I am self employed and work on planes, trains, boats, heavy trucks, and cars. I find all of this quite amusing. A recent trade article states a modern car to have more electronics than what was used to put the first man on the moon!!! If one mechanic says $600 and the other wants $200 is this a sign of dishonesty??? What are the services to be performed? Fixing a symptom or fixing a problem? Good parts, used parts or duct tape? BTW I love estimates! They enable me raise my prices and give no incentive to offer less. In other words, hey the alternator is good but here's a blown fuse. Well the customer is expecting to pay $150, he wants to compare estimates. Will I charge just $5.00 YES I will, unless he keeps sticking it to me with the other guys estimate (even then I would charge just $5.00). So here is the little secret, your mechanic is in a profession where "the less he knows, the more he makes". Thats right! I fix alternators for a living. I have told thousands, yes thousands of people to tighten their fan belts and they will be fine. Here's the catch 22....If ask the cars mileage and suggest that the alternator should be rebuilt, even tho' the belt is loose, I'm a crook. If you tell them to tighten the belt and six weeks later the high mileage alternator dies I.m an idiot!!! All of this for $30k a year with no vacations or sick leave!!! No wonder you have a hard time finding a mechanic....He ain't workin cheap enough. BTW the few I know that are making enough money are doing 60-80 hours a week. I'm know, been there done that. I'm old now and worn out .....A quick story. A customer comes in with his Dodge truck. Shuck's alternator, (I love that name, and you buy parts from these guys) new battery, and a new regulator, He complains that it is overcharging. Somehow after spending all this money he knows me on a first name basis. Back to the story, I open the hood and with no tools in hand, nothing at all, I tell him to tighten the ground strap on the back of the valve cover. He did, the amp gage dropped to normal. He says......Are you ready......DO I OWE YOU FOR THAT!!!!!! I said no, you have paid enough. (see the" more you know, the less you make" statement above) Mike, AKA oldcranky....hey earned it this time When you go th the dealership and write a check......The service writer, the part guy, the mechanic, and the dealership get a cut!!! That's right, on top of their pay. Hey who is paying for that fancy building??? When your state gov't says you, by law must receive a written estimate, the honesty issue goes away. The mechanic has given you a written estimate and has no moral reason to charge less! He is complying with the law, You get full boat! Here in Oregon, it's my call. My honesty and reputation are always on the line. Do you expect your mechanic to be as smart as your doctor who has only one model to work? Gee Doc another $500 test! Seen any nice phonos lately?
