3% credit card fee. That was a little more than $150 on top...

Oh well... As Frank Sinatra sang "That's life"

[Shaun @ Tru6]

IMHO shops should be adding $10/hour to their rate vs charging a fee for CC use.

I'm all for charging $200/hour for quality work, the fee seems like a gotcha more than covering their overhead costs.

[Zeke]

Anything approaching 200/hr here would not last long unless they were very efficient and charging actual time vs. book time. it seems this is where dealers get the bad rep. They have a book time listed for almost every job. They bill the manufacturer book time. I'm not sure what the payment arrangement between the factory and the dealer is and we may never know the whole story.

But you go in after the warranty is past and pay that rate. At 8K to rebuild or replace a Macan front differential is why I did not buy another Porsche brand vehicle. Where I go now I saw a model 992 glass Targa roof being repaired. The glass panel was out. The shop appears to charge 130/hr and estimated 8 hours for the job plus parts. I can't imagine what a dealer would get for that. The complete top ass'y is somewhere over 15K but I think they were doing a motor and seals. Still, a dealer would be too expensive for the value of this 992. I read that total R an R for that roof was booked at 15 hours.

Note, a quick perusing of a Rennlist thread told of dealer rates from mid 200's to over 400/hr. IDT an indie would last long at those rates. I could be wrong.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Anything approaching 200/hr here would not last long unless they were very efficient and charging actual time vs. book time. it seems this is where dealers get the bad rep. They have a book time listed for almost every job. They bill the manufacturer book time. I'm not sure what the payment arrangement between the factory and the dealer is and we may never know the whole story.

When I was a dealer, the shoe was on the manufacturer's foot to get us paid for warranty work. They had their own times for work that was done and it was roughly 2/3 of the published times for customer pay work that all dealers used. Companies like Mitchell determined how long a particular job should take and good mechanics often beat those times. Not so for the warranty times. My best mechanics could approach those times after doing a particular job maybe ten times but the lesser ones never got there. And, that didn't allow for pulling the car in, figuring out the work needed, getting approval and getting parts and then testing the car after it was finished. You could sometimes get a little diagnosis time and things like that but you really had to know all the ins and outs of the manufacturers system to find a few tenths here and there. We actually had a guy come around weekly to process our warranty claims for us. It's all he did, one dealer after another.

Everybody hated warranty work.

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by javadog

Vehicle service costs have gotten out of hand and often the quality isn't what it used to be.

I do all my own work now and I'll limit future car purchases to used cars that facilitate my working on them.

I've had a used Rotary twinpost, asymetric lift for about 10 years - best tool I ever bought, ($1000), installed myself, stole the power from the hot tub circuit.

Part of the repair cost is the need for special tools, training, stocking parts, insurance and dealing with the growing complexity of bells and whistles, (radar proximity/warning, back up cameras,built in gps, infotainment.......................)

Attorneys are charging $400/hr.

74 911 hot rod, 77 ferrari 308, 95MB E320, (worst car we have ever owned), two toyota 2001 pick ups, 2wd and 4wd.

cheers,
chris

[Arizona_928]

Remember folks, if you pull out 3 grand or more from your banking account and/or purchase money orders within the same day, the bank sends a report with your info to federales for suspected money laundering.