Re: $ 567.00 for ten minutes labor !?!?!?!?!


"Joe" <avoidingspam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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> "Michael J. Delaglio" <md1966@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> news:FlW0f.57$Hm3.16@xxxxxxxx:
>
>>
>> "Joe" <avoidingspam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:wuS0f.44$Ra.0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> "Michael J. Delaglio" <md1966@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
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>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Joe" <avoidingspam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>> news:CBE0f.7450$tV1.2145@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> "Michael J. Delaglio" <md1966@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>>>>> news:wxD0f.41023$TA2.16641@xxxxxxxx:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "John C." <jonc@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:1kD0f.2695$WD5.471@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Michael J. Delaglio" <md1966@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:0%C0f.7339$Ge5.3566@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>> Just got my 2000 GT back from the dealer. The RPM's would drop
>>>>>>>> all the way
>>>>>>>> down and I'd have to give it gas at idle to keep it going. I
>>>>>>>> figured it was
>>>>>>>> TP issue .
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Turns out it was the air intake vale. Two bolts hold the
>>>>>>>> thing in and it
>>>>>>>> is right out in the open. Probably would take about ten
>>>>>>>> minutes to put one
>>>>>>>> in.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The dealer charged me $ 201.17 for the two parts:
>>>>>>>> F8VZ*9F715*AB (Throtle Air By-Pa) and XR3Z*9E498*AG
>>>>>>>> (Connector)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> They also charged $ 567.00 for the labor.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I absolutely dont believe it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Comments on the labor charge ???
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ouch! It must have taken 7 hours and 50 minutes to troubleshoot.
>>>>>>> :o
>>>>>>> That place
>>>>>>> must have some real cracker-jack techs.
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> John C.
>>>>>>> '03 Cobra Convt.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Cracker-jack techs".... LOL Good one !!! The part that was
>>>>>> replaced is directly responsible for the idle control. I took
>>>>>> the car in for an idle problem. It sould be the first thing that
>>>>>> they check or at least one of the first things. I'm always the
>>>>>> first to give a tech the benifit of the doubt because I used to
>>>>>> fix cars myself at a VW place during my first two years of
>>>>>> college way back in 1986-1988. Lots of air-cooled bugs and the
>>>>>> like. I always remember how just about every customer wanted to
>>>>>> know why the repairs would cost so much. They all wanted to pay
>>>>>> twenty bucks to have a clutch job done.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In my case here, $ 567.00 labor to diagnose an obvious problem
>>>>>> and then do ten minutes of remove-replace is totally out of hand.
>>>>>> It was a straight-up rip-off !!!!!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael
>>>>>
>>>>> Write the GM of the dealership and tell him/her how angry you are
>>>>> and that they've lost a customer for life.
>>>>>
>>>>> Include copies of the repair including the cost. Tell the GM that
>>>>> the job was a complete rip-off considering what was done.
>>>>>
>>>>> Also tell him/her that if it took that long to diagnose the
>>>>> problem, they've got morons working as techs there and you won't
>>>>> be returning simply because of that.
>>>>>
>>>>> Finally, tell them that you're going to complain to corporate
>>>>> about the entire thing, and you'll be using the GM's name.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you don't get a reply, you at least have the small satisfaction
>>>>> of informing corporate that they've got some rip-off artists at
>>>>> work.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you get a reply, perhaps they'll try to make amends or at least
>>>>> offer you some kind of compensation. Might be worth a shot.
>>>>>
>>>>> Joe
>>>>> Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
>>>>> Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC
>>>>
>>>> I called the service manager this morning and went over everything
>>>> with him. I stressed that the problem was obvious to find and that
>>>> it should take no longer then twenty minutes to remove-replace the
>>>> idel control valve/connector. I then asked him how they came up
>>>> with $ 567.00 in labor. I told him that sounds more like a labor
>>>> charge to replace an entire air intake manifold and not an idle
>>>> control valve/connector. I was expecting him to give me an
>>>> argument. He reviewed what he had on the ticket and said "holey
>>>> smokes... that dosent look right to me either." He then invited me
>>>> back to the dealer during my lunch hour later today to get a credit
>>>> on my Amex for two hours of labor. That will bring the labor
>>>> charge down to just below $340.00 . He's calling it one full hour
>>>> of diagnostic time, one full hour of repair time... and then... one
>>>> additional hour taken when they realized there was also a bad vacum
>>>> hose causing a problem after they had installed the air valve. I
>>>> was aware that they had to put on a new vacuum hose, but I was not
>>>> told before that it was a diagnostic issue. I thought they picked
>>>> the bad vacuum hose out during the replace of the air valve. They
>>>> didnt even give a parts charge for the vacuum hose. They writer
>>>> just mentioned it when I picked the car up. The official report
>>>> that I'm getting from the service manager now states that they had
>>>> to spend time to discover the bad vacuum line AFTER they had
>>>> installed the air valve and connector. He states that they actually
>>>> got an additional code due to the bad vacuum hose once the air
>>>> valve and connector were installed. So, they have me on three hours
>>>> of labor that I can't dispute.
>>>>
>>>> So... They are going to credit me with two hours of labor. Better
>>>> then nothing, but I think the bit he gave me about the vacuum line
>>>> is questionable. I also think that they didn't make any mistake
>>>> about the labor charge they gave me at first. They just decided to
>>>> take me to the cleaners. Makes me wonder how many people are
>>>> getting jacked at car dealers. To be honest though, I've been
>>>> going to this dealer for the past fifteen years without any
>>>> problems. This is the first time I got snaked.
>>>>
>>>> Michael
>>>
>>> Interesting. I'd still talk to the service manager and/or general
>>> manager and tell them your thoughts - that you've had generally good
>>> experiences for years and now all of a sudden this.
>>>
>>> If you've been going there for 15 years, you've got to know somebody
>>> there. Talk to them and see what's up.
>>>
>>> If not, then I'd tell the SM and GM that if this treatment is an
>>> indication of how service works from now on, you'll be shopping
>>> elsewhere for service. Their reaction to that statement will tell
>>> you if they're interested in retaining your business. If they're
>>> not, then tell them you'll be relating all this to Ford corporate
>>> and they can go screw off.
>>>
>>> Joe
>>> Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
>>> Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC
>>
>> Hiya, Joe...
>>
>> I went to the dealer on my lunch hour today. I met with the service
>> manager and he had the business office credit my Amex for two hours
>> of labor. That is $188.00 not including the tax. When I asked him
>> for the reason I was charged five hours labor in the first place, he
>> told me that they "went by the book" on my bill.
>>
>> 1. One hour to diagnose idle control valve. (F8VZ*9F715*AB)
>> 2. One hour to diagnose the connector (XR3Z*9E498*AG)
>> 3. One hour to replace the idle control valve (F8VZ*9F715*AB)
>> 4. One hour to replace the connector (XR3Z*9E498*AG)
>> 5. One more hour to diagnose a bad vacuum hose.
>> 6. No carge to put in a vacuum hose.
>>
>> Five hours total.
>>
>> Although he was giving me discount on the labor, he said they went by
>> the book. I reminded him that it was an obvious problem and
>> practicly speaking, the remove-replace should not have taken more
>> then twenty minutes. That included the vale itself and the
>> connector. Both of which should be considered as part of the same
>> job and not two seperate diagnostics and repairs. I couldent get an
>> answer on what vacuum line had failed. He just pointed out that they
>> got a code after the replacement of the idle valve that was being
>> cauded by the vaccum hose. So, it is a legit labor/diagnostic charge
>> of one full hour. I pointed out to him that in the past fifteen
>> years I purchaced two new cars from them and have gone there for all
>> service including oil changes. I went on to explain I have never
>> been charged "One hour for the tech to start the car, one hour for
>> the tech to put the car on the lift, one hour for the tech to lift
>> the hood, one hour for the tech to hook it up to the computer.. And
>> all for the same problem. I read off the total bill again and said...
>> Look... your charging me EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS to fix an obvious
>> problem that should take any skilled tech no more then twenty minutes
>> to complete. You want five hours labor to do twenty minutes of work
>> ??? I told him they charged less money to replace an itake manifold
>> on a friends 4.6L only a few months ago. I told him that I felt they
>> had "taken me to the cleaners" regardless of the "by the book"
>> business. He felt that the discount shows they want to keep my
>> business. I havent decided if I want to go back there again. They
>> did have a point about "going by the book" as far as itemizing the
>> charges, but a strong case could be made that it was all the same
>> problem and not three seperate issues each calling for one hour of
>> diagnostic and one hour of labor for remove-replace.
>>
>> Michael
>
> Michael, in essence the SM is telling you that you should return there
> for service (and feel good about it!) because they knocked off $188 from
> an $800 repair that anyone who used common sense in the first place
> could've/shoud've fixed for $300 max. His entire justification is that
> the repair was "by the book". I still say that if they go "by the book"
> without actually thinking about the repair, then the SM is either a moron
> or he simply isn't interested in true customer service.
>
> You probably won't get any further with the SM, so if you're up to it,
> talk to the GM. If he/she can't be bothered or gives you the same story,
> then it's your choice. Personally, at that point I'd fire off nasty
> letters and never return. However, if you feel that the GM really wants
> to keep your business, make him/her an offer: Tell him/her that you'll
> pay $X for the repair because it's a fair price. You'll have to
> determine what's fair for the repair.
>
> Your main problem is that the service department didn't use an ounce of
> brain power and relied strictly on "the book". This escalated the bill
> by several hundred dollars. Your can ask the GM this question: "Why
> should I have service done by people who don't use common sense and
> obviously don't care about trying to save the customer money?" You can
> also indicate that you'll steer your friends clear of the service
> department.
>
> In short, I'd tell the GM that if he/she wants to retain your business,
> they'll further credit you $X (you have to determine the amount and it
> has to be fair). If not, be prepared to walk right then and there.
>
> BTW, why didn't they credit back the tax on those two hours?
>
> Joe
> Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies
> Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

Hey, Joe... I have no idea why they didn't credit for the tax. I don't
think I'll get any further with the dealer GM. I accepted the deal they
gave and I'll leave it at that. There is another Ford dealer that is local
to me and I'll probably take my car there in the future. The parts price
they charged me was right on. They over did it with the labor to the tune
of five hours when it should probably be no more then two hours MAX and that
is only considering they had to retrive codes and then do the repair. They
wound up charging me three hours in the end. They got me for an extra
$94.00 then the job should have cost. Their reward will be that they wont
get any more of my money. They will loose more then I will now. My 2000 GT
only has 33,000 miles on it. 40k service, 50k service and so on... They
wont get any of it.

Michael

Michael


.

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