In my opinion you got ripped off. Twenty percent is a fair markup for auto parts at a repari shop, but often they don't buy from the lowest cost parts supplier. They buy from the supplier with the best credit terms, etc. When I call around for parts I get the same results you do, about
100% difference in price. Hereabouts labour costs are pretty standard except for the dealerships where they are 50% higher. All shop costs should be included in the labour cost, not the parts. That's because they know how much labour they hire but not how much parts they will need. Just good business planning.
To avoid getting ripped off by repair shops people tend to buy more reliable cars, which is playing hell with the North Amercian car maufacturers' sales. If you have the time and inclination to do as many of your own repairs as possible then you can save considerable money buying less reliable cars for lower prices. Often the parts are cheaper and more readily available. You can get this info from car buyers guides and consumer surveys.
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