>Sometimes the issue is not the certification, but just the fact that
>they are bad businessman. I once had an ASE guy quote me flat rate for
>a pan replacement, then tell me that he was going to charge me flat
>rate labor to replace the rusted out front pipe as an additional job
>he'd have to do. The front pipe already had to come on and off as part
>of the flat rate pan job. Guess he thought I was ignorant and he'd get
>away with it.
Oh brother, you hit a nerve there. The wife took her "Exploder" to the
dealer for a bad alternator. There was an extended warranty in place.
($100
deductible) I had just replaced the factory battery with a new, 6 year
battery from WalMart just 8 weeks earlier. I left the wife in charge and
went out of the area on business. Later, she got a call from the dealer
and
Ford recommended replacing the serpentine belt while doing the alternator
repair as the vehicle had 70K on the clock. My wife picked up the car and
paid the bill, $370. The warranty covered the alternator but, Ford
charged
full book labor for replacing the belt (even though you had to remove the
belt to replace the alternator). They also replaced the battery saying it
wouldn't take a charge. That was $125 plus $25 installation plus a $20
disposal fee. (The WalMart battery was $69 installed, period) I went back
and disputed the bill to no avail. I did get my "old" battery back. I put
it
on a charger and it had a full charge within 6 hours. That was three years
ago and I'm, still using that battery in another application. So, my wife
got robbed in a fully certified garage by certified mechanics.
Certification for mechanics is sort of like credentialing for teachers. It
helps so some degree, but dang, if you weren't born to be a mechanic, no
certification will make you one. You have to have the knack. And even that
is no guarantee that you are honest.
--
R J Talley
Teacher/James Madison Fellow
"What? Me Worry? Alfred E Newman
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