"Shop Charges" For Auto Repairs

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tony1679

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Dropped off my Civic at a local dealer to diagnose an oil leak. Was told multiple times the charge is $129.xx. Went to pay so that I could pick it up after hours (and return for repair at a later date). Total is $149.xx. What? "Oh, there's a $19.88 charge for shop supplies we add to EVERY ticket." For a diagnosis?!? I reluctantly paid it, but made it very clear that I thought it was shady. I knew it would be applied to the final bill, therefore I wouldn't technically pay that. So a few days later, I get the quote for the repairs and have them perform the work. I get a detailed list of charges, and once again there's "Shop Charges" on the invoice. This time it's $49.88!!!
crazy2.gif
I'm beyond irked that I'm being charged $50 extra to repair an oil separator plate. Is this avoidable? I feel it's purely to pad the invoice. I'd understand 3% or $10-$20. But it's over 13% of the total cost. And dealers wonder why people avoid them.

Don't even get me started on the armed robbery they call "doc fees" which go for $500-799 here...
 
Wow, usually its 2% of the bill or so, to cover rags, brake clean, etc etc, but that seems much too high. Especially for something where they didnt even need to use a rag or a can of spray on anything.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Time to find a new shop.
I never use dealers, but this time, due to the legal nature of the backstory, I had to have a professional shop do it. One that the original Honda dealer I purchased the car from couldn't call "incompetent" (like they stated about my go-to shop). Another Honda dealer can't be considered incompetent in court.
 
Originally Posted by WhyMe
pretty common. sometimes its a percentage of the bill and sometimes its fixed cost. its just another way to milk the customer.

Putting the car up on the lift, using the light, etc....

All wear and tear on things that are going to have to be replaced.
 
Every shop is entitled to re-coup costs for misc supplies that are used for a job. But in your case, they are just too high. They are trying to turn a nice profit off the rags and recycling.
 
Originally Posted by ford46guy
Originally Posted by WhyMe
pretty common. sometimes its a percentage of the bill and sometimes its fixed cost. its just another way to milk the customer.

Putting the car up on the lift, using the light, etc....

All wear and tear on things that are going to have to be replaced.

I don't have a problem with that. My beef is they should build it into their hourly rate, so the customer doesn't feel like they're really getting hosed. In my business I use paint brushes and rollers, and a slew of other sundry items. I don't have a surcharge for those "disposable tools or items," which wear out and have to be replaced. It's all factored into the cost of the job.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by ford46guy
Originally Posted by WhyMe
pretty common. sometimes its a percentage of the bill and sometimes its fixed cost. its just another way to milk the customer.

Putting the car up on the lift, using the light, etc....

All wear and tear on things that are going to have to be replaced.

I don't have a problem with that. My beef is they should build it into their hourly rate, so the customer doesn't feel like they're really getting hosed. In my business I use paint brushes and rollers, and a slew of other sundry items. I don't have a surcharge for those "disposable tools or items," which wear out and have to be replaced. It's all factored into the cost of the job.
Exactly. As if $129/hour isn't enough to pay for these things. I know most mechanics in that shop make $20-25 per flag hour, and the exceptionally skilled are potentially up to $50. So where is the other $79+ going? I understand the lifts need paid for, electricity, the building maintenance itself, floors, etc. But at what point is something done to stop the intentional [censored] they're doing to customers?
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
I'm beyond irked that I'm being charged $50 extra to repair an oil separator plate. Is this avoidable?


Yes, somewhat if not entirely avoidable at a different shop, or DIY.

This is not a hard repair, supposedly... You either take the intake off for easier access, which requires new gasket o-rings/etc to reinstall, or go in through the wheel well instead, take the oil separator plate off, clean both mating surfaces, put some (1/4oz) high temperature RTV (aka Hondabond HT Silicone P/N 08718-0004, H/C 8263386) on it, and slap it back on. Earlier generation Civics had a TSB that advised removing the right driveshaft, but people who have done it on 9th gen made no mention of removing the driveshaft.

A good shop might have not just diagnosed, but also fixed this for $130 total. It doesn't take over an hour to find and fix this, with shop supplies being a plastic scraper tool, some rags, and ~1/15th of a tube of RTV sealant.
 
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The money is also used to replace items accidently broken during a repair, kind of like an insurance policy that the customer pays for.
 
I have had my own shop for 50 years prior to retiring recently, both cars and outdoor power equipment. In all that time I NEVER charged for "shop supplies" . I figured that those things were just the cost of doing business, and the cost was built into my labor rate. Maybe that is why I had such loyal customers that nearly cried (literally) when I retired.
 
That's annoying. It's akin to resort fees as it allows businesses to advertise lower room rate or in the case of the OP a lower cost for the repair.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Time to find a new shop.



Yes, it's nonsense like this that give the entire auto repair industry a bad reputation.
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Something that has spoiled me about California is when asking for authorization from the customer, the final out the door price must be quoted. A customer can authorize a maximum amount without calling and the repairs can proceed as long as they are under the amount. If a shop does work without the customer's approval and can't prove it, the customer gets to take the car and not pay the bill.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by ford46guy
Originally Posted by WhyMe
pretty common. sometimes its a percentage of the bill and sometimes its fixed cost. its just another way to milk the customer.

Putting the car up on the lift, using the light, etc....

All wear and tear on things that are going to have to be replaced.

I don't have a problem with that. My beef is they should build it into their hourly rate, so the customer doesn't feel like they're really getting hosed. In my business I use paint brushes and rollers, and a slew of other sundry items. I don't have a surcharge for those "disposable tools or items," which wear out and have to be replaced. It's all factored into the cost of the job.


I see what you are saying. So they could inflate the labor an extra 2-5$/hr and everyone is happy.
Some may consider hourly Labor as strictly "Human Labor."
Supplies are separate line item.

I know the plumber here breaks down every fitting and screw, but I don't think they charge for the propane and solder they use.
 
Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Time to find a new shop.



Yes, it's nonsense like this that give the entire auto repair industry a bad reputation.
31.gif


Bingo
 
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