Did I get ripped off?

[stftk14]

A friend of mine recommended me a local mechanic who does a lot of business and has a personal relationship with his father. His father met me at the mechanic and specifically told the mechanic to treat me fairly and give me a good deal. I went into the mechanic on two seperate days and had the following repairs done on my MSP:

Day 1:
- Replaced rear right side upper strut mount. My invoice says the part cost $69.99. (when he installed this strut mount, he broke the endlink, so I now have to replace both endlinks because of the mechanic).
- Replaced front rotors and pads. Parts cost ~100.
- Labor cost: $176

Day 2:
- Replaced rear left side upper strut mount. My invoice says the part cost $79.99. He broke the endlink while replacing this strut mount as well, so now I have to get another endlink replaced on top of the one replaced on the line below.
- Replaced right rear endlink. I think the mechanic broke it when he was installing the new strut mount. My invoice says the part cost $69.99.
- Labor cost: $176.

I saw the invoice that the mechanic got when the strut mount arrived, it said it cost 24.70. I looked online, and found that I can buy the same exact strut mount for $24. So this $24 part, the first day, he charged me $70 for, and then the next day, for the SAME part, he charged $80.

I called the dealer he ordered the endlink from, and the dealer said it cost $34. I looked online and found the exact same endlink he used for $35. He told me it cost $70.

Is this normal practice or have I been ripped off for $135 between the two mounts and the endlink? I already paid him - is there anything I can do?

[fishdonotbounce]

Nothing you can do about it now. And you basically got charged standard shop rates which are huge ripoffs. That guy just did his job and didn't cut you a break.

Those repairs are things you could do yourself. Familiarize yourself with the forum a bit and check out the How-To section. All of those are covered in there. There is even a how-to for making your own endlinks that are a lot better and stronger than stock. For the money you save on just one repair, you can buy a majority if not all the tools needed for the job. All you need is a day or two depending on the repair. Good luck and welcome to the familia. Let me know if you have any more questions and I'll be glad to help you or point you in the direction of someone that can.

[stftk14]

I was thinking about possibly doing it with some friends, but the mechanic said the tool he used to compress the coil while changing the mount cost $600, so I didn't think I would be able to do something like that.

So you're saying it's perfectly legitimate for a shop to claim a part cost $79.99 when it really only cost $24? And the fact that for the same exact part he claims it cost $70 one day and $80 the next?

[BOOSTR]

Yep at this point there is nothing that you can do. It's pretty shady to mark up parts that much, but some shops are like that when they order them. Find a shop where you can bring them your own parts in the future. And don't go back there or listen to that friend again.

[BOOSTR]

You can rent that tool along with other specialized ones form AutoZone if needed.

[fishdonotbounce]

He's full of shit. Don't ever go back to that guy again. You can rent a spring compressor at autozone for free. You just put down the deposit (full cost of the tool which is NOWHERE near 600 bucks) and then you get it all back (tax included) when you return it. I didn't even use a spring compressor when I changed mine. I just put it up against a wall and undid it. I don't suggest you do this cause it can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing but you can use the spring compressors and do it for free.

And yea it is legit for them to overcharge you on shit like that. Sounds crazy and illegal but it's true.

[SeR_Cyclops]

He's full of shit. Don't ever go back to that guy again. You can rent a spring compressor at autozone for free. You just put down the deposit (full cost of the tool which is NOWHERE near 600 bucks) and then you get it all back (tax included) when you return it. I didn't even use a spring compressor when I changed mine. I just put it up against a wall and undid it. I don't suggest you do this cause it can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing but you can use the spring compressors and do it for free.

And yea it is legit for them to overcharge you on shit like that. Sounds crazy and illegal but it's true.

...WOW, That is really dangerous.

[fishdonotbounce]

Haha yea it's the cheap ass way to do it. Stand on the spring and strut and undo the bolt while it's pointed at the wall. I didn't say it was safe lol.

[Metallic36]

LOL when I parted out that MP3 I had, I didn't even know about spring compressors.


Haha yea it's the cheap ass way to do it. Stand on the spring and strut and undo the bolt while it's pointed at the wall. I didn't say it was safe lol.

[Rush]

Even if you don't want to rent the spring compressor -- just take the whole strut pile to a shop and ask the mechanics if they'll take care of it for you on their own compressor real quick. That's what I did. No charge, either. Took the mechanic all of five minutes.

What happened to you is the general reason that I NEVER took my MSP to a shop. For the six years that I owned it, the ONLY times I took it to a shop were to get it inspected (because duh, I can't do that myself), for brake work (which I didn't trust myself to do properly), and to have a custom exhaust built.

[Outlawstar98]

Pfft @ Spring compressor, just use some C Clips ;) just make sure the spring doesn't go flying. LOL!!

But yeah, thats why if I do get a shop to work on my car I supply ALL the parts. But I have been going to the same place for 10 years now. they dont rip me off at all.

[mp3-79bronco]

compressors are 58 to rent from autozone...but heres a easy way to do it without them...

first put the car on stands, then take the wheel off and place a jack under the rotor area, then take off the middle shaft nut on the top strut mount. when you let the jack down it will uncompress the spring and be seperated from the mount

[cpmazda]

while the parts were very expensive, it sounds like the labor was pretty cheap. most shopps are at least 85.00 an hour

[fishdonotbounce]

If it takes you 4 hours to do two strut mounts and a couple brake pads when you have full access to a garage and you call yourself a mechanic, you need to seriously rethink your profession. 176 * 2 = 352.

[stdntDrvr]

you can get a spring compressor from sears for $50.

[slo03.5msp]

the time is off book time how do you think we make money. If we charged for actual labor time we would all be out of business. Yes those are normal mark ups if you don't like it do it yourself. I would love to charge $85 an hour most shops around chicago chare $110-$130 an hour so consider yourself lucky. That job through a dealer would have been about a 1,000.

[SeR_Cyclops]

I know a mechanic that makes around 9 bucks an hour and they bill him out at 25. The shop owner said if he didnt he couldnt keep the doors open. And thats on work that they dont make any money on because they are customers cars (its a Buy here pay here lot with a garage) and they do the work as cheap as possible to keep the customers cars on the road so they will keep making the payments.

[TheMAN]

He's full of shit. Don't ever go back to that guy again. You can rent a spring compressor at autozone for free. You just put down the deposit (full cost of the tool which is NOWHERE near 600 bucks) and then you get it all back (tax included) when you return it. I didn't even use a spring compressor when I changed mine. I just put it up against a wall and undid it. I don't suggest you do this cause it can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing but you can use the spring compressors and do it for free.

And yea it is legit for them to overcharge you on shit like that. Sounds crazy and illegal but it's true.
no, your reply is full of shit
you're telling me this $25 piece of shit:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31jTHGSrIsL._SS500_.jpg
does the same quality of work as this that is "NOWHERE near 600 bucks":
http://www.furrow.com/Genes_Alignment_061407/Verticals/Branick%20Spring%20Compressor.jpg (http://www.mechanicsdiscount.com/shop/itemdetail/catalogID/17604/categoryID/0/branick-model-7400-strut-spring-compressor/)

so stfu next time before you n00b yourself

[TheMAN]

I was thinking about possibly doing it with some friends, but the mechanic said the tool he used to compress the coil while changing the mount cost $600, so I didn't think I would be able to do something like that.

So you're saying it's perfectly legitimate for a shop to claim a part cost $79.99 when it really only cost $24? And the fact that for the same exact part he claims it cost $70 one day and $80 the next?
it's not normal to do such crazy markup but it happens
dealers sell parts to shops at wholesale cost, then they normally mark it up 20-30%
then of course there's labor

as for your end links breaking, it's not really his fault... they just rust and become impossible to remove without cutting them off

and I don't know why you even bothered replacing the rear strut mounts... they hardly go bad!

[evilmonkeyMSP]

you seriously need to get a grip on yourself....your attitude is always out of line for no reason...

and yeah....I've used those "$25 pieces of shit" and they do the same damn thing accept I didnt have to pay some guy to do it.
no, your reply is full of shit
you're telling me this $25 piece of shit:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31jTHGSrIsL._SS500_.jpg
does the same quality of work as this that is "NOWHERE near 600 bucks":
http://www.furrow.com/Genes_Alignment_061407/Verticals/Branick%20Spring%20Compressor.jpg (http://www.mechanicsdiscount.com/shop/itemdetail/catalogID/17604/categoryID/0/branick-model-7400-strut-spring-compressor/)

so stfu next time before you n00b yourself

[Wagonbacker9]

you seriously need to get a grip on yourself....your attitude is always out of line for no reason...

and yeah....I've used those "$25 pieces of shit" and they do the same damn thing accept I didnt have to pay some guy to do it.

same job, takes longer..... oh well! with an impact wrench I swapped a pair of springs in an hour. Thats an hour from when it was sitting on its wheels, til it was back on them.

[SeR_Cyclops]

We have a spring compressor that mounts on the wall like that, they are the shit! I dont like those other kind. We call those the man killers because they are kinda dangerous

[Wagonbacker9]

We have a spring compressor that mounts on the wall like that, they are the shit! I dont like those other kind. We call those the man killers because they are kinda dangerous

they are only as dangerous as the user is stupid.

I glued a chunk of bicycle tire tube in the jaws... no slipping.

[slo03.5msp]

dealers do sell at wholesale however when shops call for parts they always ask their price and ours. They will sell it for the same price the dealer does. Everyone thinks it's so much cheaper to go to another shop. There are only two reasons that they do it cheaper. Shitty parts or shitty labor. I don't think I would want either of those in my car.

To the ass hat taking springs off against the wall i hope you lose an eye or a ball. It would you serve you well for being stupid.

[fishdonotbounce]

Edwin really? Is it that time of the month again? It's the same thing as having a set of craftsman wrenches and having a set of no name wrenches off ebay. Sure, the craftsman is a lot better quality, but they both get the same damn job done don't they? Oh and I don't wanna stfu. I'm just gonna tell my mommy on you. :p

[cpmazda]

If it takes you 4 hours to do two strut mounts and a couple brake pads when you have full access to a garage and you call yourself a mechanic, you need to seriously rethink your profession. 176 * 2 = 352.

Its called flat rate. If you only charge for the exact amount amount of time its takes to do a job you seriously need to rethink your profession, because your not making any money. I charge 85.00 an hour for service work.....it takes me an hour to swap out a water heater, but I charge 330.00 to do it because of the work involved. If I only charged the 85.00 I would lose money going to work everyday. Again it's called flat rate

[fishdonotbounce]

I know that. I'm not saying that you should charge a flat rate. I'm saying that there is no way that the work involved is worth 352 bucks.

[SpicyorangeMSP]

Next time get a qoute from the shop then the dealer if the price is close get to done at the dealer or get some car buddies and pay them in beer.

[JDM Sam]

They consumer side is going to say it costs too much. The professional or business side is going to say the cost is justifiable to stay in business. As the consumer you have the ability to shop around and get estimates before authorizing any work. Do your research and you won't have any buyer's remorse next time.