OK guys,

brought my car in because I needed new rear brakes. I was told $190 would cover the pads, turning the rotors and the labor involved for the rear. Later they call me to tell me that the rotors were too bad to get turned, so they needed replaced. They quoted me some ridiculous price so I opted to bring my own ( Thx Josh ) I ask them to put on my wheel spacers while they have everything off the rear wheels - eg calipers, rotors etc.

The service manager calls me last night and tells me that the total is $395. This does not include the cost of the rotors so I immediately tell him that the $395 is extremely steep. He says he will work on getting it down some. Calls me later to tell me he got it down to $335.

Well, I go to pick up my car and as I look at the invoice I see that they have charged me $118 for labor in putting on the wheel spacers. I am confused by this as everything is already taken off so putting the spacers on should only take a couple of minutes. After all I have already paid for the labor in the $190.

The service manager wasn't there so they said that I could take the car and the service manager would call me when he returned to discuss this.

This was at a Toyota dealership.

It makes me mad that they knew the first price was way too much so immediately knocked it down by $60. Why would they charge me more than the fair price?? This place is supposed to have the best customer service in town!

So tell me? Is this price fair?? $118 for installing 2 spacers on a car that everything impeding the installation is already removed??

Let me know your thoughts,

Jonny

 

What kind of spacers are they? If they are bolt on, then you got ripped. If they are the kind where you have to replace the lug bolts with longer ones, then it is more work. I don't know if it is $118 more work but it is more work.

 

Spacers only require removing the wheel to install.

I fail to see how that can cost $118.

 

They said that they had to remove the studs and put ones back in??

Jonny

 

so they charged you roughly 1.5 hours of labor to install 4 spacers?

Sounds like they saw the L and thought "Cha-Ching!"

 

Try 2 spacers!! They only did the rear 2!!!

I am in the middle of sending them an email.

The guy told me to come pay for it immediately. I told him I was told they would send me a bill. He is a dumbass. He was rude to me on the phone and if I go back there I will probably lose it if he says anything to me so I am staying away for today.

Will keep you posted,

jonny

 

The "stealership" dude...I swear...it's a wonder more dudes don't just walk into dealerships and knock fools the fok out!! I mean if you make it a normal everyday business practice to cheat and steal from people you're bound to get a couple of hardheads who don't take lightly to that kinda crap

$118 to install 2 wheel spacers is a total rip-off. I wouldn't pay it, especially if dude was a butt-head on the phone. It's funny to me they let you take the car prior to paying. Out here in Cali you're not gonna get your car released until ALL repairs have been paid for

 

OK,

just to get this right. The spacer goes between the wheel and the rotor right? It's not like they had to do some special thing to install it.

Jonny

 

yeah i don't really trust the dealers. they over quote all the time. they really shouldn't b/c they know our cars best but for some reason they're never straight up about anything. they quoted me 380 for LCA install and 120 for alignment. i told them to forget it.

 

There are different kinds of spacers.

Shim type just go over the lugs and the labor should not be charged if they had wheels off alredy.

Another kind require studs replacement. They had rotors out alredy, so charge of 0.5 to 0.7 per wheel to instal longer stud is fair one.

But price for brake job included turning the rotors which were eventualy replaced but NOT turned, so ask for price adjustment there.
You should aim to pay like $200 total.
Speak to the manager in person. Point also that you were not informed/quoted the price for spacer instalation before the job. Local laws usualy require written estimation.
Check your repair order and what you signed for. Your local laws may vary though

 

Dont bother talking to the rude guy, if he was already treating you poorly, chances are you wont get anywhere with him. YOu might want to go and see his boss, who hopefully is more reasonable and knows how to deal with customers.

 

Well guys, I spoke with the Customer Relations Manager and she was of no help. She basically told me to come pay them for the work and they were not willing to change the price. She said there was a "breakdown of communication"

Umm, if I am not told the price of something then that's a little more than a breakdown of communication - that's straight up lack of communication.

It isn't really the money - it is the principle of them not telling me how much it was going to cost - then charging me 2 hours of labor to put a set of rear spacers on.

What makes it worse is the guy straight up lied and tried to tell me it was going to take 3 hours and I said no, so then he said it would take 3 hours. Which is funny - because he told me the car was ready. So how could he give me an estimate after the work is done?

What should I do here. I am pissed at these people but I don't seem to have any recourse

Seems like they are screwing me and I have to sit here and take it?

Jonny

 

I'd just say flat out, "Yoo people mislead me and and then overcharged me for this work, I'll pay you fairly for what you did, and not a cent more" They KNOW they're jerking you around man...if you have your car what's their recourse if you don't pay the "full" amount?

 

Okay not customer service, ask to see the general manager. Perhaps he will be more receptive. Otherwise write them a check or tell them to sue you. I guess in the end thats what it comes down too

(I'm not a lawyer nothing I say should be construed as legitimate legal advice, always seek profesional legal counsel in circumstances that create a possibillity of litigation)

 

You sure you're not a lawyer after that disclaimer?