Bike shop quoted me €90.. final bill €200

Kevhog1988

Just wondering is this normal?

I bought a kids racer for my son for xmas (2nd hand but seemdd in good nick) that i wanted to get serviced. I dropped it into the LBS to get it serviced and was quoted €90. Got a text today that its ready for collection and the price is €200.. Cash only.

Surely I should of had a call before the price increased to €200

cletus

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Just wondering is this normal?

I bought a kids racer for my son for xmas (2nd hand but seemdd in good nick) that i wanted to get serviced. I dropped it into the LBS to get it serviced and was quoted €90. Got a text today that its ready for collection and the price is €200.. Cash only.

Surely I should of had a call before the price increased to €200

First thing I'd do is ask for a breakdown of what the €90 was going to cover, and what extra work was done that cost €110 more

Kevhog1988

cletus wrote: »

First thing I'd do is ask for a breakdown of what the €90 was going to cover, and what extra work was done that cost €110 more

needed cables, new bar tape and pedals apparently. I would have thought cables would be included in a full service. Bar tape and pedals fpor a kids bike can be massively expensive?

Stark

They should have called you and had you agree to the extra work. Not a legal expert but I imagine you're not under obligation to pay the extra €110. I've had car mechanics try that **** on me a few times. €40 labour charge to top up the windscreen wiper fluid one time being one particular sneaky charge that sticks in my memory.

boombang

I think this is sharp practice. It happened to my ex in a LBS in London.

I think if they're going to do a lot more work they need to consult with you. They had your number, they could have called or texted.

We didn't play hardball with the shop in London. I always regret getting walked over.

As Cletus says, get the breakdown of what they did.

salamiii

you could buy a new one for $200

Stark

Only noticed the "cash only" bit now. That in itself is suspect.

Cables, bar tape and pedals for €200? they're having a laugh.

dublin49

you were quoted €90,+100% increase on quote ,I don't think so.Cables and Tape don't cost that much ,if it was second hand you hardly paid more than 400 ,he is chancing his arm ,offer him 120,say you cant afford it and he should have rang you.

con747

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

needed cables, new bar tape and pedals apparently. I would have thought cables would be included in a full service. Bar tape and pedals fpor a kids bike can be massively expensive?

Pedals cost from about €6 upwards, tape €6, a complete set of inner and outer cables would cost less than €25 for 2 brake and 2 gear cables. Get a full breakdown of what was actually done because at the moment you are being fleeced. Cash in hand means no vat is obviously being paid on the parts either. Labour at worst would be €35-€50 per hour and there is less than an hours work on what you were quoted.

gaffmaster

A friend of mine brought a bike shop in Dublin to the small claims court for this exact reason. He left his bike in for a new bottom bracket, the shop never rang him to agree on additional work they thought the bike needed (bar tape and other consumables). When he went to collect the bike, the price was about 100% more than agreed. He refused to pay the money and suggested they reverse the work done. Deadlock. They wouldn't release the bike to him (which he needed for work).

The Judge ruled in his favour citing his own experiences with car servicing - if there's more work to be done than agreed, the shop has an obligation to get your approval.

happyoutscan

Brake cables, pedals and tape would have taken a competent mechanic no more than 20 minutes. Add another 10 minutes if gear cables were being replaced.

He's taking you for an absolute ride.

CramCycle

I'd get a breakdown as the work described couldn't be more than 100 all in, and half of that would be a decent labour charge. Get a breakdown but as said above, I'd be telling him he shouldn't have done that and you should have gotten a call. thats over half the price of a decent brand new kids vitus.

magicbastarder

it'd be one thing if he was able to (legitimately) claim that there was a fundamental issue like a broken axle which had to be fixed, but bar tape?

letape

I’d tell then to keep the tape and pedals and you’ll pay the nominal cost of the cables... absolute joke.

As someone said, €200 would go a long way towards the cost of a full bike.

TGD

gaffmaster wrote: »

A friend of mine brought a bike shop in Dublin to the small claims court for this exact reason. He left his bike in for a new bottom bracket, the shop never rang him to agree on additional work they thought the bike needed (bar tape and other consumables). When he went to collect the bike, the price was about 100% more than agreed. He refused to pay the money and suggested they reverse the work done. Deadlock. They wouldn't release the bike to him (which he needed for work).

The Judge ruled in his favour citing his own experiences with car servicing - if there's more work to be done than agreed, the shop has an obligation to get your approval.

Yes, small claims court is great. It requires a bit of patience and you might be at a disadvantage if you don't have the original quote 'on paper'. Perhaps try to get this recorded in your text messages and i think you have a very good case.
The 'complainee' usually settle when they get the letter from the Courts Service if they have been in the wrong - it doesn't actually go to 'court' then if they settle with you.
The only problem is you will probably be without the bike if they dig in their heels. Probably best to:
1) get the 'evidence' of the original quote
2) be reasonable, and make a compromise 'offer'
3) explain you'll go to Small Claims Court if they don't
4) do it, if you can wait for the bike

a148pro

I'd say tell them you asked about the cost on cycling forums and everyone wants to know which shop they are and what they say they're charging for. say you're dying to tell them but only have 90 euro.

Kids bike doesn't need pedals unless they're broken, doesn't need bar tape unless it's falling off. It's not going out to be seen in enniskerry for god's sake.

wally1990

I know it's not a bike because I'd a pet involved

But the same logic applies

Dropped my dog off to check her glands done and check up and cleaning of teeth

Came back and the vet had removed 4 teeth and said I owed X

I was wtf

I didn't even have the cash on me and asked why I wasn't rang in advance to advise there was extra work

Standard response of it had to be done anyway

Now obviously (maybe not obviously) but I paid because its my dog but I was highly annoyed because if I got a call in advance I could in theory shop around that day and got it cheaper /within my budget with another vet

I paid the money begrudgingly as its an animal and the work was done

But in your case, I would have expected a call, asked did you want the work done by them for the extra work and then for you to agree to their prices and have it done

Otherwise you've no option price around and are just left with a bill and work you didn't forsee expect

What happens if you don't have the money...

Take the new parts /replacements out?

A call is common courtesy

Kevhog1988

Thanks all, tbh I didn't have 200 budget for this. I thought even 90 for a service was steep. Should that not have included cables?

_Kaiser_

Had this happen before with a (car) main dealer.

Was dropped in for a specific piece of work under warranty. They were told to call me if anything beyond this.
End of the day I get a call telling me the car is ready and they wanted something like 400 quid and that they wouldn't release the car until paid.

I ended up on the phone to the owner on the way back. By the time I got there, the service manager handed me the keys without an argument.

Don't pay anymore than agreed OP. They're completely chancing their arm.

con747

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Thanks all, tbh I didn't have 200 budget for this. I thought even 90 for a service was steep. Should that not have included cables?

If they seen the bike when giving the quote they should have known exactly what was needed. As my earlier post said you are being done.

Springy Turf

con747 wrote: »

If they seen the bike when giving the quote they should have known exactly what was needed. As my earlier post said you are being done.

Was it specialized? https://www.specializedireland.ie/bike-service/service-menu/

It’s obviously an issue if you only agreed to 90 worth of work and they did 200.

Impossible to know if what they did would normally cost 200 without an itemised list of parts and labour with prices. Did it it need a headset / bottom backer service, Any wheel truing, Was the bike particularly dirty and had to be cleaned etc.

Plastik

Well, there you go, nothing short of a €700 service at Specialized gets you free cables.

Stark

A new bike would come with free cables

Kevhog1988

Springy Turf wrote: »

Was it specialized? https://www.specializedireland.ie/bike-service/service-menu/

It’s obviously an issue if you only agreed to 90 worth of work and they did 200.

Impossible to know if what they did would normally cost 200 without an itemised list of parts and labour with prices. Did it it need a headset / bottom backer service, Any wheel truing, Was the bike particularly dirty and had to be cleaned etc.

It was a 7 speed kids racing bike for my 9yo son. Not even my own bike.

Springy Turf

Plastik wrote: »

Well, there you go, nothing short of a €700 service at Specialized gets you free cables.

Bargain!

letape

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

It was a 7 speed kids racing bike for my 9yo son. Not even my own bike.

They are totally taking the piss. €90 in the first place was totally excessive for a service... and for a €90 Service on a kids bike, I would definitely expect cables to be replaced.

What bike shop was it?

68 lost souls

letape wrote: »

They are totally taking the piss. €90 in the first place was totally excessive for a service... and for a €90 Service on a kids bike, I would definitely expect cables to be replaced.

What bike shop was it?

Cables is cables is cables doesn’t matter what the bike. I got my bike services last year in a large cycle store in Dublin. €115 without cables hmmed and hawed if I should splash out €185 instead to get the cables and tape changed too then didn’t. 3 days later cable snapped in a race. Went back and was told two week turn around if I dropped it in again I’d have to pay for a service again basically, went elsewhere got new outers inners and bartape and brake pads in two days and worked out a lot cheaper

Oberkon

What was the shop ?

D13exile

What work did you ask them to do in the first place? Unless you were specific, asking them to "service the bike" is pretty open ended. I'm not saying what they did was fair or right and they should have called you if the cost was going to be in excess of the €90 quoted (was this in writing?).

I bought my bike in Wheelworx in Fonthill in 2014 and they give free servicing for as long as I own the bike. Now that covers a basic service (bolts tightened, brakes and cables adjusted, gears adjusted etc) and any additional work requested by me or suggested by them is always agreed in advance and the price given in writing. I recently had that service done and I also had new wider handlebars, a longer stem and new double wrapped bar tape put on the bike. Total cost including new parts requested by me was €80. So your €200 quote is excessive and they have to justify it in writing with a full breakdown. Once you have this breakdown of exactly what they did, check out the component parts online and then you'll have a rough comparison of what the parts should cost and what they are charging for "labour". Asking that you pay in cash is highly suspect and may be some dodgy employee trying to pocket the money under the nose of the owner. Maybe ask to speak to the owner directly to clarify this price? You could add that you work for the Revenue Commissioners and you find it highly "irregular" to be asked to pay in cash!!!!

magicbastarder

Oberkon wrote: »

What was the shop ?

mod note - please don't name the shop, certainly not until the issue is resolved.

happyoutscan

I was talking to a friend of mine about this, he's a phenomenal bike mechanic. He said for €200 you would be getting a complete overhaul of a kids bike (parts and labour) for less than that.

They are fleecing you.

Kevhog1988

So breakdown i got was:

Full Service: €90
Deep Clean: €25
Bar Tape: €25
3 x inner cables: €6
Bottom Bracket Axle: €20
Pedals: €35

Thoughts please?

s1ippy

No way, tell him he should have phoned you to agree to the additional parts and you'll pay the 90 quoted.

You can't just add over 100% on to the price for work not requested.

ED E

LBSs(some) are making it easy for Wiggle-CRC to put them out of business.

steamsey

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

So breakdown i got was:

Full Service: €90
Deep Clean: €25
Bar Tape: €25
3 x inner cables: €6
Bottom Bracket Axle: €20
Pedals: €35

Thoughts please?

Thoroughly agree with comments that they should have called you to agree extra work and also that there is no way it's worth €200 for the above work on a kids bike which is not worth a lot itself. Charging €90 for a full service, and then €6 for cables makes me wonder if they have created their own definition of the word "full".

And to parrot someone else here too - never drop your bike in and ask for a "service". Be specific.

I would not approach this by attacking in individual prices for the bits above - your point should be that you did not agree for extras and are not paying for them.

Kevhog1988

steamsey wrote: »

Thoroughly agree with comments that they should have called you to agree extra work and also that there is no way it's worth €200 for the above work on a kids bike which is not worth a lot itself. Charging €90 for a full service, and then €6 for cables makes me wonder if they have created their own definition of the word "full".

And to parrot someone else here too - never drop your bike in and ask for a "service". Be specific.

I would not approach this by attacking in individual prices for the bits above - your point should be that you did not agree for extras and are not paying for them.

If what hes asking for is justifiable ill pay it and chalk it down to experience that i find a new bike shop.

D13exile

A "full service" for €90 should have included cables and labour. Some bike shops also do a "deep clean" as part of this price. Bar tape for a kids bike would cost about €7 to €10. You are getting seriously ripped off mate.

My bike shop always does a great job on my bike as part of the "free servicing" deal I got when I bought the bike. Even if I need additional parts, they are very competitive with online retailers. I know the Mods said don't name them but its places like that that give other decent bike shops a bad name.

68 lost souls

Deep clean an additional 25 on top of a full service?

Surely a deep clean is part of the service? If not what are they doing for the €90

cletus

What constitutes a "full service"

What constitutes a "deep clean"

Considering you dropped the bike in for a service, nothing else should have been done without contacting you first.

As an aside, I asked on this forum before what people expected from a bike service, and there didn't seem to be any great consensus.

letape

There is a huge difference in price between quality cables fitted to a bike your racing on versus the cheap cables that are fitted to a kids bike. A Campagnolo cable set (inners and outers) is €50 for example versus a couple of € for cheap universal cables.

The labour is much more also - having to re route gear and brake cables under tape and most likely through the frame on a race bike versus that required on a 7 speed kids bike.... so it does matter what bike it is.

68 lost souls wrote: »

Cables is cables is cables doesn’t matter what the bike. I got my bike services last year in a large cycle store in Dublin. €115 without cables hmmed and hawed if I should splash out €185 instead to get the cables and tape changed too then didn’t. 3 days later cable snapped in a race. Went back and was told two week turn around if I dropped it in again I’d have to pay for a service again basically, went elsewhere got new outers inners and bartape and brake pads in two days and worked out a lot cheaper

km991148

90 for a standard service is steep enough as it is

TheW1zard

km991148 wrote: »

90 for a standard service is steep enough as it is

I Pay 30 in my LBS

ted1

Using Halfords as a reference, their Good Service is 90 euro , which includes the cables as does their 60 euro

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/service/service-centre.html

py

90 for service on a kid's bike is ludicrous. Work not agreed upon. Tell him to take a hike.

CramCycle

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

So breakdown i got was:

Full Service: €90 - should include pads and cables
Deep Clean: €25 - its a kids bike, what do you need a deep clean for and again, something that should have been asked for.
Bar Tape: €25 - For a kids bike, maybe 15 tops
3 x inner cables: €6 - as above
Bottom Bracket Axle: €20 -10/15 euro if you have already paid for labour under the service, 20/25 if you haven't
Pedals: €35 -For kids pedals, is he high, 10 tops.

Thoughts please?

I'd be asking for it for 90. He can take back the pedals with ease, he can put back on your old tape and BB if he feels he wants too.

If you decide to negotiate, no more than 30euro more for the BB and tape.

Don't ever go back there

Plastik

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

If what hes asking for is justifiable ill pay it and chalk it down to experience that i find a new bike shop.

Chalk it down and move on. The Specialized store is probably at that same extreme end of the scale in terms of pricing structure and if you didn't have buckles in either wheels you will see that you are essentially getting absolutely nothing for the €100 basic service. There's nothing included.

There are two problems here - what you assumed was included in the €90, and the failure to communicate by the shop. The one additional extra I'd have an issue with is the deep clean for €25. Everything else looks, to my mind, about what I'd expect to see RRP on the shelf of an LBS.

We still can't give an opinion on whether the cost is justifiable because we don't know what was included for the €90 service, or what the labour rate is. Like everything else, there are places out there that will do that level of work to the same level for substantially cheaper. That shop is certainly expensive.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

So breakdown i got was:

Full Service: €90
Deep Clean: €25
Bar Tape: €25
3 x inner cables: €6
Bottom Bracket Axle: €20
Pedals: €35

Thoughts please?

You didn’t ask for a deep clean so dont pay for one.
You didn’t ask for bar tape so they can remove it.
You didn’t ask for pedals so make them remove them too. I’ll send you a set of flat pedals for free if you need some.

Get a break down on what the full service entailed as €90 is extortionate.

km991148

A lot of shops operate like this with extras added on - I know of one that would be extremely popular, with a lot of people thinking they are great, but any time I have dealt with them the attitude of staff is terrible - plus my chain always seems to be "nearly ready for replacing" - "want to do it now?" (My chain measure tool must need replacing I guess..)

I support a few lbs shops - but there are some to avoid. Hopefully you don't get hit with the extra charges for the extra services* (really 90 was enough) and please ring around a couple next time for some quotes or some recommendations on here.

Cycling has became really popular and where there is lots of business unfortunately it also means a lot of cowboys.


*edit - someone did point out that the RRP for a bike shop is probably not so bad - but tbh - doing it without consent is enough to p!ss anyone off.

magicbastarder

like someone else mentioned above, the comparable service (well, €100) in duff cycles includes new cables anyway, and a full clean down and re-lube of drivetrain:

https://duffcycles.com/repairs/

68 lost souls

letape wrote: »

There is a huge difference in price between quality cables fitted to a bike your racing on versus the cheap cables that are fitted to a kids bike. A Campagnolo cable set (inners and outers) is €50 for example versus a couple of € for cheap universal cables.

The labour is much more also - having to re route gear and brake cables under tape and most likely through the frame on a race bike versus that required on a 7 speed kids bike.... so it does matter what bike it is.

I was referring to inners. Outters tend to be where the difference is including routing, if just changing the inners theres not as much a difference