Car service and tyre change- was I ripped off?

Bananaleaf

Hi there

I just have a question about my bill for a recent service and tyre change. I don't know if I've been ripped off or not!

So I asked the mechanic to change the tyre for me and to give the car a service.

He took my number and said he would call if there was anything else needed.

Today I went to get the car after no calls and he gave me a bill for €260. I was quite shocked.

This was the breakdown of the bill:

Engine oil - 30.00
Oil Filter - 7.90
Air Filter - 8.70
Plugs - 18.00
2 front drop links - 36.00
2 anti roll bushings - 16.00
windscreen wash - 3.00

He then added €110 to the price of the bill which brought it up to €260 inc VAT.

Now, I think he said the 110 was for the price of the service so at this point I was afraid to argue about the price as he hadn't yet mentioned the tyre and this was way more expensive than I was expecting.

I've had my car serviced before for 100€ and a tyre has only ever cost me €60 in past.

I'm annoyed that he didn't advise me of the drop links and bushings before fitting them but once he hasn't ripped me off then I don't mind so much.

But just wondering - if the filters etc are extra, why is the service still costing me €110? it has cost me less than that in other garages WITHOUT extras.

This was not a main dealer and my car is a Ford Puma.

Thanks

AltAccount

Do you expect him to fit the parts for free? The cost he added was labour.

Voodoomelon

He should have contacted you about the drop links and bushings for sure; they aren't part of a service as you probably know. The service itself should only have taken about 30mins tops including the plugs, the time of the other work varies depending on the car but I wouldn't expect more than 90mins for the entire job (inc service).

Including VAT, it's about on the money, maybe a little expensive for labour. I'd ask for a VAT receipt and to show you the parts he removed if you want some peace of mind.

colm_mcm

€110 would be the labour for fitting the stuff on the list.
Doesn't sound that dear. Without knowing what brand the tyre its hard to say if its good or bad but its not bad for the amount of stuff you had done.

visual

Price of parts look very reasonable
Labour was his time not unreasonable.
I dont thing you got ripped off condidering drop links and bushings.

But I do think your making a comparison to a mini service oil and oil filter for 80 to 100 euro.

PADRAIC.M

I would see oil, air, plugs part of the main service, the other bits you should have been called about, I work at a main dealer and in no way would the above be acceptable on any day! You shouldn't even be charged for a bulb without consent!
You are well within your rights to look for something back for sure...

Bananaleaf

Thanks a lot for that No, I'm not that interested in a VAT receipt, just wanted to double check! Can be hard when you don't know what the prices should be.

Supergurrier

Alot of work involves in the bushings and drop links so for what was done it's worth it.

He should have let you know though.

They are things that would make the car no fun to drive if not done though

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Thanks a lot for that No, I'm not that interested in a VAT receipt, just wanted to double check! Can be hard when you don't know what the prices should be.

Id be very annoyed that they did work without approval !

If they did work without asking me I wouldn't be paying for them and id be driving away.

colm_mcm

Drop links and bushings will be needed for the nct anyway.

Turner

Lean under and around either front wheel and take a picture of this.

This is a typical drop link.



If it looks as new as this with the rubber boots perfectly clean, he did replace the drop links and also gave you a proper service, and from the price it looks spot on.


If the rubber boots were split on these, that would warrant an nct failure. So any split would require them to be replaced.

Bananaleaf

Well, I was very annoyed, but the garage is literally, LITERALLY a stone's throw from my house. So he knows where I live.

But, as said, they would have needed to have been done anyway for NCT

Bananaleaf

Turner wrote: »

Lean under and around either front wheel and take a picture of this.

This is a typical drop link.



If it looks as new as this with the rubber boots perfectly clean, he did replace the drop links and also gave you a proper service, and from the price it looks spot on.

Okay, I will do this tomorrow. He did show me "the old ones" so I think he did actually fix them. And, as I said, I can see him working away from my kitchen window so I was thinking he surely wouldn't screw with someone who lives right next to his garage. Will check tho.

pred racer

Sounds like a good price for all that work!

Mc Love

Is there an average price that garage's/indy's charge for labour per hour, I have seen 60 per hour, wondering if that is good or bad?

Chris_Heilong

Mc Love wrote: »

Is there an average price that garage's/indy's charge for labour per hour, I have seen 60 per hour, wondering if that is good or bad?

€50 and upwards to €65 would be standard.

CiniO

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Hi there

I just have a question about my bill for a recent service and tyre change. I don't know if I've been ripped off or not!

So I asked the mechanic to change the tyre for me and to give the car a service.

He took my number and said he would call if there was anything else needed.

Today I went to get the car after no calls and he gave me a bill for €260. I was quite shocked.

This was the breakdown of the bill:

Engine oil - 30.00
Oil Filter - 7.90
Air Filter - 8.70
Plugs - 18.00
2 front drop links - 36.00
2 anti roll bushings - 16.00
windscreen wash - 3.00

He then added €110 to the price of the bill which brought it up to €260 inc VAT.

Now, I think he said the 110 was for the price of the service so at this point I was afraid to argue about the price as he hadn't yet mentioned the tyre and this was way more expensive than I was expecting.

I've had my car serviced before for 100€ and a tyre has only ever cost me €60 in past.

I'm annoyed that he didn't advise me of the drop links and bushings before fitting them but once he hasn't ripped me off then I don't mind so much.

But just wondering - if the filters etc are extra, why is the service still costing me €110? it has cost me less than that in other garages WITHOUT extras.

This was not a main dealer and my car is a Ford Puma.

Thanks

So parts you listed came as €120 nett price.
He added €110, which must have included labour + tyre and fitting.
That's €230 + vat = €260.

IMHO price is OK.

Scortho

30 quid an hour is what don baker charges!

Cheap for an alfa specialist.

bucketybuck

Voodoomelon wrote: »

The service itself should only have taken about 30mins tops including the plugs

If any of my lads ever did a service in 30mins I would tell them to get the fcuk back and do it right.

bladespin

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

€50 and upwards to €65 would be standard.

That's a bit steep TBH though not unusual, plenty of lads round here around the €30-40 mark.

maxamillius

My Indy is about 40 an hour,that price you got was pretty good I have to say,would you not attempt the service yourself if your concerned about cost,obviously drop links etc are not straightforward but oil change,filter air filter all very simple?

Bananaleaf

maxamillius wrote: »

My Indy is about 40 an hour,that price you got was pretty good I have to say,would you not attempt the service yourself if your concerned about cost,obviously drop links etc are not straightforward but oil change,filter air filter all very simple?

If that's directed at me I won't do service myself because I can't. Have never had to pay for it before as I've always had someone to do it for me. Have no problem paying for it if it's right, but if it's not, I obviously don't want to go back to him next year. Thanks tho.:)

Nonoperational

Decent price, but should have told you about the suspension work in advance.

Voodoomelon

bucketybuck wrote: »

If any of my lads ever did a service in 30mins I would tell them to get the fcuk back and do it right.

I meant for the items listed. I never said 30 minutes was a proper service.

JohnBoy26

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

€50 and upwards to €65 would be standard.

Is €65 p/h not in main dealer territory?

Chris_Heilong

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Is €65 p/h not in main dealer territory?

it was the top end from my experience.

George Dalton

€65 would be top end for an independent but pretty much the starting point for main dealer rates IMO.

The location of the garage also makes a difference. We charge €50 per hour ex VAT and would be on the high side for an independent outside of Dublin.

Mc Love

George Dalton wrote: »

€65 would be top end for an independent but pretty much the starting point for main dealer rates IMO.

The location of the garage also makes a difference. We charge €50 per hour ex VAT and would be on the high side for an independent outside of Dublin.

An indy that specialises in BMW near us charges 60

kildarelad

He should have contacted you about the drop links and bushings for sure; they aren't part of a service as you probably know. The service itself should only have taken about 30mins tops including the plugs, the time of the other work varies depending on the car but I wouldn't expect more than 90mins for the entire job (inc service).

Including VAT, it's about on the money, maybe a little expensive for labour. I'd ask for a VAT receipt and to show you the parts he removed if you want some peace of mind.

Lol at 30 mins tops would barely have the oil drained and reFilled out of the car in 30 mins.Typical Ireland people expecting others to work for nothing.If you went to Ford bill would be double that

Voodoomelon

kildarelad wrote: »

Lol at 30 mins tops would barely have the oil drained and reFilled out of the car in 30 mins.Typical Ireland people expecting others to work for nothing.If you went to Ford bill would be double that

Typical Ireland? If I can have a 7 series up on stands, oil drained over 10 minutes, with a fresh filter and air filter installed in the mean time then refill and get it down over another 10 minutes, then I would expect a professional mechanic with a lift to do the same. Granted another 15-20mins for plugs, its not rocket science. Yes theres setup, clean up and paperwork, I was quoting the time for the job itself.

ljpg

if i left me car in for a service i'd expect it to be serviced,including bushings,droplinks and whatever else it needed,the bill for parts and labour is very resonable imo,

power pants

we would charge 160e for the labour side for a basic service, not including the parts

JohnBoy26

ljpg wrote: »

if i left me car in for a service i'd expect it to be serviced,including bushings,droplinks and whatever else it needed,the bill for parts and labour is very resonable imo,

If someone brings their car in for a normal service though, they expect a normal service.

replacing Bushings and links wouldn't be considered part of a normal service so the consumer should be informed of such work and the cost before the garage goes ahead with the job.

bucketybuck

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

If someone brings their car in for a normal service though, they expect a normal service.

replacing Bushings and links wouldn't be considered part of a normal service so the consumer should be informed of such work and the cost before the garage goes ahead with the job.

Stop calling it a service then, it appears all you want is an oil change.

JohnBoy26

bucketybuck wrote: »

Stop calling it a service then, it appears all you want is an oil change.

Mr. Chrome

The OH left her car into be serviced recently. She paid about 110euros I think. The mechanic did not change the plugs because it had platinum plugs fitted at 60k klm according to the service history. The car now has about 110k klm. Is that normal? Did she get ripped off?
When she collected the car the mechanic said he checked the plugs and they were fine but would need changing on the next service. Are plugs not included in the price of a service?

Scortho

I'd see anything outside of an oil and filter change a service too.
At the same time I'd appreciate a call to a say I need a new rocker cover gasket or something.

bladespin

bucketybuck wrote: »

Stop calling it a service then, it appears all you want is an oil change.

Replacing those parts isn't included in a service, it's a repair job, should NOT have been done without consent, the OP has every right to demand the parts be removed, the old units replaced on the car at the garage's expense.

That said, the prices all seem very reasonable and the car probably did need it so wouldn't consider it a rip off by any means.

kona

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

If someone brings their car in for a normal service though, they expect a normal service.

replacing Bushings and links wouldn't be considered part of a normal service so the consumer should be informed of such work and the cost before the garage goes ahead with the job.

If it's needs to replaced its needs to be replaced!

Scortho

kona wrote: »

If it's needs to replaced its needs to be replaced!

But you should tell someone that it needs to be replaced.

Looking at it though, they've got a good price for the work involved.

JohnBoy26

kona wrote: »

If it's needs to replaced its needs to be replaced!

Yes but not without informing the customer beforehand and getting their authorisation to go ahead with the Job.

Even though the op really should of been informed of the work that needed doing, the bill they got isn't out of the way so It's not really a big deal.

What if the work had cost alot more though and the op hadn't budgeted for the extra expense. Then things would of been messy.

Mister Man

For what he's done, it's reasonable I think, but he shouldn't have touching anything else before calling you up and asking permission. My mechanic done the same thing once. Paid, and told him that it'll be a one time thing only, and he hasn't done it since. Just say it to him, and move on.

kildarelad

Typical Ireland? If I can have a 7 series up on stands, oil drained over 10 minutes, with a fresh filter and air filter installed in the mean time then refill and get it down over another 10 minutes, then I would expect a professional mechanic with a lift to do the same. Granted another 15-20mins for plugs, its not rocket science. Yes theres setup, clean up and paperwork, I was quoting the time for the job itself.

You havent a clue what your talking about.As others have said thats not a service a service involves changing the consumables like oil filters,oil,air filters ,plugs etc and the other side of it is a full check over of the car.A good mechanic should be spending 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to give a car a full service fr4om start to finish including service tag and indicator reset

yop

Voodoomelon wrote: »

He should have contacted you about the drop links and bushings for sure; they aren't part of a service as you probably know. The service itself should only have taken about 30mins tops including the plugs, the time of the other work varies depending on the car but I wouldn't expect more than 90mins for the entire job (inc service).

Including VAT, it's about on the money, maybe a little expensive for labour. I'd ask for a VAT receipt and to show you the parts he removed if you want some peace of mind.

kildarelad wrote: »

You havent a clue what your talking about.As others have said thats not a service a service involves changing the consumables like oil filters,oil,air filters ,plugs etc and the other side of it is a full check over of the car.A good mechanic should be spending 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to give a car a full service fr4om start to finish including service tag and indicator reset

So 90 mins isnt the same a 1 1/2 hours?
Claiming someone hasn't a clue is a bit daft when he said it took the same time as what you have stated above.
If you work slower then maybe thats why?

Gary ITR

yop wrote: »

So 90 mins isnt the same a 1 1/2 hours?
Claiming someone hasn't a clue is a bit daft when he said it took the same time as what you have stated above.
If you work slower then maybe thats why?

Reread both posts properly

yop

Gary ITR wrote: »

Reread both posts properly

I have, thats why I am highlighting it. As someone else stated they can service their car in 30 mins and they aren't even a mechanic. So it depends on the speed that one person works versus the other.
If one blocklayer can lay 300 blocks in a day, yet another can only lay 200, does that mean the 200 a day hasn't a clue how to lay blocks?
It doesn't really.

bucketybuck

yop wrote: »

I have, thats why I am highlighting it.

No, you haven't read it properly. The original guy was saying 90mins for the entire work, with the actual service only being around 30mins of that.

kildarelad

So 90 mins isnt the same a 1 1/2 hours?
Claiming someone hasn't a clue is a bit daft when he said it took the same time as what you have stated above.
If you work slower then maybe thats why?

I cant follow your train of thought here at all.In responded to the quote i attached please read the posts properly before you type

kildarelad

I have, thats why I am highlighting it. As someone else stated they can service their car in 30 mins and they aren't even a mechanic. So it depends on the speed that one person works versus the other.
If one blocklayer can lay 300 blocks in a day, yet another can only lay 200, does that mean the 200 a day hasn't a clue how to lay blocks?
It doesn't really.

Judging by your lack of knowledge you obviously dont work in the industry

yop

kildarelad wrote: »

Judging by your lack of knowledge you obviously dont work in the industry

I don't work in the industry, but I have serviced plenty of cars and even though it would take me probably twice that to change oil, filters and plugs I am not doing it day in day out and I don't have lifts to assist me.


You said earlier

"Lol at 30 mins tops would barely have the oil drained and reFilled out of the car in 30 mins"

and plenty have disagreed with that.

As I said and has been already pointed out by Voodoomelon who seems to work in the idustry, he can do a 7 series in that time, you might be a slower at the job than others, each to their own as they say.

Just because I don't work in the industry doesn't mean I don't have knowledge and/or an opinion on it, heck sure we are as well to shutdown this forum if thats the case.

Mr. Chrome

Mr. Chrome wrote: »

The OH left her car into be serviced recently. She paid about 110euros I think. The mechanic did not change the plugs because it had platinum plugs fitted at 60k klm according to the service history. The car now has about 110k klm. Is that normal? Did she get ripped off?
When she collected the car the mechanic said he checked the plugs and they were fine but would need changing on the next service. Are plugs not included in the price of a service?

Sorry to hijack this thread but....bump.