4 hours to fit an Invidia Gemini Exhaust?

[Rhino]

Hi gents,

 

So I've just had a call from the garage who initially quoted me an hour maximum to fit an Invidia Gemini exhaust.

 

He said the bill is £200 because it has taken 4 hours but more like 5 because nuts and bolts were seized, coupled with the fact that I had a brace that was dented and he took it off and straightened it.

 

Is it even plausible that It could have taken 4 hours to fit? What are my options? I always get taken for a ride by garages, ever since I passed my test 9 years ago...

 

Cheers,

Rhino

[buster]

hows doing the job ?

[Hodaka]

I don't have enough experience/know-how to comment on the time it took, but surely they should have let you know ASAP if they were struggling to check you're happy for them to proceed with the fact it's going to take longer? Coming across unforeseen issues is fine, but it's unreasonable for them not to ask you first

Edited June 22, 2016 by Hodaka

[StevoD]

Hmm I have done exhaust on my 350z from y pipe back on the ground on ramps in 45mins to an hour

[Tricky-Ricky]

_{With a ramp and a torch, the stuck nuts should have been no bother, I have removed and fitted a 350GT exhaust on the floor with jacks and stuck nuts in less than 3 hours.}

[Rhino]

I don't have enough experience/know-how to comment on the time it took, but surely they should have let you know ASAP if they were struggling to check you're happy for them to proceed with the fact it's going to take longer? Coming across unforeseen issues is fine, but it's unreasonable for them not to ask you first

 

Unfortunately I didn't receive any call updating me on the situation, it was just done and I was expecting to pay £60 tops, especially as that's what he originally said.

[Wasso]

Had my Motordyne TDX V2 fitted by Cougar Store. They called me to say it was taking far longer than usual and asked if I was happy to proceed. Despite taking an eternity to fit we agreed a fair mutual price. Issue wasn't made any easier with Japspeed decats which were the major part of the issue!

 

That's how it should be done when issues occur. Rather than being slapped "here's your bill sir, but additionally cleaned your car, fixed a bulb etc"

 

I would contact them to discuss further. If they quoted a price they should stick to it. If not then negotiate a mutually fair price.

[Jonny B]

Sounds very familiar to last time I had cat back exhaust fitted by a garage. At first it was 'yes that's an easy job, will only take about 45 mins and will be £30'.

They ended up having it for a day and a half, God knows what they were doing to it, but apparently the bolts were rusted and seized.

I turned up to collect it fearing the worst, expecting an astronomical bill. We agreed I'd pay £50 instead, so wasn't too put out with that.

On another note, I've replaced the full exhaust including de-cats on my 350gt track car on the driveway on small ramps. It was the original 13 year old exhaust so the bolts were seized solid, and steady away with only a basic tool kit did it in about 4 hours.

[Stan]

I got charged an hours labour last time I had a true dual put on (although it actually took just over). That was a complete cat back and a rusty oem unit

[Ozzy225]

Had my invidia gemini fitted a couple of weeks back, took one guy at the garage roughly 1Hr 45mins, he had to get the torch out on the majority of bolts on my old exhaust. The garage charged me £54 which i didnt think was too bad at all.

[spike4real]

I had mine fitted on the weekend and it took 1.5 hours with a few rusty bolts. £72 for fitting (£48/hour)

[GMballistic]

Had my Invidia Gemini exhaust system & Berks HFC's fitted at the same time for £95 locally by my independent garage. No idea exactly how long it took them (2hrs odd maybe) but I know some of the bolts were a PITA, ...so much so that parts of the exhaust/Cats couldn't be separated (well without cutting).

 

Personally I'd try to compromise with the garage and say that you understand it may have been more difficult then they first thought but they did quote you for an hour which is why you chose them in the first place (spread some BS ~ white lies). See if you can get them closer to what you agreed with price wise.

 

Good luck Rhino.

[Ekona]

Perfectly plausible. Even the easiest jobs can be a massive PITA if things start going downhill.

 

Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. 8 hours would bd a p*sstake, but 4 is on the edge of believable.

[glrnet]

A bit naughty imo if indeed he did quote an hour max out the outset.

[rtbiscuit]

I'd ask to meet in the middle, because they didn't let you know before proceeding, if it was going to be 1 hour and £60 and they took 4 and want £200 i would possibly agree to settle at £100-£120. shows you understand complications can happen, but they are also responsible for not checking before going ahead.

[Kieran O'Quick]

So if he had whipped it off and on in 30 mins he'd have given you a discount?

 

BS - you win some you lose some, don't take it out on the customer. I've had garages get stuck with complications and delays but they've honoured their quote and not thrown on loads of extra labour charges.

[Toon Chris]

Taking off the brace would have taken some time and if they didn't ask you first that's a no-no. That's a separate piece of work and nothing to do with the exhaust.

Depends how much of an argument you want. Meeting half-way seems like a decent compromise.

[Richf]

It took me 1 hour to fit my Invidia system to my old 370z , however taking it off 3 years later pretty much every bolt and stud seized and/or broke , to remove and refit it took at least 4 hours by the time studs had been drilled out and new bolts put it , so it does happen .

[ASemper]

My studs were literally rusted lumps between the OEM cats and Y pipe and with minimal tools, small driveway ramps and no experience of this kind of work it took me quite a few hours.

 

I am surprised a well equipped garage would take so long how ever and it is sad to hear they proceeded with so much labour without even a call. Hopefully you can meet halfway or find another comprise, best of luck

Edited June 23, 2016 by ASemper

[Tricky-Ricky]

I don't know of a garage that doesn't have oxy-acetylene and isn't afraid to use it on an exhaust system that has seized or stubborn nuts, you don't waste time trying to save exhaust system nuts, you cut them off and replace if they are being refitted, which they usually are not, it should have been off in 15 mins...they are taking the ****, or are incompetent.

[rabbitstew]

Sounds about right to me. When I fitted my Japspeed K1 to my 4 year old zed I figured it would be a 1hr job. Nice easy bolt off/on as the car had only done 22k miles and was nearly new. How wrong I was. The underside of the car was so rusty I was shocked. My 10 year old VW Golf with 195k on the clock still looked brand new underneath, but my zed looked like someone had dragged it out of a lake.

 

No matter how much penetrating oil & slowly tweeking the nuts which went from the Y pipe to the exhaust, sure enough one snapped off. It then took hours lying under the car on my stomach praying that the axle stands would hold the weight of the car whilst I drilled out the snapped stud. It took ages. Then, the bolts holding the mid section to the baxk box wouldnt undo as they were also rusted solid. In the end I had to get the angle grinder out and cut the pipe off. Next mission was trying to get the back box off the rubber mounts. The box weighed a ton and the rubbers were so hard it was a nightmare. Lots of swearing later and I got it off.

 

All in all, it took me nearly the whole day.

 

Saying that though, I would have expected a garage to give you a call and warn you that they are having problems. However, if they had already started the job you wouldnt really have much choice other than have them finish the work, so it would have cost you the same anyway.

[Rhino]

Thanks for all of the input lads, i'll email him so I have some solid correspondence rather than a phone call. The problem is my dad had to fit the bill as he was collecting it for me as i'm down on base, so he's already been paid £200. Is it worth getting a Consumer Ombudsman involved explaining how he never rang me and told me about complications and it costing considerably more?

[Kieran O'Quick]

Is it worth getting a Consumer Ombudsman involved explaining how he never rang me and told me about complications and it costing considerably more?

 

Depends on how busy you are, what your time is worth and how much it is annoying you. As Ricky said on the last page, taking off something that isn't going to be re-used should be quick and brutal. As you tell it, you seem in the right.

 

It's best to try a reasonable approach first - explain what you know, it's a mis-understanding etc, and give them a chance to back down amicably. If you feel they're taking the pihss at that point then you have options to claim and name.

[rtbiscuit]

if the bills already been paid you're going to be p1551ng into the wind on this.

[RS8055]

Yep, sorry to say this, but if you've already paid the bill, then it's going to be damn near impossible to get your money back on this one! Might be worth taking it to the Zed shed in future so you don't get messed about. They are based near Bournemouth I believe, and come very highly recommended