Piss taking?

[killa]

This is going to be a long one I think, but I really need you guy’s advice.
I’ve know this guy for a while, a mechanic who is pretty good with bikes, he has a mate with a new workshop. I needed the following….

Valves checked, shims replaced
Air filter changed, and secondary filter
Oil filter, oil change
Brake fluid checked
Rear pads
Also need 2 plug threads looking at, possible some monkey stripped them.

Well I took in the bike and they said they should have the shims in their kit, they will do the work and call me. I got a call from them saying they didn’t have the shims, they replaced the air filters and put in a little lock tight in the threads for the plugs for the mean time.
They told me the shims were weird sizes and they needed to order them in, so they have done some calculations and ordered them.

That’s it

£178 , 4.5hrs labour.

I don’t see why I have to pay for labour again taking off panels and doing work they could have done before with the shit off, as they told me they could.
What can I do now? I am thinking of taking it to some fucking professionals (Elliots) I have a quote from them for all the work and it is bloody reasonable, including Heli coiling the plug threads.
These guys have ordered some shims so I don’t know where I stand.
Please any advice welcome, I am pissed……off
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Rookie]

You only went in for a quote, didn't leave the bike for it to be sorted?

It sounds like you're OK legally, if you didn't confirm you wanted the work done.

It sounds like they might be screwing you anyway, doesn't it? Ordering special parts is a classic for price bumping.

[killa]

I had told them what I wanted awhile before taking it in.
So they should have had the parts really.
Now they have done half the work, have I a leg to stand on.

I want to take it else where so have I got to stand firm and ask for refund or price to be cut considerably next time it goes in?
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[craigs23]

You took the bike in on the understanding that the following work would be carried out

Valves checked, shims replaced
Air filter changed, and secondary filter
Oil filter, oil change
Brake fluid checked
Rear pads
Also need 2 plug threads looking at, possible some monkey stripped them.

They haven't done it right? They should stick to the original agreement and return the bike to you once all the work's been done. What's the point either way - you didn't ask for them to fault find or diagnose a problem (a job that will solely require labour charges).

Take it back to them, ask them to sort it out - if and when these shims need to be specially ordered (which doesn't sound right, my local mate who's a Suzuki Specialist/general all round good guy mechanic needed no special order for my top end service) Even so, shouldn't they have checked they had them in stock before they took on the work?

Get the work done on their expense as they haven't done it properly - take it to the small claims if they refuse, and then never go back again - stick to some more competent spanner monkeys.

[killa]

Thanks for the advice mate.
I defiantly need to go elsewhere but I think I am going to ask for work to be done, no labour.
Turds!
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Zen Dog]

Tell them you'll pay them for the parts they've ordered, but you want the work done for free since its their fault it wasn't done the first time.

If they refuse, pay them for the parts, take it somewhere else, and never take your bike there again. If they cant take resposibility for their own cock-ups, they deserve to lose the business.

Lock tighting the threads sounds bodgy as hell for professional mechanics too. How come they didn't do the helicoiling?

Zen Dog
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Current - '94 VFR750FR (Dead), '00 VFR800FI, 2011 CBF125 Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011

[killa]

I asked them not to do that as I don’t think they are cut out for that work and I am not flush for cash, they mentioned the lock tight and explained it might be the option for now, so I went for that.
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Kickstart]

Hi

Think the only real choice that you have is to leave the bike there for them to do the work when the parts come in.

They probably should have known that they did not have suitable shims. However shim kits are not cheap (think the kit for my old FZ750 from Yamaha is ~£1000, then multiply that by all the different styles of shim and you can see why they do not keep them in stock).

The work they have done to get the sizes of the shims is 95% of the work. They can give the bike back to you and do that 95% again when the shims come through, or they can leave you without the bike while waiting for the parts. Given that the NC30 has a reputation for be a nightmare to work on, 4.5 hours is not an unreasonable time.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Suzuki]

Considering that £40 per hour for labour is fairly standard, £178 for 4.5 hours work, including parts... is really reasonable.

If they've already ordered the shims for doing your valves, then you should just be patient and let them do it. I doubt they'd charge you for the time to remove your fairings a second time.

If however you are going to take it somewhere else, you really ought to let them know so that they can cancel their order.
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<Simple> no I'm shaven Jon
<Simple> it is a big enough hole.. I'll leave it now
Ride: 1999 Suzuki GSXR600 (yellow/black) IRC: Stats - Relationship Map

[killa]

I understand the labour is about right, but they are going to charge me for strip down time apparently.
The thing is what I described to them I needed doing they didn’t do, so that isn’t cricket.
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Shaun]

£180 is quite a good price for all of that, I had to pay £150 just to get my valve clearances done on the GSXR, that was the cheapest I found as well, the rest of the garages wanted between £250 and £300!

[killa]

Am I missing the work involved in checking them then?
I thought you could ring an importer or someone who knows and get em ordered.
I don’t see why I have the bike now and I have to pay for them to open her up again.
All they did was check em and replace the filters.
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[map]

Any chance you could strip the plastics off yourself to save costs?

I only ask because (1) I know the plastics on something like a VFR750 are a bugger to shift and you have to in order to do the simplest jobs and (2) when I left my bike once one of the panels was scratched by the apprentice monkey (but no sir, it was like that when you arrived - was it buggery, but I had no proof).

FWIW I took my old bike for a service, similar situation, asked for extras done - adjust the tappets and balance the carbs. Came back with neither of these looked at as he hadn't got the kit to do the job. Still appeared to charge a lot for what did get done though. Needless to say I haven't bothered going back.

Just some thoughts
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[stinkwheel]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Checking the valve clearances will likely mean removing the petrol tank, fairing, airbox, carbs, radiator, rocker covers and possibly the coils (they often block access to the rockers covers). Then you can measure the clearances. They you need to take the old shims out to check their size to identify what size new shims you require. It is a fair amount of work. And pretty much all of it will be needed again when the new shims arrive.

Taking the fairing off is probably less than 10% of that labour charge.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Zen Dog]

[akaDAVE]

They can argue all they want about how many hours it's taken etc but at the end of the day you're not a happy customer. All the work hasn't been completed, you're still waiting for your bike to be fixed but you've been given a £175 bill in the mean time to chew on.
Go back to them and say you're not happy about the price for what's been done and want a written quote for the whole job including the shims.
If it's a new business they should be willing to bend a bit for new customers. Don't get too wound up before you've spoken to them.

[EuropeanNC30R...]

You could always remove the fairings yourself before you take it in. I did this yesterday, took about 15 minutes.

[ZRX61]

Hang on a minute.. the one thread ya usually put anti-sieze stuff on.. the plug threads.. these muppets used LOCTITE????


That should be interesting next time ya need to change a plug....