[Speargun]

Before I show my redneck side at a local hydraulic shop, I wanted to check & make sure that I wasn't over reacting.

I bought a used 9k# lift a few years ago for $1200, I think it may be a "Tuxedo" brand, and been using it in my shop somewhat regularly ever since. It recently started leaking so I knew it was time for some new seals. Since I have a few other things going on right now, I decided to take the cylinders to a local hydraulic shop instead of changing the seals myself.

When I dropped the cylinders off I asked for a ballpark cost for the seal replacement & they said they would have to take a look at them first to see what was needed. Since I asked about the price a few times, I was told that they would call me before they did any work.

Today I got a call that my cylinders were ready & that there was nothing wrong with them other than the seals they replaced. When I asked for the total, the guy told me $763!!!

Had they called me first, I would have definitely said no to the repair as I can buy the seals for around $35 each and it takes less than 1 hour per cylinder to replace them.

To put things into perspective, a friend recently had the seals replaced in his cylinders for around $250ish and pair of brand new cylinders are only $235 more than what these guys want to charge me.


So...... Am I getting ripped off or not?
Either way, they didn't call with a quote. How would you handle it?

[mgarblik]

In Ohio, unless you received a written estimate, OR you signed paperwork saying you DID NOT WANT an estimate, you owe nothing. That's the law here. Been through this many times on the other side of the deal. Once had a lady go bezerk because we put wiper blades on her car without consent. $11.00. She would not pay for them. We put her old torn up ones back on. Also by law in Ohio, if they take their seals back out, they must return the cylinders in" Like condition" to the way they were brought in. Often referred to as the AAMCO law, where AAMCO would bring your car in, disassemble the transmission, and announce it will take $5000.00 to fix it. There is a set disassembly and inspection fee period. Usually a couple hundred bucks. You need to check the laws in your state and see if you have any ground to stand on. Possibly, you can negotiate a cost you both can live with.

[Speargun]

I don't think Florida has a law like that EXCEPT for auto repair shops.

[dmorg1]

That price does appear to be high considering the cost of the replacement seals.


I would ask what their shop rate for this type of repair is and then request a parts and labor breakdown.

Make it very clear that you did not authorize the repair and possibly you can come to a satisfactory agreement.

Dave

[TAKerry]

Not sure what recourse you have at this point, unless you are a senior citizen. I know the home improvement laws are tough on contractors that take advantage in fla. I think I would stand by if you told them you wanted an estimate first and they did not give that to you. I have a very good shop that does all of my mechanical work, I have never turned down a service and they still call me everytime with an estimate when I need work done. As to the price, every region has its own pricing schedules but there is an Amish guy up the road from me that repaired the hydraulic cylinders for my material handler (telescoping forklift) for something like $120 ea.

[carcrazy]

Sounds high to me but seems like everything has gotten quite a bit more expensive over the last few years.

[JSchmitz]

That does seem high and unethical. I would start by stating that you didn't expect it to be that high and had asked for a quote. See what they say. Ask what all they did. If they had problems getting them apart, washed them out, polished the rods, etc., it could be justified. Good businesses will try to have you leave happy. If it's bad, it may be lesson learned...

[Half-Inch Stud]

"Show me when and where i received the Quote". Then proceed to pay a fair market price to get your CYLs back. Let them complain

[Stuart]

Probably best to contact the Florida Division of Consumer Services to make sure what your rights are. https://www.fdacs.gov/divisions-offi...sumer-services

[Elarson]

Guessing a shop labor rate of $75-100 and guessing that the seals weren't unusually weird and expensive; that price sounds like they charged you for a full 8 hour shift.

FWIW,
Eric

[chevymad]

A few years ago a local shop charged more then that to do one of our rack cylinders. Was definitely unexpected.

[Sirrotica]

One thing that could affect the price is that some of the chinese made cylinders do not have standard packing in them. Sometimes you have to try more than one set of packing seals to get a proper fit on the rod and cylinder. This is one downfall I've heard about when repacking cylinders for off shore made lifts. I just bought a chinese made 12,000 Lb lift this past year, and upon doing research I ran across that bit of information about repacking cylinders on offshore made lifts.

Having made my living for more than a decade working on forklifts, and aerial work platforms, and repacked a lot of cylinders, the labor seems to be quite high, but I've also had cylinders with the gland nuts, or the rod end nut securing the piston, that were overtightened and had to be put on a bench, tied down, and heated with a torch to get them off of the cylinder. That may, or may not have been the case with these cylinders.

The pricing is high enough to possibly include machining the bore of the cylinders for taper, or scoring???....

No matter the case, the overall price should have been discussed with the OP, giving a ballpark estimate with a best case scenarios, as well as a worst case scenario, before work was commenced. Having owned my own garage for many years, not communicating with your customers about money matters is a sure recipe for misunderstandings, as well as arguments when the bill is paid.

A satisfied customer may tell only one person about his dealing with a business, while a dissatisfied customer may tell 10-15 people about their experience, treat your customers with this in mind.

The pricing of repacking those cylinders is approaching at least half the cost of brand new cylinders, maybe close to the full price.

Good luck with your negotiations...

[Speargun]

So I stopped by the shop today and, after being presented the bill, I asked why I wasn't given a quote before the work was done. After speaking to a couple of different guys, the general manager came out and stated flatly that he had given me the lowest price possible.

Once again I asked why I wasn't called first and he said that I told an employee that I could buy a new cylinder for $500 and if it was less than that, to go ahead with the work. I never said that and I told him that I had wanted the quote because I could replace the seals myself for about $80 in parts, but would rather have them do it if the cost was reasonable and it saved me time.

He never could give me a good reason as to why I wasn't called and I told him, several time during our conversation, that the employee that took my information had written my phone number down on the form and I was fairly certain that he also wrote down that I wanted a quote first. He only answered that he didn't have that form with him.

I told him that I was expecting the service to cost about half of what they were charging and that I would have authorized the repair if that was the case, but I would have never authorized the amount they wanted. He said me that if I didn't like the price, that they would just keep the cylinders and I could buy new ones. At this point, I reminded him that the cylinders belonged to me, but he was welcome to take his seals back if he wanted them.

He told me again that this was the absolute lowest possible price and then accused me of trying to scam them from the start and that I was just trying to get something for free. I countered that HE was trying to scam ME since expensive repairs were made without my authorization when I had clearly requested a quote first.

It was about this point that he threatened to call the Sheriff's Office. I told him to feel free to do so, but they would only tell him that it's a civil matter that would have to be dealt with in court. He then walked away and went into the office. I figured that he was calling the Sheriff's Office, and after working hundreds of similar calls in my 30 year LEO career, I knew what the response would be, so I stood around outside chatting with one of the employees about the '70 Chevy stepside I was driving, while waiting for the deputy to arrive.

A short time later the manager came back outside and said. "I guess I'm going to have to eat some crow today. You were right. It says QUOTE, in bold letters, right on the form. I don't know why you weren't called, but you should have been." He apologized and told me to just take the cylinders. I told him I wasn't looking for something free and was willing to pay (what I thought) was a reasonable fee, but he repeatedly insisted and said that it was their fault.

We ended up talking about other things for about 45 minutes, he actually seemed to be a decent guy, and several times during our conversation I tried to pay half, and then at least the cost of the parts, but he wouldn't accept it.
Finally, with a Merry Christmas, he went back to work and I went on my way.

[JSchmitz]

Glad you had a great outcome (after a bit of aggravation)! Hope they work out great for you! Early Christmas present!

[b-man]

After finally realizing that their shop made a mistake he cared enough about the reputation of his business as well as fairness to admit fault and more than satisfy their customer.

Nice and just outcome.

[61-63]

Bill Cole in North Carolina, who is in the business of rebuilding hydraulic cylinders, said $360-$400 is normally what he charges for two cylinders for a two post lift, and $180 for a single four post lift cylinder, unless there are major issues. He said 90% of the cylinders come from overseas. He said businesses in the industry sometimes charge what they can get and there is a business in his area that does that and he gets a lot of their business. He is restoring a '63 Tempest sd car so is a Pontiac guy. His # is 919-498-5049 if you are in North Carolina and need cylinder work done you might want to call him.

[mgarblik]

I began reading your last post and my stomach was tightening up as I read. I could feel what was coming when the Sheriff was mentioned. Then, bam, a complete reversal. That rarely happens. I would say 90% of the time once it escalates to that point, only a bunch of unhappy people remain. If you feel really good about the way it all worked out, I would suggest the following. Install the cylinders and test them. Put a heavy vehicle on the lift and insure they hold, do not leak and are smooth to your satisfaction. If your happy, possibly go to your favorite pizza store or local place with great food and buy the shop, (all employees), a lunch. I have done that on several occasions and everyone seemed to really appreciate it. Glad it all worked out.

[Cammer-6]

We all make mistakes...we are human
its what we do to rectify that determines our worth.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

I began reading your last post and my stomach was tightening up as I read. I could feel what was coming when the Sheriff was mentioned. Then, bam, a complete reversal. That rarely happens. I would say 90% of the time once it escalates to that point, only a bunch of unhappy people remain. If you feel really good about the way it all worked out, I would suggest the following. Install the cylinders and test them. Put a heavy vehicle on the lift and insure they hold, do not leak and are smooth to your satisfaction. If your happy, possibly go to your favorite pizza store or local place with great food and buy the shop, (all employees), a lunch. I have done that on several occasions and everyone seemed to really appreciate it. Glad it all worked out.

I have also done the "Buy everyone lunch" for a local tire store that went above and beyond for me, and saved me a fair sum of money too. Make sure that you tell them in advance that you're bringing them lunch so they expect a free meal on a certain day so they plan for their lunch accordingly.

Fortunately common sense prevailed, and the man probably overcompensated for the error. Getting a person that will actually admit that they made an error in this day and age is not the norm, and is the exception to the rule most times.

Usually I try to put the person in my position, and ask them if they were in my shoes, what would they expect as a resolution, it works sometimes, but not always.

Glad you got the problem resolved, and all parties feel good about the outcome...........

Going forward the manager will be more aware of what the customer would like done as far as services, and estimates, a good teaching experience for all concerned.

[bluejudge]

Wow a person doing the correct thing this day and age. I would say that is rare. I like what mgarblik suggested, and would make sure that person that said he made a mistake was there the day you pick up some pizza/lunch.