Bad experience at "Rover Specialist" - Vinnie Tarrone - Garfield, NJ

[WaltNYC]

My original starter died three years ago while I was in front of a fire hydrant (always inconvenient) so I had it towed to the dealership in Manhattan. 1.5 hours of labor @ $160 which I thought was quite reasonable to replace the starter and drop in a new battery. The cherry on top was that they allowed me to supply the starter motor. That is pretty darn good service.

If indy shops can't compete, they will be dead. That is the message. As I wrote, I WANT indy shops to be able to survive and I want to support them (I love my 'regular' indy Rover shop). But if the dealer is the same price or less, why wouldn't I go to the dealer?

He called me when it was up on the lift. I live in the rustbelt but my truck is CLEAN (21 years of small oil leaks in addition to being a garage queen keeps the rust away). No rust underneath so he knew what he was looking at and the risks of having trouble when he quoted me a price.

He did give me the opportunity to take it away. Clearly the towing would have made the situation more expensive so I bit the bullet and remained polite.

I'm and educated consumer. I know what stuff costs and made that clear. He stuck to his pricing and lost a potential customer for life and lost whatever referrals I might have made to his shop. Everyone makes their own decisions.

Don't even get me started on the $125 (retail) starter for which he charged me $275. (URO: 9015A05 or NAD101490)
https://www.amazon.com/URO-Parts-NAD101490-Starter-Motor/dp/B0066T3SVM

FYI, the labor operations time manual is in the link in my signature.

 

[Rocky]

I think many of us can point to a time where we were in a place that isn't our normal repair hunting ground where we know the repair shops we can go to. Our vehicles are down, in the only shop around that knows their way around these trucks. Without the repair the truck and ourselves are going nowhere.

Yes the vehicle was repaired but we cannot but help feel we got taken by a cost of the repair.

Its the same feeling you get after you cut a deal on a car then think you could have gotten a better deal.

Move on.

 

[SGaynor]

Pretty much any shop charges an hour for diagnosis. It is stupid that they call it an hour and not just a diagnostic fee. The hour diagnostic fee covers the cost of diagnostic equipment and a Topix subscription. Some vehicles take 5 minutes to diagnose, some take longer. Most of the time the customer is only charged the 1 hour diagnostic fee.

I've had shops tell me that if they hook up their computer, it's an hour charge, even if it takes 5 min to get the code/diagnose. When you look at the cost of computer licenses for each vehicle make/model, it makes sense.

That said, $200/hr for an indy shop is ridiculous, unless is building a car for NASCAR. I'm glad I live in Eastbumblefuck, TN (and AL) where mechanics are ~$75/hr.

 

[proper4wd]

walt, at the end of the day you're a miserable customer and i can only imagine what your service providers would say about you given the chance. your parking in front of a fire hydrant rounds out the image. entitled.

 

[WaltNYC]

Whatever proper4wd. You’ve been sniping at me for two weeeks. Buzz off.

 

[fishEH]

I can change a starter lying on my back in my gravel driveway in about 30 minutes. Its not rocket science.

walt, at the end of the day you're a miserable customer and i can only imagine what your service providers would say about you given the chance. your parking in front of a fire hydrant rounds out the image. entitled.

 

[proper4wd]

me too. but that has nothing to do with this thread.

 

[pinkytoe69]

me too. but that has nothing to do with this thread.

It doesn't?

Someone is trying to charge $600+ for something a layman can do for $125 in 30 min.

 

[p m]

The easy answer is fix it yourself. I'm sure the guy doesn't want to be involved in this 18 year old piece of shit anyway. Nobody does.

Most likely, you are correct.

I just don't feel the reason behind giving a customer one and only option. If you are dead-set on charging one hour of diagnostic fee, offer it up front. If you feel like you can swing the job in an hour, say you can waive or halve the diagnostic fee. If you don't want the job, say you're busy. If you want the job but you feel there's a risk involved, tell the customer about possible extra charges.
After all, isn't it the type of conversation you'd have at a dentist's office?

The conversation Walt had with the shop owner is ridiculous.

 

[DiscoPhoto]

It doesn't?

Someone is trying to charge $600+ for something a layman can do for $125 in 30 min.

Where's the profit in that? Vinnie didn't build a business doing it for shade-tree rates and settling for low budget customers.

 

[ukoffroad]

Jersey prices, dang.

 

[discostew]

yeah Walt, you shoulda just paid it no questions asked. Then left a good Christmas tip for his inconvenience.

Can someone explain the book hours to me? Seems like they normally quote the book and it doesn?t normally take as long as the book says- or in this case the book says too little so they just make up a number?

In a dealership warranty time is decided by the manufacturer. The general rule for customer pay work is multiply warranty time by 1.5. Then like you said, it can go higher. Sometimes warranty time is so low that you need to do something other than the standard 1.5 of warranty time.

 

[discostew]

It doesn't?

Someone is trying to charge $600+ for something a layman can do for $125 in 30 min.

I'm always amazed people want to drive this stuff when they can't fix it themselves. I think 30 min is a stretch.

 

[fishEH]

Where's the profit in that? Vinnie didn't build a business doing it for shade-tree rates and settling for low budget customers.

I think Walt's point is below. Where's the market for Indy shops if they charge dealer prices? People specifically go to Indy shops expecting lower prices.
He's basically getting AllMakes parts at Genuine prices!

If indy shops can't compete, they will be dead. That is the message.

I took my truck to an Indy shop. ONCE. I only had my '98 D1 for about 6 months when I couldn't shift out of park. I was on a boat launch and didn't know anything about Land Rovers. Took it to my local Indy shop and I think he charged me about $325 to replace it. That was the last time I ever went there, or any place else that wasn't exhaust work.

 

[ukoffroad]

I'm always amazed people want to drive this stuff when they can't fix it themselves. I think 30 min is a stretch.

If the bolts come loose with no issues, rust is another story altogether. In a tight spot as well.

 

[fishEH]

If the bolts come loose with no issues, rust is another story altogether. In a tight spot as well.

I've never seen rust on the starter bolts. Usually they're caked with oil and the socket cap screw heads are packed with oil and dirt. No rust, though. Doing it up on a lift? Piece of cake. Use a dental pick and compressed air to clean up the heads. Tap in your hex bit, and zip them out with an impact. Even if the bolts shear off you can slide the starter off, grab what's left of the stud, and turn it out.

 

[DiscoPhoto]

I think Walt's point is below. Where's the market for Indy shops if they charge dealer prices? People specifically go to Indy shops expecting lower prices.
He's basically getting AllMakes parts at Genuine prices!

.

I read his point, but it's incorrect in this situation. He's charging those prices and remaining successful. Win win for him, and he now has one less customer that will complain about pricing to him

 

[proper4wd]

the guy isn't charging dealer rates. i dont know where that assumption is coming from. he is, in fact, providing a cheaper alternative.

 

[Tugela]

I don't feel a need to comment on how this transaction was handled by either party, but I think it's worth noting some broader context. In the longer arc of Land Rover ownership, unexpected repairs will occasionally crop up like this. Once in a while you find yourself in a situation where circumstances prevent you from doing the inexpensive fix in your driveway and you have to shell out the bucks for someone else to do it. It's all the more frustrating when it's a job you know you could do but life gets in the way. Every Land Rover owner should anticipate this eventuality - it's part of the ownership experience.

 

[p m]

I don't think anyone disputes that, Nick, and it applies not just to Land Rover but to pretty much anything, including dog getting sick on a cross-country trip.

But it is worth re-reading Walt's conversation with the shop owner.