All garage friends must read this, too funny not to share.

Email from Customer-

Dave,

After speaking with you yesterday and indicating that the replacement of the DPF on my NISSAN would be around £800 I called in this morning on the expectation of giving you the go ahead for the work to be done. After speaking with your colleague it became apparent that this was not going to be the total cost to which I later received and disappointed to be told to expect to be paying around £1050-£1150 and therefore decided to remove the vehicle in order that I can consider my options.

After searching further afield, I have sourced the same BM11059 unit for £399+vat which includes the £1.01+vat FK11059B fitting kit (comprising of 2 gaskets and a few bolts) and delivery that will be here on Thursday.

I gather this was the DPF you intended to fit manufactured by BM Cats in South Yorkshire at £565+vat being the best price “you could find”. I phoned BM myself as a retail customer where I was offered the exact same unit for £578+vat, discounted to £528+vat if I were trade. I later called Andrew Page as a retail customer where it was £457+vat with discounts (undisclosed I am not trade) and Europarts at £440+vat.

I am not sure where your price came from but none of the Factors in the Preston are anywhere close and whether it was inflated or this was this really the price, in which case it may be time to find another supplier.

I left this morning as I am not prepared to let anyone take over £650 of my hard earned money for less than 3-4 hours work which honestly, has left a very bad taste. I do believe in an honest days pay for an honest days work, but £650 to fit a part exhaust??

This leaves me in a position that I have a DPF that needs to be fitted and therefore if you want to sharpen your pencil on the cost in order to put some money your way, rather than someone else’s and save me a little messing around.

If you give me a realistic quote, then I am happy to discuss and bring it back otherwise a garage round the corner has quoted £40-£80 to fit it although he does not have equipment to check the sensors or program the ECU parameters for the new DPF, once fitted I can take it to a mechanic he knows who does.

Other than that, I can take it to a company recommended by my sister in Stockport who is a service receptionist at FORD, NISSAN themselves, a company in Manchester or even to a friend’s garage in North Wales who has access to a diesel specialist company and at the same time spend the afternoon with my father in Rhyl.

Either way, as I have the DPF I am sure I wont be paying anything like £650 to have it fitted and I’ll leave the ball in your court..

Kind Regards
……………..
My response.

Hi Mr……….,
Thank you for your email, below I have broken down the quote given to you by my colleague and hopefully clears up any confusion.

£546 DPF BM cats (this is retail price)
£276 3x £69 per hour labour (this includes specialist engineering where required ie damaged threads, specialist equipment and tools for ecu programming etc etc)
£90 (diagnostics) Already paid
£26.35 (Gaskets and bolts from Nissan)
+ vat @ 20%

£938.35
-£90 (paid)

£848+ vat (as quoted by myself)
£169
£1017.6 inc vat.

You must appreciate we run a specialist company where we provide expertise and access to equipment which are second to none and respected globally
. In order for me to continue running this business I must earn ‘profit’ that’s correct ‘profit, there I said it. This profit allows me to continually develop and grow my business so I can continue to train my staff and equip my workshop with the very latest equipment allowing me to carry out specialists diagnostic repairs and ecu coding/ programming etc not to mention things like rent, insurance, paye, bills, wages etc etc. you get the picture. So the quote you have been given includes all the access not only to our expertise and equipment but also includes making profit in labour and parts which is the lifeblood of my business and allows me to make sure that we’re here tomorrow offering the same fantastic service for all our customers.

Now let me ask you a question, imagine yourself walking into a top quality restaurant and deciding what you like eat/drink from the menu and then calling the waiter over to take your order.
Upon taking your order you question all the prices for food and drink items on the bill and say to the waiter and chef that you can go down to your local supermarket or wine shop and buy all the ingredients cheaper and not only that but you also have a mate who can cook it for far less money.
Admittedly he’s not a very good chef and hasn’t got the proper kitchen equipment necessary. But you really would like to continue to sit and eat at the restaurant and eat your own food and drink your own wine. I can only imagine the look on the chefs face and how quickly the waiter would throw you out for being both rude and disrespectful.

What you’re offering me is no different and I’m equally offended and I respectfully decline not to serve you or help you in any way now or in the future, I suggest it’s you who goes away and sharpens your pencils in both manners and respect.
I’m afraid it’s your attitude and lack of respect which has led to the terrible and un roadworthy condition of your vehicle and I wish you all the luck in getting this problem fixed.

Yours sincerely
Dave Massey