Did I get over charged??? Please help

[rodbolt]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

still dunno
brackets can and do break all by themselves on most any equipment and we still have no clue what he is working on.
wont be the first time I ever changed the gear oil only and later got blamed for the overheat.
I am currently getting blamed for the saltwater corrosion on the transom shield mounting studs/nuts cause I replaced the tie bar 17 months ago on a 28ft carolina classic.
had to do the aft auto bilge switch yesterday and noted the corrosion was making the shield mounting unsafe.
now its my fault.

 

[DamianJP]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

Hey all

Sorry for not fully posting. They are 1999 Merc 225 Bluewater series.
The boat was pulled for 2 belts, fix tilt and trim , fishfinder install / a wake up from winter.

We go there the next day after it was all done to find he just did tilt and belts. No fishfinder install and the one bracket was broke like they ham fisted the damn thing. Prolly rushing to get more jobs to finish to charge that 'flat' rate to all other jobs. When questioned about the fishfinder/broke bracket he starts stuttering followed by a stupid look on his face. There was alot of people there other wise would have been a scene.

He says ya you can still use the boat right now, that he did the winter check up and everythings good. After getting to spot and trolling for blues for abit the heat buzzer comes on and one temp gauge is way past other one.

So when we bring it in the next time he does that work that I posted at the start of this thread. Why wasn't this found in the post winter check up? Charging for the bracket and other stuff. And fishfinder still not in. (They must love the haul charges too)

Tilt and trim were fine, why did we need a whole new bracket after the first tilt fix? Mabey while rebuilding the tilt/trim the first go around they messed the bracket up just like the alt bracket. Is this possible? Pull that motor and messing with that tilt and trim bracket had to contribute alot to that first 8hr charge.

And 16 plugs is kinda crazy on 2 V-6's. Shows you what I working with. And BTW how long does it take to install thermostats on these engines? 4 bolts and 2 gaskets at the top of each cylinder bank, seems like there in the open too.

And mabey after this is all done we'll get hit with another $250-$300 haul fee just to put in the fishfinder.

Honestly, I know there are alot of honest marine techs, please the ones posting here don't take offense. But like my pop told me, in every group your gonna find your typical idiot making it bad for the other 99%.....well I think we found him in this group.

The rounding off to the hour thing sucks big time. How can you sleep at night knowing somthing that took you 10-15 mins, and you charge for the hour? I know techs gotta make aliving but right is right....wrong is wrong.

I wish this was my rig so I could do all the work on it. Like I said I do all 'my' own work. I dont have a engine puller (Right now ) for the tilt bracket nor do I know how to seal L/U "yet" but if so I would have done both. The only time I let someone do it is because I can't knowledge/lack of tools. I want my 89' XR4's L/U rebuilt but the lack the knowledge/tools for that job is going to have to make me bring it in to someone. Thank god I have a honest/ friendly master merc guy by me in FL.


Thanks for all the input so far,
DamianJP

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

Damian....I know the wallet is sore but..... I would invest in a service manual. You may prevent future disaster's that way

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

what bracket was broke?
you sound like the two customers this month that I banned. it may be at the shop but I told them both I would never be on their boat again.
the above referenced carolina classic owner is probably gonna be number three.
brackets break,they may or may not have done it.
same as starter mounts break. doesnt happen often but it happens.
a saltwater gearcase reseal in 4 hours each is reasonable.
I have had trim/tilt units take me 8 hours to remove and install and 50CuFt of oxy acetylene.
even the flat rate guide makes a notaion for salt water corrosion.
the 16 plugs is still funny.
the above referenced 28carolina classic came in last week,I am 3 weeks behind but worked hm in.
work order stated an engine leaking sea water when runnig and the aft bilge automatic not working.
removed the bait box,tested the switch,replaced switch and retested.
man complained about the 2 hour labor charge.
undo bait box retaining screws,carefully cut sealant away,carefully pry bait box from hull without chipping gelcoat,remove plumbing from bait box.
wiggle 6ft of me into space previously occupied by bait box and reach down another 25" or so to access switch,only one hand at a time due to being upside down in a small hole.
replace switch,test and reverse the assy.
thats when I noted the ruty studs/nuts holding the transom shield to the transom.
17 months ago I replaced the tiller tie bars because it rusted away.
the engine had an exhaust hose leak that customer watched me change.
but now he is blaming me for ruining his summer fishing cause I made a safety note about the rusty stuff on the work order.
he is looking at at least 3 weeks before I can think of looking at it.
he keeps wanting a labor time est. simply cannot do it
its a roughly 20 year old boat thats been neglected.
12 rusty nuts with roughly minimal access,your either go in the bait box area or through one of the fish boxes.
customers are usually there own worst enemy.


no way I can d

 

[DamianJP]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

Hello rodbolt and everyone

This is NOT my rig. It is my brothers money/rig. All the engines under my control has its own service manual (some have 2 or more).Hell I have manuals for engines I dont even own and I'm not a mechanic for aliving. Just have them so when a friend or someone need my help or a manual they are there. And I do my own work because I am in a rock and a hard place with money right now unlike him so I am forced to do my own work.

Sorry if I remind you with people you've been dealing with but I am NOT.I am sure your honest with your work and I'm not doubting you.

Iv'e been also redoing bilge plumbing and 1 automatic and 2 fishbox pumpout pumps on my brothers rig so I understand the "upside down tunnelrat" feeling. Fish taping 22 ft of wire threw stringers and other wires and all that good stuff. Just touching nothing on the engines, I have no tools/manuals for these engines with me all in FL.

We never asked for a estimate on hours, just wanna be charged for what only needs to be done.And done right the first time. All this pull the boat fix 1 thing put it back. Then pull again because he said the "cooling" system is fine, but now it over heats within 36 hrs of him giving the thumbs up on the post winter lookover( not 17 months). Then pulled again for trim bracket and such. And after 3 times being pulled , one of the first things that was supposed to be done wasnt, the fishfinder. 1 step foward 2 steps back kinda thing. Damn hauling fees add up too.

Plus his whole attitude is crappy and if you ask him about a simple thermostat he looked at me and brother like were not on his mechanical level therefore I wouldn't understand 'Anything' about a thermostat let alone how to spell it. The whole crap don't stink mentality.

Furthermore we went to see him today , and demanded to talk about the bill. Went thru the 8hrs it took to drop lower units and do a quick pressure test part. Now magically hes gonna work with my bro on the first $1000.00 charge and he said prolly it will be $500.00. Also the alt bracket will be paid for and 2 of the 3 hours be taken off the Bracket,thermos,belts parts because he admit to breaking the bracket. Blames the x16 plugs and fishfinder not being in on someone else's fault. This is what I'm working with!

He starting to feel the 'heat' because he is used to stupid people with stupid money just throwing money at him saying just get it done so they can entertain, act like a big shot and get drunk. Hes not used to people caring for their money so he sneaks little crap here and there that eventually add up.

Again I'm sure you run your shop diffrently and I'm not questioning you with these remarks.Just want to ask the forum's opinion and to get some good feedback.Sorry if I offended you in the process. Just I've met this guy and he's like a used cars salesman, talks abunch of crap and see how far he can take you. So far aprox $700.00 shaved off cause he know that 'we' know what is up. Hopefully he makes it $1000.00 off and from now on I told my bro, either find a new honest guy / grab manual(s) , load up on sometools , and dig in. I'll let you know what happenes.




Thank you everone who responded,
DamianJP

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

Kudos to you! Those guys make it hard for the honest guy.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Did I get over charged??? Please help

no offense taken,none offered.
just by the 16 plugs its noted that something is amiss there.
on those 225s its not so bad,if it was optimax motors,plugs are about 20 bucks,it would mean about 80 bucks.
dunno about you but an 80 dollar overcharge is about 80 bucks to much.
yes there are shady dealers and techs.
dunno what to do about them.
in my area there are quite a few.
gets worse everytime the economy takes a dump.
guys with vans and toolboxs and no brains.
cant tell you how many times I have had to redo what the customer paid a backyadigan to do then they are mad at me cause I charge them again.
bad thing is I live here,my name is in the phone book and I can trace my family histroy to 1756 in the same 40 mile radius.
so quite a few folks know me and a whole bunch are related.
I would do a family tree but I am scared it would be a flag pole.
banjoes.
the reason I say most customers are there own worst enemy is cause they wont tell the service writer whats up.
I get a workorder.
all it says is check cooling system.
ok.
I start it,its working I am done.
whats not said by the customer is it overheated last year or its 4 years old and never had a pump.
my magic wand got lost and my crystal ball got broke.
some customers thik if they dont tell me whats going on the bill will be cheaper,its just the opposite.
maint cost money,most folks simply wont fix it till it breaks,means more money.
water pumps,filters,tstats,belts. all maint items.
you DO NOT want a failure but its working so it gets neglected till it breaks.
corrective maint is ALWAYS more costly than preventative maint. always.
but it keeps me in a decent income bracket,that and E fuels.