Shop taking advantage of a friend

[SSLance]

A friend of mine from the MCSS site had a shop in Michigan install a crate 12 bolt into his car. Check out the detailed bill for the job...

Finally got my car back
Here are a few pictures

The first picture is of the billing

Item 1 on the billing list
As noted 18 + 1 hour to install the rear end. That is one man over 2 days to un bolt the old one and replace it the new one.

Item 2 on the billing list
4 + 3 hours the put the calipers back on and make the sheet metal tab to hold the brake line, as shown in pictures 3&4

Relocate the proportioning valve and replace the master cylinder looks like 4 hours and then 8 hours to run lines
I just went out and looked, the bracket to hold the proportioning valve came in the kit, there was nothing to fabricate that I can see.

https://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag368/Cowboy4304/rear%20end%20install%204_zpsfn4ywei6.jpg (https://s1373.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy4304/media/rear%20end%20install%204_zpsfn4ywei6.jpg.html)

The second picture is Fabrication of the shock mount

https://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag368/Cowboy4304/Shock%20Relocation%20braket_zpsxsjhrk7c.jpg (https://s1373.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy4304/media/Shock%20Relocation%20braket_zpsxsjhrk7c.jpg.html)

The third picture is the fabrication of the brake line bracket
As shown if previous picture the brakes came completely assembled, I did remove the calipers when I painted it. So there was 4 bolts and washers that had to be put back on.
It is just hard for me to understand how it would take 7 hours to do 4 bolts and bend a pace of sheet metal.

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag368/Cowboy4304/brake%20bracket_zpse6gix3zg.jpg (http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy4304/media/brake%20bracket_zpse6gix3zg.jpg.html)
http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag368/Cowboy4304/brake%20line%20braket_zpstornajal.jpg (http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy4304/media/brake%20line%20braket_zpstornajal.jpg.html)

The final picture is of the rear end installed

https://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag368/Cowboy4304/New%20rear%20end_zpsuribrq90.jpg (https://s1373.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy4304/media/New%20rear%20end_zpsuribrq90.jpg.html)



I'm dumbfounded and feel so sorry for him. Hes not the kind of guy to raise a stink and I have no prior knowledge of the shop in question, but apparently it's a fairly well known shop. O just cant let this go without raising awareness to others that might be caught in the same predicament.

[SSLance]

Link to the shops site in case you cant read it on the invoice

http://www.motorcitysolutions.com/home.html

[minendrews68]

Link to the shops site in case you cant read it on the invoice

http://www.motorcitysolutions.com/home.html

Really not a bad price in my opinion. Especially if your a multi-millionaire and told the guys at the shop you didn't care what it cost, as long as they make plenty of money on the job.:bang:

[Sheck44]

WAIT !!! That price didn't include the 12 bolt !! ??

WTF ...

Steve

[XLexusTech]

Really not a bad price in my opinion. Especially if your a multi-millionaire and told the guys at the shop you didn't care what it cost, as long as they make plenty of money on the job.:bang:

I am call8ng BS on 4 hours to “ Fab” that brake like “bracket”

[DBasher]

What would you expect all the work to cost? Without looking at the hours on the line items it only seems 5-600 more then what I’d guess.

[JKnight]

What would you expect all the work to cost? Without looking at the hours on the line items it only seems 5-600 more then what I’d guess.

I guess this is why I do my own work and have a janky, non-running PT car, lol.

[SSLance]

What would you expect all the work to cost? Without looking at the hours on the line items it only seems 5-600 more then what I’d guess.


When he told he he was upset about how much he paid, I was expecting it to be $2000...thinking $1500 would be more like it.

It was a bolt in crate 12 bolt, unbolt 4 bolts...take old axle out, put new one in place and put 4 bolts back in. 18 hours? Axle was already assembled just needed to bolt calipers on and hook up e-brakes. I work slow and could have done it in less than 4 hours by myself.

That isn't even getting into the amount to replace the prop valve and bleed the brakes. I guess it was all the extra time he spent fabbing up that special U bend in the hard lines on the rear axle...that are going to need to be redone.

[SSLance]

WAIT !!! That price didn't include the 12 bolt !! ??

WTF ...

Steve

Eggsactly... That's pretty high even for Canadian standards...

[Che70velle]

That’s rape. Maybe shop owner needs Christmas money?
I’d have charged the guy $800, and did it in two easy Peasy evenings. Prolly a 6 hour job total.

[DBasher]

When he told he he was upset about how much he paid, I was expecting it to be $2000...thinking $1500 would be more like it.

It was a bolt in crate 12 bolt, unbolt 4 bolts...take old axle out, put new one in place and put 4 bolts back in. 18 hours? Axle was already assembled just needed to bolt calipers on and hook up e-brakes. I work slow and could have done it in less than 4 hours by myself.

That isn't even getting into the amount to replace the prop valve and bleed the brakes. I guess it was all the extra time he spent fabbing up that special U bend in the hard lines on the rear axle...that are going to need to be redone.

Well you know better then I do. I ASSumed with the adjustable arms of the 4 link there was some kind of alignment performed, not just a slap it in deal.
Was an estimate never given? Not trying to be a Richard but I couldn’t see dropping something off to have work done without some kind of idea what it’ll cost. Saves both parties a bit of headache I would think.

[214Chevy]

Hypothetically speaking, it shouldn't cost that much for a shop to redo another shops mess up.

[kevin_l]

So I rarely pay someone to do work for me, but when I do I always know a head of time a general cost of labor. Do people just agree without getting an idea of cost?

[carkrazy1987]

That is highway robbery!! you could have 4 installed for that price. $4000 in labor just to install a rear axle. you could of went to a stealership at $150/hr and still come out cheaper. Did he not do any research or ask someone what it usually costs, or just threw his wallet at them. if your buddy has more of that spare money to toss around ill give him my number.

[NOVA]

Unfortunately I think this happens more often than what we hear about, people just pay the price and get there car out & chalk it up to lesson learned...... but it does suck and I think bad juju on the shops behalf, I know one shop I bet he will not be doing any business with moving forward and anyone he tells about his experience AND everyone reading this will probably drive right by that address.....

[214Chevy]

Unfortunately I think this happens more often than what we hear about, people just pay the price and get there car out & chalk it up to lesson learned...... but it does suck and I think bad juju on the shops behalf, I know one shop I bet he will not be doing any business with moving forward and anyone he tells about his experience AND everyone reading this will probably drive right by that address.....

I agree and once the work is done, you almost have no choice but to price almost. That is, unless you want to get into a legal battle and chance a mechanics lean being placed on your $25k+ car and losing it over a $4k bill. That's, why you should always ask what's the shop rate and ask approximately how many man hours it'll take and ask around and not go to the first shop that says, "Yes" that they can do it. Many of us have had to learn the hard way.

[Musclerodz]

Was the rear already painted? If so, that should have been 8-12 hours max, 2 guys, one day. Looks like to me they charged him for occupancy of the lift while they waited for the driveshaft to show up.

[NOVA]

Link to the shops site in case you cant read it on the invoice

http://www.motorcitysolutions.com/home.html

I see on there site they do car restorations, wow, I wonder what that runs :_paranoid

[SSLance]

Was the rear already painted? If so, that should have been 8-12 hours max, 2 guys, one day. Looks like to me they charged him for occupancy of the lift while they waited for the driveshaft to show up.

That's what I'm thinking as well. Yes, it was painted before ou re dropping off.

[TheJDMan]

Thanks for posting this Lance!

[craig510]

42 hours for brake lines and an axle install is on the long side but I can see the hours adding up. At least the shop rate is low and he has the car back.

[andrewb70]

Lance,

Did he ever get a written estimate? An estimate is not an exact quote, but it should be relatively close to the final amount, especially if the work is done by a supposedly experienced shop.

As someone else said, this looks like an easy weekend project. Ten, maybe 12 hours MAX!

Andrew

[SSLance]

They had an estimate and then the scope and amount of work to be done changed without a clear agreement of what the new estimate would be. Basically they did a lot less work than originally agreed on for the same amount of hours estimated. It was an expensive lesson for sure...

[dhutton]

They had an estimate and then the scope and amount of work to be done changed without a clear agreement of what the new estimate would be. Basically they did a lot less work than originally agreed on for the same amount of hours estimated. It was an expensive lesson for sure...

Curious if the scope was reduced before or while the work was being done.

Don

[BMR Sales]

what else was supposed to be done on the estimate?

[SSLance]

Curious if the scope was reduced before or while the work was being done.

Don

Before it was dropped off.


what else was supposed to be done on the estimate?

Complete front brake install including cutting spindle ears, drilling tapping holes for adapter brackets and swapping to floating rotor type design.