Another AA Horror Story Options

[URY914]

Things done include replace CV joints, replace wheel bearing, replace shifter bushings, replace muffler bracket, and a few others.

Konrad

You would think someone would have called and given you a list of things that needed to be repaired and the cost of each. Going in for engine work and coming out with new CV joints and wheel bearing is not even close to the original scope of work.

I take my truck in for X and the the manager calls me and says he found w,y, and z and this is what each will cost. I say do w, y but not z. Thats how it is suppose to work.

[John]

I didn't work in a body shop, but when I worked in a repair facility, it was customary to give the customer a written estimate at the time the vehicle was dropped off. If the repair was found to exceed this estimate (it was more extensive than estimated), the customer was notified by telephone of what additional repairs were required. The customer had the say whether these additional repairs were made or not.

I know that this is not apples to apples, but it is how that shop did business.


As another reference, my current employer provides custom equipment and custom integrated industrial systems. We quote a job with a fixed quote. If the customer makes no changes and agreed to items do not change, we provide the system as promised (regardless if we go over budget). If the customer changes the scope of work, we provide them with a change order.

Was this work done according to a fixed quote? If so, you may have reason to complain. If it was done with a written estimate, you should have been notified when the scope of the project was deemed to exceed that of the original written estimate. If you were not notified, you probably have a reason to complain.


That's all I have to say about that.



just my $0.02

[rick 918-S]

Things done include replace CV joints, replace wheel bearing, replace shifter bushings, replace muffler bracket, and a few others.

Konrad

You would think someone would have called and given you a list of things that needed to be repaired and the cost of each. Going in for engine work and coming out with new CV joints and wheel bearing is not even close to the original scope of work.

I take my truck in for X and the the manager calls me and says he found w,y, and z and this is what each will cost. I say do w, y but not z. Thats how it is suppose to work.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) You should receive a written quote for the original work and any change order needed as it's discovered. "IF" that's what happened, that may be considered excessive.

[EdwardBlume]

"Knowledge is good"

When you want work done regardless of body, engine, etc.... you need to ask yourself if there are any unknowns... often there will be. With an engine, there's always worn parts, with a body, there's always rust, repairs, bolts that won't come off, etc.

That said, most shops will call you and stop the work when they find something that will up the price. Having a $1K surprise on your bill after the fact is not what I would consider acceptable.

A good shop communicates well.

AA?

[nebreitling]

from AA? Really? nahhh...


they should have called you.

[bottomend]

Classic case of getting totally ripped off. I feel sorry for you. I hope everyone who is reading this will pay attention.

First time I took my car to a shop they told me it was a two day job to remove the engine and it'll cost $750 to get it out. I ran away and learned how to do it myself.

[Hammy]

I admire AA's willingness to go extensive with the repairs on your car... But they should've contacted you. Even the crummy shop I had my car at (who couldn't tell hydraulic lifters from solid) called me when things were going over estimate.

[Twystd1]

I sense it would be smarter for ME to hear both sides.

I don't sniff I have read the whole story here. Something sounds like it's missing.

It's time to relax and wait for more facts and the perceptions of those facts.


Clayton

[gopack]

OK: I had a rocker arm stud break on me and eventually needed the half stuck in the head drilled out. George quoted me $400 to remove the engine, drill out the bolt, and re-assemble everything. I figured the total cost might be $5-600 by the time it was all done.
George then gave me a call to tell me that every thing was finished, Did you ask for a total of all work performed to date? but they had seen some problem areas that needed to be addressed. George said it would take some "tweaks" Did you ask for a list of all the work that the "tweaks entailed? to get it in perfect running order and it should cast $2,000 to do everything. I am sure George thought HE said “it will take another $2000 or so to get this ADDITIONAL work done". You know that it is what he was thinking. I thought he ment $2k inclusive of the engine work. here is the point where you need to ask the question: total or additional? it is your car, and money! But none-the-less I told him "do what you need to get it running, (repair shop heard this) but $2k is way out of my price range."(repair shop either hears that it is out of yout price range, but you will deal with it, or just hears a customer griping)
Total bill- $3175.00 including tax. Things done include replace CV joints, replace wheel bearing, replace shifter bushings, replace muffler bracket, and a few others.
* The work needed to be done and the total price was fair for the work done. However, I had no intention of dropping more than $1500 total. I wasn’t explicit about it but "go nowhere near $2k, I thought would cover things.
Never again!
Konrad

Bottom line: they made a good faith effort to gain authorization for the work, and you gave that authorization with out a full understanding of what you were authorizing.

Same thing happened to me. I had a BMW M3 I was selling. My wife took it to a store and some chick backed into the car, leaving a small dent on the front quarter that needed to be fixed. When I went to the body shop to get and estimate, I was asked did the insurance company give an estimate. I said "yes but I don't have it with me. He went ahead and generated another one.
And then when I found out that they would have to blend the paint into the hood, I asked to get the hood re-sprayed to take care of some paint chips. So he came back and said $750, and gave me the secret coded estimate sheet. So I said wow that is cheap! (seriously I did!). Go for it.

When I go to pick up the car, it turns out I owe $800. I question them and they say that they didn't estimate the insurance portion of the work because the insurance company estimate applied, and that this estimate was for ONLY additional work. I thought that it was a sucky way to do business, but that is the way it works.

Bottom line, I was the one that didn't fully understand what I was asking for, and I am the one that authorized the repair at the quoted price. I bitched and got a small discount on the work and chalked it up to a lesson learned. Be a dummy; ask the question over and over again until you UNDERSTAND FULLY, and then and only then sign! too many people (like me in this case) don't want to seem dumb, and just kind of gloss over the details and say go ahead. I was mad at the time, but mostly at my self for not asking questions and knowing that anything insurance related isn’t done in a logical manner. I think i may have even posted a rant here at the time (old pre-split site) The thing to remember here is that the shop deals with things liek this ALL the time and each time you are required to learn their way of doing things, and shorthand and secret code words. This is your responsibility , because it is your MONEY!

If you ask nice, maybe George will be willing to give a "sorry for the miscommunication problem" discount, but you aren't OWED one.

[Johny Blackstain]

I can sympathize w/ you & at the same time I can't. I too did a "quick fix" at AA & my final price was nowhere near what the quick fix was supposed to cost. However, I stayed in close personal contact w/ George & no one else on the entire matter. He did nothing without my OK. Every time something came up I made him explain it to me & he realized I understood him. I was a total pain in the ass, for 356 days straight & still am to this day. I'm a retailers worst nightmare- an educated novice. Being an A/V engineer & playing w/ Dads' 914 since I was 11 has made me the way I am. Also, it was my Dads' LE, I wanted it done right & George knew it & I made sure he did. My only complaint, & I have never told George this, was the stickers on the sides. I now have 2 different new sets in boxes & will fix them myself one day. Big deal, they're stickers. He's in Atlanta & I'm in DC so that settles that.
I now have a new project, my '70 6 & will be doing most of the work on it myself. The reasons for this are because I enjoy it, I'm cheaper than AA & I don't care how good you are, I'm supervising. Hard to do unless you're there & I'm sure if George watched me work he'd offer me a job. I ain't movin to Georgia, I'm a Virginia boy.
Good luck & all I can say is you should talk w/ him personally. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Wow a lot has been posted since I last checked the club site!!!! Spent the whole weekend arranging the pictures and descriptions for our great new 914 catalog that will be mass mailed.

I am going to have Sean and Dan post on my behalf as since Conrad chose to vent, and we appreciate that, that they can speak as well. After that I will follow up. Fair enough????

[EdwardBlume]

I love happy endings... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ConeDodger]

I sense it would be smarter for ME to hear both sides.

I don't sniff I have read the whole story here. Something sounds like it's missing.

It's time to relax and wait for more facts and the perceptions of those facts.


Clayton

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) I think most states are regulated as it regards what a repair facility can do. Here in California I believe that they have to inform you by phone if the repair is going to be 10% greater than the estimate.

It sounds as if you are saying that AA told you $2K and just snuck up and charged you more than $3K. Not very likely totally true.

It is popular to bash George and Company so this is nothing new. I am sure that George can stand up for himself but... I wonder how much effort was made at working this out with George before spreading peanut butter on his reputation publicly?

The point is and this is the second time I have said this in the last month, work this out toe-to-toe before you trash a man's reputation. Even if it is George and it is popular to trash him...

[ChrisPaegelow]

Last summer my girlfriend dropped her car off at Tires Plus to get her tires rotated and she ended up getting new tie rods and some other stuff, and all of a sudden they wanted like $450!
She pulled the crying helpless girl routine and got away with paying like $300, but it was still pretty un-cool.

[StratPlayer]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[andys]

Sorry, but I don't buy into the "buyer/customer beware" or "you'll know better next time" disclaimer by those in the business. Any REPUTABLE shop will treat their customers ethically and communicate with them to where BOTH parties are clear on the terms and conditions, or extra work required WHEN required. A reputable business will step forward and make clear to the customer the conditions by which the scope of the work be addressed, rather than defer the questioning to the customer. Keep in mind, the customer is not normally the expert, so the business has the fundamental responsibility of advising them thoroughly (and not simply look at it as a cash opportunity). Conduct you business otherwise, and your reputation and growth will suffer. Rant over.........

Andys

[nebreitling]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) with Andys...

[pbanders]

[Bottom line: they made a good faith effort to gain authorization for the work, and you gave that authorization with out a full understanding of what you were authorizing.

<snip>

If you ask nice, maybe George will be willing to give a "sorry for the miscommunication problem" discount, but you aren't OWED one.

That's how it sounds to me, too.

[ChrisPaegelow]

Keep in mind, the customer is not normally the expert, so the business has the fundamental responsibility of advising them thoroughly (and not simply look at it as a cash opportunity).

Bravo, well said (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif)

[cooltimes]

This is not a reflection on either as the old unwritten law rule, let the seller/buyer beware.

People of my generation had to learn the hard way and insist that everything related to a repair or service, be in writing. Why. Because there was dishonest people on both sides of the done deals. This means about anything, not just automobiles.
Once that became the norm, like it is in the defacto business world of today, with all the fine print and legal mumbo jumbo ( not shade tree), an initialed acknowledgement is normally required to be a binding document.

It is sad to say, the days of the gentleman agreement with a handshake or their word as a bond are mostly past history.

Always insist if there are changes to any documents you put your signature on, such as a service or repair order, it must be approved fully by you and initialed by both parties to keep them both honest and above false promises, decit or fraud.

Who is right? Whichever the signed and initialed additionals agreement fully verifies.
BTW, I would never have a problem with AA or anyone else about doing any work. I would practice what I wrote above and you should too.