Can I please seek views on whether the following repair bill is fair:

Replace shock absorber - parts £79 and labour £70

Replace brake pads and discs - parts £25 and £82 and labour £110

Replace CV boot - parts £25 and labour £70

Replace hub carrier - parts £242 and labour £45

It is a small local garage, not a dealer.

Many thanks!

Welcome.

 

Seems like a lot of labour considering that the wheels were off, the discs, calipers etc was off and the jobs done all in one go.

?

What is their hourly Rate?

If £70 an hour then so so, if £40 an hour then the labour is too much IMO.

 

£295 Labour, so was that including VAT?

 

Was the total bill £748 parts & labour including VAT?

Thanks!

The total bill was:

parts - £471

labour -£330 (including £35 holiday check which was original version)

Plus VAT - £160

Total - £961

 

Depends where you are in the country i suppose, and how good the are with a courtesy car, waiting rooms etc.

 

Just Curious, but what did the £35 'Holiday Check' involve?

Did that get the Washer Fluid checked & topped up, the tyre pressure checked and treads, any top ups of Engine / Gearbox Oil, Coolant etc, and a diagnosis & report of any issues?

Seems like money for old rope and something Scotland's biggest 2 motor groups like to offer just for their extra profits.

Others do that 'free gratis', when a car is in and on the ramps anyway.

Edited 17 August, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

Thanks.  It is a small local garage in Surrey.  It is an old Octavia (2006).

The holiday check is yes, check tyre pressures and levels, safety check.

Is a hub carrier really £242? I have no idea!

Many thanks! 

Find out where they get there parts and check, it may be eurocarparts or some other parts place in town.

Yes would say thats a bit expensive on labour and parts never use euro always seem to be able to get cheaper sometimes the dealership can be as cheap with genuine parts or aftermarket i tend too get decent discount from local dealership on parts maybe scotland cheaper than Surrey but should it really with online etc

Labour for an independent/small garage should be about £40 - £50 per hour max from my experience.

 

I paid about £105 for replacement of a CV Boot last winter at a garage which was near my workplace in the city centre.   The local garage I use charges £45 per hour.

 

Im based in Birmingham.  

Labour will be around the £75 mark in Surrey and when you usually have to wait a couple of weeks you realise its the correct price, supply and demand dictating the market rate.

 

They will almost certainly be getting their parts from TPS unless they really know the marque and have deals elsewhere.

£75 ph is what my local skoda dealer charges might even be slightly less tbh im spoiled my m8 is timeserved mechanic mot tester so I'm on m8s rates most of the time just done a set of front pads supplied and fitted £45 think the pads were £17 from dingbro

It is a few years since i have known a Skoda franchised dealership in the UK to charge less than £85 an hour, many are now at the £100 or more per hour.

The first 30 minutes of a Diagnosis at Dealerships participating in Skoda Fixed Price Servicing and Maintenance is £60.

 

 

Edited 17 August, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

As a said only use dealership while under warranty for any recall or faults covered buy full service kit for around £80 and m8 does it for £50 wouldny get oil and filter change for that price in dealerships lol

Edited 17 August, 20205 yr by Guest

@Darm

Sorry but i never saw where you said that. 

Re-read posts and still can not see where you said that.

 

?

Which Skoda Dealership in Scotland charges £75 or maybe less an hour.

Victoria Garage Maud, Aberdeenshire?

 

EDIT, 

Phoenix Linwood. 

That is good to know,

their sales staff had their hours cut and sales commission increased a few years back. 

Best Boss.

http://dailyrecord.co.uk/news/business-consumer/best-boss-scotland--car-8524955

 

Edited 17 August, 20205 yr by e-Roottoot

Sorry could have possibly written or explained better I think arnold clark were poss around that figure as I said I don't use the dealership but I'm sure speaking to other taxi drivers who do saying that could be with a taxi discount im sure you could be right they are forever sending emails to get business as I say I might be of the mark but I did think the original post on a independent garage was dear since your trade Im sure you will know better😉

If I've upset u e-roottoot my sincere apologies im only getting involved to pass the time as I'm not working for the next day or two i didnt think my 10p worth of useless knowledge or info would have such an effect im going to jog off now dont want the keyboard police on me lol

@Darm you have not upset me, it is good to know where you can get good service and prices. A mate used Phoenix Linwood and was always pleased.  I have only visited when going to look at AC to check out cars for members here interested in distance buying.  Never a pleasant experience visiting AC IME.

 

The OP asked for opinion on the repair bill........................

 

Does it not exceed the value of the vehicle?

 

It only takes a minor amount of garage work like the above which is in the main replacement of cosumables for people to decide to buy a newer car.

 

It does leave good bargains for people like myself though.

 

I bought a mint 2006 Elegance Estate 2 years ago for £750 (and I probably paid too much!) because the garage that had been bleeding the retired couples money for years failed it at MOT saying that the cylinder block was broken at the engine mounting and to use their words "needs new bottom end" all it was was the alternator/aircon bracket which cost £25 delivered from a breaker.

 

I have driven it for 2 years, put 20K miles on it and yesterday sold it for €2200 (£2000) within 5 minutes of a Fessbook advert appearing and had 4 people wanting first refusal within hours, I had underpriced it but nonetheless am still very happy. If it had the steering wheel on the other side it would have sold for a lot lot more, my French pal just paid €3900 for a Toyota (Camry?) estate of the same year with higher mileage but LHD and he is as shrewd as they come.

7 hours ago, JohnY249 said:

Can I please seek views on whether the following repair bill is fair:

Replace shock absorber - parts £79 and labour £70

Replace brake pads and discs - parts £25 and £82 and labour £110

Replace CV boot - parts £25 and labour £70

Replace hub carrier - parts £242 and labour £45

It is a small local garage, not a dealer.

Many thanks!

 

Replace a single shock? That part price is a bit high, but there is quite a difference between the price for a standard pattern shock (probably what you've got) and a performance brand. In any case, changing a single shock is often not recommended, as short of, say, impact damage, if the conditions have caused one to go, the other is probably about to go.

 

Price for pads doesn't sound too bad, but you can get some 'el cheapo' pads that are really bad, and you won't know 'till they fail, if they fail. And the pads are different prices at the two ends of the vehicle. 

 

CV Boot price doesn't sound too bad, only a bit bad, a bit high...but, but, but:

 

You can get specific repair boots  that fit over the top of the existing, damaged, part, and while the price of those is higher, they reduce the amount of labour (only a valid solution if you haven't got too much grit in by driving around for too long)

 

Hub carrier labour price doesn't sound too bad, but the part price does sound too high....but if they've gone for 'new, genuine Skoda' (why?) that might be about right.

 

Here's the biggy, though. If this stuff is all at one end of the car, its as if they've charged you for taking the suspension to pieces and reassemble several times, and they only have to do it once. (And, you should ignore the 'repair boot' thing, if you've got to take that corner of the suspension to pieces for something else.)

 

 

Many thanks for this. It is a small local garage.  It is a 2006 Skoda Octavia, so, yes, the price of the repairs probably exceeds price of the car.

The invoice says it is the front brake pads, front shock and front hub carrier, so looks to me that they have charged the labour, as you say, several times over for essentially the same job... 

I have been very nice with them over the years and I think they have pushed their luck too far this time. 

I paid the invoice as I was in hurry to take the car off on holiday, but I think I will talk to them.

Is my best line of attack the excessive labour? Should I ask for details of provenance of the parts? What mark-up do garages usually apply to parts?

Many thanks again, very helpful!

It does look off as all the parts are on the same area. Your best bet is to find another mechanic to price it up even if you have to give him a few quid to do it. Then take this info back to the garage if it is way off and negotiate, don't complain but negotiate. Have a look at this.

 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/problems-with-a-car-repair/

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

The OP asked for opinion on the repair bill........................

 

Does it not exceed the value of the vehicle?

 

It only takes a minor amount of garage work like the above which is in the main replacement of cosumables for people to decide to buy a newer car.

 

It does leave good bargains for people like myself though.

 

I bought a mint 2006 Elegance Estate 2 years ago for £750 (and I probably paid too much!) because the garage that had been bleeding the retired couples money for years failed it at MOT saying that the cylinder block was broken at the engine mounting and to use their words "needs new bottom end" all it was was the alternator/aircon bracket which cost £25 delivered from a breaker.

 

I have driven it for 2 years, put 20K miles on it and yesterday sold it for €2200 (£2000) within 5 minutes of a Fessbook advert appearing and had 4 people wanting first refusal within hours, I had underpriced it but nonetheless am still very happy. If it had the steering wheel on the other side it would have sold for a lot lot more, my French pal just paid €3900 for a Toyota (Camry?) estate of the same year with higher mileage but LHD and he is as shrewd as they come.

 

How have you managed to get what sounds like the same or very similar car as the op at such a hugely increased value? Makes me. Feel good about how much my l&k might be worth. 

Registered it in France and sold it on a Facebook group for English speakers, well my pal who is admin for the group and others put it on for me, I dont do the Facebook thing.

 

Still a lot less than a LHD one would sell for. Second hand cars sell for stupid money here in France, just like when they sell things at rédéries (car boot sales) people think that their 20 year old neglected & driven into the ground car is still worth what they paid for it.

 

@Sticky Mickey recently bought a much nicer better specced 4wd Scout version needing a couple of minor repairs for far less than I paid, lower mileage, one owner from new and much better condition.

Edited 17 August, 20205 yr by J.R.

I'd have to say that some of the labour charges seem over the top if all done on the same side with the caliper and disk already off the car ....