What do I do now?

diti

diti

Active Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
491
Location
Lancashire, England
Car(s)
Mini Cooper S Convertible & GT6
I really need some opinions here! Sorry, this will be long...

I took my Mini convertible for its service today at the local Mini dealer, as there was still a prepaid service in the book although the car is nearly 5 years old (I've only had it 2 years). They were only doing the basic and the rest is being done tomorrow by a local garage that quoted me half of what the Mini garage asked for to do the other parts of the service. I'm already using this garage as they remapped my engine 3 months ago and are currently selling my late husband's car. Each garage knows about the other.

The Mini garage has told me it needs masses of work, the total of which is over ?900. This includes brakes and 2 new tyres (which I was expecting) but also split wishbone bushes, broken exhaust back box bracket etc. I had no inkling of any of this but I have no reason to think they're winding me up (I used to teach the service manager). I asked what price they would give me to buy or PX it, but I wasn't happy with the price for them buying it (?6400) and their cars are pricey - I would have to pay double what they would give me to get a car from them as they only stock cars less than 2 years old.

My alternatives seem to be -

Ask the other garage to quote me for the work, but that would mean telling them what was wrong with the car, and one alternative is to PX the Mini with them.
PX the Mini at the Mini dealer but get something I don't want and can't really afford (non-starter, really)
PX the Mini at the other garage, knowing there is something wrong with it and feeling bad (they've been very good to me)
Take the Mini garage's money and go elsewhere for another car, or PX elsewhere.
Have the work done at the Mini garage then hang on to the car another year to get my money's worth.
Never having had to do this on my own before, I'm really not sure what to do for the best. Up till today I really loved that Mini and meant to keep it another year, now I'm very confused because I don't know if it's worth it.
 
Get it fixed. If you can't get it all, get what must be done,ie brakes and tires. Then go and get the rest fixed as you can, although it may be cheaper to get it all done at once or in groups of things.
 
Thanks. I gave the list of work (without the main dealer's prices) to the other garage and when they'd checked it over they were quite angry. Apparently only about a quarter of the work needs to be done now, if at all, and the main dealer had actually just said 2 tyres needed changing "soon" when there was a huge gash in one, to the point where the exposed metal was rusting - and they hadn't even noticed.

I am having the essential work done at the other garage for half the cost. I've now found out the main dealer has a reputation for this sort of thing - and when I had the tyres fitted today another customer was complaining about exactly the same thing. (Both women - anyone see the link there?)
 
1. There is a reason dealerships are called stealerships.
2. Many stealerships prey on women. Women are often soft touches and easily conned out of even thousands of dollars for unnecessary car repairs (mostly through ignorance of how things work in their cars). I mean that with no offense, it's just how things are.

This is not surprising. To combat this, may I suggest that you obtain and read books aimed at women on the subject of car repair? Also, read this: http://www.edmunds.com/women/index.html (the section on how people get overcharged, specifically). Then get knowledgable about your car - join the forums for it, read them and ask questions.

You don't have to know exactly how to repair your car, nor do you have to do the work yourself - but it will aid you greatly to know what mechanics are talking about, because once you have the basic knowledge of a car's systems it becomes one hell of a lot harder to rip you off. Male or female.
 
Fascinating article, Spectre - if I'd read it before I went to the main dealer it would have saved a lot of panicking! (I only went there because it was a free service). I must seem naive, but this is the first time I've done this sort of thing - my husband used to do all our car stuff but he passed away in February. I know quite a lot about cars but not what is actually happening under the bonnet in detail.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. Must me a very hard time for you. If you need any other help, don't hesitate to ask here.

And asking around does help. It tends to weed out the stealerships.
 
diti said:
Fascinating article, Spectre - if I'd read it before I went to the main dealer it would have saved a lot of panicking! (I only went there because it was a free service). I must seem naive, but this is the first time I've done this sort of thing - my husband used to do all our car stuff but he passed away in February. I know quite a lot about cars but not what is actually happening under the bonnet in detail.
Click to expand...

It isn't uncommon for women in your situation to have issues like this, unfortunately. Nothing wrong with that, just begin your mechanical education so this can't happen to you again. It's not difficult to grasp the basics of how all that weird stuff under the bonnet works, and then you will be better armed against such banditry at the stealership or service centre.

Alternately, find a large male friend who is mechanically knowledgeable to go with you to the stealership and review everything before you agree to the work being performed. I've performed this function for female friends in similar situations and a lot of unnecessary service items listed on the estimate mysteriously disappear or have their prices take a steep plunge when I begin looking it over... This may help you as well.

You should also know that there is no such thing as a completely honest mechanic. The best of the lot won't rip you off, but will try to find ways to do the work faster than "the book" says it takes. "The book" meaning the big reference book (now a reference program on a computer) that lists how long certain repair tasks should take on your particular car - this is the one that you generally pay based on. In other words, if "the book" says that replacing your alternator takes two hours, most honest shops will charge you the full two hours worth of labor. Even if the mechanic has figured out a trick that lets him do the job in thirty minutes. That's fine, so long is the work done is of good quality and they didn't mess anything up while doing so. Doing so is also somewhat to your benefit, because then they don't have to go over the estimate when you have multiple tasks that need to be performed and one of them runs over book time.

The worst of the lot, well, you can probably imagine what they do by now.

Also, when a service is being performed on a part such as an alternator or power steering pump, ask to see the replaced parts (off the car) before paying and tell the service writer that you are going to want to do so when dropping off the car. This is to ensure that the work was in fact performed and that they did replace the parts instead of cleaning up your old ones and putting them back on. "We already sent them back for the core deposit" is not an acceptable excuse for failure to show the parts to you if you told the service writer such when you signed the work order and is usually a sign that something significantly dishonest is going on.

As for how I know this? I'm a Jaaaaaaaaag owner; I'm naturally disposed to be a bandit. :mrgreen::lol: At least I'm honest about it, though. :D
 
I have been in your place before.
As a teenager, I am labeled a fool that is worth nothing to the dealerships. Recently, I went to have my key programed (I want my lights to flash when it's locked) and they told me I needed an alarm. Cost? $550. I can get a new OEM one for $235. That and most dealerships believe I'm attached to one of their older customers and blow me off, as I couldn't possibly spend money there.

Independent dealerships are the best. I had my oil change done and the guy let me come in and watch him work thus assuring me I wasn't being ripped off. And I can vouch for having a friend with an imposing stature and plenty of knowledge about cars. But honestly, just being imposing can be enough. My best friend's dad is very erm...aggressive and has a quick fuse- in short, he gets a lot of "freebies". :D
 
I haven't bothered to read every post here. But I read yours, and a few of spectre's.

What you should do is pick up the book. "Auto repair for Dummies" it's a great book for someone who knows nothing about how cars work, but wants to learn/no longer be ripped off my the mechanic. It gives you a good basis of what to do in situations where you think you are being ripped off. I bought it for my mum because she's the kind of person that walks into the dealer and says... "the genie lamp on my dash is lit up agian" (I'm not kidding she actually did this... I face palmed hard) After reading the book she atleast has a minor understanding of what's going on so she can atleast apear knowledgeable and therefore become less likely to being jipped.
 
Der Stig said:
I had my oil change done and the guy let me come in and watch him work thus assuring me I wasn't being ripped off.
Click to expand...

Paying someone to change your oil is a rip off.
 
argatoga said:
Paying someone to change your oil is a rip off.
Click to expand...

Our Ford dealer in town charges $12.95 for an oil change. No appointment necessary. I took my Grand Prix there, they had a couple cars in front of me, an hour later I was out the door $14.25 poorer after taxes.

Strangely I didn't feel ripped off. :p
 
That's is a good deal, considering a filter and oil at your local parts store will probably run you about $25
 
I pay about $16 here when I have it done and it works out to the same, so maybe I will just get it done.
 
are there any other mechanics on this site besides me?
spectre, you should know a few things about how a mechanic's life goes at a shop, especially a dealership. first of all, in canada, which is where i live ,you are requied to attend 4 years of scholastic training as well as 6000 hours of practical experience before you can be pronounced a proficient mechanic. you can then write a futher test which allows you to work anywhere in the country without upgrading to the provicial standard, which is called interprovincial journeyman, or red seal. i actually possess a red seal accreditation, and it is not easy to achieve. second, your statement of how there is no such thing as an honest mechanic is complete BULLSHIT! i have worked with several different individuals who would no more lie to a customer than they would to their families. third, mechanics at dealerships don't get to pick what they fix and alot of the time how. the service writer tells them what to fix and determines how much time they have to spend on it. so if you get a high quote or work that they say needs to be done, the mechanic may have pointed it out and given his recommendation, but the writer is the person who comes to you and says this hAS TO BE FIXED AND HOLY SHIT IF YOU DON'T, not the mechanic. and don't kid yourself into thinking that the service writer has no idea whats going on, he does. it is his job to upsell you, how the hell do you think they make any money? we as mechanics sure as hell don't get the 110 per hour they're charging your ass! its attitudes like that that have actually mdae me quit being a mechanic, and return to being an electrician.
and before you start flaming me, i've probably done more pro bono work than i have charged for jujst to prove that i'm not trying to rip people off! and my work stays fixed!

it is unfortunate that when ladies go into a shop they are unfairly preyed upon, and the best thing you can do is educate yourself, which i totally agree sucks, especially when it doesn't interest you. the best thing i can recommend is to take someone knowledgeable with you or talk directly to the mechanic who will be working on you car... and yes you can do that if you are forward enough.

oh and spectre, take your car to a different jag dealer, it sounds like they have your number
 
Der Stig said:
As much as I'd like to do it myself, I don't have jacks or a place to recycle the used oil- seriously, I've looked. <_<
Click to expand...

Your car should have one for changing the tire (make sure when you use it that you have some blocks of wood or equally good material to serve as a backup if it fails).

Also some cars, like my Dad's MGB, don't require the car be lifted to change the oil.

Over here the recycling place also takes used oil. I doubt that such a place doesn't exist in a decently populated place. If you live out in the bush just dump it, no one will know or likely care.
 
clivefrog said:
are there any other mechanics on this site besides me?
spectre, you should know a few things about how a mechanic's life goes at a shop, especially a dealership. first of all, in canada, which is where i live ,you are requied to attend 4 years of scholastic training as well as 6000 hours of practical experience before you can be pronounced a proficient mechanic. you can then write a futher test which allows you to work anywhere in the country without upgrading to the provicial standard, which is

{bunch of illegible crap deleted}

oh and spectre, take your car to a different jag dealer, it sounds like they have your number
Click to expand...

1. Canada is not the USA. It is also not Britain. I've worked in both the US and Britain and had to deal with mechanics in both places, plus have relatives over there. Brit mechanics are pretty much the same as the US in terms of lack of mandatory training.

2. Who said my experiences were with my Jaguar dealer? Or even a dealer singular? And who said that all my experience was from in front of the counter???

3. Consider using proper punctuation, capitalization and grammar. I gave up on your post about halfway through and only read the end because your mangling of the English language made it difficult to read. As it is, I find myself wondering how you managed to pass your tests with your evident writing skills... or just how "rigorous" your scholastic training really was.

argatoga said:
Your car should have one for changing the tire (make sure when you use it that you have some blocks of wood or equally good material to serve as a backup if it fails).
Click to expand...

This is very bad advice - modern cars do not have jacks that can be used for servicing the vehicle. Do not use the factory jack to service your car or change the oil!!!

Now, that said, in Texas, all oil change facilities must accept a person's used oil at no charge. And a set of ramps to drive your car up to service it are cheap.
 
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I went to a mitsi dealership and all the course certs for the staff were prominently displayed behind the service desk - now may be a gimmick but they did an excellent - if expensive (as in dealer priced 'ouch') job on my Galant I was running at the time, in those days to keep the warranty you had to get a dealer service - that has changed recently. As Spectre says compulsory training does not seem to be a prerequisite for a motor mechanic in the UK.
 
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