Wiring a new winch

[JustDave]

Before any work was done, did you have the shop provide you with an estimate the price for parts and labor? Did you authorize the work? Did you tell them not to do any repairs beyond the agreed on estimate without contacting you first?

I did NOT have them give me an estimate. I ASSumed it would be a $200 overpriced bill. I never could have imagined I'd need to tell them not to go over a certain price. Stupid, I know.

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[JustDave]

^^^ this!!!

How does a dealer just go ahead and do a $800 job without first asking the customer?

Easy. Because they know they customer will say NO...! Especially when the job is pure gravy for them.

When you picked up your Jeep, did they at least say “Merry Christmas to you too” ...? ?

My initial reaction was "holy f**k". I asked them if they used gold cables & the douche said no, it's mostly labor.

 

[JustDave]

My thought is that the cables weren't accessible and they needed to remove the bumper or something. That should be on the invoice.

It was a standard 6 feet of cable from winch to battery.

 

[chevymitchell]

It was a standard 6 feet of cable from winch to battery.

Do you have a copy of the invoice?

 

[JustDave]

Did they explain what they would be doing and how much it would cost before they did it?

Told me what they were going to do, but didn't say how much.

 

[JustDave]

So far this is one side of the story.

Wondering what the back story is. Why new cables? Why OP didn't do it themselves?

Jeep was in for warranty work. They called me to say cables were rubbing on a pulley and were all frayed. I didn't do it myself due to some health issues. I should have told them not to replace them as I'm not going off road for a while anyway.

 

[aldo98229]

Dealers have such a short-term view. Sure, they screwed you over $800 this time. But now you are never going to trust them ever again.

If it were me, I’d:

1. Speak to the Service Manager to express my displeasure
2. If he tells me to take a hike, I’d leave a scathing online review and never set foot there again
3. If he apologizes and lowers the charge to a reasonable amount, he would keep me as a happy customer

Everyone makes mistakes. But it’s important to recognize that mistakes give us a unique opportunity to do it right and turn someone into a loyal customer, or turn them away for good.

 

[smokeythecat]

My initial reaction was "holy f**k". I asked them if they used gold cables & the douche said no, it's mostly labor.

Let's just say the mechanic was paid $25 an hour. Let's say the shop doubles that. So, they're telling you it might have taken 16 hours to do that job? I could easily be wrong about the hourly rate and markup, but even if it turned out to be $100/hr. that is still an outrageous amount of time for that job, unless they pulled the engine for the routing.

 

[aldo98229]

Dealers’ “billable” rate these days is between $100 and $165 an hour. Let’s say $125...that means they are saying it took them 6.5 hours to replace two winch cables.

If true, that would mean they are highly incompetent.

So, basically they are either “greedy bastards” or “incompetent idiots.”

 

[Tool Guy]

So, basically they are either “greedy bastards” or “incompetent idiots.”

Or both...

 

[dragoneggs]

Dealers have such a short-term view. Sure, they screwed you over $800 this time. But now you are never going to trust them ever again.

If it were me, I’d:

1. Speak to the Service Manager to express my displeasure
2. If he tells me to take a hike, I’d leave a scathing online review and never set foot there again
3. If he apologizes and lowers the charge to a reasonable amount, he would keep me as a happy customer

Everyone makes mistakes. But it’s important to recognize that mistakes give us a unique opportunity to do it right and turn someone into a loyal customer, or turn them away for good.

At this point... exactly what I would do. I feel for the OP, as obviously this is one of those expensive learning lessons.

Get a break down of the work/invoice so you are armed with the facts. If you do speak to the Service Manager, explain that you understood it to be a simple run of two wires and how can it be that much for labor?

 

[JustDave]

They had also called me to tell me that my winch line had a really bad kink in it & a strand actually broke, then asked if I wanted them to replace it. I said I knew about the kink & already have a new synthetic one to replace it. It only occurred to me after I got home, but why did they have the winch unspooled? The kink was only if it 90% unspooled.

 

[dragoneggs]

They had also called me to tell me that my winch line had a really bad kink in it & a strand actually broke, then asked if I wanted them to replace it. I said I knew about the kink & already have a new synthetic one to replace it. It only occurred to me after I got home, but why did they have the winch unspooled? The kink was only if it 90% unspooled.

WTH? Good question. Did you ask them to do anything with the winch itself? Is this inspection/recommendation on the work order? I'd be pissed if someone unspooled my winch without my consent.

 

[JustDave]

WTH? Good question. Did you ask them to do anything with the winch itself? Is this inspection/recommendation on the work order? I'd be pissed if someone unspooled my winch without my consent.

No to answer both of your questions. This whole thing keeps making me more & more pissed.

 

[aldo98229]

This whole thing keeps making me more & more pissed.

You are welcome. That's what we are here for... ?

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