Mickalino Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 What do you guys think of these plans that pay for auto repairs ? It's like auto insurance, except if pays for mechanical repairs, and not for car accidents. They claim that they cover just about anything, and pay the shop directly and pay 100%, while you don't have to pay a dime for repairs. All you pay is the monthly membership fee. This sounds too good to be true. Are any of these companies legit ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Are any of these companies legit ? I guess... some pay me,which is the only part I care about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-O-G Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) What do you guys think of these plans that pay for auto repairs ?It's like auto insurance, except if pays for mechanical repairs, and not for car accidents. They claim that they cover just about anything, and pay the shop directly and pay 100%, while you don't have to pay a dime for repairs. All you pay is the monthly membership fee. This sounds too good to be true. Are any of these companies legit ? I used StopRepairBills.com, once you call, the operator pressures you to sign up and makes a lot of promises and tries to get you to put a down payment on the plan. Whatever site you were going to use, google reviews for them. I had my plan on my car for a month and read enough reviews that I didnt feel good about them being there for me when I needed a big repair so I cancelled it. Edited January 22, 2010 by H-O-G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I guess... some pay me,which is the only part I care about. I guess that's a good sign, if you're getting paid. I used StopRepairBills.com, once you call, the operator pressures you to sign up and makes a lot of promises and tries to get you to put a down payment on the plan. Whatever site you were going to use, google reviews for them. I had my plan on my car for a month and read enough reviews that I didnt feel good about them being there for me when I needed a big repair so I cancelled it. I used to go by internet reviews, as my first source for a product or service I was contemplating. Then I came to the conclusion, that most internet reviews are bogus. That most of the positive reviews about a company are posted by individuals who work for that company - and most of the negative reviews are posted by people who work for their competition. To find an absolute neutral source, or an independent 3rd party, is the only way to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 What do you guys think of these plans that pay for auto repairs ?It's like auto insurance, except if pays for mechanical repairs, and not for car accidents. They claim that they cover just about anything, and pay the shop directly and pay 100%, while you don't have to pay a dime for repairs. All you pay is the monthly membership fee. This sounds too good to be true. Are any of these companies legit ? I don't like them and my opinion of them is quickly declining. I used to like "warranty companies" a few years ago. Over the last couple of years they have gone downhill fast. They write their policies so that they will have to cover the least amount possible. They make it seem like you are getting a really good deal and a lot is covered. Hell, a lot is usually covered. The problem is, they don't cover the stuff that breaks. Lately, I've been calling more and more customers to tell them that their repairs aren't covered by their warranty company. Now, a typical repair estimate that I fill out when I have a customer that has a warranty agreement... The customer will come in with a symptom. The technician will hand me the work order and I'll work up an estimate for the warranty company. Then, I call the company. - Most of them (if not all now) only pay $80 per hour for labor. We charge $89.32 per hour for labor at my shop, most other shops in my area are much higher. The remainder gets passed on to the customer. - Most of them (if not all now) will not pay full list price for parts. You guessed it, the remainder gets passed on to the customer. - None of them pay sales tax (at least in VA). Damn right the customer is paying sales tax. - None pay shop supplies. Shop supplied are (in simplistic terms) random charges for disposal of hazardous materials, small things like cleaning chemicals, cleaning supplies, taxes on operating a business that deals with hazardous materials, EPA (or local) charges for operating such a business, nut, bolts, you get the impression. Yep, passed on to the customer. So... this ticket that you have in the shop. Say it's $1000 for the sake of argument. Say your deductible is $100. You'd probably pay something like $300-$400 total out of that bill. All because this warranty company wont pay these things. In summary. You may, in certain circumstances, save a little bit of money. You probably won't recoup your investment into such a "warranty company" though. You'll come up on the short end of the stick. They are dirty and getting more dirty by the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 - Most of them (if not all now) only pay $80 per hour for labor. We charge $89.32 per hour for labor at my shop, most other shops in my area are much higher. The remainder gets passed on to the customer. Just curious. What percentage of "labor charges" are the actual hourly wage of a mechanic ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 - Most of them (if not all now) only pay $80 per hour for labor. We charge $89.32 per hour for labor at my shop, most other shops in my area are much higher. The remainder gets passed on to the customer. How much of that goes to the trained technician doing the hands-on work? You know, the one who is actually getting dirty? a/. Approx 60% b/. Approx 70% c/. Approx 50% d/. less than 40%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Just curious. What percentage of "labor charges" are the actual hourly wage of a mechanic ? Depends on a lot. A lot has to do with the skill of the technician, a lot has to do with the set up of the shop. Our shop is very favorable to technicians. Some techs (in our area) make as little as $10 for each hour of labor. The very best probably make $40 or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Just curious. What percentage of "labor charges" are the actual hourly wage of a mechanic ? How much of that goes to the trained technician doing the hands-on work? You know, the one who is actually getting dirty?a/. Approx 60% b/. Approx 70% c/. Approx 50% d/. less than 40%. I guess Aussies and Americans think alike, and not just speak the same language Depends on a lot. A lot has to do with the skill of the technician, a lot has to do with the set up of the shop. Our shop is very favorable to technicians.Some techs (in our area) make as little as $10 for each hour of labor. The very best probably make $40 or more. So, I guess the answer is : D, less than 40% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Which explains one of the reasons I gave up the tools. The pay wasn't worth the bull**** we went through from the suits upstairs. And yet, the suits also got a portion of the labour charges. Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 So, I guess the answer is : D, less than 40% It sure is. It might seem like the shop keeps a whole lot but there are other things to be considered. You have to pay the people that run the shop. Service advisers (me), managers, other personnel. The technicians would like to think that they could do all the work and operate separate from the rest of the shop personnel, but the certainly couldn't. At least they couldn't and still sustain the amount of work that they actually do. Considering the specific volume of customers I have to deal with on a daily basis, I firmly believe this to be true. I try to downplay my job as "a guy who gives the customers" the bad news, but it's seriously much more than that. Half of the job is just bringing in potential customers... selling the company. You have to know what your are talking about (selling). You have to have people skills to deal with many types of personalities. You have to juggle multiple people at the same time... among other responsibilities. As physically strenuous as being a technician is (it's very physically taxing), being a service adviser is just as mentally strenuous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayouBrave86 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Of course my statement is only opinion.Any car will last a very, very long time as long as it's properly maintained. The main problem is that most (and I'd say at least 75%) of the vehicles on the road today are not properly maintained. It's as much my fault, as the service adviser, as it is the owner of the vehicle. That's one of the problems with the business that I'm in. Most people will jump to the conclusion that the industry as a whole is ripping them off when we tell them that they need more maintenance. For instance, when we say that the differential fluid in a Jeep needs to be replaced every 15K miles, they assume that is too often and just don't do it. Also, I blame part of the lack of maintenance on the auto industry (Ford, Chrysler, GM, Honda, Toyota, etc) as well. Many have warranties that are 7 years/75K miles, 10 years/100K miles as example. The auto industry advertises their cars as more reliable than ever. They say they don't need as much maintenance. This couldn't be any further from the truth. Yeah the problem I'm running into is that the Trailblazer or Jeep I get will likely have 50-60k already on it and I'm not really sure how well-maintained they might have been. I can get carfax reports but will those really help ease my concerns? I definitely plan on taking care of the new car once I get it. I've taken care of my 96 GC very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Which explains one of the reasons I gave up the tools. The pay wasn't worth the bull**** we went through from the suits upstairs. And yet, the suits also got a portion of the labour charges. Go figure! They certainly do make a whole lot (the suits). I can assure you that the best technicians make much, much more than the service advisers at my shop do. Double, triple, quadruple. If you work hard, you earn your keep (as a tech). My pay only changes slightly when the technicians bust their ass to get paid. I think that this is good so that we (the service advisers) don't try and sell stuff that isn't needed. We all have the customers best interests in mind when selling work. It's what is best for both the customer and the vehicle. I firmly believe that a non-commission based salary is the way to go when service advisers are concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Yeah the problem I'm running into is that the Trailblazer or Jeep I get will likely have 50-60k already on it and I'm not really sure how well-maintained they might have been. I can get carfax reports but will those really help ease my concerns? I definitely plan on taking care of the new car once I get it. I've taken care of my 96 GC very well. To be honest, I don't find Carfax reports to be reliable in the least. The only thing that they will tell you are major accidents. If a person can pay for an accident out of pocket, you won't be any the wiser. Taking care of a car to the best possible extent is the key to getting it to last as long as possible. If you buy a car with 50-60K on the odometer, you won't know how well it's been maintained... unless you have a complete service record. Even a qualified technician inspecting it can only tell you so much. To that end, it's still better to have a qualified technician (someone that you trust) look over the vehicle prior to buying it. At the very least, they should give you great talking points to the seller. They should be able to tell you potential problems and existing problems (no matter how minor) in order to bargain with the seller. Seeing the service record of the Grand Cherokee against the Trailblazer tells me that Trailblazers are more reliable. Most of GM's truck models are very reliable in my experience. It's the one good thing that I can actually claim about that company. GM knows how to build trucks that last. But... like all things auto related, it matters most how much care you put into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 As physically strenuous as being a technician is (it's very physically taxing), being a service adviser is just as mentally strenuous. Certainly is,if they think differently let them try it awhile. Pushing a wrench beats the headaches Kinda surprised your better techs don't get 50% though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Certainly is,if they think differently let them try it awhile.Pushing a wrench beats the headaches Kinda surprised your better techs don't get 50% though I don't pay a huge amount of attention to the tech's pay, but I'm pretty sure they don't. Some may approach it on good weeks. We pay our techs differently than most shops. The get a graduated scale depending on the hours they turn. If they turn more hours, they'll get more per hour. They also have a base pay that insures that if there is a down week, they will at least receive a minimum. I'm not sure what the highest of the graduated scale is on each tech. Some may actually approach 50% and I'm just not aware of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) Surely, as a Service Adviser at a dealership, you'd be dipping into every pot. You get a % of the labour charge, a % of the parts mark-up, a % of any vehicle sales (the buyer would have to deal through you come service time), etc, etc,. I bet your weekly pay is on a par, if not more, than the best paid technician, and you get to go home clean. Edited January 22, 2010 by SkinnedAussie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) They certainly do make a whole lot (the suits). I can assure you that the best technicians make much, much more than the service advisers at my shop do. Double, triple, quadruple. If you work hard, you earn your keep (as a tech).My pay only changes slightly when the technicians bust their ass to get paid. I think that this is good so that we (the service advisers) don't try and sell stuff that isn't needed. We all have the customers best interests in mind when selling work. It's what is best for both the customer and the vehicle. I firmly believe that a non-commission based salary is the way to go when service advisers are concerned. I would say, imho, flat rate pay is good for only one person....the owner of the shop. It encourages techs to do things too quickly, avoid things that don't pay so well or are difficult to do, charge more hours for the work and they suffer when the shop is slow. For all those same reasons, it's certainly not beneficial to the customer. Personally, if I ever ran a shop, the techs would be salary and get some kind of profit sharing out of it. As a tech, there's plenty to worry about already, it's not easy working on and diagnosing cars, especially today with as complex as they've become. It is SO easy to make mistakes, people just don't realize. The fact that we have to constantly worry about what job is next, if there's more work and how to get onto a job that pays better so we can make our hours detracts from the quality of work done and short changes the customers. Like I said, great for the suits, they only have to pay you a paycheck if they make money off of you and you're encouraged to upsell in a manner that brings in the most hours in the least time as opposed to simply doing what's best for the customer and life of his/her vehicle. Really not a fan of flat rate pay at all, more energy should be devoted to fixing the car right and taking care of the customer instead of constantly worrying about making hours. Edited January 22, 2010 by DCsportsfan53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Rich Fla Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I have a question. I took my car to a quicky lube the other day and now my check engine light is on. WTH? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81artmonk Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 my 2001 300M is taking on water when it rains. I took it to the dealer and they suggested a new drivers side door gasket. Well, 6 months later, when it starts raining (california) I have about a good 1/4 inch puddle of water on the floorboards. The odd thing is, it's only wet in the middle and not on the sides where it might come from the doorjam. I thought that maybe there is a defect underneath the car which is allowing water to get in when it's driven, but, I get water appearing on the floorboard, when the car is stationary too, so I am baffled. So far it's only happening on the drivers side, no where else. any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) So far it's only happening on the drivers side, no where else. any suggestions? Pull the carpet back and look for a water trail....or have someone else do it added water collects at the low point,that does not tell where the leak is...backtrack it Edited January 22, 2010 by twa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerMuscles Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I own a 2004 KIA Optima, and was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid or not. I bought the car used at 44000 miles and it currently has about 83k miles. I'm not sure if the fluid was ever changed before I bought the car. My transmission slightly slips at times, even more so when it's cold outside. I am asking this because I heard changing the transmission fluid and filter can be risky. Any insights are greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I have a question. I took my car to a quicky lube the other day and now my check engine light is on. WTH? Did they put any oil back in it? (inside joke) I see a real mechanic in your future,but ya might try taking it back first. Have you filled up gas since then?...make sure the gas cap is tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerMuscles Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I own a 2004 KIA Optima, and was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid or not. I bought the car used at 44000 miles and it currently has about 83k miles. I'm not sure if the fluid was ever changed before I bought the car. My transmission slightly slips at times, even more so when it's cold outside. I am asking this because I heard changing the transmission fluid and filter can be risky. Any insights are greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------I own a 2004 KIA Optima, and was wondering if I should change the transmission fluid or not. I bought the car used at 44000 miles and it currently has about 83k miles. I'm not sure if the fluid was ever changed before I bought the car. My transmission slightly slips at times, even more so when it's cold outside. I am asking this because I heard changing the transmission fluid and filter can be risky. Any insights are greatly appreciated. It should have been changed by now If you are already having issues ya might as well try it...Kia has a lot of tranny issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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