I Guess I Do Not Understand People And/Or Their Decisions.......

Buffalo21 said:
As the title says, I guess I do not understand people and some of their choices. I just got off the phone with a friend that lives in Wisconsin, I worked with him, when I lived in Milwaukee. He has a small shop, he is deeply into RC planes and boats, mention RC cars and he goes spastic, not for him. During our conversation, me said he shipped out a crate of worn files (close to a hundred files), to someone to be resharpen. I asked the cost of such a venture, he said it was about $65 in shipping (another $65 to get them back) and about $8-$10 a file to resharpen them.

I understand the need for a good file, but I’ve always considered files to be basically a consumable item. I can buy decent files for $10, not great, but workable files. He said his total cost will be in the $900-$1200 range. I was SHOCKED, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, more likely I was flabbergasted.

My neighbor bought a 2007 Kia Optima for $1700, so far he has put close to another $11,000 into the car over the last 2 yrs. I’m not sure how much the car was new, but I’m sure $13,000 has a large part of the price. I’m not talking about a classic car, were talking about a Kia.

My other neighbor needed a new pool fence, he got a quote to have a completely new fence install, all new wood. He asked about saving a few of the good panels and using them. The fencing contractor said, that type of work, would be time and material, so he decided to go that way. When they got done the original quote was close to $6800, the total cost by doing it time and material was over $11,000.

Maybe I’m serious cynical, maybe I’m cut from a different bolt of cloth, but I just do not understand people and the decisions they make.
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That may not be as outrageous as it sounds on the surface depending on the size and type of files he's sending out. There are some real "file fanatics" over on another board. They are into the extremely high end, often imported files. It's not unusual to hear them talk about specific Swiss pattern and other types of files that cost upward of $100.00 per unit. It might be justified, or another form of snobbery. Personally I treat files as consumables, and rarely pay more than $10.00 to $15.00 per unit. Of course prices might have changed drastically in the last few months. I just got a shocker when looking at a set of milling clamps. The ones I got for $45.00 and free shipping in January are now selling for $120.00 and $29.00 shipping.
 
Buffalo21 said:
I guess it based on the kind of work being done. My owner is a multi-millionaire, due to time and material work, if you charge for every minute, mileage and drive time and every item used, how can you lose money??
Flat rate may work on cars, but not on industrial boiler work, T&M is the only way to go.
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Ha, I'm the owner but not a multi millionaire.:apologize: We are flat rate (plumbing) and I do ok.
 
tweinke said:
I agree with you on that Jocat54!
I am an auto tech in a Ford dealership. This has been a lifelong career for me. Now would anyone like to tell me how I rip you off. I feel insulted that as a blanket techs are ripoff artists. Where I work management would send those types out the door ASAP because they have a reputation to uphold and so do I.
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Nobody has accused you of doing anything. However, I'm sure you're aware that not all auto repair shops are honest. We used to take our
Honda to a dealer that was constantly trying to add stuff to the service bill that either wasn't needed or authorized.
I'm fully aware that there are plenty of honest shops out there, but everyone knows this is not an
industry with a squeaky clean reputation.

As far as the flat rate I don't think that's a ripoff, it's just how it's done.
 
Like the new car dealer trying to tell me that I can not put air in the tires to raise the pressure 2 PSI, it must be Nitrogen at an additional cost of $30 added to the oil change. It was then explained to me that nitrogen is a rare gas and that is why it is so expensive. Or $300 to activate a feature that was installed at the factory so I already paid for when I bought it. Todd, I am not saying you or your dealership would do things like this. But I called around to several local dealerships and got the same prices and same BS story.
 
The BS statement thats used here is that the synthetic oil as used in my car only has a shelf life of 6 months which is why it has to be changed very often.
So No, not all establishments are honest.
 
tweinke said:
I agree with you on that Jocat54!
I am an auto tech in a Ford dealership. This has been a lifelong career for me. Now would anyone like to tell me how I rip you off. I feel insulted that as a blanket techs are ripoff artists. Where I work management would send those types out the door ASAP because they have a reputation to uphold and so do I.
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You do not.
It is NOT the guys in the shop doing the work, it is management. The turkeys at the counter so to say.
I have had experience with that going all the way back to the mid '70s. No honor or scruples at all.
And if you are a single female bringing your vehicle in, then the problems with your vehicle go up exponentially.
This is across the board, dealerships to franchise 'Firestone' type shops, to local repair shops.
 
And another one...
Why does my model vehicle require servicing every 6 months or x000kms which ever comes first whilst in another country the exact same model requires its service every 12 months?
Sounds like B/S to me.
 
Seem a lot of you are blaming the mechanics for the crap the marketing department and unscrupulous a-holes (but I repeat myself) at the front counter do.
 
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