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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / General Car Topics / October 2006Shop Fees!... Lets put an end to it!
We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the country these past 10 or 15 years or so. I just today visited my local NTB tire shop to get a front end alignment priced at $89, but when I get the bill that $89 turned into $98. I looked at the bill and thought when did they start charging tax on labor??? I looked a little closer and forgot that I had just been played again with the old shop fee scam! If its going to cost me $98 for a front end alignment then advertise it at $98, dont advertise it at $89 and then switch it to $98 when its time to pay up. Shouldnt there be a law on such scams? Isn't it time that consumers got together to force these crooks to cut out this bullshit scam? > We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you > know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Shouldnt there be a law on such scams? Isn't it time that consumers got > together to force these crooks to cut out this bullshit scam? Many/most state and local governments now-a-days charge tax on labor and services rendered. Someone has to pay it. On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 05:25:06 GMT, "« Paul »" <" « Paul » "@houston.rr.com> wrote: >> We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you >> know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Many/most state and local governments now-a-days charge tax on labor and >services rendered. Someone has to pay it. There's been a sales tax on labor in New Jersey since the sales tax was imposed. It was in the middle 60s, IIRC. >We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you >know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Shouldnt there be a law on such scams? Isn't it time that consumers got >together to force these crooks to cut out this bullshit scam? You think you got ripped for the shop fee, Ha! I say that they ripped you off right from the word go. I live about 90 minutes from NYC (The middle of Manhatten that is) and I only pay around $45 for an alignment. They only take about a half an hour. The last one I had done a couple of months ago took 1-1/2 hours to do some out of the ordinary adjustments and still only cost me $45. Find yourself another shop and stop getting ripped off. ...Ron -- 68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert I live about 90 minutes from NYC (The > middle of Manhatten that is) ... so you'd think you could spell 'Manhattan'. In Texas, such a practice would be a violation of the deceptive trade practices act and would be punishable. If you say it, you have to do it... In this state you cannot charge a surcharge for payment by credit card, BUT you can give a discount for cash. Sounds like the same thing, but if you think it through, it isnt. You got humped on the alignment fee anyway. I pay about $50 at the local alignment shop. All depends on where you are. The last alignment I got cost me $120CDN. > In Texas, such a practice would be a violation of the deceptive trade > practices act and [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > alignment > shop. > All depends on where you are. The last alignment I got cost me $120CDN. Certainly possible. The market wont support that here. If you have the opportunity to shop around, better prices can normally be found. > > All depends on where you are. The last alignment I got cost me $120CDN. > > Certainly possible. The market wont support that here. If you have the > opportunity to shop around, better prices can normally be found. This was only recently. I can remember about 5 years ago getting my alignment checked for $10. If any adjustment was necessary they charge you $30. Then, out of the blue, it jumped to $50 and then not one year later it was up to $80. Two years after that and I'm paying $120 for a full front end alignment or $80 for just a toe adjustment. Over the same time period shop rates have gone from $40/hr to $90/hr. All Canadian Dollars of course. Currently $1.00US = $1.20CDN wow, locally tis approx 45cdn for a 2 wheel and 55 for a 4 wheel alignment >> > All depends on where you are. The last alignment I got cost me $120CDN. >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Over the same time period shop rates have gone from $40/hr to $90/hr. All > Canadian Dollars of course. Currently $1.00US = $1.20CDN Must be nice. Last time I checked my locan Canadian Tire, it was $79.99 just for the front 2. > wow, locally tis approx 45cdn for a 2 wheel and 55 for a 4 wheel alignment > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> Over the same time period shop rates have gone from $40/hr to $90/hr. All >> Canadian Dollars of course. Currently $1.00US = $1.20CDN i wouldn't bring mine to CT even if it was free > Must be nice. Last time I checked my locan Canadian Tire, it was $79.99 > just for the front 2. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >>> All >>> Canadian Dollars of course. Currently $1.00US = $1.20CDN Lol. Join the club. I was just giving the price :-P But even most of the local shops are around $59 - $79 here. Then again, I haven't checked in a long time. >i wouldn't bring mine to CT even if it was free > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >>>> All >>>> Canadian Dollars of course. Currently $1.00US = $1.20CDN This all assumes you get a proper 4 wheel alignment no matter what the cost. Many shops doing cut rate alignmnets do not set the rear toe and camber if adjustable, they set the toe only and down the road. I would ask for a before and after printout when done. Thats the way we do it in my shop55-75, more for Ford or Gm trucks that require addt'l work for camber changes. >> All depends on where you are. The last alignment I got cost me $120CDN. > > Certainly possible. The market wont support that here. If you have the > opportunity to shop around, better prices can normally be found. > This all assumes you get a proper 4 wheel alignment no matter what the cost. > Many shops doing cut rate alignmnets do not set the rear toe and camber if > adjustable, they set the toe only and down the road. I would ask for a > before and after printout when done. Thats the way we do it in my shop55-75, > more for Ford or Gm trucks that require addt'l work for camber changes. Shoddy work is expensive, no matter what you pay. So, I agree, price is only one part of the equation. Yes this practice is indeed a scam and needs to be put to a stop. It amazes me how American people have become nothing more than Sheeple the past 30 or 40 years. > We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you > know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Shouldnt there be a law on such scams? Isn't it time that consumers got > together to force these crooks to cut out this bullshit scam? Let's go back to pay toilets, say $0.50. And then surprise these shop-fee-advocates by informing them *after they're done* that there will be $3.99 extra for paper! s > Let's go back to pay toilets, say $0.50. And then surprise these > shop-fee-advocates by informing them *after they're done* that there will be > $3.99 extra for paper! s From the time I was 14 through university, I worked in radio and TV repair. It was common to charge a 'service charge', whatever came into the shop. I wondered, in those days, what justification there was for that. It was applied equally to everybody, and without it we would have had a lot of time involved in every problem that we could not have billed. Right or wrong, it was the process. Now, nobody repairs TVs or radios. You just use them til they break, and buy another. Maybe in the future, cars will take a similar course. > You just use them til they break, and buy another. > > Maybe in the future, cars will take a similar course. Am I the only one doing it now? My last car I kept for 17 years, and only let it go when it caught fire. My current car (92 GA) I intend keeping till it no longer runs or otherwise fails. I see no need to buy a new car every 3-4 years, just as I see no need to change wives every couple of years either. > I see no need to buy a new car every 3-4 years, just as I see no need to > change wives every couple of years either. Just use them until they wear out, then get a new one. >> I see no need to buy a new car every 3-4 years, just as I see no need to >> change wives every couple of years either. > > Just use them until they wear out, then get a new one. Wives or the cars? :-P How can you tell when she is worn out and time to get a new one? When the cost of mainenance is getting too high? The joy of riding her is below some limit? You try to sell her to someone else? The level of paint job getting to thick but the wrinkles still show? When she will no start easily early in the morning? Do you change her straight away or get a rented one to try out before making the change? > How can you tell when she is worn out and time to get a new one? > When the cost of mainenance is getting too high? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Do you change her straight away or get a rented one to try out before > making the change? When your annual maintenance gets to be about 25% of the yearly depreciation of a new vehicle, or it becomes just too unreliable, or you hate driving it, time to change if you have the money. Definitely get a rental to try it out; if you can. I've forgotten many cars after driving them for several days. Much cheaper that way. I don't bother with the useless drive around the block anymore. Unfortunately some desirable vehicles can't be rented. >> How can you tell when she is worn out and time to get a new one? >> When the cost of mainenance is getting too high? [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Definitely get a rental to try it out; if you can. (snip) This is money well spent. I've had several repeat customers, wanting a different type of car from what I'd been selling them, do exactly that. Some forged ahead; some backed out. Never had one complain about having spent the $. s >> We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you >> know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >shop-fee-advocates by informing them *after they're done* that there will be >$3.99 extra for paper! s And, don't forget the: Admin fee Waste disposal fee Access fee Customer fee Billing fee I just returned from NTB myself and had (almost) the same experience. I read the estimate and questioned why the $64 alignment i was quoted on the phone went to $75 + 6.50 for "shop fees" + tax... The answer I got "that's for the..you know... stuff we use-up in the shop..." to which I replied "there is nothing you use-up when doing an alignment" and the retort I got was: "those machines are real expensive, you wouldn't beleive..." I told him he was right, I couldn't beleive it... and then i went down the street... Monroe did the job for $49. done. I had them throw on a pair of wiper blades and do an oil-change as well and still got out for under $100. >We need to discuss thisvery serious issue concerning shop fees, you >know... the big scam that auto shops are perpetrating are across the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Shouldnt there be a law on such scams? Isn't it time that consumers got >together to force these crooks to cut out this bullshit scam? |
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