Cost of car service?

V

vino

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I recently had my car serviced. First car. I went to a mechanic who was recommended by a friend. I knew the handbrake needed to be fixed. Which I was told was a simple enough job. I just wanted a general service and I wanted it to pass it's NCT. To cut a long story short I was charged €300 for 6 hours work and €185 for parts. I needed brake shoes, pads, a sterring rod in the front among other things. He told me the car wasn't too bad at all. I just feel a bit ripped off from talking to other people. I know I should have asked a price first but didn't think I could as I didn't know what had to be done.

When he brought the car back (after midnight) he noticed there was a couple of cracks in the back lights and said it wouldn't pass the NCT. He said he'd try to get some lights to replace it. I wrote a cheque because it was so late but the next day I just felt that i'd paid him (a lot) for a job he hadn't completed so I cancelled it. So he's going mad now and want's cash tomorrow. I feel he should replace my lights and not charge me anymore for the work. But to be honest I don't think either of us wants to deal with each other now. Am I wrong here?
 
of course you are, did he say he would work for nothing? why was he recomended to you, was it that he was cheap?

6 hours at 20 an hour is only 120euro, and what tradesman works for that rate,
if you cancelled my cheque , then you might need more than, new lights
 
vino said:
I wrote a cheque because it was so late but the next day I just felt that i'd paid him (a lot) for a job he hadn't completed so I cancelled it. So he's going mad now and want's cash tomorrow. I feel he should replace my lights and not charge me anymore for the work. But to be honest I don't think either of us wants to deal with each other now. Am I wrong here?
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He has every reason to be 'mad' - sorry, but cancelling the cheque was very underhand/cowardly - you should have raised the concern over price directly with him.

You're the one being unreasonable here. You didn't get a price before hand (you should have), and now want to pay what you think is the correct price?

and not charge me anymore for the work
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I don't get this bit - do you expect him to complete the work (incl lights) for €485, or for nothing?
 
clonboy said:
of course you are, did he say he would work for nothing? why was he recomended to you, was it that he was cheap?

6 hours at 20 an hour is only 120euro, and what tradesman works for that rate,
if you cancelled my cheque , then you might need more than, new lights
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He charged me €50 an hour not €20. I never said anywhere i'd expect him to work for €20 an hour. My point is that I paid him to check my car for the nct and he returned it telling me it'd fail over something he noticed when he returned it. What else did he miss? I have no problem paying the full €485 and there was never an issue over that. I would just prefer to pay him when the job is completed and my car will pass the nct. I just think it's a lot of money to and then to hand over extra for something that should have been done.

When I cancelled the cheque I was onto the bank about something else and asked had the cheque been lodged and it hadn't so I cancelled it. I intended to tell him that I would pay when the job had been finished but I didn't get a chance and I admitted to him I was wrong there.

I spoke to the person who has used him in the past and they were shocked at how much I was charged. I have every intention of paying him, that was not the issue. I was just wondering if I have been charged a lot more than usual.
 
vino said:
...When he brought the car back (after midnight) ....
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A door to door service done outside of normal working hours at 50 quid an hour and you cancelled his cheque?
vino said:
...Am I wrong here?
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I think your question is superfluous.

I'd be glad to see the back of you, after collecting my cash of course.
 
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rmelly said:
Here's a few threads on this site on prices for car service:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=2196&page=2

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=651455

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=583802

What type of car and how old?
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Thanks for that. It's only a micra. 2000. Low mileage. Just from speaking to others it seems i've been charged an awful lot. I'll take it as a life lesson. I'm just not comfortable paying somebody before a job is completed.
 
mathepac said:
A door to door service done outside of normal working hours at 50 quid an hour and you cancelled his cheque?
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Well, he was to collect my car on the Monday evening and drop it back on Tuesday. I was very grateful he was going to collect it rather than me having to arrange a lift back after dropping it into him. At about 10pm I had to call to see if he was collecting it. He said somebody else needed something done and could he take it another day. I said i'd be travelling after that so I couldn't say when I could be without the car again. He said he'd come and get it.

At about 10pm the following night I called to see was he bringing it back. He said he wasn't finished as some other things had come up. I told him I was travelling the following day but could arrange a lift with someone else so he could hold onto it. He said he'd drop it back the following evening.

I text him the next day (wednesday) to ask if he could tell me how much it would be so I could have a cheque ready. No reply. I tried to call that evening several times and it was after 11pm when I got him and after midnight when I got my car back. I can't imagine anybody being very impressed with that...
 
@vino, like some less experienced posters, you seem to think it acceptable to open a thread and invite comment and then dismiss the responses by adding information not contained originally.

I stand by my response to your original post.
 
You quoted part of my post, on which I elaborated. I did not dismiss your response, I explained further.

I may have few posts here but I am not ' a less experienced poster'. I am a moderator on another forum. Again, just adding information so you fully understand.
 
But to be honest I don't think either of us wants to deal with each other now. Am I wrong here
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?

Whatever about your feelings, I don't think your mechanic will walk away without his money
 
This was posted in Other Financial Issues?!!! Vino I think that proves mathepac's comment in relation to less experienced posters! Did you really think you would get the best response in Other Financial Issues?

I also like clonboy's manner of dealing with the issue, shows an astowning level of maturity, to which I can only dream of.

Onto the point about the service. Personally I agree with you, the price of the service does seem extremely excessive, but then I did get charged €50 for a 'safe check/ car wash!!' I've detailed my opinion on that in another thread. A basic service can for a Micra can cost anything from €140-300 depending on where you go to have it done.

Was it a service or a Pre-NCT check you had done? I think fast-fit offer a free one now?

Reality is however if you didn't actually agree a price beforehand then there is very little you can do about it.

Did he give you a receipt for the service?

Personally, I think you should go down the lines of what clonboy reccommends above. Just let him know that if you're made pay the €485 you'll be contacting the local Revenue Inspector and recommending that an audit is carried out on him as you don't like seeing your money being turned into dirty money. Tipoffs are usually acted upon by Revenue.

Stand up for the consumers right! Did he contact you before he put any of the parts on?
 
Iceman732 said:
This was posted in Other Financial Issues?!!! Vino I think that proves mathepac's comment in relation to less experienced posters! Did you really think you would get the best response in Other Financial Issues?

I also like clonboy's manner of dealing with the issue, shows an astowning level of maturity, to which I can only dream of.

Onto the point about the service. Personally I agree with you, the price of the service does seem extremely excessive, but then I did get charged €50 for a 'safe check/ car wash!!' I've detailed my opinion on that in another thread. A basic service can for a Micra can cost anything from €140-300 depending on where you go to have it done.

Was it a service or a Pre-NCT check you had done? I think fast-fit offer a free one now?

Reality is however if you didn't actually agree a price beforehand then there is very little you can do about it.

Did he give you a receipt for the service?

Personally, I think you should go down the lines of what clonboy reccommends above. Just let him know that if you're made pay the €485 you'll be contacting the local Revenue Inspector and recommending that an audit is carried out on him as you don't like seeing your money being turned into dirty money. Tipoffs are usually acted upon by Revenue.

Stand up for the consumers right! Did he contact you before he put any of the parts on?
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I read your other post. I'm not surprised you felt robbed!

No he didn't contact me about putting in parts. In fact he didn't contact me at all. The only contact I had was me calling him at ridiculous hours of the night, wondering what was happening. I think the whole experience annoyed me. I just found it very unprofessional. I wouldn't run my business like that.

I don't have any interest in reporting him to the revenue. He did give me a receipt although some is illegible. I just wanted to pay him when he had finished what he was charging me for. I would have liked to think that for that amount of money my car would pass it's NCT.
 
My sister lives in Dublin but found somebody in Offaly to service her car a lot cheaper (even after travelling costs are factored in) than locally. Shop around as widely as possible.
 
Thanks Clubman. I certainly will do from now on.

The seatbelt on the driver side seems a bit loose. It's not springing back like it should. I nearly have to feed it in myself. I mentioned this to him and he said he'd look and said 'The seatbelts in Micra's can be like that'. I'm not convinced. Now I feel I have to get someone else to check that out.
 
Vino

For documented potential problems with your car try checking:

www.honestjohn.co.uk (car by car breakdown section)

www.usedcarexpert.co.uk

...you have to register for the second site, but it's free. Between the two, things like the seatbelt problem you mention should be there if it is a common enough problem.
 
tell this cowboy to get lost and dont pay him. when he said "other things popped up" and it wasnt ready, what if u cudnt get to work without the car?? a mechanic cannot charge 50 an hour, its one of the poorer paid trades and this is a rip off. their rate is in the region of 25 an hour
 
jimbob1234 said:
tell this cowboy to get lost and dont pay him. when he said "other things popped up" and it wasnt ready, what if u cudnt get to work without the car?? a mechanic cannot charge 50 an hour, its one of the poorer paid trades and this is a rip off. their rate is in the region of 25 an hour
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Some BMW main stealers charge €150 per hour :eek:
 
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