mechanic now asking for more money. what would u do?

[Sugar-D]

No.

1. IMHO a quote is a non-binding ball park.
2. They finished the work under the quote or just decided to give you a break which is weird but happens.
3. You paid.
4. Owner calls back asking for more.
5??

I'd say your part in this story should end at 3. They did work then you paid for it. The end.

The difference in quote vs final charge is on them.

 

[red]

Mechanics Lien Act.

That only works if they possession of the car

 

[red]

If they have the car and not trying to do it off the books.

Frankly if they did a good job and the rate was more than reasonable, I'd say the quote was 3 can you tell me why it's now 3.5 hrs. If the gives any reasonable answer - I'd pay him.

Just me !

Yes- ask why the difference. If it makes sense then pay it.

 

[oldjones]

You don't get to be in the right both when underpaying what you were quoted and when refusing to pay the real labour cost because it went over the quote. Buddy did the work and deserves to be paid even if his partner goofed. You're wrong one way, or the other way. Salvage some respect (self and otherwise) and pay the estimate at least. Or sort it out with the two of them instead of asking for the Court of TERB to judge.

My bottom line would be Buddy who did your work deserves to be paid, not stiffed. But like you say, you have your car back.

 

[james t kirk]

the extra .5 hr was to do sway bar links. I wouldn't pay that since they had to take out the sway bar links to do the job and put them back in to complete the job.

I know the first guy quoted me that price, but the second guy worked on the car and charged me that price.

Its my first time there, I didn't have a good experience in my opinion. I dropped it off at 1pm and was promised they would look at it right away. So guess what? I get a call at 5 and said they would look at the soon. I get the car at 830pm.

I used to go there before but its under new management. I went to get a quote before for a drive axle seal replacement and wasn't impress with the quote. 2-3 hr

So they work till 8:30 at night to get you back on the road, they give you a ride to your place and presumably a ride back to the shop and you stiff them for an hour?

Nice one.

They may have promised you the car for 5 pm, but something went south during the day and rather than just tell you too bad for you, they worked till 8:30!to get it done.

I'd say your getting pretty good service.

Bottom line you agreed to pay 3 hours, you owe the man 3 hours.

Sounds to me like the front office guy gave you the quote (probably based on a flat rate book) and the back office guy did the work. The front office guys job is keeping them in business and the back office guy is in charge of doing the work. Back office guys don't always make the best front office guys.

 

[pokergod]

Sure I agreed to 3 hrs, but if the mechanic only takes 2 hrs to do the job, would you pay for the extra hr? Thats probably why owner (B) only charged me 2hrs. If they couldn't work on the car right at 1pm, they should've told me instead of keeping it there. I could've used the car. Personally I think they were lining up the cars and promising work down do they don't go else where and they'd lose the business.

Anyway, I had to get an alignment and went to a bigger chain garage and asked them about the situation, they said to ignore and the shop is SOL. I went to another place and they said the same thing.

So they work till 8:30 at night to get you back on the road, they give you a ride to your place and presumably a ride back to the shop and you stiff them for an hour?

Nice one.

They may have promised you the car for 5 pm, but something went south during the day and rather than just tell you too bad for you, they worked till 8:30!to get it done.

I'd say your getting pretty good service.

Bottom line you agreed to pay 3 hours, you owe the man 3 hours.

Sounds to me like the front office guy gave you the quote (probably based on a flat rate book) and the back office guy did the work. The front office guys job is keeping them in business and the back office guy is in charge of doing the work. Back office guys don't always make the best front office guys.

 

[Hockey_MLnut]

No matter how much you are quoted for if the person that has done the work and is also a managing partner comes to you and says "I'm charging you for 2 hours work." and they accept your payment then thats it.

I have had work on my car done and was quoted 300 for a brake job and oil change but when it was done the mechanic said "It took way less time than I thought" and I was only charged 225. Should I have said "No you said 300 so here is 300"?

Dont listen to the chuckle heads who are telling you to pay more for a job you were already charged for. Obviously these two business partners can not agree on prices or even how long a job should and would take. Do not go back to them if they cant get their stuff together.

What really gets me is the other managing partner who never did the job in the first place is asking for more money.

 

[whitewaterguy]

Keep your money, consider this your gift to those two. Their learning experience, to help them get their act together, an opportunity to improve their business practices. Sounds like a slip shod operation

 

[HEYHEY]

Wow, majority of people are douche bags as shown in this thread.

First off you paid cash, and avoided 13% hst on about 300. Thats a cool 39$ right there. Then they dropped you off lol another 50$ right there for their time + fuel.
At the end of it one guy misunderstood the other and charged you less. Now instead of just paying them what you agreed to you're asking others what to do? Sounds to me like you already made up your mind and just want people to confirm your decision to keep the money so you don't feel guilty about it.

You're a piece of shit if you keep the money just like everyone who also said that they'd keep it. But majority of people are like this so don't feel too bad about it

 

[newtohobby]

$50 dollars for time and fuel? where are they driving you? Bigger places have a shuttle where the driver make way less when a mechanic. Most independent shops that I know of won't drop you off, only if your within 1-3 km range.

The business have their advantages for taking cash only too. Most of them want to only accept cash and don't even do CC/interact. In my opinion, its an internal thing. Its between the owners. Especially if they are a new management team and want to attract new customers, they should just keep quiet of their mistake and hope to keep that customer coming back. Sounds like OP isn't going back after that.

Wow, majority of people are douche bags as shown in this thread.

First off you paid cash, and avoided 13% hst on about 300. Thats a cool 39$ right there. Then they dropped you off lol another 50$ right there for their time + fuel.
At the end of it one guy misunderstood the other and charged you less. Now instead of just paying them what you agreed to you're asking others what to do? Sounds to me like you already made up your mind and just want people to confirm your decision to keep the money so you don't feel guilty about it.

You're a piece of shit if you keep the money just like everyone who also said that they'd keep it. But majority of people are like this so don't feel too bad about it

 

[icespot]

Defenition of a quote:give someone (the estimated price of a job or service).

The estimated time was 3 hours, but the mechanic that did the job was honest and charged you the correct amount that was worked on your carcarr.

Sounds like a good mechanic that is honest is in business with a duche bag.

You are under no legal duty to pay the extra amount since the mechanic who is a partner told you exactly how long it took.

To bad you cant go back because they will screw you.

Don't worry about he comments others made.

People judge based on how they are, must didn't even read your post properly.

 

[james t kirk]

Sure I agreed to 3 hrs, but if the mechanic only takes 2 hrs to do the job, would you pay for the extra hr? Thats probably why owner (B) only charged me 2hrs. If they couldn't work on the car right at 1pm, they should've told me instead of keeping it there. I could've used the car. Personally I think they were lining up the cars and promising work down do they don't go else where and they'd lose the business.

Anyway, I had to get an alignment and went to a bigger chain garage and asked them about the situation, they said to ignore and the shop is SOL. I went to another place and they said the same thing.

You sure are in an awful lot of garages over the past 2 days.

Why don't you call up the mechanic who did the work and ask him his take on the situation?

If he says he made an honest mistake and you should pay them as per your quote, then you should have no problem paying him.

Right?

And to answer your question, you're damn right I'd pay the 3 hours if that was what I was quoted and that's what I agreed to. Cause that was the deal and I know it.

Garages typically work on a flat rate system. I.e. they have a pricing book that tells them what a job pays and that's what you get quoted times the shop rate. If it takes more time than the book, you still get billed what they quoted. If it takes less time than the book, you still get billed what the book states. That's how it works.

As somebody else above correctly pointed out, you're just looking for validation for your action in fucking these guys over. You won't get it from me.

 

[newtohobby]

why would he call up the mechanic who did the job? He's the one who let him go with his price and he's an owner. Of course if he talked to him, after getting in shit from his partner he's going to change his tune.

Some mechanics are honest, they have a pricing book but if it is shorter in time, they don't charge the time.

If the mechanic owner did the work and only invoiced for 2 hrs, then its his problem. Sure he was quoted 3 hrs by another owner but another person of authority charged less and let him go.

You sure are in an awful lot of garages over the past 2 days.

Why don't you call up the mechanic who did the work and ask him his take on the situation?

If he says he made an honest mistake and you should pay them as per your quote, then you should have no problem paying him.

Right?

And to answer your question, you're damn right I'd pay the 3 hours if that was what I was quoted and that's what I agreed to. Cause that was the deal and I know it.



Garages typically work on a flat rate system. I.e. they have a pricing book that tells them what a job pays and that's what you get quoted times the shop rate. If it takes more time than the book, you still get billed what they quoted. If it takes less time than the book, you still get billed what the book states. That's how it works.

As somebody else above correctly pointed out, you're just looking for validation for your action in fucking these guys over. You won't get it from me.

 

[theycallmebruce]

How much more money are we talking about?

 

[TeasePlease]

Wow, majority of people are douche bags as shown in this thread.

First off you paid cash, and avoided 13% hst on about 300. Thats a cool 39$ right there. Then they dropped you off lol another 50$ right there for their time + fuel.
At the end of it one guy misunderstood the other and charged you less. Now instead of just paying them what you agreed to you're asking others what to do? Sounds to me like you already made up your mind and just want people to confirm your decision to keep the money so you don't feel guilty about it.

You're a piece of shit if you keep the money just like everyone who also said that they'd keep it. But majority of people are like this so don't feel too bad about it

Before we join hands to sing kumbayah, did you forget about the part where OP agreed to a 3 hour quote, and then the partner only charged him 2 hours....which he paid.

1. Doing the right thing applies to both parties, not just the customer.

2. Don't expect a for-profit business to be treated with charity, because it isn't.

 

[james t kirk]

why would he call up the mechanic who did the job? He's the one who let him go with his price and he's an owner. Of course if he talked to him, after getting in shit from his partner he's going to change his tune.

Some mechanics are honest, they have a pricing book but if it is shorter in time, they don't charge the time.

If the mechanic owner did the work and only invoiced for 2 hrs, then its his problem. Sure he was quoted 3 hrs by another owner but another person of authority charged less and let him go.

I've been laying under cars since I was 8 years old. I have motor oil in my blood. I've known scores of mechanics - from dealers, to the neighbourhood type, to the cash out of their garage at home types.

They live and die by the flat rate system. Even the dealer mechanics get paid flat rate (not by the hour).

I look at it from the point of view that the second guy made a mistake and the OP knew it was not what he was quoted. You don't penalize a guy for an honest mistake. If the OP calls up the second guy at the shop and he says, "don't worry about it, I quoted you 2 hours, we're square", then that's it. But if the second guy changes his tune (as you so aptly put it), and says he made a mistake, then he made a mistake and you pay the man.

To do otherwise is not correct, despite what you and others may think.

I've been in situations very similar to the above where a mistake was made in invoicing work done and the mistake was realized and I was petitioned to make sure that I realized that there was an error and I stood by my word. You don't penalize a guy for a mistake. I've even been in situations where a mistake was made in the QUOTE after I carried the subcontractor's price and he realized his mistake and told me, "I made a mistake" and I've paid what should have been the correct price. I've seen clients pay corrected invoices for hundreds of thousands of dollars because a quote slipped a zero. I won't get into exact details because I will out myself, but I'm thinking of one instance where an item of work in a huge quote slipped a zero. Instead of being $110,000.00, the firm in question signed and sealed for $11,000. (It was a multi million dollar contract) But it was a hundred THOUSAND dollar typo. They appealed to me and the owner that they made an honest mistake and they had to correct it and upon reflection, both the owner and me agreed that it was a mistake and the mistake was realized and that since a service was rendered, it was proper to pay the correct price. There is actually legal precident for this. (Sorry, I'm not a lawyer, but it was explained to me.)

The only mistake the shop in question has made is that they should have PHONED the OP, never mind texting him. Texts are for kids. If you want to be serious, at the very least you get on the phoine.

 

[whitewaterguy]

This business is doing work under the table for cash??? Clearly they are attempting to avoid declaring income....is that not tax fraud/evasion??? Pm me with the name of the business, their location, other details. I will be happy to report then to Revenue Canada We all lose when scamsters try to unfairly dodge the system

 

[Chloë.]

How much more money are we talking about?

That's what I'd like to know before everyone gets their panties in a bunch.

 

[TeeJay]

This business is doing work under the table for cash??? Clearly they are attempting to avoid declaring income....is that not tax fraud/evasion??? Pm me with the name of the business, their location, other details. I will be happy to report then to Revenue Canada We all lose when scamsters try to unfairly dodge the system

Just because they accept cash does NOT mean they commit fraud
Many smaller garages will do cash jobs & pay taxes simply to avoid bank fees and transaction fees
Some like Amex are horrible

 

[Perry Mason]

That's what I'd like to know before everyone gets their panties in a bunch.

But we, men, don't wear panties! :eyebrows:

Perry