Question about mechanic

[GNICETRY]

I took my car to the mechanic and he told me that the labor rate was more
($85 instead of $70) because I had brought my own parts to him. He was honest enough to say that he makes his money on parts. I have never heard of this before. Should I be pissed?

 

[TurboBuRick]

Its true mechanics make some money on parts but labor is labor. WTF? The guy is an ass hole.
What are you having done? You don't work on the car yourself?

 

[Jbenn911]

Many of the local shops do the same thing here...Markup on parts is where they make some of the money but surely not all of it ..One guy told me that they charge more because they cant warranty the work with self bought parts (????) That really sealed the deal for me... LOL

 

[ijames]

The favorite saying of a professional mechanic friend of mine is: "You don't take your own steak and eggs to a restaurant, do you?" . Seriously, they make some money selling the parts, but not as much as you might think because they also have to mark the parts up to cover their labor costs whenever a part turns out to be bad and they have to eat the labor to replace it. I haven't heard of charging a higher rate, but I have seen lots of shops refuse to install customer parts unless they are special/aftermarket/high performance/etc and/or friends or regular customers. I've seen first-hand where a customer brought parts, a mechanic installed them, the parts turned out to be bad, and the customer blamed the mechanic and wanted him to pay for new parts and to install them for free. Just another source of potential conflict and aggravation that some shops choose to avoid. Don't be pissed, just politely move on to a different shop if you don't want to pay their rates.

 

[Gary Wells]

I took my car to the mechanic and he told me that the labor rate was more ($85 instead of $70) because I had brought my own parts to him. He was honest enough to say that he makes his money on parts. I have never heard of this before. Should I be pissed?

---------------------------------
Lou Czarnota (lou's Auto Repair in Lake Forest, Ca.) does not charge more, but he does give you a cursory explaination of the pitfalls of supplying your own parts, i.e. he will not warranty the parts, and you cannot blame him for that. Another shop that I use for suspension work (Don Lee Auto in Cucamonga, Ca.) not only does not charge more, he prefers that a customer supply his own parts, with the same disclaimer that he will not be held responsibility for the parts.
I think that your mechanic might be overcharging you as the difference sounds high, but that would depend on what was being installed and how long it was going to take.
But he did warn you.
Don't be mad, just check around for alternative sources of repair.

 

[Nick Micale]

Its true mechanics make some money on parts but labor is labor. WTF? The guy is an ass hole..........

He is an ass hole because he is trying to make a living wrenching on cars, and someone want him to use outside parts? Most places would just politely refuse to do the job.

He is honest enough to state up front his labor rate will be higher, which is already lower than norm. He could have not said anything, and just added more time to the job.

Since the "job" or specific parts were not given, this may be difficult to begin with, or one that does not pay well anyway.

Labor is labor, but shops DO have overhead that you don't working in your driveway, give the guy a break if you don't have all the info.

 

[Gary Wells]

---------------------------------
Lou Czarnota (lou's Auto Repair in Lake Forest, Ca.) does not charge more, but he does give you a cursory explaination of the pitfalls of supplying your own parts, i.e. he will not warranty the parts, and you cannot blame him for that. Another shop that I use for suspension work (Don Lee Auto in Cucamonga, Ca.) not only does not charge more, he prefers that a customer supply his own parts, with the same disclaimer that he will not be held responsibility for the parts.
I think that your mechanic might be overcharging you as the difference sounds high, but that would depend on what was being installed and how long it was going to take.
But he did warn you.
Don't be mad, just check around for alternative sources of repair.

------------------
Let me clarify this somewhat:
Bringing your own sparkplugs may not be a hot set-up.
If you are getting ready to stick $ 1K or more into your car, it might be a good idea to approach the mechanic first and see what can be done. Running youir favorite repair shop out of business squabbling over nickel & dime stuff may not be a good idea either.

 

[gunslinger]

He is an ass hole because he is trying to make a living wrenching on cars, and someone want him to use outside parts? Most places would just politely refuse to do the job.

He is honest enough to state up front his labor rate will be higher, which is already lower than norm. He could have not said anything, and just added more time to the job.

Since the "job" or specific parts were not given, this may be difficult to begin with, or one that does not pay well anyway.

Labor is labor, but shops DO have overhead that you don't working in your driveway, give the guy a break if you don't have all the info.

Amen Brotha!!

I just tell the customer up front that I don't install customer's parts....unless it's something I can't get easily. (high performance, custom parts etc)

I don't see a problem with an extra $15/hr to install your parts. The way I see it, he's doing you a favor.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Point taken

He is an ass hole because he is trying to make a living wrenching on cars, and someone want him to use outside parts? Most places would just politely refuse to do the job.

He is honest enough to state up front his labor rate will be higher, which is already lower than norm. He could have not said anything, and just added more time to the job.

Since the "job" or specific parts were not given, this may be difficult to begin with, or one that does not pay well anyway.

Labor is labor, but shops DO have overhead that you don't working in your driveway, give the guy a break if you don't have all the info.

I see your point Nick and you are right, I don't have all the info.
Did'nt mean to rub you wrong. $70 an hour should cover any overhead.
I would of said sure no problem, Just one thing. No warranty.

 

[GNBRETT]

I Know Shops Around Here That Routinely Charge $100 Hr. For A High Performance Shop (some Less Tho). Most Dealers Are $95 Hr. And Some Are As High As $130 Hr. For Mercedes And Bmw Dealers. I Would Think $85 hr. Is About The Going Rate for a local shop. I Guess That Depends On Where U Live?

Not Sure Is He An A-hole Tho. He Didn't Try To Hide Anything From You. Sounds More Honest Then Some Shops. Go Elsewhere, Simple Solution If You think its too high.

 

[chopped39]

I love when people bring their own parts. As long as they are good parts. I would not raise my labor rate because of that.because if they leave that is a customer that won't return. and then they tell there friends. I never turn a customer away.does not matter if they come in for an oil change or a complete engine.There is nothing that even comes close to WORD OF MOUTH in this business.Oh and by the way. There is not a shop out threre that does not mark up parts.If they dont mark up parts they might as well close there doors.

 

[Grumpy]

The favorite saying of a professional mechanic friend of mine is: "You don't take your own steak and eggs to a restaurant, do you?" . Seriously, they make some money selling the parts, but not as much as you might think because they also have to mark the parts up to cover their labor costs whenever a part turns out to be bad and they have to eat the labor to replace it. I haven't heard of charging a higher rate, but I have seen lots of shops refuse to install customer parts unless they are special/aftermarket/high performance/etc and/or friends or regular customers. I've seen first-hand where a customer brought parts, a mechanic installed them, the parts turned out to be bad, and the customer blamed the mechanic and wanted him to pay for new parts and to install them for free. Just another source of potential conflict and aggravation that some shops choose to avoid. Don't be pissed, just politely move on to a different shop if you don't want to pay their rates.

agree ... hit the nail on the head along with Nick's post :biggrin:

 

[Renthorin]

"You don't take your own steak and eggs to a restaurant, do you?"

That is not a good comparison. You can cook your own food but not always fix your own car.

Besides, there are usually signs or fine print that say “no outside food or drink allowed”. By charging you more for using your own parts he is essentially saying the same thing but still wants your business.

I have taken my own parts to the GM dealership before as they will only use GM parts or whatever and I want Energy Suspension parts (for example). The Buick dealership never charges me more if I bring them parts. Why? I asked once and they said “labor is labor…”

If you think this guy is wrong for charging more….go somewhere else.

 

[TexasT]

not a good comparison?

"You don't take your own steak and eggs to a restaurant, do you?"

That is not a good comparison. You can cook your own food but not always fix your own car.


If you think this guy is wrong for charging more….go somewhere else.

Why is this not a good comparison? They are both skills that have been turned into careers that make money. They both require equipment that not everyone owns. I know I don't go to a place of business and try to tell them how to conduct it. I don't cook but I do work on my own vehicles.

 

[GNICETRY]

OK-
Let me tell the whole situation. My 1996 Jimmy needed a cat and a muffler. I decided to buy a cat back system also. The rear O2 sensor was welded to the cat. I also have an oil leak in the engine. First off he charged me $15 for the dye that goes into the oil. I KNOW that he made profit with that. Summit has 6 bottles for $25+shipping. And a mechanic should not be paying retail for any parts anyhow. Fine, no problem with that. I took the advice of another board member and bought a cat from Brown Recycling. No mechanic is going to buy this cat. Most would will buy a cheap universal/summit cat that would need to by modified somehow; less for parts, more profit, right most agrees with that. So I had ordered the cat and the cat back, because I also needed some other stuff from Summit. I brought the exhaust, cat and installation pieces to him. I still bought the O2 sensor from him because I was not trying to save every cent and realized that he would make some money off of it. The job is finished and he tells me after the fact that labor is $85 because I had brought my own parts. On the bill he had still charged me $8.95 for an exhaust/flange gasket (what do they go for $1.99), and $89.99 for an O2 sensor. The bill came out to $273 and then $296 with tax. I had asked him can I pay cash and elimante the tax. Yes. He then chared me $280??? I then start looking around and see that he has a sign 3% handling charge for all credit cards. I have never seen that before. EVER.
Let me finish by saying that I believe that a mechanic is a very reputable profession. I wish that I was tallented enough and skilled enough to be one. I have dealt with probably 5-6 very closely in my life and have never heard of charging more for my own parts. Now it is reasonable to believe that if I went into a transmission shop and wanted to supply my own trans then the price for the job might be more. But if I wanted him to install a billet drum for my 200-4R and supplied the part, I don't see how that would increase anything. Matter of fact, I would like anyone to go to a transmission shop and tell them you need a billet drum for the GN tranny and see the look they give you. So you do the research and find the part, then let the mechanic call the phone # , have it delivered to him and let him mark it up 10%, 25% or 40%. That is not being a good steward of your money. I have no problem with letting anyone make money, and the reason I even brought it to him was because I trust him and his mechanic abilities. And I still do. I just don't like being taken advantage of. Food, you could cook yourself as someone had mentioned, but not everyone has a lift or air ratchet in their house.
As a mechanic, you turn wrenches. You fix things that other people can't. If you can make some money on parts good. If you want to sell parts and make a profit, go open a AutoZone. $70/hour is $570 a day for 8 hours. $1140 if you have 2 people working. I don't make $570 a day. No where near that. Yes, it is a business. Guess what though, his insurances, oil, electricity, water, PARTS etc are all tax deductable too. That is the benefit of having a business. Anyway, I don't mean to upset anyone. I realize that being a mechanic is a very stressful, sometimes thankless job and I do hold them up in high regards, that is why I am so bothered by this. I really just don't want to go to another mechanic because of this either. I just wanted opinions from professional car people on his business ettiquette. His mechanic skills are not questionable.

 

[Renthorin]

Just seems to me everyone has a stove or microwave and if not, they don't need to be buying steak.

I don't know anyone who would buy food and take it somewhere to be cooked because they don't know how to cook. Besides the fact that you can't take your own food into a restaurant...so that kind of negates the whole arguement.

But I do know, because I do it, take my own parts to be installed. And my local dealerships install my parts for the same price.

 

[Little6pack]

I took my car to the mechanic and he told me that the labor rate was more
($85 instead of $70) because I had brought my own parts to him. He was honest enough to say that he makes his money on parts. I have never heard of this before. Should I be pissed?

BOY I AM GLAD we have RUSS M. He is a decent guy with reasonable rates.
to bad you weren't closer to New england.

 

[TexasT]

He performs a service and the service costs money

OK-
That is not being a good steward of your money. I have no problem with letting anyone make money, and the reason I even brought it to him was because I trust him and his mechanic abilities. And I still do. I just don't like being taken advantage of. Food, you could cook yourself as someone had mentioned, but not everyone has a lift or air ratchet in their house.
As a mechanic, you turn wrenches. You fix things that other people can't. If you can make some money on parts good. If you want to sell parts and make a profit, go open a AutoZone. $70/hour is $570 a day for 8 hours. $1140 if you have 2 people working. I don't make $570 a day. No where near that. Yes, it is a business. Guess what though, his insurances, oil, electricity, water, PARTS etc are all tax deductable too. That is the benefit of having a business. Anyway, I don't mean to upset anyone. I realize that being a mechanic is a very stressful, sometimes thankless job and I do hold them up in high regards, that is why I am so bothered by this. I really just don't want to go to another mechanic because of this either. I just wanted opinions from professional car people on his business ettiquette. His mechanic skills are not questionable.

If his mechanic skills are worth the cost I don t see any problem. I m really not trying to stir anything just presenting my view. people have cooking 'tools' because they cook. Just looking in and 'estimating' costs and dragging $114O through the door if you are billing all the hours and yes I know if they are good they arre billing more than that per day. Say we work 6 days a week without a vacation. That's $684O a week or about $35OK a year if you can collect it all. Taxes and insurance come to my mind first as I m sure you ve seen the signs that don t allow you in the work area. Just the taxes at 3O% cut 1OOk off that. Then ya gotta pay the insurance and your help. A good wrench is what 1OOk a year. And how much for liability insurance $25k a year. I don t know. Then there is payroll taxes and any health insurance for you and the help. But wait there s more. He spent time talking to you and every other customer how showed up or called on the phone. This cut into the wrenching time he could bill for. So as the income shrinks we haven t gotten to the building rent, the tools he is probably still paying on, the phone bill, advertizing, electric, water, gas to heat the place. Do you think he has time to be doing his own books and paying his bills so there is a bill for the bookkeeper and you better get a reputable one as you don t want what is left to disappear into thin air. Are you seeing the things he is facing? I know this is kind of off topic but not really. I still think it is a good comparison it is just that a residential dwelling comes with a stove and running water.The resturant owner faces many if not all of the same things that the mechanic does just a different skill set to apply.

Bottom line if he is a good wrench twister he is worth the money. Help him make a living as stated in another post you might need him one of these days.

 

[Turbo1dr]

The favorite saying of a professional mechanic friend of mine is: "You don't take your own steak and eggs to a restaurant, do you?" . Seriously, they make some money selling the parts, but not as much as you might think because they also have to mark the parts up to cover their labor costs whenever a part turns out to be bad and they have to eat the labor to replace it. I haven't heard of charging a higher rate, but I have seen lots of shops refuse to install customer parts unless they are special/aftermarket/high performance/etc and/or friends or regular customers. I've seen first-hand where a customer brought parts, a mechanic installed them, the parts turned out to be bad, and the customer blamed the mechanic and wanted him to pay for new parts and to install them for free. Just another source of potential conflict and aggravation that some shops choose to avoid. Don't be pissed, just politely move on to a different shop if you don't want to pay their rates.

I am a auto technician and I can say the above quote is the truth! I have put on parts that have failed and the customer blames me for THEIR part that failed and expects me to replace it FOR FREE...NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I also noted on their ticket that "THERE IS NO WARRANTY ON CUSTOMER SUPPLIED PARTS OR LABOR!" Pay me once to fix it the first time with quality parts or twice with your low quality parts. There's some stupid people in this World if they expect me to warranty their parts...

 

[Grumpy]

thank God I don't do this anymore hmmmm wait a min... let me have Melissa come over and read this thread... I can charge her $80 an hour :biggrin: ohhhh ...hmmmm ..never mind ... If she paid me then "Mom" would want her cut of $75 out of the $80 .. :biggrin: Bottom line to me if anything is that easy JUST DO IT YOURSELF !!! OHHHH ya you won't because YOUR time is to valuable