Shop fees

[Mudderoy]

I was at NTB yesterday for a alignment on the TJ. $129 for a 1 year, okay about $100 too much, but...

I looked at the total, almost $140. Scan the bill, a $12.50 shop fee.

For what? Consumables we use during the alignment. You don't use any consumables for an alignment. All the shops do it. I tell him, you're a consumer to, you know what I'm talking about hidden fees like this. I told him (THE MANAGER) that the fee should be included in the cost of the alignment.

I'm calling B.S. but I wanted to get your thoughts. Are shop fees a common practice?

http://www.ripoffreport.com/auto-tire-shops/ntb/ntb-hidden-fees-such-as-shop-yyybw.htm

[01xjcny]

the only shop fee where i work is 3 bucks for oil and 2.50 charged up front on new tires. The only consumable i could see on the alignments is a torch but i live in the rust belt and use the torch on about half of the alignments but we do not charge for it

[NW99XJ]

Back when I worked in retail as an installer for a major mobile electronics chain, we had a shop supply charge rolled into almost every job that came out to the shop.
Now granted, 99% of the time I WAS using some amount of supplies.... a bit of wire here, some crimp connectors there, maybe a screw or three...etc.
The exception was the few times that something needed to be adjusted or looked at, troubleshooted or swapped out, and in those cases, there was a "minimum shop fee" ...... this fee went towards the shops budget for restocking supplies, ETC.
NOW IN YOUR CASE....there obviously was no supplies used. Nothing that would be considered a "consumable" ....any item or supply that is controlled or inventoried.

For me, I would have caused a scene.....made them justify and prove that some sort of restock-able and inventoried supply was used in the course of the alignment.
I would also take this to a corporate level, and really go-off thru both letter form as well as a scathing series of phone calls.

Then to really drive the point home...(again - of it were me in this case)
I would take the vehicle back every weekend and make them re-align it for free....really get your $12.50's worth.... If it's waranteed for a year.... take it out of their bottom line in labor costs for working on your rig for free 52 times. Granted, you'll be giving up however many weekend afternoons until you feel you have sufficiently driving your point home....but it may be worth it in the long run (mainly for peace of minds sake.)

Now I know this is a lot to go over for a mere $12.50......
But c'mon....there's principles here that cannot be overlooked.

I hope you can get some sort of retribution or satisfactory resolution out of all this....
Keep us up to date as how this ends up playing out if you end up doing anything about it.

[Mudderoy]

Back when I worked in retail as an installer for a major mobile electronics chain, we had a shop supply charge rolled into almost every job that came out to the shop.
Now granted, 99% of the time I WAS using some amount of supplies.... a bit of wire here, some crimp connectors there, maybe a screw or three...etc.
The exception was the few times that something needed to be adjusted or looked at, troubleshooted or swapped out, and in those cases, there was a "minimum shop fee" ...... this fee went towards the shops budget for restocking supplies, ETC.
NOW IN YOUR CASE....there obviously was no supplies used. Nothing that would be considered a "consumable" ....any item or supply that is controlled or inventoried.

For me, I would have caused a scene.....made them justify and prove that some sort of restock-able and inventoried supply was used in the course of the alignment.
I would also take this to a corporate level, and really go-off thru both letter form as well as a scathing series of phone calls.

Then to really drive the point home...(again - of it were me in this case)
I would take the vehicle back every weekend and make them re-align it for free....really get your $12.50's worth.... If it's waranteed for a year.... take it out of their bottom line in labor costs for working on your rig for free 52 times. Granted, you'll be giving up however many weekend afternoons until you feel you have sufficiently driving your point home....but it may be worth it in the long run (mainly for peace of minds sake.)

Now I know this is a lot to go over for a mere $12.50......
But c'mon....there's principles here that cannot be overlooked.

I hope you can get some sort of retribution or satisfactory resolution out of all this....
Keep us up to date as how this ends up playing out if you end up doing anything about it.

Well the point I was trying to make to the store manager on the I-10 NTB store near Fry Road in Katy Texas, was that I understand that it costs money to have a place, employees etc... and that you do have to pay for poop paper, etc... But put that into the price of the alignment!!!!! You tell me it's going to cost $129 for a 1 year alignment, fine. I based my decision to purchase that on the $129, then I see $138 on the bill? **** YOU! This is clearly a way to pad the bottom line. Everyone knows there's going to be tax, but not everyone knows there will be a out of thin air fee!

After I pressed the guy pretty hard he pointed out the "SIGN" they have explaining the fee. I said "WHERE?" He pointed to their customer comfort area...

1944

See the thing that says "BUY TODAY" Now just above that in the picture you see a white rectangle about 20 feet back. Yeah that's it! :rotfl2:

[NW99XJ]

Yea thats messed up.....
Thasts obviously a person (manager ... and i use that term loosely in this case)
....that cares more about his stores numbers (common in the automotive industry) than doing whats right or providing good customer service.

Let your actions be your voice....make them re do the alignment a bunch of times, and dont continue to do business there anymore.

[Mudderoy]

Yea thats messed up.....
Thasts obviously a person (manager ... and i use that term loosely in this case)
....that cares more about his stores numbers (common in the automotive industry) than doing whats right or providing good customer service.

Let your actions be your voice....make them re do the alignment a bunch of times, and dont continue to do business there anymore.

I may not have said it in this post but they couldn't do the alignment. Their guy couldn't get the reflectors on the Jeep! He got 2 on (pass side) but then couldn't get the driver's side on. He kept stretching his shoulder joints. I think he was hurting. Anyway he gave up and said he couldn't do it. Took it to another NTB and they popped them on and did the alignment. Same $12.50 shop fee. I think it's a NTB corp thing.

[NW99XJ]

Wow, so not only did they charge you the fee, but then made you drive (how far?) to another store because they could not provide a service that they advertise they are capable of doing?!?!?
.....then to top it off....you get ZERO customer service or any degree of sympathy or understanding for that matter..... that you had to take an EXTRA amount of time to travel "X" amount of distance/time to a different shop to have the service done.....
Unbelievable.....

I keep saying....that pride in workmanship, giving a damn about customer service , and a decent work ethic is a grossly and quickly dying commodity now-a-days!

[Mudderoy]

Wow, so not only did they charge you the fee, but then made you drive (how far?) to another store because they could not provide a service that they advertise they are capable of doing?!?!?
.....then to top it off....you get ZERO customer service or any degree of sympathy or understanding for that matter..... that you had to take an EXTRA amount of time to travel "X" amount of distance/time to a different shop to have the service done.....
Unbelievable.....

I keep saying....that pride in workmanship, giving a damn about customer service , and a decent work ethic is a grossly and quickly dying commodity now-a-days!

lol yep. I don't have alignments done, usually. The last time I had one done was on the 98 so I knew NTB did them. If I had more time I would have found somewhere else rather than go to another NTB.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset with the manager, I figure he's doing what he's been told. I just like to let the employees know what I do and don't like. I mean I'm the consumer, I'm the one with the money they want, and it's my responsibility to communicate to them what they need to do to make me happy.

Now I try not to be unreasonable, and I didn't think at shop fee was reasonable. Just like this site. I WANT to hear what people don't like about this site so we can look at fixing it. Our members are our customers and without them there is no forum.

[4.3LXJ]

It is crap Tony. The flat rate is supposed to have that figured in.

[XJ Wheeler]

That's bull, no doubt about it. To me, false advertising like that is low. Really low!

I get a couple magazines, and they come with those little subscription cards inside. "$12 for one year" I look at the bottom "+$3 s+h".

Another. I hear this ad on the radio for a $1000 bill giveaway. They go on this long spill about how few $1,000 bill there are and wouldn't it very great to be a part of that exclusive club. And at the end it says "actually payout will not be a $1,000 bill."

Its just plain ol lying! You mean you can't offer your services truthfully, without sticking a GOTCHA fee in there. :banghead:

I don't go to NTB anyway (their inability to put a cotter pin in the pitman arm almost caused us to have a wreck), so i don't have to worry about them. Although i'm sure SEVERAL others are doing it.

A little side trip. When did an alignment become $129/$138?!?! The last i had one done a few years ago it was $100, and that's ridiculous enough. And why do they charge the same to align a xj as say, a Honda Civic?! Its obviously a TON easier.
:rant:

[diyxj]

thats really wut u guys have to pay for an alignment? it varies alot here but never that high. here at the biggest local auto repair they charge $25 to check it and if everything is solid but they need to adjust its an extra $25. but ur told that up front. last fall took my xj in and they checked the alignment with a full printout of camber,caster and toe and becuz it wuz in specs it wuz jus $25.