This is the last fucking time local yokel mechanics will ever get a sniff of my business. Both independent businesses told me I’d need to spend over $500 to fix my cruise control and gave me a long bullshit roll about what had to be done, including ordering in a used part. So I go to the dealer and, guess what? My cruise control is fixed and the total cost of repair of a corroded wire and labour was $50. This has happened to me time and time again with the mechanics in my area. They can suck me arse from now on. – Get Your Hand Out of My Back Pocket, You Thieving Bastards
Local mechanics love to rip you off
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Very counterintuitive. I find the dealerships are usually the gaugers.
getting multiple quotes is a good idea.
Heh heh yokel.
Yeah. This happens.
A few shops have tried to pull this shit on my dad. Joke’s on them, though — they try to pull one over on people because they figure they have no knowledge of cars and fixing them and shit — my dad actually built the car he drives and know’s what’s up.
Which is why he has no problem taking his car an hour and a half outside the city to have it fixed by a trusted friend.
we can name good places? scooters for tires out in lawrencetown. cheepy on windmill. diane used to manage fleet of 200 back in van, so she’s no dummy and no tolerance for anyone who thinks a woman knows zip about cars. and some guy named gus in burnside. i don’t know the name of the shop tho.
I come in to an independant place on Windmill Rd in Dartmouth.
They IMO have treated me very well over the years.
more – would that be big dave on the corner? he did a great job on my santa fe when i bought it. miserable old cuss, but honest
No GDM ….I also made a mistake its on Wyse rd, not Windmill rd …. I don’t know why I have always confused those 2 rds .
Even when years ago I lived in Dartmouth, I would get screwed up when having to go to one of them. Even though they are in the same area I can’t keep the darn things straight .
^^ haha, not just you, i had to use google map to get the street name right.
Since discovering Better Business Bureau and Internet-based customer reviews, I’ve never encountered a problem like this. Maybe you could try doing a bit of research prior to experiencing something bad and then bashing all things “local”. It took me all of 3 minutes to find a reputable mechanic.
“A few shops have tried to pull this shit on my dad. Joke’s on them, though — they try to pull one over on people because they figure they have no knowledge of cars and fixing them and shit — my dad actually built the car he drives and know’s what’s up.
Which is why he has no problem taking his car an hour and a half outside the city to have it fixed by a trusted friend.”
1) Anyone who gets ripped off, car knowledge or not, likely had it coming. Car mechanics operate in a highly competitive industry. Research for reputable businesses and call around for various quotes. There’s no reason for anyone to get ripped off. If you do get ripped off, then you’re probably lazy.
2) Anyone who has to drive an hour and a half out of the city (and an hour and a half back) for car repair is wasting their time. If car repair is secondary to your dad’s visit with his friend, then fine. If he actually spends 3 hours per trip to a mechanic because he can’t find a reputable local mechanic, then he’s an a maroon.
Fuck You canned. The line specifically reads “trusted friend” so the reasons for spending 3 hours getting a car repaired are a fuck of a lot more complex than being too ‘lazy’ to research a reputable mechanic in this area. I know PK isn’t your favorite flavour but using her dad as a stick to flail impotently at her is the sure sign of a low-class ,numpty cock muppet.
Ass clown.
The problem as I see it is that modern cars are an extremely complex set of systems that severely restrict, and in some cases, make it impossible for the average car owner to do the majority of auto repairs themselves. Most components are electronic/computerised/solid state/digital and are highly specialized, highly tuned or calibrated with very exact tolerances and precise settings that unless you hold an automotive technician’s diploma, you’re probably creating more problems than you are fixing if you attempt anything more than basic maintenance. Also, it used to be that one time, a person with a basic working knowledge of engines could do their own tune ups and replace parts with relative ease. But now, engine compartments are so tightly packed with electronics, wires, plumbing and shrouds that you either have to remove half the engine or be a Chinese contortionist to be able to gain access to basic parts like the spark plugs or oil filter. Not to mention new car warranties. While these are great should you have a problem that’s covered, some are so restrictive that you risk voiding the warranty should you decide to crack the bonnet and start trying DIY repairs. All this makes it very easy for the average car owner to become overwhelmed or intimidated at the thought of doing auto repair and so, some will simply put blind trust into the first mechanic that can dazzle them with bullshit. Your best offence is a good defence. Do some research. Learn as much as you can about the particular problems you are having with your car.(The internet is chockablock with sites, articles, blogs and forums about every aspect of your vehicle) I’m not saying go out and become a licensed mechanic but arm yourself with some basic knowledge and like alot of people have said, shop around. Get multiple quotes and don’t be afraid to get second or even third opinions. Ask around about a particular shop. Word of mouth plays a HUGE part in a shop’s repeat business so if they have ripped off a customer, you can bet the word will get spread. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A little bit of homework will save you a whole lot of time, money and aggravation.
What Avastie said.
And that WAS broken into paragraphs before I posted it. ^^^
Sorry. :S
Agrees with Avast. I try to do alot of my own service work and the easier repairs, but holy shit! The designers do not make it easy at all!
Copper Wire & Communication
After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, British scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 200 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 150 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the British, in the weeks that followed, an American archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story published in the New York Times: “American archaeologists, finding traces of 250-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network 50 years earlier than the British”.
One week later, Australia’s Northern Territory Times reported the following: “After digging as deep as 30 feet in his backyard in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Knackers Johnson, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely bugger-all. Knackers has therefore concluded that 250 years ago, Australia had already gone wireless.”
I’m not mentioning a single thing about my car…
as soon as I do, it’ll break and I’ll be screwed.
oh shit…
Thanks, Ivan.
It’s hard to find a mechanic around here that services European cars properly, and do you really think, Canned, that everyone fucked over by a business reports to the BBB? (given your dumbassery on here, you probably do) One of the mechanics dad went to for a quote (that was so inflated it wasn’t even funny) has a great rep on the BBB.
The shitty mechanics take advantage of people because they know that your average joe blow doesn’t know shit about cars, parts and fixing the car.
Dad used to take his cars to a mechanic that’s an hour outside the city for years. He said it was worth it not to have to bother with mechanics who don’t know how to fix his car properly. This guy specialized in european cars. He retired three years ago. Dad looked for a mechanic locally, but quite frankly, all the ones who worked on euro cars around here he tried going to sucked shit. And the dealer’s prices were so over inflated (esp for parts) it wasn’t even funny (and you can’t get used parts through the dealer). So dad takes the time to go up to see his friend (his best friend) and has his son-in-law work on the car. Not only does dad have a great time hanging out with the guys, we also know that the car is fixed properly (and his rates have saved my parents A LOT of money). And, his best friend has let him store his old car there so he can use it for parts when his current car needs work. (the old car was in a collision and totalled and is the same model as the new one). A 90 minute drive both ways is totally worth free car parts, ESPECIALLY Volvo car parts.
So you, canned, can suck my left arse cheek.
“If car repair is secondary to your dad’s visit with his friend, then fine.” Enough said.
Maybe I did jump the gun attacking PK. Sorry if I offended anyone’s delicate sensibilities. It’s hard not to poke fun at 20 to 30 somethings continue to refer to their parents in third-grade language (“dad does this”; “dad is the best”).
It’s also hard not to poke fun at car enthusiasts in general. Why spend time and money on Volvo/BMW or whatever when a shitbox Toyota perform the same essential service (transportation, coffee holding) at half the cost.
“and do you really think, Canned, that everyone fucked over by a business reports to the BBB?”
No, but checking BBB reduces the odds of being fucked over. It also takes 30 seconds. Triangulate! Check BBB sources with two independent reviews. Google reviews, Yelp, word of mouth, whatever. I think I mentioned other sources; if not, I’m doing so now.
try to buy a new car that has roll down windows or a non-startrek dashboard. give me the basics and a good engine
Hey, Painey, saw this and thought of you:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-22…
cool, thanks. it looks like he is banded, perhaps already handled by humans
I don’t really see how talking about one’s parents and referring to them as “mom” or “dad” is ‘third grade,’ but whatever.
Also, the volvos my parents drive last forever (one we had was over 24 years old, in great shape, thanks to proper maintenance, and had many more years ahead of it until it was in an accident). Also, we’ve HAD shitbox cars and they always required twice as much service. Something was always breaking on them. The parts might be cheaper, but the labour costs just as much… and more labour = more money. Labour is often the most expensive part of the whole deal. Further, my parents have had two major collisions (no fault on their parts) where the cars were totalled, yet neither had a scratch on them. Not one injury. Even when a crane truck hit my father head on (due in part to the motor’s design of dropping, and not landing in my dad’s lap).
My issue wasn’t with your suggestion to check the BBB site, canned — my issue is that the BBB isn’t the be all and end all, and getting scammed by a mechanic is the fault of the scamming mechanic and not due to ‘laziness’ on the car owner’s part.
Way to blame the victim and make assumptions, asshole.
BTW: the collision with the crane truck was with the 24 year old car that had no airbags.
Absolutely, Painey – still, the little bugger is lovable enough to hug and crochet a little vest for. Ravens and crows rawk mightily!
^^ he is sooooooooooooooo cute! how come ‘my’ crows don’t lie on their backs and play with sticks?