I just picked up the flywheel from my 3.9V8 from the local engineers who were skimming it for me. I'm more than a tad peeved at being quoted =A325 and then being presented with a =A375 bill, as "it's made of steel" - what did they expect - cast iron?!?!
Not having had any work like this done before, does this seems a fair price?
Cheers,
AndyC.
P=2ES. It does look very nice now though :)
Cast iron would have been as easy/difficult. You've been 'ad.
Steve
Yeah, vote with your feet dude. And feel free to name the providor of this gold plated service for others to dodge.
Lee D
Depends if they were set up to do it (as in an engine rebuilder type of 'local engineers') or were a jobbing shop. If the former, I'd expect a dedicated large swing lathe already set up with a face plate and retaining dogs, and 15 mins of labour charged. If a jobbing shop though they would have to take off the three jaw, remove the gap piece, install a suitably sized face plate, clobble together a safe fixing, take maybe 15 mins skimming it, then have to return the lathe back to more usual work checking gap piece alignment, and charge you for the hour it's all taken. Incidentally, I'd charge more for cast iron than steel, as it's mucky stuff to clean up after and get everywhere.
AWEM
just checked the invoice and i got charged £33+vat for one at a local engine rebuilders/cylinder head place.
But they'd already quoted. And I'd clock it up in a three jaw rather than a faceplate. Its not like it's going to need heavy cuts.
Steve
Hmmm, it was Ivor Searle's in Soham
Judging from people's replies, I'm even less impressed than I was at the time! I think a letter to the management is in-order. See what happens...
Cheers,
AC.
Yup, shan't be going back, shame as I thought I'd maybe found somewhere useful for all those jobs you *should* do when you rebuild an engine... See below for the perps.
Cheers,
AC.
That sounds fair.
Cheers,
AC.
engineers
plate
lathe
Hmmm, it was Ivor Searle's in Soham
Judging from people's replies, I'm even less impressed than I was at the time! I think a letter to the management is in-order. See what happens...
Cheers,
AC.
Well what do you expect, any company that puts a 'dot' over a capital 'I ' in their name is obviously ignorant !
AWEM
If they quoted you 25, then decided it was not enough, they should not have even done the work without asking you first. It is not on to triple the bill just like that. Pay'em 25! (if its not too late...) Andrew
If they quoted you 25, then decided it was not enough, they should not have even done the work without asking you first. It is not on to triple the bill just like that. Pay'em 25! (if its not too late...) Andrew
Depends if it was a quotation or an extimate. As I understand it, a quote is precisely that and if accepted then that's what you pay, whereas an estimate should be within 10% unless greater variation is stated on the estimate. AWEM
AIUI there is no difference in law between a quotation and an estimate - either can be varied within reason [1] [2]. The problem is deciding what is a reasonable overshoot, often decided in court on a case-by-case basis. I would have thought the 10% figure was a good guide, and I would expect to be asked for authorisation for any more than that. Going to 3x the original is taking the mick.
[1] Unless, I suppose, that a price is quoted as "final price", in writing. [2] And this is my memory from hearing something a while ago, so it could be 180deg wrong.
Exactly, 10% or so, no problem, but 3x is grounds for refusal or hard negotiation.
Andrew
I don't know the law.. but if I asked for a fixed price, then thats what I expect, allowing them ample time etc to establish what they have to do and to what etc. before giving said fixed price. Anything (even
AndyC uttered summat worrerz funny about:
Out of interest - how much is a flywheel unless of course it's an exercise in having it lightened?
I paid £40 for a known good one for the 110 when they did the box and clutch as the old one was cracked.
Lee D
On or around Thu, 27 Sep 2007 05:54:46 -0700, "Andrew T." enlightened us thusly:
I've had this sort of thing. usually, the simple answer is to avoid in future, unless it's many hundreds, it's not worth more than a whinge to see if they back down. If you have a written quotation, you could in theory take it to small claims, but likesay, not worth it for 50 quid.
I did wonder as well - turns out a new Genuine Parts one is a shade under =A3200 from Beamends.
Cheers,
AC.
Ask them, they might have a reason. If it's just a claim that you misheard, I likely wouldn't go back: my hearing isn't that bad, and I check I've heard prices correctly, ever since I mixed up "thirteen" and "thirty" in Scotland. If they say the flywheel was bigger than they usually handle, and they can give a figure for the limit, I might go back, but I'd be grumpy about them not telling me before they started work.
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