Bushings Change - Complete Ripoff?

gerardk55 · 22-02-2015 08:58AM #1

So my elderly uncle's 05 Mazda 3 is due the NCT in the coming month, so he brought in for a service last week, paid €180 for that (another ripoff imho) but they instructed him to bring the car in again yesterday as the car need bushings.

Attached is the invoice.

Maybe I'm completely wrong but is this a complete ripoff and completely taking an advantage of an elderly customer who wouldn't be in a position to question the work?

Have they started making bushings out of some new space age technology that I missed or something?

Would be delighted to be proven wrong on this, advice please.

kirving · 22-02-2015 09:23AM

Expensive overall I initially sa, but that's just me. Whats that, two or three hours labour for some bushings?

dbrunson · 22-02-2015 09:24AM

gerardk55 wrote: »

So my elderly uncle's 05 Mazda 3 is due the NCT in the coming month, so he brought in for a service last week, paid €180 for that (another ripoff imho) but they instructed him to bring the car in again yesterday as the car need bushings.

Attached is the invoice.

Maybe I'm completely wrong but is this a complete ripoff and completely taking an advantage of an elderly customer who wouldn't be in a position to question the work?

Have they started making bushings out of some new space age technology that I missed or something?

Would be delighted to be proven wrong on this, advice please.

If it was a Mazda main dealer their parts were always one of the most expensive on the market.. No idea why and probably on of the reasons they are a poor seller compared to the other japs.

dbrunson · 22-02-2015 09:25AM

gerardk55 wrote: »

So my elderly uncle's 05 Mazda 3 is due the NCT in the coming month, so he brought in for a service last week, paid €180 for that (another ripoff imho) but they instructed him to bring the car in again yesterday as the car need bushings.

Attached is the invoice.

Maybe I'm completely wrong but is this a complete ripoff and completely taking an advantage of an elderly customer who wouldn't be in a position to question the work?

Have they started making bushings out of some new space age technology that I missed or something?

Would be delighted to be proven wrong on this, advice please.

If it was a Mazda main dealer their parts were always one of the most expensive on the market.. No idea why and probably on of the reasons they are a poor seller compared to the other japs.

gerardk55 · 22-02-2015 09:25AM

The labour aspect of it doesn't bother me as much as the bushings themselves €200 for four of them!

jimb433 · 22-02-2015 09:28AM

they charged you vat as well , i notice no vat number on receipt , unless you inked it out

jimb433 · 22-02-2015 09:29AM

die agree with ya , bit suss for me

gerardk55 · 22-02-2015 09:33AM

Inked out the VAT number, didn't want to name and shame. No longer a main dealer though.

Seamus1964 · 22-02-2015 09:41AM

Dishonest auto mechanics may falsely inform that certain repairs are needed - you don't need to be old and wrinkly customer.
I was once charged for a "faulty" thermostat replacement (part + labour) where thermostat chamber was never opened in the first place.
And I'm not an elderly person.

Nearly all mechanics are complete assholes - IMHO
They grew up working on cars, and figure anybody who doesn't have their knowledge might as well be retarded.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 22-02-2015 09:49AM

Labour price is probably within normal range but still s top off.

The bushing prices are excessive. Go onto Micks Garage and price them yourself, you'll find they're about a quarter the price they charged you for them. I'd be going back to them asking them what brand they used and pricing them myself and going back and complaining about their rip off prices.

jimb433 · 22-02-2015 09:54AM

GOOD LUCK

gerardk55 · 22-02-2015 09:55AM

It wasn't my car and unfortunately I'm overseas but my sister passed on the invoice. Might ring them Monday to price bushings for another "mazda 3" and see what price they quote.

I checked Micksgarage and they're about €40 for the four, I assume some random brand though.

Seamus1964 · 22-02-2015 11:15AM

I know it's bitter pill to swallow but don't waste your time - you'll win nothing, next time just pick another mechanic.

George Dalton · 22-02-2015 03:39PM

There are a lot of badly informed opinions posted as if they were facts in this thread.

First of all the labour is cheap for the work involved IMO. We would certainly be charging more than that to fit 2 wishbone bushes and 2 trailing arm bushes.

The bushes prices are normal if the parts used were genuine, which would seem likely given the prices. People are saying the prices are a rip off but who is ripping who off? The garage probably has very small margin on those parts (10-15%) if they came from a main dealer.

The garage could have fitted cheap sh1te spurious bushes like the ones from Micksgarage but why would they do that? They have to stand over the job so fitting parts that will be worn out by the time the next NCT comes around is not exactly good business practice.

Desolation Of Smug · 22-02-2015 04:00PM

George Dalton wrote: »

There are a lot of badly informed opinions posted as if they were facts in this thread.

First of all the labour is cheap for the work involved IMO. We would certainly be charging more than that to fit 2 wishbone bushes and 2 trailing arm bushes.

The bushes prices are normal if the parts used were genuine, which would seem likely given the prices. People are saying the prices are a rip off but who is ripping who off? The garage probably has very small margin on those parts (10-15%) if they came from a main dealer.

The garage could have fitted cheap sh1te spurious bushes like the ones from Micksgarage but why would they do that? They have to stand over the job so fitting parts that will be worn out by the time the next NCT comes around is not exactly good business practice.

Looked pretty run of the mill pricing to me too. €165.00 labour wouldn't get you much ramp time in any main dealers that's for sure and €65 a piece is hardly excessive either.

Stheno · 22-02-2015 04:08PM

Desolation Of Smug wrote: »

Looked pretty run of the mill pricing to me too. €165.00 labour wouldn't get you much ramp time in any main dealers that's for sure and €65 a piece is hardly excessive either.

Same here I seem to remember paying around 60 for those parts too

jimb433 · 22-02-2015 05:15PM

LISTON TO SEAMUS, " THE HORSE HAS LEFT THE STABLE " YOU WAIST YOUR TIME

landmarkjohn · 22-02-2015 05:35PM

I spent €1000 replacing worn suspension bushes, links and balljoints on the just front of my Mazda Xedos 9 and that was sourcing genuine parts at best price from US and using a fair price independent mechanic for the work. It does add up....

166man · 22-02-2015 05:59PM

The car is ten years old. It has numerous rubber components. Rubber perishes and needs to be replaced every so often.

The Labour rate for what was done was pretty standard and I suppose the parts look expensive but once they were genuine parts then I'd be happy enough.

As George said Garages have to stand over their work and also a key point I find people seem to miss is that, garages exist to MAKE money. There has to be a profit after VAT is paid, people paid, parts bought and overheads paid.

I'm not having a go at the OP, more just a general comment based on what I read on this forum, a bitterness towards garages trying to make a living.

Cass · 22-02-2015 06:26PM

I've done a search on Mick's garage and none of the bushes there are for the lower control arm. They are €10 or so per bushing, but not the right ones. I then checked online prices from Ireland, the UK, etc. and the prices i'm getting are on average €55 - €70. So perhaps the bill is not as bad as it seems.

As for the labor it's not bad. I done the control arms on my car last week and between being awkward to get to, etc. it took 2 hours a side. I didn't even remove the bushes, i replaced the entire arms (i've no hydraulic press to remove and re-set the new bushes). So assuming the garage was faster and better equiped than me (not hard) that bill would represent about 2 hours of labour in most garages i know.

mickdw · 22-02-2015 07:37PM

I wouldnt have thought you would pay €65 euro plus VAT for any bush on a small car.
Seems from comments here that it is the correct price so I live and learn.

Having said that, the man spent 600 quid on a service and 2 front & 2 rear bushes. I keep my cars right but given the car and the age, Id be inclined to spend less on that work.

Cass · 22-02-2015 09:09PM

When you factor in labour, VAT, and paying full whack for genuine parts, in a garage it's about €220 more expensive for the bushing work, and €110 more expensive for the service.

Had he been able to do the work himself he could have saved over €300. Shopping around for parts would save a few quid on the costs too.

However if you cannot do the work yourself what choice have you? You cannot buy parts elsewhere, saving more money, and ask them to fit them as i'm sure most would tell you to go jump.

gerardk55 · 22-02-2015 10:30PM

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies, so it looks like if it's genuine parts then it's plausible they cost that much, then that's fair enough for me.

As mentioned I wasn't concerned about the labour or the rate, more the parts costs themselves.

I'm glad I sounded it out on here before making a tit of myself on the phone to them.

I understand the need for margin and overheads etc and don't expect anyone to work for free, just came as a shock to see the price of the bushings.

I think in future a good indy should be his first port of call, rather than an ex main dealer.

gerardk55

gctest50 · 22-02-2015 10:51PM

gerardk55 wrote: »

... more the parts costs themselves.
....

some bits can be ..... reassuringly expensive

List Price $ 1689.79 mazda3 fusebox

pablo128 · 22-02-2015 10:56PM

gerardk55 wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies, so it looks like if it's genuine parts then it's plausible they cost that much, then that's fair enough for me.

As mentioned I wasn't concerned about the labour or the rate, more the parts costs themselves.

I'm glad I sounded it out on here before making a tit of myself on the phone to them.

I understand the need for margin and overheads etc and don't expect anyone to work for free, just came as a shock to see the price of the bushings.

I think in future a good indy should be his first port of call, rather than an ex main dealer.

gerardk55

Well you could look at it this way. He possibly has got 10 years from the original bushes. Maybe they could have saved some money and used spurious ones, but he won't get 10 years out of them or anything like it.

If genuine bushes were fitted, given the labour is very reasonable, the job was done very well. I would have no complaints.

pablo128 · 22-02-2015 10:58PM

gctest50 wrote: »

some bits can be ..... reassuringly expensive

The gas thing is, they are a Ford Focus under the skin. And Fords have the most reasonable parts prices for genuine stuff.

JJJJNR · 22-02-2015 11:50PM

Something shocking happened my wife a few years ago, left her car in with a reputable main dealer garage for a routine service and came back to a 1200 euro bill, where they had not only serviced the car but done the headgasket also.

Its really unfair when something like this happens, as the work has been done and its not like your going to get them to take it out, so in general, there is a bit of game playing within the motor trade, so the bitterness although unfair in many case's is completely warranted, specifically the main dealers.

Independents all the way for me

mickdw · 23-02-2015 12:02AM

Ah now in all fairness, surely she must have given some form of go ahead.

JJJJNR · 23-02-2015 12:06AM

Seriously they wouldnt let her go until it was paid, they never called her.

Hachiko · 23-02-2015 12:10AM

there is no point going to a main dealer with an 05 in the first place, any mechanic could do that for probably half the cost.

Why do people complain about crazy prices, they are main dealers what do you expect.

I take my car to a small garage near work, he doesn't even have a ramp, does it both me? nope, does he do a good job? yup. He changed the plugs on my car last year for a fraction of what lexus would charge me, and its a time consuming enough job as the intake gasket had to go also.

jca · 23-02-2015 02:15AM

Hachiko wrote: »

there is no point going to a main dealer with an 05 in the first place, any mechanic could do that for probably half the cost.

Why do people complain about crazy prices, they are main dealers what do you expect.

I take my car to a small garage near work, he doesn't even have a ramp, does it both me? nope, does he do a good job? yup. He changed the plugs on my car last year for a fraction of what lexus would charge me, and its a time consuming enough job as the intake gasket had to go also.

How could your mechanic do it for half the cost unless he uses micksgarage's finest Chinese re branded rubbish, which, has been pointed out earlier is a false economy. I think the op got a good deal €4 a year for bushings isn't bad. Try that with an 05 Passat....

George Dalton · 23-02-2015 09:13AM

jca wrote: »

Try that with an 05 Passat....

I agreed with your post up until this bit. Bushes for a 3C Passat are actually very cheap :pac:

Hachiko · 23-02-2015 09:21AM

jca wrote: »

How could your mechanic do it for half the cost unless he uses micksgarage's finest Chinese re branded rubbish, which, has been pointed out earlier is a false economy. I think the op got a good deal €4 a year for bushings isn't bad. Try that with an 05 Passat....

hello, main dealer service prices. Price a spark plug change on a lexus from a main dealer and I will tell you what I paid, the plugs were OEM Iridium ones.

jca · 23-02-2015 10:50AM

Hachiko wrote: »

hello, main dealer service prices. Price a spark plug change on a lexus from a main dealer and I will tell you what I paid, the plugs were OEM Iridium ones.

The point that posters are making is that the op wasn't charged main dealer prices. The garage used genuine parts which are expensive and didn't go over the top with labour. All things being equal he should get another 10 years from the new bushes.

kippy · 23-02-2015 12:31PM

jca wrote: »

How could your mechanic do it for half the cost unless he uses micksgarage's finest Chinese re branded rubbish, which, has been pointed out earlier is a false economy. I think the op got a good deal €4 a year for bushings isn't bad. Try that with an 05 Passat....

I suspect your local mechanic hasn't half the overheads that a Main Dealer has.

For example, a main dealer has multiple staff, some of which are not as productive as others while you still have to pay them all no matter how much business is coming in.
Main dealer has marketing and advertising costs.
Probably a mortgage on an very big and flashy showroom/forecourt/maintenance area
etc
etc

There are plenty fine and fair indys around the place whose costs are far less than those of main dealers.
Going to a main dealer, you might think you're paying for the best parts but you are also paying for all the anchillary costs the main dealer has the an indy simply does not.
As mentioned above going to a main dealer with a car that is now out of warranty is pretty pointless, in my own belief, unless it is a job that only a main dealer can do.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 23-02-2015 01:02PM

the best advice is do some learning and research if you really really care about costs
and have trust doubts about garage work ,

and it also helps you stop worrying:

if for example you start hearing a knocking sound and think the wheels are going to fall off on the motorway
and you will end up in a firey mushroom cloud , when its only a worn bush that can be fixed simply at some stage and wont kill you.

I have started on this path, and have learned so much recently about cars and maintenance that both helps me to understand why garages cost the way they do , the work involved , and I feel better about my overall safety and trust in my car. and the mechanics who do the stuff I havent the b@lls to attempt myself.

bucketybuck · 23-02-2015 04:10PM

DaDumTish wrote: »

the best advice is do some learning and research if you really really care about costs
and have trust doubts about garage work ,

and it also helps you stop worrying:

if for example you start hearing a knocking sound and think the wheels are going to fall off on the motorway
and you will end up in a firey mushroom cloud , when its only a worn bush that can be fixed simply at some stage and wont kill you.

I have started on this path, and have learned so much recently about cars and maintenance that both helps me to understand why garages cost the way they do , the work involved , and I feel better about my overall safety and trust in my car. and the mechanics who do the stuff I havent the b@lls to attempt myself.

Hard to disagree with this sentiment. The ignorance from the typical car owner is astounding, many simply haven't the first clue about the issues affecting their cars and in their cloud of ignorance garages become boogeymen constantly bringing them bad news.

Thats why a job well done becomes a thread titled "Complete ripoff" and why you get moronic statements such as that in post 9.

The best thing any car owner can do is educate themselves. Think about why certain repairs are needed, take some preventative measures and in doing so save yourself a lot of hassle down the line. Better that than blaming the garage for every little thing.

kay 9 · 23-02-2015 07:18PM

Honest & skilled mechanics are like hens teeth imo. I'm still looking for someone that knows what they're doing and don't charge an arm and a leg. Why they charge so much more than other trades is beyond me. I've promised myself a lift so many times but the time has come lol

cerastes · 23-02-2015 07:59PM

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Labour price is probably within normal range but still s top off.

The bushing prices are excessive. Go onto Micks Garage and price them yourself, you'll find they're about a quarter the price they charged you for them. I'd be going back to them asking them what brand they used and pricing them myself and going back and complaining about their rip off prices.

The service itself seems steep. I know someone that was persuaded to get bushings for an NCT at a greater cost on a car with half the mileage and less years.

JJJJNR wrote: »

Something shocking happened my wife a few years ago, left her car in with a reputable main dealer garage for a routine service and came back to a 1200 euro bill, where they had not only serviced the car but done the headgasket also.

Its really unfair when something like this happens, as the work has been done and its not like your going to get them to take it out, so in general, there is a bit of game playing within the motor trade, so the bitterness although unfair in many case's is completely warranted, specifically the main dealers.

Independents all the way for me

How did this happen, was the work even done if they charged her for work not requested? that sounds very suspect and Id be fairly pi$$ed off if someone did that work or tried to charge for it without approval. Maybe just a dodgy lot?
I certainly would not have handed over 1200, any refusal would have been met with a threat and follow through of a solicitor to say the least or just take the car with another set of keys, under no circumstances could anyone justify that money unless she unwittingly agreed to it.

Hachiko · 23-02-2015 08:22PM

Its a rip off, sorry I didn't realise it was not a main dealer.

which makes it worse, that is a cowboy garage. A decent place would call you up tell you what is wrong and how much it will cost.

who you are, age, sex should not matter.

alas, that is the holy grail of garages.

166man · 23-02-2015 08:28PM

Hachiko wrote: »

alas, that is the holy grail of garages.

Elaborate there?

Bushings Change - Complete Ripoff?

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