I don't know what you're all talking about, Can I fax one of you guys my bill?
 

Thanks for all your advice..
My original post on this matter is seven topics down from this post.
this mechanic, he used to be a friend of mine, long story. He used to work on bugs and mercedes, then fazed out only to work on mercedes...
I went in to have my car looked over before my la trip. I assumed if alot of money was involved, he would call me. He knows I'm broke. ANd I told him I wanted a new air conditionining unit when I got one.
When I went to pick up my car, he told me he pulled an air conditioning unit (clutch and compressor) from another car; said it was great and he saved me alot of money.
I was charged $550 for everything; I was shocked.
I told him i wanted a new ac unit, and i appreciate if he had a good one he though would work; but i would have appreciated a phone call.
I don't know if i'm overreacting to the bill or not.
Was a cheated? I don't know if i can do anything about it now anyway..it kind of hit me over the weekend. When he showed me the bill i was in shock.
Can someone please look at the bill and let me know their opinion?...I'm hoping I'm overreacting.
Take into account this is San Francisco, where everything seems to be overpriced.
Please let me know any fax numbers I can send to to have your guys expert opinions...
thanks much,
Lindajane

That’s not out of line, but it depends on how good it’s working a few years from now. I just bought a new comp. from Rusty for $240ish, dryer was $40 – Chilton lists 2.3 hours to install it – then R134 fills run about $90 – so that;s close. He had more labor to do than the 2.3hrs

$550 for all that? that sounds pretty cheap to me, as long as it works, even if for only a couple years. youre driving a mercedes, either learn how to do all of this stuff yourself, or be willing to dole out a few bills every once and a while. i rarely get away from my mechanic without giving him at least $300, but my car runs great, and im happy.

Sounds like that is all he replaced is the compressor????? Was your old unit locked up? If he replaced just the comp. I think you were taken. A used compressor can be had for say....$100. Two hours labor for a good mechanic to install...($50 and hour)=$100. R-134a costs next to nothing.
Friend of mine just had this done to his Pontiac and it cost him $210.

VWbuge: Pontiac...... very different animal. Thats an apples to oranges comparision thus it is just not valid. When your talking compressor for 100 bucks are you specifically meaning MB compressor?

LindaJane: Might I suggest you just type out the parts replaced and work done list from the reciept here in a post. Did the reciept say anything about hoses? Did it say anything about R12?

That's your problem right there. Even if a friend is the one doing the work, you must define "a lot of money" in writing. When you're talking about air conditioning work, $550 is not a lot of money. And for that, I doubt that you got the job done right.

vwbuge, maybe $50 an hour is the going rate in PA, but I doubt that is the case in San Francisco. Try something closer to $100.

Coach,

What kind of compressor do you think is in a MB?
Or at least mine?

Oh, sorry I am out of touch with the rate in SF. My firend just raised his rate to $40 an hour. And people think he is expensive. Sounds like you guys need to move.

You can't get your morning latte served for $40/hour in SF.

Labor rate here is $70/hr and WE'RE cheap compared to California!!

Also, there's all kinds of state EPA regs/reqs on ANY freon, be it R12, R134, etc.

I can get a can of R-134a at the local Wal-Mart for like $25.

I think Rick said it best. When you said you wanted a new air conditioning unit, you either should have known it wouldn't have been cheap, or he should have told you it wouldn't be cheap to even consider repairing the a/c. You got a good deal.

You mean $4, NOT $25.

Hell, I can get R12 for $17/can (with 609 Cert.)

It sounds like a fair, but not cheap deal to me. Labor rates are high here (usually $85-100/hour) but the parts are pretty much the same. If you know this guy and he is willing to guarantee the work then it was probably a good deal. The used compressor did save you a lot of money and most mechanics don't like to install them if they guarantee their work. By the way, in the future if you have AC problems I'd recommend Alouis Radiator on Divisadero. They are very reasonable and always call with a final estimate before they start the work. I have no vested interest with them, just several good experiences.

VWBuge: Nothing against the Keystone State but I grew up in Western New York and I'd pay $200/hour labor rates to live here. What we pay in added labor we save in heating oil.;)

I was talking about the deluxe package with the oil and guage.

"Sounds like you guys need to move."

Never. There is nothing finer than driving a pretty MBZ in sunny Ca. Singing "LA Woman," The Doors.
Ya, this car cost me way more than I ever thought I would spend. It is right on to encourage working on it as much as you can, no matter what your level of mechanics...
When you start buying used parts at a fraction of the dealer price, or mail order stuff online for 1/4th what the Mercedes dealer wants, then figure out how to do it yourself and think of the hundreds you are saving, you begin to relish autonomy.

It sucks to get charged $500 when you least expect it, but let it go, you learned a valuable lesson about written estimates. Look at it as giving love to a machine that will run forever, in high style.

Start small, change your filters yourself. The more you work on it, the more comfortable you will be understanding it. Get a cheap manual on Ebay. Read about how your car works. Search the forums here when you have a problem. There is nothing a mechanic respects more than when a woman comes in knowing about her car, naming parts and prognosis.... And there are always mechanics to be found who really shoot from the heart, and will be helpful and reasonable. In LA, you will find cheap parts and decent mechanics if you network.

Your mechanic had no right in replacing your air conditioning without your permission. It sounds to me like he took advantage of your past friendship. Knowing that you were "broke" makes it even worse. I wouldn't pay for work I hadn't asked for.