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Shop charged me 622$ for labor on my gears. what do i do? and what are my options?
my rear end blew up last friday so i brought it into a shop. i had discussed with them that another shop only charges 200$ for labor on gear installs and they said it wouldn't be much more than that. so i went with them becuase they said they could get it done the next day. so not only did they not get it done on friday. saterday, monday or tues, got it back wends around noon they are trying to charge me 622$ for labor on a gear install and full bearing kit and seals. and they said it was 8 hours labor. now the "book" dosen't even call for 8 hours of labor which is illegal right there to charge more labor than the "book" says. so i had to pay for it becuase i needed my car and i had to have it. when i picked it up the owner was not availible to talk to. so my question is what can i do about it? obviously talk to the owner but what if he dosen't lower the price. could i dispute it on my credit card and have him try to take me to court and JAG the army lawyers would have to represent me at that point since i'm in the military. i'm not really sure what to do.
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I'm not sure on the "Book", but I thought that was just a general guide line of time that it 'should" take to get the job done. I didn't think it is a can't go over that price if it takes longer.
Lynn
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'99 GT automatic
CDC Shaker scoop, K&N Filter
MAC cat back
Max Speed 1 ˝” Lowering springs
KYB GR2 shocks and struts
Cobra front brakes
thats no taxes just the raw labor. i haven't been able to make it to the shop to talk to the owner. i would like to do it in person so hopefully i can get over there tommarow and talk to him. i just think that 622$ for labor is redic. they had to pull my old gears out. they had to torch the old bearing on the pinion gear out but no big deal. then they put all new seals in the rear end. i believe they did wheel bearings too, which isn't that much more money. and they installed new clutches which the other shop said they charge 60$ labor for that. so the other shop said its takes about 4.5~5 hours for labor.
and some guy there is trying to tell me that at jasper they charge 1900$ for gear install. like are you kidding me i could get a 9"with 33 splines and a detriot for 2200$ what a joke. but i have not yet talked to the owner i was just wondering what my options would be?
It could get ugly, but a few things to keep in mind... You didnt get a written estimate, which is not always a necessity, but wold of made things a lot simpler. If the gave you a detailed invoice of charges, did they give you the hours charged and for what? The legality of charging more than book time is debatable. They can rightly charge for work not included in "book time" especially since the rear "blew up". There could have been broken/stripped bolts, mangled parts, and debris throughout the housing and bearings that needed more detail... Extras always come up and are not easy to estimate.
Having said that, I would never had proceeded with the work without contacting the customer when I realized that it would be more than book.
Another thing is that some areas may use your payment as acceptance of the work done, and barring any warranty issues, you agreed... A thin excuse at best but may play a role.
Obviously my first response would be to contact the owner/manager and calmly discuss the situation. That will usually resolve it. You may not get everything, but a good compromise may come of it. Going through the credit card company would be second shot, but they may stay out because of local laws... lastly would be your JAG. Maybe they can give you a consult before it gets too far.
Good luck
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2003 GT Convertible - Sonic Blue
3.73's, Steeda Tri-ax, Magnaflow cat-back, Sniper tune
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TRADE MY Mach 1 HOOD + scoop set up for easy GT install (attached, no intake system necessary, unless you want it) for a COWL hood and maybe STOCK + CASH (but probably not). The hood is painted silver, in great shape, does need a color sand, but thats no biggie. Would prefer a swap for a silver one, but will consider many options. Need to trade due to changed plan on this car. RTP/Greensboro/Charlotte
There is not much you can do but spread your cheeks and swap the area for entry. You should have requested in righting the exact price. Its a touch lesson but now you know.
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Shop charged me 622$ for labor on my gears. what do i do? and what are my options?
