I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

andyv wrote:
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

The going rate for a 4 wheel alignment on a big Hunter alignment rig
(assuming that's what your garage used) isn't as much as £85+VAT around
these parts.

However, such alignment machines are very expensive, and if the garage
were to do the same work with greased plates, spirit levels, protractors
and bits of string, it would have taken considerably longer than 20 minutes.

--
Douglas

andyv wrote:
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

only if the price increased after you agreed to it? you were free to get a
second opinion elsewhere before the work?

"andyv" wrote in message
...
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous,

If it were for labour alone you'de be right, but you haven't taken into
account the cost of the equipment used. It has a finite life, and at a
projected date has to have repaid the initial investment and any running
costs. On top of that there are the overheads of the garage, plus a profit
margin.

Was I unfairly charged?

Possibly, but a fair price would still have to include all the costs
mentioned, not just that for labour.
Mike

andyv wrote:
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check.

Now, I wonder why they offer that free check? ;-)

"andyv" wrote in message
...
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

I'm looking at buying a decent alignment system and you don't get any change
from £10k , you could pay someone £20 to track it with a good old Dunlop
gauge.

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:33:55 -0000, "Fred"
wrote:


"andyv" wrote in message
...
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

I'm looking at buying a decent alignment system and you don't get any change
from £10k , you could pay someone £20 to track it with a good old Dunlop
gauge.

Or you could buy a laser from poundland and use your steel rule to
check it. And then spend 3 hours to find the best setting is when both
track rods are set to makers refrence length in service manual.

Or get a ball of string.
--
Peter Hill
Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header
Can of worms - what every fisherman wants.
Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

On Tue, 9 Mar 2010 02:22:14 -0800 (PST), andyv
wrote:

I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

Often depends on how many adjustments they made.

Usually will have a base charge ~£30 just to roll car on to rig,
agreeing to having job done could have triggered that even though
check was free.

Then it's usually about £10-£15 per adjustment. 4 wheel tracking
needing all 4 doing £40-60.

Many cars have camber adjustments too, often it's just rear but toe
and camber interact so another £20-£30.

And that total's between £60 and £90 without a base charge.

But prices vary wildly, whole car fixed price for anything from £50 to
£120.
--
Peter Hill
Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header
Can of worms - what every fisherman wants.
Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Peter Hill gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying:

Was I unfairly charged?

Often depends on how many adjustments they made.

Very, very few cars have adjustment to anything but front wheel toe.

On 9 Mar, 10:22, andyv wrote:
I got a new tyre for my series 1 BMW, cost about £100+VAT. As this is
a run flat tyre the price seemed OK and this included a free tracking
check. They next produced an elaborate print out showing all my wheels
out of alignment, and I agreed reluctantly for them to carry out the
necessary at a cost of £85+VAT.

They had a computerised display in the waiting area where you could
see each of the wheels being realigned. This took about 20 minutes and
involved no parts.

On reflection the labour charge seems enormous, and I can see they
must attract customers going in for what seems a reasonably priced
job, then charging over the odds for extras. Carpet shops seem to do
the same with underlay and grippers.

Was I unfairly charged?

I got the same service for £25 including VAT from STS Tyre Pro in
Hemel Hempstead, using similar high tech equipment. Perhaps your tyre
dealers ripped you off because you have a BMW and they thought they
could get away with it.

Any chance of naming names, so I can avoid them?

Derek C