I was quoted $160.00 to replace one lug nut and stud

[Aries]

I can beat that...

I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar with a translucent wine red finish. There's something weird in the finish, some orange blotchiness in a couple of places. It's not extremely noticeable unless you get the light on it just right.

I'm not the original owner, so it's not covered by warranty. So I emailed Gibson's Repair and Restore center to see if they had any idea what went wrong with the finish, and to get an estimate to refinish it.

They quoted $2800 to refinish it with the same exact finish.

You can buy a brand new one exactly like it with the same finish for $1499

 

[OkieMoe]

Hibdon's is a perfect example of over charging folks. I've heard so many stories about people going in there for a front end alignment or brake work and a thousand dollars later there leaving. I know guys that have installed all brand new parts and take it there for an alignment and get told there front end is worn out.

Hibdons hasn't been "hibdons" for many years now. I'm kind of in the business, But would push my burning truck past a "hibdons" before I allowed them to touch it.

 

[trekrok]

Yep, I really can't remember paying a mechanic for anything. Alignments and tires are about it.

 

[retrieverman]

I know several people in the tire and auto repair business, and they’ve all made A BUNCH of money from people too lazy to do their own work.

I won’t defend the fact that they overcharge, but I do know that store fronts, insurance, taxes, and employees aren’t cheap.

 

[trekrok]

Hibdons hasn't been "hibdons" for many years now. I'm kind of in the business, But would push my burning truck past a "hibdons" before I allowed them to touch it.

One time several years ago I took my vehicle in to get tires and an alignment. I brought in two OEM tie rod ends to swap while they were doing it. They said they couldn't install customer supplied parts. I pointed out they were in the OEM bag. So, your policy is to not install OEM parts? They informed me that they only use Napa, but he wasn't sure if they could get Toyota OEM from them (they can't). Brilliant.

I get why they might not want to use some no brand china part supplied by the customer. But OEM doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[bushmaster06]

I can beat that...

I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar with a translucent wine red finish. There's something weird in the finish, some orange blotchiness in a couple of places. It's not extremely noticeable unless you get the light on it just right.

I'm not the original owner, so it's not covered by warranty. So I emailed Gibson's Repair and Restore center to see if they had any idea what went wrong with the finish, and to get an estimate to refinish it.

They quoted $2800 to refinish it with the same exact finish.

You can buy a brand new one exactly like it with the same finish for $1499

Sometimes things are priced the way they are as a deterrent because they don’t really want to do the work.

 

[retrieverman]

One time several years ago I took my vehicle in to get tires and an alignment. I brought in two OEM tie rod ends to swap while they were doing it. They said they couldn't install customer supplied parts. I pointed out they were in the OEM bag. So, your policy is to not install OEM parts? They informed me that they only use Napa, but he wasn't sure if they could get Toyota OEM from them (they can't). Brilliant.

I get why they might not want to use some no brand china part supplied by the customer. But OEM doesn't make much sense to me.

It makes perfect sense FOR THEM. They’re not able to mark up/make money off of customer supplied parts. I’m sure they’re also going to claim some sort of liability issue, because they don’t truly know where the parts came from. It’s a racket.

 

[OkieMoe]

One time several years ago I took my vehicle in to get tires and an alignment. I brought in two OEM tie rod ends to swap while they were doing it. They said they couldn't install customer supplied parts. I pointed out they were in the OEM bag. So, your policy is to not install OEM parts? They informed me that they only use Napa, but he wasn't sure if they could get Toyota OEM from them (they can't). Brilliant.

I get why they might not want to use some no brand china part supplied by the customer. But OEM doesn't make much sense to me.

The simple reason is they mark up the parts THEY use. If a part was 10.00 to the customer it was 20.00 or more. A long time ago when I managed a Hibdon-Like store. I averaged 82% gross profit on service. and that was standard.

 

[Waltercat]

My brother went to Hibdons in Yukon for a power steering leak. They looked at it and said $3500.00
to replace rack and pinion. He fix it himself by sliding the low pressure hose a bit further up a metal
tube that had a small crack in it. They are not the same Hibdon they used to be.
These days they want to just throw parts at it. It's that or DIY.

 

[turkeyrun]

Years back, I worked with a divorced lady, whose ex had bought her a Cadillac, when they got married. She came to work crying, the starter had gone out and Caddy dealer wanted $500 to replace it.
I told her I would put a new starter on for $20.
The "stealership" quoted $180 for the starter.
Told her to go to NAPA and get a starter for for a '76 Chevy pickup with 454. $39.95 and 30 minutes, new starter installed.
She sold the Caddy, 2 weeks later.