OK so how badly did I get ripped off?

[Dave_Obsession]

As I've noted in my build thread, just after the new year my front right wheel bearing seized up...so I acquired a couple of decent looking eBay ones for $50 from a parts place in Dandenong - free delivery and arrived the same day via courier!

Went down to a different mechanic than I usually go to - this place serviced my fianceé's car and they seemed pretty good, so I thought I'd try them out.

They charged me $150 to fit the bearing.

Now I didn't say anything, and (in hindsight stupidly) didn't ask for a quote beforehand...but I do know at my 'regular' mechanic, when the front left bearing got replace about 18 months ago (they supplied the part for $120), I was only charged half an hour labour (presumably for installation) - $45...

Is there some sort of 'minimum charge' workshops have (if so this place didn't advertise that fact), or have I been taken for a massive ride here???

[Fev]

$150 is probably about right. Hour of labor+part.

[Dave_Obsession]

Originally Posted by Fev

$150 is probably about right. Hour of labor+part.

I supplied the part.

[poppa smurf]

not sure on minimum charge but the least I have been hit with is 3/4 of an hour x $120 PH = $90

Ford dealers!

[GreenR]

Wow $150 to change a a front wheel bearing assembly? I would say that is expensive considering it is about a 20 min job.

[351p6replica]

stike me dead mate , last time l fitted bearings to a clients car charged them 60 for fitting with all labour that is required an gave them the choice to get bearings from repco ,autobarn,supercheap auto an bursons in bendigo ,.$45 for 1/2 hour seems correct to me an l did $60 for hour as it was me on my own doing it . so yeah $15o labour seems a bit hi to me mate big time time. normally if l do a bearing l do both sides there an then like l just did to wifes upcomin 40th bday pressy

[crakrz]

A bit steep, me thinks. Just offer the mechanic a free detailing session, tell him you want to try out a new polish on his duco, I think it's called 'Autosol'.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by crakrz

A bit steep, me thinks. Just offer the mechanic a free detailing session, tell him you want to try out a new polish on his duco, I think it's called 'Autosol'.

I've heard brake fluid gets scratches out pretty easily.

[zdenko]

Yeah 20 minunte job good luck with that. It will take a mechanic that long to do one side with no probelms and working really fast. It will take 5 mins just to drive car onto hoist, hoist up and hoist down alone.
I'd say 30 minutes would be more fair if they clean it up properly and actually use a torque wrench.
On mine which I did at home with dad, the bearings were pretty much welded on. My bearings were screaming when we changed them so had alot of heat help with the welding process.
To get it off we wrecked 2 cold chissels and also needed a angle grinder to put more slots in the thing to get it off. I would understand $150 if they went through what I did.

On the other side the price you got charged just for fitting one is over the top!!!
I would go back and ask if there were any problems and if not ask for a break down of the price.

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by b2tf

I've heard brake fluid gets scratches out pretty easily.

i prefer natural products like egg whites.

[MADED-6]

yeah it is very pricey as others have said.

on a hoist itd take like 20mins thats including setting it up on the hoist.

its just wheel off, brake caliper off, disc off, i take the abs sensor out just for safe keeping and then 4 bolts, clean the surface and torque it back up.
cheers josh.

[SSD-85]

I think I was charged 120 for both fronts. So 150 for just one is a bit steep IMO.

[351p6replica]

exactly how l do it up on a hoist unless they have lock nuts on you cant find the tool to get them off or a stuborn bearing that wont come out of rotar or off the spindle/shafft

[Mr Hardware]

zdenko has the most level-headed approach to this. We all have the notion that mechanics are in fact charging 1.5hours at $100 an hour for a 20min job - but it simply could well be the case that it did really take them an hour and a half of frustratingly hard work to get it changed really properly. we've all had those times working on our own cars - a job that should take only half an hour ends up taking four times as long just simply because of some pain in the **** little something that doesn't move or moves too much.

Let it slide brother, it ain't worth your time and worry to get upset with what is worst case scenario, about $70. That's less than a tank of fuel, and i bet you buy one of those almost every week. So a one off on an unknown on a seemingly job well done is not something to worry about.

IMO.

[Peuty]

The second you swipe your eftpos card to pay, that's you accepting the price.

I'd say there's no point going back to him and in future, making sure you get a quote.

[Dave_Obsession]

Originally Posted by Peuty

The second you swipe your eftpos card to pay, that's you accepting the price.

I'd say there's no point going back to him and in future, making sure you get a quote.

As stated in my OP, I totally agree and I'm not going to be doing any complaining. I'm now just a bit curious as the only other time I've had a wheel bearing replaced it only cost $45 of labour as opposed to $150...I understand that sometimes jobs take longer than expected but even so...

But yes definitely lesson learned here...sometimes it's not the questions you ask but the questions you forget to ask that can matter most!

At the end of the day, car is fixed which is the most important thing.

[robbyj]

could have been stuck on pretty hard.. could have been the apprentice doing it, taking longer, could just be the thought hmm here's a sucker.

if you went back there now they'd prob just take you for a story of why it took so long blah blah.

like you say the main thing is its fixed and you are now all the wiser.

[auIILTD]

Dave, my guess is that the inner race of one of the bearings got stuck on the axle stub, as it did when I did mine. Easily happens when the bearings are shot. If that is the case, the labour charged would be about right. I would not feel too ripped off, as this may have well been the scenario.

Stu

[AU-Billy]

Alot of work shops will bump up the charge of labor because you supplied the part, to make up for the profit margin had they supplied it.

[j3t ute]

bit off topic but what does autosol do to ur paint ?

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by j3t ute

bit off topic but what does autosol do to ur paint ?

It's a metal polish so would scratch it to buggery.

[mik]

yes i think mine was nicely rusted on both sides when i did them, they ended up taking way more time than i would like to admit, i don`t even want to talk about the ones on the back