Document preparation fees--RIPOFF

ultrarunner · Oct 1, 2011

Dealer Service at a $100 an hour... here add at least 35% to that.

JDgreen227 · Oct 1, 2011

ultrarunner said:
Dealer Service at a $100 an hour... here add at least 35% to that.

Thanks for telling me that, it has been a LONG time since we have gone to a dealership for repairs, last time it was about $89 an hour so I figured $100 would be about right. You say it is now $135 an hour? Frooking CROOKS !!! I have invoices for car wife purchased back in '93, labor rate was $42 an hour at Mr. Monkeywrench then.

ultrarunner · Oct 1, 2011

JDgreen227 said:
Thanks for telling me that, it has been a LONG time since we have gone to a dealership for repairs, last time it was about $89 an hour so I figured $100 would be about right. You say it is now $135 an hour? Frooking CROOKS !!! I have invoices for car wife purchased back in '93, labor rate was $42 an hour at Mr. Monkeywrench then.

It's been a while for me... just called the service department and $154 an hour...

Bird · Oct 1, 2011

Maybe my dealer is a little cheaper. I hadn't asked about an hourly rate, but the last invoice shows .5 to diagnose and 1.0 to R & R the parts, labor $139.

buck12 · Oct 2, 2011

ultrarunner said:
Dealer Service at a $100 an hour... here add at least 35% to that.

I have NEVER paid for service work at a dealer. Once it's out of warranty I use a local independent repair shop. I have never had a problem they couldn't fix.

Bird · Oct 2, 2011

buck12 said:
I have NEVER paid for service work at a dealer. Once it's out of warranty I use a local independent repair shop. I have never had a problem they couldn't fix.

For most of my life I used independent shops, primarily because they were cheaper (or at least I thought they were), but in the last 9 years . . . I don't know. AAA recommends particular shops and will guarantee their work, but the only time I checked on anything, they were just as high, if not higher, priced as the dealer.

Mike Costello · Oct 2, 2011

I recently had a AC leak repaired on my minivan by an independent shop who found the leak (bad ac hose at the fitting) right away. Prior to that, I had the van at the dealership three times for the same problem--to be repaired under warranty. They just couldn't seem to repair what was obvious or was it the fact that my van was close to "out of warranty" status. Infer what you want regarding this issue, but its a big reason why I won't return any of my vehicles to the dealership for work. By the way, the AC system was repaired for about 1/3 the cost of what the dealership probably would have charged. Mike.

chopped · Oct 2, 2011

Mike I had a similiar trouble with my chevy,, I felt they were brushing it off till it was ''out of warranty'' But I contacted GM and told them the situation and that I would consider it a 'pre-exsiting condition' They made a ''file'' and that sor tof extended out the warranty till they got it fixed..Which never happened. The car was driven anothe 8 years witht the problem coming back ...lol
Kind of reminded me of my sears garage opener, same thing really when it was 'fixed' I got it and they billed me..I said it was in warranty a month ago when i brought it in ..its their fault they took so long to fix it...they 'ate' it..

ultrarunner · Oct 2, 2011

buck12 said:
I have NEVER paid for service work at a dealer. Once it's out of warranty I use a local independent repair shop. I have never had a problem they couldn't fix.

I use neither for labor on my personal vehicles... do everything in house at least the R and R.

Dealer quoted $1100 for brakes... so I bought all the parts from them for less than $300... so the labor amounted to $800.

buck12 · Oct 2, 2011

ultrarunner said:
I use neither for labor on my personal vehicles... do everything in house at least the R and R.

Dealer quoted $1100 for brakes... so I bought all the parts from them for less than $300... so the labor amounted to $800.

I do breaks, oil, hoses, and belts but so many things on these new vehicles are beyond my skill level.

ultrarunner · Oct 2, 2011

buck12 said:
I do breaks, oil, hoses, and belts but so many things on these new vehicles are beyond my skill level.

My "New" car is year 2002... and so far, no issues.

My next vehicle is a 91 Silverado and then 85 G20 Chevy Van... the lists keeps going all the back to my 1905 Oldsmobile.

I've been very skeptical about new vehicles... too many horror stories. My neighbor tows a 24 tag trailer for his business and he's had 4 tow vehicles in last twelve years... each has had major problems except for the 99 Diesel Excursions...

His latest, with 3300 miles required a new power plant swap???

Bird · Oct 2, 2011

buck12 said:
I do breaks, oil, hoses, and belts but so many things on these new vehicles are beyond my skill level.

Yep, I did brakes, oil, hoses, belts, filters, wiper blades, light bulbs, fuses, tires, and occasionally even a few other things (such as starters and alternators), but not anymore. Light bulbs, wiper blades, and air filters is about it.:laughing: And that's for several reasons: (1) I'm back in town without a shop building, (2) the cars are more complicated, and (3) I'm getting older and lazier.:laughing:

Mike Costello · Oct 2, 2011

I too take care of most of my auto repair needs, since I was in the businees for many years. That way, I know its done right with no BS. I guess I'm showing my age because service, honesty, & integrity seem to be in short supply these days. Knowing what you're doing is getting scarce too.

buck12 · Oct 2, 2011

ultrarunner said:
My "New" car is year 2002... and so far, no issues.

My next vehicle is a 91 Silverado and then 85 G20 Chevy Van... the lists keeps going all the back to my 1905 Oldsmobile.

I've been very skeptical about new vehicles... too many horror stories. My neighbor tows a 24 tag trailer for his business and he's had 4 tow vehicles in last twelve years... each has had major problems except for the 99 Diesel Excursions...

His latest, with 3300 miles required a new power plant swap???

I will admit that a couple of years ago I took my wife's old car to the local shop for belts, hoses, and transmission service. Things were busy at work and I just didn't have time and didn't want her on the side of the road. I even paid someone to paint my shop a couple of years ago because of time.

grsthegreat · Oct 2, 2011

I WISH i could pay someone to do all my chores......im out back the last week installing the lid for my covered patio. What a CHORE. Now i know why the carpenters always hated me for installing can lighting in lids when there doing T&G 1x6. What a major pain in the butt.

My vehicles are the same thing. A sensor for transmission temp only cost $14.50, but $250 to install.... but thats beyond my comfort level so i had the dealer do it. I used to never bitc# about cost to repair my rigs while i was working all the time. If the rigs were down i was losing $$$$. Now that i only get in about 1 day a week of paid work (stupid economy) I have to try and do alot of the stuff myself. Sucks.

JDgreen227 · Oct 2, 2011

buck12 said:
I do breaks, oil, hoses, and belts but so many things on these new vehicles are beyond my skill level.

I am in the same situation, do the same things you do, put new brakes all the way around on my Lesabre for $350 last spring, saved about $700, but the complexity of todays new cars is really hard to deal with. I have the shop, plenty of tools and plenty of time, but they engineer things so you need an electrical degree and $20,000 worth of test equipment to find problems.

Ductape · Oct 2, 2011

I too used to think doc fees were as big a rip-off as the service charges at the dealership. Then I had my wife's vehicle in for some service ...... service writer called me to say it needed a new muffler bearing. I said "Whaaaaa ?????" Rushed right down there, he takes me out back to show me.

Now that I see they are honest, I don't second guess them anymore.

Bird · Oct 2, 2011

Ductape said:
I too used to think doc fees were as big a rip-off as the service charges at the dealership. Then I had my wife's vehicle in for some service ...... service writer called me to say it needed a new muffler bearing. I said "Whaaaaa ?????" Rushed right down there, he takes me out back to show me.

Now that I see they are honest, I don't second guess them anymore.

:laughing::laughing:Looks to me like the bearing is OK; just need a new muffler.:laughing::laughing:

two_bit_score · Oct 2, 2011

Bird said:
:laughing::laughing:Looks to me like the bearing is OK; just need a new muffler.:laughing::laughing:

Maybe it was OVER packed?

JDgreen227 · Oct 3, 2011

Ductape said:
I too used to think doc fees were as big a rip-off as the service charges at the dealership. Then I had my wife's vehicle in for some service ...... service writer called me to say it needed a new muffler bearing. I said "Whaaaaa ?????" Rushed right down there, he takes me out back to show me.

Now that I see they are honest, I don't second guess them anymore.

It's your fault that happened, if you had purchased the paint protection, fabricoating, and undercoating, etc. as they recommmeded you buy when they originally sold you the vehicle, this never would have happened.

AND, if you had purchased the extended warranty too, even if this happened, it wouldn't have cost you anything except "a small deductible..."

YEAH RIGHT....:laughing: :laughing: