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Just got screwed
I just got my impeller and thermostat changed on my 1999 mariah 182 shabah. First off the service guy told me it would take a week tops to get to my boat, that was over 4 weeks ago(dropped boat off August 3). I also just got my bill for $860!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was quoted around 300 dollars. I am going by today to get my boat and see WTF cost me 860. I talked to him and he stated that all they did was change the impeller and replace the thermostat. Hell for $860 they should change the exhaust manifold too. (which I know they did not do). Just wondeirng what everyone else pays to have an impeller changed and if anyone knows where to take a mariah with a 3.0 merc in it around southern MD because this is the last time I ever deal with this place. Sorry about the rant, but this just put a crimp in my labor day weekend good mood.
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Re: Just got screwed
sorry to hear about your luck. an impeller change shouldn't cost more than $300 in total parts and labor, so I'm sure there was something else done.
however when you get out on the water this weekend and don't overheat the engine and have to be towed back, it makes the money paid for the service a lot more worth it... |
Re: Just got screwed
i dont know where you live but in some states a bill cannot exceed certain amount over the estimmate. he might have changed the whole impeller kit and changed the lower drive fluid but still seems a bit much. i am assuming you have an alpha drive
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Re: Just got screwed
Wowzers! That is alot. Assuming you have an alpha 1, The parts wouldn't exceed $100 for the thermostat, impellar, oil, and gaskets, and there is about 2 hours of work to do it so $300 should be what it should have cost. he better have a good explination for why it cost so much more... if he doesn't have an explination, then i will say, he is a shop that gives all of us shops bad names.
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Re: Just got screwed
My bill broke it all down and my parts costs were around 190 and the rest was labor at 110 an hour. I called some other shops and got quoted 300-400 so needless to say I will not be going back. I don't mind paying 110 an hour if the guy working it knows what he is doing. But I do have a problem with paying someone 110 an hour that takes twice as long as normal. Live and learn
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Re: Just got screwed
And they do it that way because how do you dispute his time? I'm sure you paid for quite a few cigarette breaks in there as well. I took my Volvo into a dealer one day to have something done. Was charged for 4 hours labor. I then politely told the guy I didnt even get to the shop 4 hours ago let alone my car make it back for the repairs. It had to be 2-2 1/2 hours max. We had a heated discussion from that point forward.
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Re: Just got screwed
Quote:
Jim |
Re: Just got screwed
Heck, it took me 4 hours to do the impeller on my Alpha 1 gen 2 and it was my first time so I was in no hurry at all.. Actually I think the 4 hours included lunch and a couple beers.
Maybe the mechanic only had one arm? That'd certainly make it a slow process! |
Re: Just got screwed
Did the mechanic provide a jar of vaseline and a bunch of flowers with that bill? That bill hurts!
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Re: Just got screwed
Not even a reach around. Oh well, like I said live and learn. In only good thing is I took it out Saturday and the weather was beautiful and we caught some fish. Oh and it also didn't overheat lol. Gotta use it as much as possible for the next month cuz we're running out of time.
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Re: Just got screwed
that was excessive however the way labor is figured whether it be an automobile or a boat is that the manufacture has a labor guide and the mechanics follow that. now there is also a full price labor and a warranty labor time. not the dollar amount but the hourly time .
not to necessarily take anyone's side but these labor guides don't always take into consideration broken, rusted, stripped etc. bolts. if you note up until maybe 7-10 years ago you very rarely paid for diagnostic time and now almost all repair shops charge that. you can also buy your own parts but then get into a pissing match with the mechanic as it was your part not his that failed. As i had explained to me once and i thought it was very fair if the retail part that your mechanic just installed fails he is responsible for changing it under warranty. The reason he charges retail price is to protect his own labor if that part fails. very rarely will a manufacture pay time for replacement of that failed part only give you another part. Word of mouth, someone with there doors open for more than 3 months (unless moved etc.) and a few phone calls to other repair facilities to verify price are all good ways to check price. Again if you were quoted around 300 then where is the rest. stop or call any authorized merc dealer and they will tell you what the labor time is both warranty or retail. they will also tell you the suggested list price of those parts also whether it be a complete impeller kit or just the impeller and gasket. |
Re: Just got screwed
A lot of jobs are billed by what the service manual says it should take for time. Most times, it doesn't take as long as the service manual calls for, but there are some times that you run into stubborn hardware and whatnot...I would say that it could be reasonable to pay for up to twice the "standard" service time...but I'm sorry that you ended up with something like that.
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Re: Just got screwed
I missed the last post...Al's on point.
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