Dilemma - to pay or not to pay?
Folks: I had an issue with a vehicle that I could not figure out; I'm a pretty competent home mechanic and rarely take anything to a shop. The shop where I took it spent 4 hours on the vehicle and...
Forum Discussion
fitznj wrote:
In this case, the shop told me that by doing X, it would fix the problem, they did X and it DIDN'T fix the problem. They offered to do Y - at which point I said no and fixed the problem myself.
This to me says it all. The diagnosis was wrong, and nothing was fixed. Ethics applies both ways here. Unless it was agreed in writing that the labor was due regardless of outcome, the shop should not be expecting payment for something it could not deliver.
I've had shops try to find a problem only to fail, and not charge a dime. And that was a dealer. And I've had shops tell me up front that it's a per hour charge and I was obligated to pay regardless or outcome. In both instances I was told up front what to expect. That is the obligation of the shop.
