[Exoter175]

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

dude I could barely even make it through half of that long ass post

first thing; my car is a 2002 Audi that has 211,000 miles on it...I don't give a ****ing shit about this car. It runs really well, it was free; that's it.

Secondly...I never haggle on price. I don't even care. I was told by one of my friends who manages the junkyard that this would take him 2 minutes to do and he'd do it for free. I figured if it was that ****ing easy, and I was taking my car in perhaps the place wouldn't mind if I gave them $20 to do something that was that simple so I didn't have to waste his time...I made this thread so I could make sure that wasn't an offensive offer.

Apparently it would have been. So awesome! I am glad I made this thread so I can save myself that embarrassment.

and I understand $100 is nothing to this place...I get that. Every time I get a ****ing oil change in this car it costs $150 because of the synthetic oil it takes...

every time I fill up gas I have to pay for ****ing premium gas...it pisses me off.

I forget what happened to this car 6 months ago but I took it to the Audi dealership and they had to replaced two plugs of some sort and it was $1400.

Honestly...it was just a ****ing question. I went to the doctor for my knee the other day and, while I do have insurance, I'm sure that 10 minute appointment if I was uninsured would have cost $1500. That's the going rate I guess.

So congrats dude...I'm sorry that you were offended that I wanted to pay $20 for a 5 minute job. I didn't mean to upset you.

First, you didn't upset me by any means.

Second, my long ass post is going to enlighten you on how business works in America, try reading it over and over again until it sinks in.

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

JFC



God forbid I thought someone might do a simple favor...I forgot.

honestly, it was only a question

I'm not going to pay $100 for someone to install a side mirror for me...I'll save my $20. My ****ing Christ some of you are just angry people.

from what I've google'd since I made this thread, it'll take me probably about 15 minutes to do it myself. So whatever. I apologize to everyone for wasting your precious evenings.

All of your whining aside, how much do you think 15 minutes of your time is going to cost a business for 15 minutes of theirs? When they become liable for your property, liable for their work, and liable for any accidents that might happen?

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

and I wouldn't have gone out of my way to buy my own mirror if I was planning on paying significant money for repair...

I'll just go down to little Mexico and give a Mexican $20 to do it and probably do it faster and better than your "professional" lackeys, exoter.

I bet he won't complain as much as you, either. And if he does I won't understand him so that's ok with me.

By all means do so, my professional "lackeys" have degrees and certifications in doing what your mexicans "might" be able to do. They've done the work before, and in this economy, and in this country, you don't get to the top without proper schooling. And guess what? You, the customer, end up paying for that schooling and for that communal need for the people who touch your car, to be the BEST in the business. After all, you don't want some idiot touching your car, and neither do I. We pay for that service, buddy.

Good luck with your mexicans.

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

my friend got rear ended and some mexican was like 'amigo I'll take care of that for $150'...and he was like 'bro I only got $75'...

boom, done.

Mexican workers > American workers

less entitled, better workers, less complaints

I don't know what I'd do without 1-800-callamexican

Less entitled? Better?

They do the job because 90% of that money is going back to Mexico with their family, they aren't insured, there is no warranty, and you're taking money and jobs from the qualified american public.

Enjoy your mexijob.

Originally Posted by Moon§hiner

I'm just glad I found this thread before I made a fool out of myself at Outback.

Right? That would have been awkward for you.

Originally Posted by Bugeater

I don't think I've ever removed a door panel and put it back on with every fastener it came off with. Worst one I ever did was on a 98 Camry, something with that damn door lock had me hung up for ****ing ever. There's not much on a car that I dread more than pulling one of those things.

Exactly, there's a really good chance that you're going to break or lose screws and clips if you aren't an absolute professional, and if you are one, its going to take you a little time to do it so you don't **** anything up. All cars are different though, I've had cars where it took me about 30 seconds to get the door panel off without any issues at all, then I've had ones where it took probably 20-30 minutes due to all of the clips and fasteners, and the fact that I didn't want to have to foot the bill on a brand new Mercedes door panel lol.

Originally Posted by Phobia

Reminds me of how a guy walked into Halfcan's restaurant and asked him to warm up his brown-bag lunch in Halfcan's microwave for free. Hell nah. We have bills, people. Big bills. I tote around $40k in tools every day. That's just the ones that fit in the toolbox and the back seat of my truck. You know how much an auto mechanic's tools cost? I'll bet a minimally equipped mom and pop shop has $250k in tools in a 2-bay garage.

We had about 7k in ONE electronic tool alone. People don't understand that there are a lot of specialty tools, and a lot of tools that speed up the repair process so that you aren't waiting weeks for your car to get repaired.

Those tools aren't cheap either.

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Yep, no licenses to pay for, no insurance, bonding, liability, never had to pay for any training or certification, probably works out of his garage...

I'm sure he does charge pieces of shit like you and your friend a lot less than a real business would.

Bingo.

Originally Posted by unlurking

Take your $20 and give it to the guy who said he'd do it for free. Then watch and maybe you'll learn something for the next time you have to do something simple.

Well said.

Originally Posted by El Jefe

Beautiful post, spot on.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Saul Good

If it's just a five minute fix, and I was taking my car in there for service anyway, my mechanic would do it for $20. He'd probably do it for free.

Like I said, a lot of it depends on the job and the relationship with the customer. If I've had a guy bring me his whole fleet of cars from his family for 15 years like clockwork, he's keeping me in business, not only will I give that guy a discount on all work, but I'm probably going to do the mirror for free if he asked me nicely to do the work. Then again, it also depends on what the car was in there for. $100 dollars could be simple fluids, that Mirror will take longer than those fluids, but if I've got mechanic downtime in the day, I'll probably have them do the work on it just to keep them busy, but if I am swamped, there's a small likelihood that I'll eat the cost on it and have it done.

Which is something many haven't thought about, every time a mechanic touches the car, that costs me money as an owner, unless those mechanics are under salary, and in a lot of small time mom and pop shops, they aren't under salary.

Originally Posted by Peyton's Princess

so I'm a piece of shit because I can hire a Mexican to CHANGE A SIDE MIRROR for a reasonable price for such a simple job of $20 instead of paying a CERTIFIED, INSURANCE PAYING MECHANIC $150 to work for 5 minutes on my car while I wait in line for an hour and a half?

hm...sounds like I'm smart to me

besides, I like shooting the shit with the Mexicans anyways...they always crack me up

You're a piece of shit because you don't understand business, how it works, nor the law and how liability works. Yet you DEMAND that the mechanic you are going to, who is charging you 100 dollars for who knows what, should take 20 dollars to put a mirror on a car that you don't know will take 5 minutes or not, because your car is "already in".

If that shop got nothing but customers like you, he'd be out of business, I promise you. Take it from someone who has been in the small time mom and pop shop business.

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

That was your mirror that I punched and pissed on?

asshole drives an Audi and wants to piss and moan about a $100 bill.

Clowndick

Right?

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Here is one piece of advice that everyone should learn: You never know what you can get unless you ask.

Say to the guy at the shop "hey man, my mirror got knocked off, and I bought the replacement. A friend told me I can replace it myself in about five minutes, but I'd rather not jack with it. Is this something you guys could do for like $20 bucks, or would you have to charge out a full hour of shop time and the whole bit? Either way is cool, but if it's an easy $20 for you and saves me from having to get out my tools, win/win."

What's the worst that's going to happen? I don't think he's going to go upside your head with a wrench or anything. Some people in this thread are WAY too far up their own asses.

Bingo, if you ask nicely and don't ASSUME anything, you'd be surprised what could happen.

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

I just replaced the passenger side mirror. Part was $35 off Amazon, took about ten minutes to pop the door panel, another five to screw off the old mirror and put the new one on, and another ten to put the door panel back on.

It ain't that hard folks.

And I'm sure that someone has a video on YouTube doing this exact same thing for the model of car you have.

You'd be surprised what you could find on youtube to aid in fixed like these, and some of those videos are done by people less mechanically inclined than yourself.