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How bad was she robbed?
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king_of_inismac wrote: »What call out? the walk across the road?
Secondly, why did he need diagnostics for a blown fuse? Surely that's one of the first things you'd check in a situation like this?
I don't think we'll agree on this one, so I'll make my final comment:
In all my experience with mechanics,
- None would have charged me 75 to change a fuse.
- None would have charged me a call out fee for crossing the road.
- None would require a diagnostic to tell me a fuse was blown.
In that context I think the OP was very much overcharged.
Chances are if he went looking through all the fuses and changed the burnt out one it would cost the same in labour and he most likely hooked it upto the diag to make sure a fault had not caused the fuse to blow in the first place!0 -
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king_of_inismac wrote: »What call out? the walk across the road?
Secondly, why did he need diagnostics for a blown fuse? Surely that's one of the first things you'd check in a situation like this?
I don't think we'll agree on this one, so I'll make my final comment:
In all my experience with mechanics,
- None would have charged me 75 to change a fuse.
- None would have charged me a call out fee for crossing the road.
- None would require a diagnostic to tell me a fuse was blown.
In that context I think the OP was very much overcharged.
As I said, 75eu isn't cheap. I'd have expected 50'ish if it were me.
The call out was to tow the car to his garage, considering 'the womans' car wouldn't start at all.
He may have known straight away that it's likely a fuse or maybe he didn't. The OP left those details out.
Also, as Theta explained, fuses can blow for a number of reasons and the fuse could very easily blow again straight after replacing it so maybe the diagnostic reading was the best way the mechanic had of eliminating that possibility.0 -
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It's taken you until now to realise that PD?PaintDoctor wrote: »The country is broke. I'm convinced of it.
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Personally I think it was a bit sneaky of the mechanic to act like who was doing a favour by taking the car in in that circumstance and then charge for it like it was a normal job. As pointed out above, you'd have expected him to charge a token amount like 20 quid and not full whack, including labour and full use of equipment.
It sounds as if he took advantage in my opinion.
In the OP she went to a garage to fix her car. Now unless I'm mistaken. that guy running the garage would be out of business pretty quick if he excepted every person who called to him to fix as car as a favour.
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dunleakelleher wrote: »Now unless I'm mistaken. that guy running the garage would be out of business pretty quick if he excepted every person who called to him to fix as car as a favour.
If he did with regular customers, then absolutely. What I'm saying is that it was a little unfair to hit her with a large bill that he would normally charge to a regular customer who willingly leaves a car in to him.
Twenty Euro, fine, but I think seventy-five was a little excessive for what was a small job.0 -
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king_of_inismac wrote: »People need a reality check here.
Yes, he's running a business and yes he ran a diagnostic.
BUT 75 Euro for replacing a fuse is extortionate! If it took twenty minutes, does that mean he's charging 225 an hour labour?
Come on guys. If he charged 20/30 euros that would be plenty!
My GP won't part-charge his hourly rate - who does ?
Is he psychic ? Like he'll know it's a fuse, before looking, before charging ?king_of_inismac wrote: »It's not the work or the size of the job that's the issue.
It's the price. 75 Euro to replace a fuse? My local mechanic would charge 10 euro for that. .
'fraid so. Motorbikes now, too. Out of curiousity, what age car have you got (just curious)Have we reached the point where a qualified mechanic needs a diagnostic machine to tell him a fuse is gone? Just curious.
..well, as someone who's just added the iPod lead & socket to a Saab 9-3, but find I now have to go to a dealer with a Tech II system, to activate the input, on the infotainment system (!), so I can hear the thing, I'll reserve judgement - and you can be sure I'll ask how much before he starts !Would you not prefer the convenience of being able to sit in the driver seat, hook up the diag machine and read every code (not just the issue the customers brought the car in with) within about 5 minutes?
The cozy approach to being a mechanic!
You're speaking from the comfort of knowing it's a fuse, now, in hindsight. For all anyone knew, before the diagnostic, a 1k ECU was toast........in which case 75 was a get-out-of-jail-for-75-euro card......:)king_of_inismac wrote: »This conversation needs a bit of common sense (in fact this country needs a bit of common sense).
1. You should not be charged a call-out fee for walking across the road to see a car.
2. I don't believe you should be charged 50 euro to run a diagnostic on a car.
3. No mechanic I've ever dealt with would charge 75 euro for a fuse change.
I've no problem paying a good hourly rate to a good mechanic for servicing, suspension, gearbox work, etc.
But that kind of money for a fuse or a bulb is way over the top.
True, some do. But you have to question whether that cost in itself, is a rip-off by whoever supplies them. It is, after all, just a laptop and a cable. The software isn't....er, ....rocket science. No more than the amount of science it took to boot up this laptop, set up and connect to the wireless router I bought in PC World (which I had to set up in the attic..)just to read this thread, for example. Once the key to 'progress' was just reading and arithmetic: now you need to be technically literate just to by 'current'. It's the same across all walks of life.The costly bits are for the call out and the diagnostic. That's where the brunt of the bill occurs.
Code reading costs about 50eu at least in most places. The machines in question cost a small fortune.
That's two issues, not one. You're getting a good deal from your €30-man, but OP'S offended party may not, for whatever reason you may decide fits.I think he was overcharged inded.
If I go to my mechanic for a mini service (oil, oil filter and spark plugs) he would charge me 30 euro for labour. And of course I would supply the parts.
The issue here is...motive and opportunity. It was not just a straightforward blanket call-out charge, applied. It was a bit of an evaluation of 'what the market would bear'......and therein is, possibly, the real issue. There are still some people out there who would 'do you' right, once, rather than cultivate a more modest return, more often, over the longer term. And unfortunately, despite Karma, they don't always get their comeuppance, and there's enough first-timers out there to keep the circus going...Personally I think it was a bit sneaky of the mechanic to act like who was doing a favour by taking the car in in that circumstance and then charge for it like it was a normal job. As pointed out above, you'd have expected him to charge a token amount like 20 quid and not full whack, including labour and full use of equipment.
It sounds as if he took advantage in my opinion.
It's just people, see....Ode To The Motorist
“And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, generates funds to the exchequer. You don't want to acknowledge that as truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at the Green Party, you want me on that road, you need me on that road. We use words like freedom, enjoyment, sport and community. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent instilling those values in our families and loved ones. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the tax revenue and the very freedom to spend it that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a bus pass and get the ********* ********* off the road”
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