Thanks for the responses gents, it all helps.
Griffter said:
I agree that the specialist should have checked before replacing the battery and they seem to have a taken a bit of a carte blanche approach to replacing anything and everything identified to make the car 'right". Is that how it's always operated in the past?
Not really, no, otherwise some of those clips and bolts etc would have been replaced years ago. I have always kind of taken the approach of well, if it needs doing,
let me know. Naturally, he has just skipped this step.
I have kind of trusted his word in the past when it comes to parts and previous servicing.
Griffter said:
My suspicion is over 8 months they let the battery go flat (which killed it) and perhaps lost some of the trim clips etc from the luggage compartment.
It looks to me as though their understanding was that you trusted them to do a thorough job and it will cost what it will cost.
Totally agree.
SHRS2000 said:
£2,340 for labour. What's the hourly rate?
My local Porsche indie charges £60.00 + VAT per hour. Assuming yours is similar that equates to 39 hours. A full weeks work for one guy! Does that sound OK to you?
Honestly, I have never questioned it, it could be £100 an hour, it could be £50 ph, I'm north Essex so it will be on the higher end, but you could write 10 hours, 20 hours irrelevant of the rate on a job like this and I wouldn't really know if that's right. I was hoping to work out if what I have been charged works out about right for such job.
FZP said:
the one that stands out for me is the £80 valet. That had better been an external company that came into do that at your request.
External company, who I know anyway, its not 8 hours of his work, half that at most.
Disco said:
Anyone who bills you £7k for work and tacks on £80 to clean it for you without asking is categorically taking the piss to my mind. How much petrol did you get for your £60 and how much was there when you dropped it off (top tip - never take your car to a garage with low fuel).
You really do have to wonder how many of the various screws and fittings that they have replaced actually needed to be too. It is almost as if they pulled it apart without any regard to reuse and charged you for new to avoid having to pay attention to what goes where.And as for replacing the mounting hardware for the spare wheel : unless you actually asked them to bring it to concourse condition there is certainly some profound sarcasm going on there. Even the key remote battery is what you'd pay for a pack of 10 on Amazon.
But above all of that : 8 ****ing months.
I am rather curious to know who this specialist was and who you plan to use instead the next time that you need anything done?
By the looks of it, F*ck all in the way of fuel, still had to fill it up on the way back but i did drop it off with lowish fuel. I need to check against the mileage as im not sure if exactly much has been used and why the need for £60 worth unless its at £10 a ltr!
Ill leave the reveal until after the situation is resolved, The plan is to now go to Autostrasse or Pie Performance in the future.
T8 said:
I hope that the car looks great and is fantastic to drive now. It certainly should.
I wouldn't have any issue with the labour cost as I bet very few places South of the Midlands charge less than £80+VAT per hour but the itemised list of bits reads like an MPs expenses claim.
Did you authorise them to repair a couple of windscreen chips :?: If so , why? £70 !!! Most
Insurance companies will do this for free or a token amount.
I will admit, the card does indeed drive very well. Obviously, with the new clutch I cant go giving it full beans but shifts are as good as ever, clutch feedback is much better, no rattles or things at the back of my mind. That said, one of the spoiler rams no longer works (has been flawless the last 9 years).
I did not authorise the windscreen chips. The only things that got a "yes" were the bits I have highlighted in green on the invoice.
beresd said:
***** me....sorry to read that.
How much do you feel was unauthorised work? As I'd be knocking every single thing off that wasn't communicated or bought for the best price (eg Bosch wiper blades are under £30 in Halfords, battery under warranty etc).
It's going to get awkward, but I'd be standing my ground.
See this is it, being not super mechanically minded, I don't know what half the stuff is and what is related to the "yes OK" do that. If stuff needed doing then it needed doing, I'm cool with that, my real concern is what did actually need doing and the price for parts and labour.
leonv said:
Out of interest, is this ex VAT?
Inc VAT. No VAT has been tagged onto this which is odd as the invoice was made out to my VAT registered company (which he knows) and I would find it odd if he is below the threshold (60K IIRC?)/not registered.
Kingb4 said:
Sorry to read this OP - as others have said, it seems the garage has taken you for granted.
I would probably give the garage a call when you are in a calm mood and ask to talk through the bill as its far in excess of what you were expecting and includes things you didnt want doing etc and were not authorised. Give them the opportunity to check for themselves that they are satisfied this is what they wish to present to a loyal customer. They may reduce it slightly, they may not - but if you are going elsewhere anyway, you have lost nothing......
Think you have been wise to hold back some of the cash. If they dont amicably resolve the issue, you may wish to seek legal advice....depends how strongly you feel and how wide of the mark the bill is. (Clutch, brake lines, rads, undertrays and a service will quickly rack up a bill if you aren't doing DIY - even then its expensive)
I would definitely go elsewhere in the future, with cars like these, things go wrong. You need someone you can work with, who will consult with you and agree whats needed. Some owners want everything OEM, others will accept pragmatic solutions etc....
Good luck resolving.....
I think he knows as soon as I kick off I wont be back, he know what he has done and is looking for a Pay Day. Apparently this isn't the 1st time and there are currently other disputes with other customers ongoing. Legally, I didn't authorise some of this work so as far as I am concerned, he can go whistle, its just a case of resolving fairly but with over half the payment held back I would like to think I have the upper hand here currently.
UncleP said:
Its doesn't seem overly excessive. However, there is definitely "filler" in that price and some parts seem overly expensive (spark plugs and coils are way more than I paid) while others seem reasonable (your clutch kits is the same as what I paid).
What worries me the most is that you say you put it in for a service. Did you ask for the clutch, Aircon and brake lines to be done? Were you told they needed done?
Everything in green is what I have said yes to go ahead and do.
Jamie said:
Were you not given a quote before you put the car in and if so is the final bill hugely different to the original estimate?
Nope! I have kind of trusted his guise and judgement in the past and of course have a rough idea of what it should have been, I was estimating probably between 4K maybe 5K.
Disco said:
We all know that even small items from the Porsche parts catalogue can be silly, but when I am reading the OP's list and see that they have replaced the wing nut and washer that hold the spare wheel in place (for £22.80) as well as all of the fixings for the front boot liner (which are after all functionally cosmetic items) I personally really would need a good explanation of why the existing ones were not reused. Did they break every screw and fitting removing the frunk liner, and how?
Did they pull it apart, lose the box of fittings over the 8 months that they had it and are now billing the owner to replace all the bits that they have misplaced?
My understanding is many were simply missing, I do know some of the frunk liner clips etc were missing and always have been. This said, I never gave the OK to do them, these are like most here, "Oh btw I have done this for you!
Goofy said:
when you brought the car, they where missing?
Frunk, yes, anything else, no idea!
Alex said:
The spare wheel washer is a pressed out formed disc with a slot in it. I can full imagine them costing £18.
https://www.design911.com/Spare-Wheel-Clamping-Washer-for-Porsche/prod9544/
This is exactly what I kind of need to determine.
chicb said:
I can't get my head round why he had your car for 8 months. Did you never chase him up. I would be asking what's going on, what are you doing to it. If he had it that long, I would be expecting a massive bill, that's why I would be chasing him up months ago & also visiting him.
3 times. Once around 6 weeks after dropping it off, once pre Xmas, then about a month ago when things started happening. "Busy with the Pandemic/not working" were the excuses. I will admit, this was slack on my part, I myself have been insanely busy over the Pandemic and realistically after 2 months should have just gone and got it but apparently the brake lines were that fecked it was unsafe to drive.
maldren said:
And when you've settled, tell us who they were so no-one else gets caught.
100%
Private Pike said:
Probably late in the day to challenge the garage on the where he purchased the parts, but owning a parts website the profit on the car parts from supplier can be between 25 - 50% not the greatest feeling on top the 7K bill knowing he's profited handsomely on the parts
He has been known to gloat to people on how he make so much on parts. I have always presumed/trusted him not to do this to me.
shantybeater said:
Air-con service is what stood out to me too. No mention of replacing components, it's £50 for a test and regas. Now don't get me wrong I know first hand sections of piping can be £200+ but surely you would be notified/asked before anything outside of the norm was found so you can choose to give the go ahead
Aside from the condensers, nothing, and even them it was more of "had to replace em" so they are all nice for you. In fact, my exact words were "can you look at the air con, its still not holding"
I appreciate all the advice here, I for one wont be returning and once this is over I will of course fill you in as to who it is.
Regarding parts pricing, he has always maintained, let me get the parts, I can get them cheaper than you.
I think realistically I should be working out what has been done that didn't need doing or asked to be done (battery, windscreen, wiper blades, key battery) along with what has blatantly been over priced (AC condensers and anything else you guys spot) and simply give him what the right amount should be whilst shipping him back the battery he has installed (with itemised shipping) and then moving on.
As its been echoed, I'm left with what I hope is now a well sorted Turbo that wants nothing for several years to come which I can enjoy. The idea of selling was at the back of my mind but I think with this, I would be daft to sell now.
