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I am a DIYer so I have a different angle at the Flat Rate System. It is a system to charge you more time then it takes to do the job. If any other profession charged that way they would be in court in a minute – the problem is not that it is flat rate but shops advertise shop hour/rate and charge you inflated hours. I had a friend that had to replace a fuel pump and was told that tank had to be lowered and it would take many hours of shop time, he had the shop manuals and they had that as a correct procedure/time. I told him that it could be done from the top and looked on the internet and found that there was a Panel so he bought the pump and one evening the two of us removed the back seat to get to the panel and replaced the pump in a couple of hours. Total cost $200 dollars for the part. Not bad for 2 DIYers.
I just have a problem on the inflated times. Yes you will get a bad one but then they/shop will say it took X hours. That has stopped because the quotes that were given, they can only go over by a certain purcentage. Now do I beleave that the techs saw that money – I know better. Tipping the mechanic is probably a great idea, but I dont think I have to tip everyone that I do busyness with. I did take a case of beer to a shop that did save me a few bucks.
ERIC your talked about a TDI, there is a GTG Impex TDI Fest in Baltimore MD area May 18. Check website TDIClub for info. Great event for the TDI DiYer, not a lot of wrenching, to big to do alot of that.
Eric you are right that this effects other professions, seen it happen in a commision dentistry shop – not a court issue just state labor people. The one way to make this work is to have a base rate that satisfies the governments and commision on jobs completed. Like changing every system some will make out better and others will lose. The problem that has to be solved is to get the work into the shop and this comes down to trust and fairness.
Tommorrows the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. So I hope you are able to pick my name. I am going to bring the CoolAid (sp?) to work tommorrow. Looking forward to 2013.
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