Was this a rip off?

ian87

I was in my local vw main dealer here in Limerick this evening and there was a young girl ahead of me. She was getting a new battery as her own was kaput. So the man from the stores brings her in with the battery and asks one of the girls to arrange getting it fitted. Fine you may say but she tells her that there is a €40 fitting fee for the battery as it would take around a half an hour. For a battery she just bought in the stores. I was appalled. She was told to wait in her car and I couldn't help knocking on her window as I left and told her I reckoned she was getting ripped off to the highest degree.. Fitting a battery the last time I checked took all of 4/5 bolts being undone, replace battery and then re tighten bolts. It was a mk4 gold so hardly needed coding or anything.

I was horrified to see this 18/19 year old young one being robbed. I gave her directions to a tyre and battery place a 100 yards down the road that would surely fit it for a lot less. Was I right to what I did? Is it normal for a battery to cost that much to fit?

the dark phantom

Of course its a rip off. And a rotten mean one at that.

BMJD

A lot of dealer places seem to have a minimum charge of 30 minutes labour for anything.

rob316

A half an hour to remove and replace a battery? 10 mins tops it should take, a joke there is any fitting fee. Any half decent motor factors will fit a battery free of charge

happywithlife

Good on you. Rotten fecking garage. Hate that. I'm a truckers daughter and first thing my dad taught me when I got a car was to always tell the garage I wanted a quite for work to be done during a service before they did anything. I'd ring him to run things by him then so I'd have a fair idea of crap like that. My sister didn't listen for yrs and at one stage had a car in for servicing on an almost monthly basis for hundreds of euro of a time. She eventually learned her lesson

bazz26

I bet she was being charged top dollar for the battery itself too. Madness going to a main dealer for things like a battery but I'm guessing the person in question didn't know any better at the time. Any tyre centre or motor factors would have fitted it for her.

ian87

I couldn't help but think if somebody came into my place of business and cost me a sale it would be beyond nasty. In my own business dealings I've extracted the last cent out of the customer but there's a difference to taking advantage and getting the best price. This place has a rep I believe for ripping people off but I had my eyes opened! And I'm from a motor trade background with experience of the motor factors world also. I actually couldn't believe what I saw!

Special Circumstances

What year and model was it? It may have needed software resetting or whatever if there was battery sensors or smart alternators involved.
Maybe...

Durr I see mk4 golf now in op. Complete rip so considering the battery was probably a saucy price as it was.

ba_barabus

BMJD wrote: »

A lot of dealer places seem to have a minimum charge of 30 minutes labour for anything.

It's probably not worth their while doing it with all the different overheads to charge less for any job.

ian87

bazz26 wrote: »

I bet she was being charged top dollar for the battery itself too. Madness going to a main dealer for things like a battery but I'm guessing the person in question didn't know any better at the time. Any tyre centre or motor factors would have fitted it for her.

I thought as much bazz, and I can make an educated guess that you know whom I'm talking about. Did you ever bother servicing your cc or any other cars with them?

ian87

Special Circumstances wrote: »

What year and model was it? It may have needed software resetting or whatever if there was battery sensors or smart alternators involved.
Maybe...

An 03 mk4 golf. I sincerely doubt it but I'm open to correction.

bazz26

The last of the Mk4 Golfs would be at least 10/11 years old at this stage.

Special Circumstances

ian87 wrote: »

An 03 mk4 golf. I sincerely doubt it but I'm open to correction.

Ya there was nothing all that clever about them. Lovely dash though.

Toyotafanboi

Silly to go to a main dealer for a battery for that car? Probably.

Charging for fitting is hardly unreasonable. Most main dealers would sell labour in half hour segments too, no matter if the job is shorter.

If i bought a gallon of oil and an oil filter in the stores, should i expect free fitting too?

ian87

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Silly to go to a main dealer for a battery for that car? Probably.

Charging for fitting is hardly unreasonable. Most main dealers would sell labour in half hour segments too, no matter if the job is shorter.

If i bought a gallon of oil and an oil filter in the stores, should i expect free fitting too?

You're not comparing like with like there in fairness. Oil has to disposed of, as does the filter which costs obviously. Old batteries were making a fiver a pop in a scrappies last time I checked. If you can get a battery in a factors and fitted for free, that doesn't need coding of course, why can't the dealer. At the end of the day a factors may fit the battery for free but they're not going to do an oil change gratis if you hit the oil from them.

bucketybuck

Another big bad dealer thread eh?

Garages sell their labor, thats what they do, thats how they exist. You are basically saying that they should give their product away for free, in what other industry would that even be suggested? Why not go into Tesco and ask for some free tins of beans, see what they say.

Thats its a battery is actually irrelevant, could have been a bulb, or an oil top up, or some other simple job thats so easy that people still can't do it themselves. It doesn't matter what the job is, if a garage is going to pull one of its staff from another job then you are probably going to have to pay for it.

Because its a main dealer with high overheads and the resulting high labor rate this 1/2 hour minimum charge ends up sounding expensive at €40/50 per hour. But its not €40 to get a battery fitted, its €40 to get that mechanic onto your car for whatever reason.

If people don't want to pay it then don't pay it. 19 year girls are not some delicate little species, they are well fit to learn how to change a battery if they want to.

Toyotafanboi

ian87 wrote: »

You're not comparing like with like there in fairness. Oil has to disposed of, as does the filter which costs obviously. Old batteries were making a fiver a pop in a scrappies last time I checked. If you can get a battery in a factors and fitted for free, that doesn't need coding of course, why can't the dealer. At the end of the day a factors may fit the battery for free but they're not going to do an oil change gratis if you hit the oil from them.

Because the dealer sells labour, thats what they do.

The lad in the motor factors also probably isn't qualified so they can hardly charge for it. I'd also say they'd hardly stand over it if he fits it wrong and damages an ECU etc.

Jeju

Who in their right mind goes near a main dealer for anything with a 12 YO car?

greasepalm

not many motor factors will fit batteries due to mishaps if something goes wrong

Sam Kade

Jeju wrote: »

Who in their right mind goes near a main dealer for anything with a 12 YO car?

Young 18-19 year old girls apparently

BMJD

Not many people will return to a garage that charges €40 to change a battery either, how's that for short-sightedness?

bazz26

ian87 wrote: »

I thought as much bazz, and I can make an educated guess that you know whom I'm talking about. Did you ever bother servicing your cc or any other cars with them?

I did once and found them fine to deal with that one time.

ian87

I've no problem with a dealer making a few bob. As I said I've a motor trade background but I just can't see the justification of charging a half hour labour for an extremely simple job. If you can fit a battery in a tv remote, you can fit a car battery. It's the same basic idea. Positive, negative. Assuming the car doesn't need coding of course!

Noccy_Mondy

Jeju wrote: »

Who in their right mind goes near a main dealer for anything with a 12 YO car?

I do Because I'm an OE freak....

bladebrew

Even Halfords will fit it for €12.99, although you have to buy if off them aswell, €40 is a bit ridiculous but as said its bonkers going to a main dealer for a battery, I went to Advance Pitstop as it is near where I used to work and they fitted it straight away, simples!

bucketybuck

ian87 wrote: »

I've no problem with a dealer making a few bob. As I said I've a motor trade background but I just can't see the justification of charging a half hour labour for an extremely simple job.

Its clearly a minimum charge for any job, what exactly is wrong with that?

Don't forget as well that you only heard the conversation with the service advisor, for whom its probably not worth her job to go telling people the garage will do things for free. Maybe the service manager would tell an apprentice to quickly run out and throw the battery in, but the girl on reception? She has to do her job by the book.

There is another reason there is a minimum charge for simple jobs. Do you know how many fucking chancers want a garage to do those simple jobs? To look at a warning light for free, to check a bulb for free, to look at the tacho for free? Our lads could spend all day doing oddjobs for a stream of random people who don't want to pay for our time, fuck that shit.

greasepalm

12.99 all in or + vat lol

Darraghmh91.

Fair play is what I say man thats bad form chargin that money to change a battey .. If ya were to get 40 quid every time you changed a battey you wouldn't need to work ha

Sam Kade

bucketybuck wrote: »

Its clearly a minimum charge for any job, what exactly is wrong with that?

Don't forget as well that you only heard the conversation with the service advisor, for whom its probably not worth her job to go telling people the garage will do things for free. Maybe the service manager would tell an apprentice to quickly run out and throw the battery in, but the girl on reception? She has to do her job by the book.

There is another reason there is a minimum charge for simple jobs. Do you know how many fucking chancers want a garage to do those simple jobs? To look at a warning light for free, to check a bulb for free, to look at the tacho for free? Our lads could spend all day doing oddjobs for a stream of random people who don't want to pay for our time, fuck that shit.

Who said they expected them to fit it for free? €10 would be reasonable could be the difference between your lads working or twiddling their thumbs all day

DakarVert

Was it the same place where they also sell Mercs?

It takes about 5mins to change a battery in a Mk IV Golf... I have one.

the_syco

ian87 wrote: »

So the man from the stores brings her in with the battery and asks one of the girls to arrange getting it fitted.

Were these girls salespeople, or receptionists? If the latter, the likes of that €40 "cost" to book the battery replacement probably is her pay. The dealers tend to charge more, as there's generally more people to pay.

Oh, and also because they can. Us Irish sometimes buy the idearer option because we believe it's better.

ardle1

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Silly to go to a main dealer for a battery for that car? Probably.

Charging for fitting is hardly unreasonable. Most main dealers would sell labour in half hour segments too, no matter if the job is shorter.

If i bought a gallon of oil and an oil filter in the stores, should i expect free fitting too?

Charging for fitting is unreasonable, for myself no problem, but not so for others.. So if you run a business and you have initiative annnnd you want to provide a good reputable service, and you want people to recommend you and come back to you!? well the fitting of a battery should be an absolute must/offer free of charge.. If not for oil heads(like myself),well then at least for young ladies,young guys and all the elderly,.... word of mouth is a great thing

braddun

I would have whipped it out


and fitted her myself

Tail Docker

Ye must have missed a few years there lads, the ones giving out. Dealer goes "no bother, we'll fit the battery for free.." customer heads off and has a massive crash ten minutes later. Two months later, the dealer is up in court getting sued by the customer who claims a main dealer was working on her car and allowed her out on the road with(for example)defective brakes...despite the fact they never checked the brakes. Hence, it gets booked in as a job, recorded, and the customer gets charged money for the job being done. It's called being professional.

Far fetched? Madey up? No, it's reality and it happens with tedious regularity. .

€40 is entirely reasonable, if they fecked it up and did harm, I doubt the cost to the garage would be €40. Batteries cause car fires day in and day out. garages have huge overheads, and a mechanic fluting at the free battery isn't working for the garage for free, he's still getting paid. The OP ought to learn to mind his own business, "..down the road for far cheaper.." Cheaper than €40? Big whoop. Off you go, stop annoying our customers, would be my answer to him.

bucketybuck

Sam Kade wrote: »

€10 would be reasonable could be the difference between your lads working or twiddling their thumbs all day

ardle1 wrote: »

Charging for fitting is unreasonable

And who decides what is reasonable? No surprise that what you think is reasonable also isn't worth a damn to a functioning business.

Trust me, no main dealer is getting rich out of changing batteries, they are the type of job we would rather not have the hassle with. Taking men off another job to fit a battery that the customer doesn't want to pay for, will complain about the cost no matter what it is, will hold us liable if a fuse or ECU gets blown, and won't believe us if we say he also needs some battery terminals.

Maybe the OP should have offered to fit the battery for the young lady himself. Its such an easy job after all.

GaGa21

Tail Docker wrote:

€40 is entirely reasonable, if they fecked it up and did harm, I doubt the cost to the garage would be €40. Batteries cause car fires day in and day out. garages have huge overheads, and a mechanic fluting at the free battery isn't working for the garage for free, he's still getting paid. The OP ought to learn to mind his own business, "..down the road for far cheaper.." Cheaper than €40? Big whoop. Off you go, stop annoying our customers, would be my answer to him.

well you would say that when the money would be going into your pocket. bet you're not driving an Mk4....

Kenny Logins

Sounds reasonable for a main dealer (min. charge?).

Sam Kade

Tail Docker wrote: »

Ye must have missed a few years there lads, the ones giving out. Dealer goes "no bother, we'll fit the battery for free.." customer heads off and has a massive crash ten minutes later. Two months later, the dealer is up in court getting sued by the customer who claims a main dealer was working on her car and allowed her out on the road with(for example)defective brakes...despite the fact they never checked the brakes. Hence, it gets booked in as a job, recorded, and the customer gets charged money for the job being done. It's called being professional.

Far fetched? Madey up? No, it's reality and it happens with tedious regularity. .

€40 is entirely reasonable, if they fecked it up and did harm, I doubt the cost to the garage would be €40. Batteries cause car fires day in and day out. garages have huge overheads, and a mechanic fluting at the free battery isn't working for the garage for free, he's still getting paid. The OP ought to learn to mind his own business, "..down the road for far cheaper.." Cheaper than €40? Big whoop. Off you go, stop annoying our customers, would be my answer to him.

That must be the cause of all the burnt out cars I see on my travels everyday :rolleyes:

Sam Kade

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Sounds reasonable for a main dealer (min. charge?).

Would you pay €40 to get a battery fitted?

Tail Docker

Sam Kade wrote: »

That must be the cause of all the burnt out cars I see on my travels everyday :rolleyes:

Well, as it happens, a Picasso went up in smoke 100m away last night because the battery shorted off the seat frame, but let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant over a poxy €40.

Also, the rolley eyes are funny, considering the amount of cars, vans, trucks, diggers and tractors I have seen go up in smoke because of a battery short. Have a chat with a scrappy, they might open your rolley eyes.

bucketybuck

Sam Kade wrote: »

Would you pay €40 to get a battery fitted?

Strawman argument.

Kenny Logins

Sam Kade wrote: »

Would you pay €40 to get a battery fitted?

No. ....but I wouldn't go to a main dealer because they'd probably charge me about €40 to do it.

Sam Kade

Tail Docker wrote: »

Well, as it happens, a Picasso went up in smoke 100m away last night because the battery shorted off the seat frame, but let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant over a poxy €40.

Also, the rolley eyes are funny, considering the amount of cars, vans, trucks, diggers and tractors I have seen go up in smoke because of a battery short. Have a chat with a scrappy, they might open your rolley eyes.

Sure, it happens not every day though

Kenny Logins

Sam Kade wrote: »

Sure, it happens not every day though

I don't think I've never been in a situation that required use of my seat belt. I will never drive without it though. :pac:

Sam Kade

Kenny Logins wrote: »

I don't think I've never been in a situation that required use of my seat belt. I will never drive without it though. :pac:

What has that to do with a battery shorting? Looks like you want to get the last word but failing miserably

Toyotafanboi

i still don't see how charging for fitting a part is a "rip off".

she went in to purchase a battery from the parts department.

if she wanted the job done from start to finish because she was incapable of fitting her own battery (like most people), she should have contacted the service department to make an arrangement for her battery to be changed.

you can't just turn up at the dealership, head to the parts department, pay for the parts then expect them fitted, for free, immediately. it undermines the whole system of how the garage operates.

Kenny Logins

Sam Kade wrote: »

What has that to do with a battery shorting? Looks like you want to get the last word but failing miserably

TBH, I'm not even sure what it was you said.

tobothehobo

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i still don't see how charging for fitting a part is a "rip off".

she went in to purchase a battery from the parts department.

if she wanted the job done from start to finish because she was incapable of fitting her own battery (like most people), she should have contacted the service department to make an arrangement for her battery to be changed.

you can't just turn up at the dealership, head to the parts department, pay for the parts then expect them fitted, for free, immediately. it undermines the whole system of how the garage operates.

As someone who works in a main dealer parts department and has for the last 10 years people want things done there and then the whole time. People don't want to pay for your service you'd be amazed the amount of abuse we have to put up with over something as little as €10 for a radio code. We often fit batterys for free and never charge for bulb fitting but I've also got people asking for us to fit bulbs they bought elsewhere and get insulated when I say we'll have to charge them. Most of the people on this thread don't know the reality of working in a main dealer and from the sound of it wouldn't last passing time if they ever got a job in one. It's up to the owner / business to put value on their own time if you don't agree don't spend your money there I'm sure most of you won't work for nothing.

Toyotafanboi

tobothehobo wrote: »

As someone who works in a main dealer parts department and has for the last 10 years people want things done there and then the whole time. People don't want to pay for your service you'd be amazed the amount of abuse we have to put up with over something as little as €10 for a radio code. We often fit batterys for free and never charge for bulb fitting but I've also got people asking for us to fit bulbs they bought elsewhere and get insulated when I say we'll have to charge them. Most of the people on this thread don't know the reality of working in a main dealer and from the sound of it wouldn't last passing time if they ever got a job in one. It's up to the owner / business to put value on their own time if you don't agree don't spend your money there I'm sure most of you won't work for nothing.

indeed i worked in a main dealer parts and service department for a few years and i completely agree.

if you had a mechanic half way through a service on one car, clocked onto a job card and you ask him to "just pop away for two seconds to fit a battery outside the front door", they would generally be very displeased.

1 - it upsets their train of thought on the service they are completing.
2 - if they stay clocked on to the service job card, the time for the service will be wrong which could leave him in hot water.
3 - if they do agree to change the battery and clock off of the service job to keep the service labour time correct, all his hours won't be accounted for at the end of the week which will also leave him in hot water.
4 - as a result of points 2 and 3, the mechanic will want a job card for the battery and if the mechanic is on a job card, a bill is created.

even if he only does 5 minutes work, most main dealers have set labour times for tasks and minimum fees. and with labour times of €80+ an hour being fairly average, €40 won't take you far.

that's before you get into overheads, having to stand over work etc etc.

now, all that being said, if you bought the car from us and got it serviced with us and were not even a regular, but an occasional customer, we would be more inclined to help as it's a give and take relationship, but you have to start somewhere and any garage on a main dealer scale letting any fella come in off the street with no customer history and fit their parts for free won't last very long.

Sam Kade

I avoid all this main dealer nonsense by doing my own servicing any big jobs I've local mechanic who is very reasonable

H3llR4iser

ian87 wrote: »

... but she tells her that there is a €40 fitting fee for the battery as it would take around a half an hour...

The wolf is in the fold here; They told her beforehand. I had the same experience with the garage I go to; Every time they go "sure can be done, it'll cost about X 'though", which means "we can't charge you less than that, so if you have another way of doing it...".

It is a world apart from going "sure, let's do it." and then "it's 40 Euro, please!".

I do not work in the motor trade, but I am extremely familiar with the dangers of not putting a definite price tag to working time. Years ago I worked for a software company whose owner had the classic "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" attitude towards customers.

As a result, sooner rather than later we had an entire queue of them constantly asking for free "tweaks", which ranged from changing a label on a screen to entirely new features. Myself and all of my colleagues had little to no time left to carry out development work for new customers, who started canceling contracts upon seeing their projects permanently delayed. Even a smallish fixed fee would have stopped this nonsense.

And yeah, I bring an 8 years old car to the main dealer, because the (very good) guy I brought it before moved away, and 90% of independent garages know jack sh1te about Alfas - ranging from "why did you buy an Alfa?" to trying to look well informed, then claiming the "timing belt" had to be done. On a chain driven engine.