is it legal for a garage to charge more for what a part is worth?
i had to get my master cylinder replaced for the clutch and i found part online for under 100
but Goodyear charged me 285 for the part, is that legal?

i live in florida so maybe its legal in some states or not at all?

Let me answer that with another question:

Is it legal for smaller chains & independent retaillers to charge more for a particular item than Wal-Mart & other "big box" stores do?

[This message has been edited by dguy (edited 09-13-2005).]

quote Originally posted by Kinextions: is it legal for a garage to charge more for what a part is worth? i had to get my master cylinder replaced for the clutch and i found part online for under 100 but Goodyear charged me 285 for the part, is that legal? i live in florida so maybe its legal in some states or not at all?

It's called capitalism. With a few exceptions (regulated products and services, rent control, etc.) it is legal to charge whatever the market will bear. What a product or service is "worth" is whatever people are willing to pay for it as set by the free market.

Markup is how businesses keep the doors open. Now if they quoted you an amount for a part in writing and then suddenly changed the price once the work was completed, you might have a CIVIL (not criminal) case against the establishment. It would be up to certain enforcement agencies (attorney general of your state) to determine if any applicable laws were violated. And no, the Better Business Bureau is NOT an enforcement or regulatory agency.

If you want to save money on repairs, buy the parts yourself and do the repairs yourself.

Sorry, I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear.

[This message has been edited by Frizlefrak (edited 09-13-2005).]

They are charging you probably list price for the part. Which is what the parts store gives them. yeah it is probably more than what you could come in off the street at advance and buy it for but it is hard to keep a shop running I know I run one. You have to mark up parts a little bit i usually go the halfway mark between what i paid and what advance tells me is list.

If it were illegal then there would be hardly any repair shops around more than likely as you would be only making money off labor.

auto mechanics regularly have a % markup on what they pay for the parts - its how they cover their overhead costs

Yup, perfectly legal - it's called doing business, and it's why I work on my own cars. 10 years ago I thought changing my air filter was 'working on the car'. Now, after having built my own motors, transmissions, and any other sort of mechanical work, I'm able to tackle any task my cars call for. Well, except body work. But that's next.

If I owned a shop, I would discourage carry-in parts (warranty / failure issues), and obviously you have to make some money on the part (as mentioned). Was their mark-up excessive? Probably. Was it legal? Yes. Have I ever paid too much for something only to realize it later? Definitely. Just a few weeks ago I realized that I paid $35 for a $7 bottle of beer. Oops. It was a good beer, but that's beside the point (I was buying a lot of higher-dollar beers, so I didn't think about the total). I roll with it and go on.

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85 GT 2.8/Auto (daily driver)
2 x 86SE 2.8/Auto (parts cars)
79Z28 / 94Z28 / 98Z28 / 93 Suburban
1 wife who thinks I'm nuts...

[This message has been edited by AKM (edited 09-13-2005).]

A master sclider isn't even that difficult to change so why have someone else do it? I'll only charge you $200 next time. That's a deal because that is only like twice the amount of the part.

If nobody told you.....once you own a fiero you MUST become a mechanic.

[This message has been edited by goatnipples2002 (edited 09-13-2005).]

I have seen parts invoices where the dealer cost was less than 30 and the retail was over 210. Then again I have seen auto zone charge 50% over retail cost as dealer cost i.e. trw swaybar links where dealer cost was 22 and retail was 15.

Parts stores such as Advance and Auto Zone sell parts at a great markdown price, and whenever a company like a tire shop or quick lube needs a part they buy it and charge the customer what the "List" price is, the parts stores tell them what the part is marked down and what the list is, so the company charges list making a profit on whatever extra they get. Then they charge you $400 to bolt the battery back up so they know your getting screwed. You don't necessarily have to pay this or do it all yourself. Find the part that you need, order it, find a good honest mechanic (there is no such thing), and have him install it, quick easy solution. If you only knew some of the things stores like merchant tire pull!

Hope this helps.

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