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Wed Jun 22, 2016 4:29 pm

Hey, what do you guys think about a repair shop that I've been dealing with for months now that charged me $220 the first time and then another $160 the second time ($380) to repair the wiper system. It is my only car and I live in designated rain forest in Hawaii. I've had to cancel doctor's appointments, etc. because it is unsafe to drive in the torrential rain.
I had to order a refurbished wiper assembly on my own and am going in for the third time for them to fix this.
My question is this - should I have to pay even more money for this third repair? And should I let the owner know that when he is not around his desk guy is surly and rude?
I'm a single woman in my 60's on disibility and would appreciate your feedback. Thanks

Wed Jun 22, 2016 4:49 pm

Search the feedback thread.....
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=14

Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:01 pm

... or post in it. Name the shop and let's air it out. Was this YOUR experience, or are you looking for feedback on OTHERS' experiences?

Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:51 pm

It sounds like you just want feedback without naming names so post the details and I am sure people will give you advice.

Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:59 am

I see you've trimmed down your previous post. In it you said you felt disrespected and ripped-off.

As well you should! Courtesy is free, and should be given freely to any/all CUSTOMERS.

To answer your present questions:
No, you should not have to paid a third time for the same repair.
Absolutely tell the owner of your experience, particularly with the rude desk guy.

I suspect that you being a woman of 60ish has brought out the worst in them.

Thu Jun 23, 2016 10:30 am

Yes, let them know and tell them you are disappointed they could not properly diagnose and fix it first. Give the owner (not the desk guy) a chance to explain and then make it right.

Also, in the meantime, clean your windshield, let it dry COMPLETELY, and then give two applications of Rain-X. Wipers are almost unnecessary if treated this way. Safe enough in the meantime, and a good practice later anyway.

Good luck! Aloha.

Thu Jun 23, 2016 12:33 pm

If you established in advance that you were paying for a repair and not a guess, then shop has legal responsibility to either fix it or return your money. The legal term is unjust enrichment.

A GM dealership that could not repair the sunroof on our 2005 Yukon eventually refunded my $240 because they could not repair, said they had "no idea what was wrong".

Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:01 am

What kind of car?

bug, bus, ghia?
thing? oval?

were they trying to fix your original, used, worn out, at your request?
motor issue?, wiper shaft issue? electrical issue? switch issue..
how many time did the unit get R/I'd?

Lot of factors going on....$380 is not a whole lot at todays labor rates, and HI is a bit more expensive overall...
I can easily see 4hr. of R/I, and attempting to salvage a used system without success, only to end up having to do it again with replacement parts...

you mentioned you had to order your own replacement unit. New, rebuilt, used?

as a shop, if a customer want me to change out used parts over and over again, I'm going to charge for each time...
However, if I know it won't fix their issue, I turn down the work until they are ready to accept my diagnosis and recommendation. Then, I stand by it.

FYI, if it's a THING, there's $300-400 in the motor price itself-rebuilt...

Fri Jun 24, 2016 7:34 am

Cusser wrote: If you established in advance that you were paying for a repair and not a guess, then shop has legal responsibility to either fix it or return your money. The legal term is unjust enrichment.

A GM dealership that could not repair the sunroof on our 2005 Yukon eventually refunded my $240 because they could not repair, said they had "no idea what was wrong".

diagnosis is not a "guess"

If it takes and hr to track down your electrical issue and 5 min to repair it, your going to be charged for that hr. It's not a "guess", it's what it takes..

I'm sure you either told the dealer with your yukon to only check for so long, or they called and told you it was going to be $$$$ to further diagnose and you said no and then argued repeatedly that nothing was fixed until they gave you a refund to go away...

EVERYTHING can be fixed / replaced given enough time and money.

Sometimes it IS the customer that who doesn't want to pay the costs associated with solving the issues and doesn't understand what it takes to get there..
with no repair, they think nothing was done??? it cost someone some time and effort away from making $$ on something else to look at your stuff....

Next time you see a doctor, tell him you want a refund because he didn't fix your cold....

Fri Jun 24, 2016 1:43 pm

vwinnovator wrote:
EVERYTHING can be fixed / replaced given enough time and money.

it cost someone some time and effort away from making $$ on something else to look at your stuff....

Fair enough, IF they let me know that the charge was for diagnosis, and NOT for a repair.
If they charge me, and DO NOT explicitly say "The charge is for diagnostics. It's not fixed." Isn't it reasonable to expect that it is/was FIXED? And "fully" fixed, at that. For example, I come in and say "My wipers don't work, please fix them."
Diagnosis reveals the wiper motor is shot, so it gets replaced. Should I expect them to also discover the mechanisim is binding, and the arms are stripped? Or are those separate repairs I must return for?
Sure, it may cost more than expected, but if the additional issues were explained,(preferably before or even after the repair) I'd reasonably bite the bullet and pay up. If charged for the motor replacement, and the wipers still didn't do what wipers are expected to do, I'd feel ripped off.

Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:07 am

Is this even for a VW? I dunno? You didnt say - the car makes a difference on the cost. Who said to get a refurbed assembly and is that really the problem? Kind of flying blind here.

Couple things - Quite a few shops have some staff that are not the most people friendly - and sometimes its the "swagger" thing which I really have an issue with, but its how it is. Totally agree though that folks that deal with the customers directly should be pleasant and friendly. But we have a specialty shop here where the owner comes of as a real dick and people love him.

As far as being disrespected - Yeah, maybe you were or maybe you took something wrong. I wasn't there. I would definately talk to the shop owner before you come back in to the shop though about your concerns.

One more thing - you may be the sweetest person in the world or you could be like my neighbor who thinks she is, but is a total witch...She's down to just one shop that will still do work for her, and it aint me.

Just a couple things to ponder. Good luck.