I think Richard, like all others in the same position, objects to the bogus 5.00.

There are several competent shops that alogn Mercedes for 50.00 -75.00, he just didn't find one.

I wouldn't sharpen a pencil in Hialeah, Florida, let alone have my Merceds aligned there. My dad took his 240 for an oil change and asked why the guy never change the copper gasket on the oil plug, the guy told him it's no big deal to use the old one.


Duh! Why do they bribng new ones in the box?

I understand Steve's point about the Mechanic's negative perception:

My friend works as a mechaninc for a local Amoco and in orfer for him to WORK there, he has to split all profit, 50/50 with the owner of the gas station.

I asked him if he thought that was fair and he said hell yes, if I had to buy all this equipment and property, I'd probably make less than what I do now.

ANyway, I often see customers gripe about his minimum labor charge of 12.00(which is a joke) which he will charge to plug a tire or to put you car on a lift to give you a "look see" for an estimate.

HE often tells people that if his electricity is not free, nor is the lift or his time and the measly 12.00 is a pittance.

Think of how many jerkball customers drive around all day to save 10.00 on a repair? If he had to give them all free estimates, just for them to go and "price shop" he would lose a lot of time/money.

Another example:

He changed the oil and rotated tires on one of my cars(driven by employee). The guy left and came bback to his shop complaining of a rattle under the hood. Well it turns out that 2out of 3 bolts that hold the ac cracked. What does that have to do with oilchange /tire rotation? Nothing, but my driver insisted that he "must have done something" because that noise wasn't there before.

Tough situation to be in, especially if you are an honest person like this guy is. I see the frustration building on him daily.

Plantman empty your mailbox.:D

Mailbox is not full. What's up?

I was willing to get quiet and observe the "Code of Silence" for the auto repair industry until I read this. Granted the carefully selected examples make my point seem false but I have the figures to back up my claim. These prices are from invoices that I have in my hands at the moment. They are from an OEM FRANCHISE THAT SELLS TO DEALERS, not some 'fly by night' parts house:

Application: component list cost

96 'full size sedan' A/C compressor $626 $253.33
95 'pickup' A/C compressor $476.94 $149.36
98-2000 sedan radiator $311.32 $119.10
97 SUV A/C pressure hose $129.30 $44.32
95-03 mid size car radiator $181.50 $109.00
95-01 mid size car radiator $207.94 $108.75

I don't have a problem with shops charging what they SAY they will charge. Just be honest and up front. By the time you charge $? per hour and then double or triple your money on parts then you have the
appearance
of being dishonest.

To all of you who don't believe this, get a quote on a repair. After you get the quote tell them you have your own parts already. See what happens.

I gave you real cases with real parts.

Your list means nothing, who made these parts, you say OEM, are you talking MB or Ford or who. There are about 20 OEMs and a billion wannabees (that claim to be OEM some companies have even taken the name OEM). A compressor for your car from MB will be rebuilt and without clutch. I haven't priced it recently, but for a year or more it cost $446. I would pay my dealer 28% less than that. The price I pay would be 20% over dealer net, which is what they pay if ordered overnight, which happens all the time. They get stocking discounts of maybe another ten % and maybe some volume kickbacks.

Now if they go with some shyster selling washed up used junk calling itself OEM and bought them for a little over 100 they might get 300% if they stuck them on cars in their service department, but they sure won't be selling that crap to me.

You need to be more specific because what you are saying is a bunch of crap and a lot of gullible people will have their fanatsies promoted by your misinformation.

"They are from an OEM FRANCHISE THAT SELLS TO DEALERS, not some 'fly by night' parts house" Do you understand what OEM means. Mercedes dealer don't buy from some OEM franchise they buy from MERCEDES-BENZ. If they don't they are real likely to have someone show u one day and tell them to get their cars from that OEM franchise

When I sell a MB compressor for 446 I make 123.78 on the deal. I don't know what group of crooks you are watching but real MB specialists and MB dealers are all using these numbers. The only difference is that some charge 10-20% more than list and some do quantity purchasing and buy at 10 over MB net.

DOes it matter they were RedNeck , NGers or Cuban?
 

Richard or Ricardo ---> F yourself and I hope you get a lot more getting screwed over :D

In Miami wages ARE more than in Gainsville!! Hello!!!! YOu must not be in the business world or mom and dad still pay your bills! Wheather car repairs, milk, or handy man - Jose , you are going to pay more in Miami...Cost of living is higher.... One thing is if they charge you two hours for a one hour job (has happened to me), but houly rate or reasonable "time" if part of business.

Re: DOes it matter they were RedNeck , NGers or Cuban?
 

Did I miss something? What's this all about?

Re: Re: DOes it matter they were RedNeck , NGers or Cuban?
 

One thing is to complain that you are dumb enough to get screwed over by a shop, but that has nothing to do with ethnic background as he threw around in his posts.....

He could easily resolved this by taking his car to the Mercedes Dealer.... I bet he wont complain so much, as long as the service writter's name is Bill or Buck vs Jose or Pepe....

Read quickly, my last post dealing with mark-up was censored. Can't imagine these making it through.

Actually I was expecting it to be deleted entirely since you now know which OEM supplier I am referring to and that my figures are correct. :)

And BTW, promoting gullible people's fanatsies is the last thing I want to do!!!:D

I thought we were done with this.

Your supplier is not OEM and worse than that they suggest to ignorant local shops a list price that is a crock of *****. The only thing you proved is the point I am making. Real professional shops would never buy from such a local ripoff arrangement.

Real MB professionals buy from places like I sugested many posts ago. That supplier which is the same as fastlane uses places TRUE MB list price on every part they can compete with and no list price where they can't. Real simple to figure out. They don't take a 1989 300E radiator which MB lists for 184 and sell it for 225 and suggest a list of 675. That is what is happening with your supplier.

The only reason I dwell upon it, is that a lot of cheap people read these forums and they sure don't need another wrong reason to avoid a real professional.

So, did you see what they would want for a 1989 300e radiator. Try where ever you like. You will find that you will only pay 185 or less at a real professional. I pointed out that fastlane can't even help here but real professionals will sell that radiator for within 10-30% of that real list price. I guarantee I will install that radiator and sell it for the real list price and it is second nature to me and 500 to 1000 other real professional independent MB shops (maybe more) .

It is truely a shame that major corporations do this to stupid local buyers, but this is just one more example why you are better of with a real professional.

As I reread that portion I came to the conclusion that you might have the misunderstanding that I can delete or censor or alter in some way what appears on this sight.

If that was your conception then I really need to straighten you out. I have no more ability to do such than you do and neither do any other moderator I know of except Donnie. Do you think my post would get dropped if I had any control!!!!!

Apparently we're still on different wavelengths. To start with this is not my supplier. They are a client of my transportation services. Now, if Motorcraft, Mopar or AC/ Delco are not considered OEM then I must say that I am certainly off track. But all the Fords, Chryslers and GM's that I have ever seen come with those respective brands attached. How can they not be OEM? With that said, I deliver to DEALERS. I was curious as to why dealers would not buy direct from their own manufacturer. The parts managers tell me that buying from the authorized franchise distributor is cheaper and faster. Don't ask me why, I'm just the piano player, I didn't write the music.

On the subject of a lot of forum members being 'cheap people', I guess we are what we are. I'd rather save up for my retirement boat than apply it to someone else' retirement boat.

On the deleted/ censored thing, I haven't a clue what you're talking about. I was referring to the 'edit' button at the bottom which allows anyone to correct a mistake or delete his own post.

Didn't this thread take a twist;).

I've been thinking about looking into putting an alignment machine in my shop just to get around this sort of thing:).

I take mine to the only place in town that I would let do my alignments and gladly pay him the $57 cost. He came recommended by the owner of one of the local independents that knows these cars like the back of his hand.


guilty as charged:).

Plantman I tried to PM you and it wouldn't let me?:confused: Anyway I have your part send my your address and I'll get it in the mail to you.