£7K Service, have I been had?

[911munKy]

I just did some addition - not including brackets the following came to £315 (inc Vat?) still expensive but didn't contribute extensively to the final bill (unless you were charged extra labour for ordering them?)
[Nuts, bolts, screws,catches, disc cams, stoppers, plastic nuts, O rings, clamps, Key battery]

The AC condensers, clutch, plugs/coils, fluids etc are just the usual garage rip off prices with their mark up included, everyone knows that if you source the parts yourself you will save a small fortune.

Valet & windscreen repair imply that this is a top-end garage to me so I imagine that the labour rate per hour will also be high.

As long as you got all the replacement parts as quoted I think you're paying the price for not qualifying the level of work/price you required at the start.
But why 8 months without advising prices up front?

£7k would buy a Hartech rebuild on a running 996 and £1k would fix all the other issues if you did the spannering yourself, these cars don't need to be expensive unless you're unlucky.

If it was me I'd still haggle for a discount.

 

[Zingari]

Yes it's a big bill and given I'd rather do my negotiation with readies can't over-comment.

Given the price of the big ticket items (which we all know can be bought cheaper as pattern parts) that has loaded up the price. The sundries seem reasonable and it's a plus they are itemised to evidence the work done.

As someone has quoted above OPC charging £1,200 for AC work a few years back :bandit: .

:hand: Count yourself lucky you didn't end up at Joskin's Garage:

"The biggest bill for fictitious work carried out on a woman's car by garage mechanics was one of £6322.88 charged by Joskins Bros. Motors Ltd of Stevenage. Calling in for a routine service on her one year old Peugeot 305, Mrs June Spears (GB) agreed to pay for, among other things, new trumpets (£752), cracked Gangle pin (£1785), realignment of main glib shaft (£2268), set of hexagonal Tag nuts and dangleberry adapter (£35) and new piss-take valves (£120). No work was actually carried out on the car during the six weeks it spent at the garage but 4000 miles were put on the clock and she later received a speeding summons from Italian police."

That said the Dangleberry Adapter was reasonable :thumb:

 

[tob_today]

Having recently paid similar bills I don't find it overly surprising given the work done. Low mileage cars often need work as things can perish to varying degrees. It sounds like the car will be properly sorted for many more years.

My main issues would be same as yours: lack of communication to ask if you want xyz done for £ cost, and adding what I would consider unnecessary costs like 8 hr valet without any consultation. I really don't like it when people make decisions on how I spend my money, especially when it favours them. Trust is destroyed. I would also take major issue with the attitude you mentioned.

Personally I would settle the bill and never return. As bitter the pill seems now, at least you know your car is well sorted (assuming you are planning to keep it, otherwise that pill might be even more bitter).

 

[Jamie]

Yes it's a big bill and given I'd rather do my negotiation with readies can't over-comment.

Given the price of the big ticket items (which we all know can be bought cheaper as pattern parts) that has loaded up the price. The sundries seem reasonable and it's a plus they are itemised to evidence the work done.

As someone has quoted above OPC charging £1,200 for AC work a few years back :bandit: .

:hand: Count yourself lucky you didn't end up at Joskin's Garage:

"The biggest bill for fictitious work carried out on a woman's car by garage mechanics was one of £6322.88 charged by Joskins Bros. Motors Ltd of Stevenage. Calling in for a routine service on her one year old Peugeot 305, Mrs June Spears (GB) agreed to pay for, among other things, new trumpets (£752), cracked Gangle pin (£1785), realignment of main glib shaft (£2268), set of hexagonal Tag nuts and dangleberry adapter (£35) and new piss-take valves (£120). No work was actually carried out on the car during the six weeks it spent at the garage but 4000 miles were put on the clock and she later received a speeding summons from Italian police."

That said the Dangleberry Adapter was reasonable :thumb:

Hahaha this did spring to my mind as soon as I read the op. Was wondering if they'd replaced the piss take valves :lol:

 

[maldren]

Having recently paid similar bills I don't find it overly surprising given the work done. Low mileage cars often need work as things can perish to varying degrees. It sounds like the car will be properly sorted for many more years.

My main issues would be same as yours: lack of communication to ask if you want xyz done for £ cost, and adding what I would consider unnecessary costs like 8 hr valet without any consultation. I really don't like it when people make decisions on how I spend my money, especially when it favours them. Trust is destroyed. I would also take major issue with the attitude you mentioned.

Personally I would settle the bill and never return. As bitter the pill seems now, at least you know your car is well sorted (assuming you are planning to keep it, otherwise that pill might be even more bitter).

And when you've settled, tell us who they were so no-one else gets caught.

 

[Private Pike]

We all know how it works I recently changed 8 Bosch sparks on our Cayenne they wanted €30.00 plus vat I went online and paid €7

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

 

[shantybeater]

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

 

[esendia]

I'd be shocked too if I could buy a reasonable shape late 986 Boxster S for my yearly service too.

I DIY everything that doesn't need specialist equipment and think my 5 years of Porsche ownerships have cost maybe £7k both cars over 90k miles on them and including my PCCM+ and replacing my C4S wheels for the turbo hollow spokes, a complete fresh suspension, all my services, repair work and a few little upgrades and modifications.

the item prices are on the high end but look about the right price for those parts ordered from an OPC and for the amount of work the labour again is on the high end but not out of the question if including and engine out.

The real issue is the sheer amount of work on the car for a service, in my mind worst thing you can do is sign a blank check to a mechanic and say do whatever you feel needs doing because they will always take the easiest and most expensive route of replacing anything that they can.

they sure replaced a load of stuff that makes no sense too such as:
Wing screw for the spare wheel (not really something that wears out, unless you lost it, I have no idea why they decided to replace it)

replacing every screw washer and clip taking apart the plastic trim in the frunk (makes no sense unless they took it all out and accidentally threw out the parts)

New battery, your VARTA F18 not only is a great battery (I'd be highly suprised it died so quickly) and should cost less than half that but being 18 months old is still in its 5 year warranty.

going up again they replaced every nut and screw they came across, completely unneeded (my cars live outdoors and the screws under are still in good shape.

I could go on but seems they believe everything on the car is one time use and every nut and screw needs replacing every time it is touched.

I'd avoid in future, by the looks I think they work under the belief their customers are so wealthy they will just pay without looking and just believe this is what is needed to maintain the car.

If you are paying that much you may as well daily it at this point, for their prices you could buy another one for the cost of maintaining one with them every 5 or 6 years.

 

[The return of Marty Wild]

Wasn't going to say anything but I did think to myself as reading this thread, I got my 986.1 and did a load of tasty mods for 7k.

Hope you can get some money knocked off, OP.

 

[abe996]

I used to do a quick valet of customers cars free as a 'thank you for your business'. Would have been a nice gesture, especially with the size of that bill!

 

[Winny911]

I think you know the answer and have come on here for confirmation

Sorry but they have seen you coming.

 

[jond58]

The sad thing is that they've obviously worked on the car previously and you've taken it to them in good faith that you have an honest working relationship with them. To be firing that amount of new parts on without a courtesy call to discuss it seems ludicrous.
As a joiner/builder we work to a specification and should any additional work arise we discuss this with a client and produce a variation order. If I just cracked on doing whatever I felt was necessary and then presenting the customer with a big bill at the end id fully expect it to turn into an argument!
As with many things information is key, if it's going to be a big bill for genuine work carried out if you're informed as to what is required and how much (even a guide estimate) you can make a decision on which way to proceed.
I've replaced loads of fasteners on my car and it's a low mileage garage queen so I'm sure some may have needed replacing but the amount both in quantity and value seems quite high!

 

[L1OFF]

I used to do a quick valet of customers cars free as a 'thank you for your business'. Would have been a nice gesture, especially with the size of that bill!

Christ on a bike, even the wife's mini cooper comes back from an oil \ filter service looking immaculate. Washed and hovered FOC.
I'd be asking for my old battery to be put back and knock off the windscreen repair as that would be free on Insurance (as a minimum) and never darken their door again.

 

[Albionmuz]

I'd suggest that any garage that does that amount of unauthorised/discussed work is going to be up for confrontation about it. Nasty situation to be in, hope that you can sort it amicably.

 

[Kryton]

Think I'd show the garage this thread, once people know who they are it could impact on their business.

Please name them?