Do garages tend not to give prices just to females?

[issy]

Just wondering whether it's just me but over the years so many mechanics just do not give like to give prices for mechanical work........? I keep getting 'we'll be fair with you' or 'we'll sort you out' and 'we've worked all afternoon and next morning but we won;t charge you for all that'.... how easy do you find it for a garage to give you exact price for work or is it unreasonable to expect that because of nature of work (mechanics) and age of vehicle?

 

[mattp]

Just wondering whether it's just me but over the years so many mechanics just do not give like to give prices for mechanical work........? I keep getting 'we'll be fair with you' or 'we'll sort you out' and 'we've worked all afternoon and next morning but we won;t charge you for all that'.... how easy do you find it for a garage to give you exact price for work or is it unreasonable to expect that because of nature of work (mechanics) and age of vehicle?

I think you need to establish a rough quote -this would simply be that say, they were to replce the starter for £100

If they replace the starter and nothing gets in the way then I'd expect the cost to be £100

however,

If they find that the solenoid wire is screwed or the main power feed wants replacing -bush is fecked, someone has kindly welded something under the tank area that needs removing then I'd expect the price to rise a fari amount.

My point is a quote is a quote but should always be qualified -without this neither party can be sure of exactly whether they understand what work is included and I am sorry to say but on older motors you don't know what needs to be done until you get into the work.

Don't even get me started about welding...................there is no such think as we'll put a little patch over that

 

[issy]

very useful and helpful observations - many thanks.

It's the reluctance for so mny garages to give even a ball park figure at all that seems to have become the norm.... Just a general observation. Regarding welding it seems welders can either give no figure, give a rough idea and at the end you have to pay whatever they come up with. had scary experience of first welder threaten to keep bus rather than hand it back to garage who recommended him until i paid him fifty pounds to release it back to them to fix it properly, as they were going to initially. Seems mechanics etc have right to keep vehicle until you pay them for work even if they don't finish work, charge you more etc.. Got bus away from there anyhow - now need to wait for magic figure from garage for seatbelt weld they sqid they would do initially. They wil just not tell me how much even now but keep saying they'll look after me. Maybe they will but just wanted to know if this is jus the usual way For me being female, part of the country ( no barterIng for some years now) or 'normal'. Seems normal to me for last 20 yrs

 

[sparkywig]

They should be able to give you an idea of what it will cost, although to be fair, welding work is notoriously hard to quote, as you never know what you will uncover....
If you're near Bristol I can give you my mate's number.

 

[Flippergary]

Hi Guy's,

I am very... very.. very.. new to this forum. Nice to meet you all.

I have just bought a 1971 1600cc Westy import.. from California. A 'left hooker'. It has recently had a new engine (&gearbox, I think), all fuel lines replaced and new brakes. The body work seems in good condition.

I can't wait to get started on the project. I am confident that my knowledge and list of suppliers and contacts will grow, but to get the most important things done first, I need a little help to get started before the great British climate starts to get to work!!

I want to:

1. Body work.. panel repair.. one small hole.. battery tray work.. as far as I can tell.
2. Resprayed, head to toe.
3. A new roof canvas and a double bed (hammock) to replace.. the US Westy config in it at the moment.. a single.
4. New seals all-round (except maybe the door seals.. which function well.. we'll see?)
5. An engine tune up.. it was last tuned for operating at 5000'.. That may account for one of the flat spots.. the rest will be the 1600cc power house :lol:

asap...

He is parked near to Shaftsbury, Dorset at the moment SP8. I will be looking for a garage or garages, to take on the tasks somewhere between Exeter and SW London. In other words I am will to travel for a 'trustworthy and reliable' garage.

Garage quotes...... Uhmmmmmm..... a favourite subject. So, to that end, does anyone have a recommendation.. somewhere to take him for this kind of work?

Can anyone please help, me????????

 

[issy]

I am jealous! i was on phone with a very nice person with excellent reputation only this weekend except he's in Dorset and I'm in north Wales! he posts on here as nosvw and this is his website.. Wimbourne i believe!

http://nosvw.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And you will get more responses if you do new thread also on this??

 

[issy]

And congrats by the way . For imports from usa or oz etc might be advantageous to get new wiring loom ie rewiring as wire surround disintegrates..

 

[Flippergary]

Thanks Issy..

I will do a new thread immediately.. So, possibly a wiring loom and I have seen 'nosvw' in some of these threads..

 

[Low n slow]

Take a man with you. I know i'm generalising but, when my other half takes her beetle to a garage, she gets the same, that is until I wander in from the road two mins later then I pipe up "how much then"? and miraculously, a figure is arrived at.
Sad but true.

 

[lard]

Have seen reluctance before, probably as garages have got bitten in the past by quoting, uncovering a mess, and then having irate customers attempt to hold them to the first quote so can see why they are reluctant

I usually ask them to take a look, ask out of interest what their hourly rate is, then after they've looked at it ask how long they think it will take without any hitches - times the hours by the rate and you get a rough quote without having to drag it out of anyone

EDIT:

I should add that I've seen both ends of the quoting process - a few years ago I wanted some restoration done to a car, strip & repair then paint - first garage I went to advised that it would be around £10K to do it properly, they'd quote for a firm price after taking a look

Another garage I went to (and believe to this day was deliberate ploy to capture business) advised that it would be around £2000 and could start straight away, it ended up being with them for over a year, cost me alot more and was never actually completed (I pulled it out of there) so just to highlight that some places may not want to quote as you may think them expensive, but the flipside is you go elsewhere and fall into a place that may string you along knowing that once they've got it in bits you can't easily go elsewhere