Psychos in the Auto-Repair Business

[JAZSXY]

Originally Posted by happy1

One of the worst crook things I experienced was I was sitting waiting at one of the Pedders workshop for a wheel alignment being done on my car, when a female customer came to the workshop to discuss about her Hyundai Elantra with solid rear axle that had been bent from a small impact. The guy at the counter quoted her 'somewhere over $3k' for a NEW rear axle fitted. The woman was really upset saying that would be a real struggle to finance but she needed the car back on the road, and asking if there were any way doing it at less cost. Just out of interest while sitting there I looked on gumtree on my phone, found a local wrecker that had that particular model in stock, called them and got quoted a bargain price for a s/hand rear axle. Just as the woman had left her car for repair, I showed the gumtree deal to the Pedders guy at the counter. He said 'fantastic, then I can pocket all that profit from the dumb female'. You would have thought he would have phoned her with the good news that 'Hi, it looks we can do it a lot cheaper for you'.

I sold my EB 12yrs ago with a RWC here in Melbourne. Guy called me the next day saying he had been to Pedders and there was $2000 worth of bushes (practically all bushes) to be replaced. I promptly spoke to the mechanic who RWC'd the car and the EB was brought back and put on the hoist. Only ONE thing that was wrong was an engine mount he missed. All the other bushes front to back were like new. Ive steered clear of Pedders shops ever since.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by JAZSXY

I sold my EB 12yrs ago with a RWC here in Melbourne. Guy called me the next day saying he had been to Pedders and there was $2000 worth of bushes (practically all bushes) to be replaced. I promptly spoke to the mechanic who RWC'd the car and the EB was brought back and put on the hoist. Only ONE thing that was wrong was an engine mount he missed. All the other bushes front to back were like new. Ive steered clear of Pedders shops ever since.

Those cheap / free inspections are to suck in vulnerable people who have little understanding of cars and assume every workshop is out to do their best for their customer.

Tyres places are the same, brakes, etc.

A big name car company did the same to my sister. She took her car in for a routine service and was called to advise that her brakes were totally shot and unroadworthy... She was put on the spot and agreed to change them.

Only problem was - they were recently changed by me. No way they were due. After a few phone calls and requests for the worn pads to be produced the whole service fee was refunded...

Ohhhh what a feeling!

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Those cheap / free inspections are to suck in vulnerable people who have little understanding of cars and assume every workshop is out to do their best for their customer.

Tyres places are the same, brakes, etc.

A big name car company did the same to my sister. She took her car in for a routine service and was called to advise that her brakes were totally shot and unroadworthy... She was put on the spot and agreed to change them.

Only problem was - they were recently changed by me. No way they were due. After a few phone calls and requests for the worn pads to be produced the whole service fee was refunded...

Ohhhh what a feeling!

What really ****s me about this practice is multifold:
1) They treat every job as an opportunity to screw you. You can't get a simple necessity like brake-pad done, without them claiming that you need new calipers, rotors, and a "flush".
2) They're happy to screw you over with $500 of parts you don't need, just for their markup and profit on fitting. I wouldn't mind if they just charged a bit more for the basic job, they need to pay wages and overheads.
3) They're not actually interested in doing anything outside their standard list of rip-offs. My daughter needed the brakes doing on her AU. Of course they tell her that she needs new calipers and rotors. I said **** that we'll do it ourselves. Only had to touch the back wheel to figure that the problem, and what had ****ed the brakes, was the bearing was completely shot. SO they would have charged her for new rotors and calipers, and it would have been ****ed again inside a week.
4) All this forces me to do **** like this myself. I like DIY, I love building stuff, and doing interesting repairs. Doing brakes, without a hoist, I am well and truly over.

[Feathers]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

What really ****s me about this practice is multifold:
1) They treat every job as an opportunity to screw you. You can't get a simple necessity like brake-pad done, without them claiming that you need new calipers, rotors, and a "flush".
2) They're happy to screw you over with $500 of parts you don't need, just for their markup and profit on fitting. I wouldn't mind if they just charged a bit more for the basic job, they need to pay wages and overheads.
3) They're not actually interested in doing anything outside their standard list of rip-offs. My daughter needed the brakes doing on her AU. Of course they tell her that she needs new calipers and rotors. I said **** that we'll do it ourselves. Only had to touch the back wheel to figure that the problem, and what had ****ed the brakes, was the bearing was completely shot. SO they would have charged her for new rotors and calipers, and it would have been ****ed again inside a week.
4) All this forces me to do **** like this myself. I like DIY, I love building stuff, and doing interesting repairs. Doing brakes, without a hoist, I am well and truly over.

They do all this to the blokes, but then it's usually even worse as a woman walking in alone. They assume you know absolutely nothing AND talk down to you.

Luckily as the daughter of a mechanic, I can do a lot of things myself, but also, I know a fair few people in the industry who won't try to screw me over.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Fiji

I actually feel for the repairers.

Plenty People bring in their rough as guts cars they have tried to bodgy up 3-4 times and don't tell the repairers the whole problem, then want a firm quote to repair.

The repairers don't want to inherit the problem, so they just say they don't want the job .

People ask for one thing to be fixed but then complain about other issues and try rope the repairer in for the blame.

Ie ask for a tune and then expect the leaky injectors to be fixed.

That's also endemic in the industry - we call them the 'ever since you' crew

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Fiji

I actually feel for the repairers.

Plenty People bring in their rough as guts cars they have tried to bodgy up 3-4 times and don't tell the repairers the whole problem, then want a firm quote to repair.

Nope.

I once had a problem with my XF transmission. I spoke to the guy at the specialists and described the symptoms. He said bring it in, and I'll test drive it to confirm, but I think the problem is this...
Took it in, he tested it and said yep, your band is so worn that the actuating cylinder is actually popping out, so it loses pressure and the band slips till it gets pressure again, etc, and that's why you get that shuddering.
He said I can fix that just by external adjustment, but that may not completely fix the problem because when they do that they usually stuff the o-ring. To fix that, I need to take the pan off, so you're up for a new gasket and fluid. He basically priced the whole job right there.
THAT is what a "Transmission Specialist" does.

Any grease-monkey can do a "service" that consists of nothing more than changing out fluid, gasket, and filter. In fact yes, if that's all I wanted, I'd do that myself.

A "Specialist" is supposed to have more knowledge than the owner, that's what you're paying for.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Nope.

I once had a problem with my XF transmission. I spoke to the guy at the specialists and described the symptoms. He said bring it in, and I'll test drive it to confirm, but I think the problem is this...
Took it in, he tested it and said yep, your band is so worn that the actuating cylinder is actually popping out, so it loses pressure and the band slips till it gets pressure again, etc, and that's why you get that shuddering.
He said I can fix that just by external adjustment, but that may not completely fix the problem because when they do that they usually stuff the o-ring. To fix that, I need to take the pan off, so you're up for a new gasket and fluid. He basically priced the whole job right there.
THAT is what a "Transmission Specialist" does.

Any grease-monkey can do a "service" that consists of nothing more than changing out fluid, gasket, and filter. In fact yes, if that's all I wanted, I'd do that myself.

A "Specialist" is supposed to have more knowledge than the owner, that's what you're paying for.

If only auto trans problems were as easy to fix as the old BW35-40 reverse band wearing and letting the servo pop out past the O ring.Back then an overhaul kit for those trans was under $100