Rip off or just lack of product knowledge? (1 Viewer)

[bellabee]

On our way back from a weekend away in our new German import, we dropped in at a caravan/motorhome dealership with large accessories shop and workshop to buy a Calor-lite. We're currently running on the grey German gas cylinder which came with the van.

We knew that the Calor cylinder wouldn't fit straight on to the German regulator, so we enquired as to what adaptor we would need to fit it. The assistant didn't know, so called (what I assume to be) the Service Manager to take a look at our gas locker. - Sharp intake of breath!

'You can't just fit the Calor onto that regulator. You need a new bulkhead mounted regulator fitting. If you'd like to come inside, we can book you in for us to do it.' What would the cost be to carry out this work? 'Probably 2 hours labour plus parts - so in the region of £300 including VAT.'

Quick phone call to Gaslow. 'What you need is Easyfit Adaptor No 01-1674 at £21.20 including delivery. It'll be with you on Monday.'

Thank you Gaslow!

 

[scotjimland]

defo rip off.. shouldn't take longer than an hour, say £50 labour ..

Parts: bulk head regulator with pigtail £76 (that's retail .. they will buy cheaper)

= £126

 

[Jaws]

Probably complete lack of knowledge truth be told

Oh, AND a total rip off too !!!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I don't like the term "rip off" thrown around all the time. Whoever it is and whatever they are doing they are providing a service that presumably you can't do for yourself. Therefore they have every right to charge whatever they like for that service. If you don't like the price go somewhere else. If the market supports their charges good luck to them. There is no "rip off" involved.

The only time I believe "rip off" is appropriate is if someone is trying to tell you that you need unnecessary work. Saying someone is "trying to rip you off" just because you think their price is too high is completely out of order IMHO.

Most of you would probably think my charges for a part of what I do are a "rip off." I couldn't care less. If you don't want to pay me what I want either do it yourself or try and find someone who is prepared to do it properly for less. Good luck with that

 

[scotjimland]

Price quoted IMVHO Is a rip-off by any definition..

rip-off
noun
informal
noun: rip-off; plural noun: rip-offs; noun: ripoff; plural noun: ripoffs
a fraud or swindle, especially something that is grossly overpriced.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

especially something that is grossly overpriced.

And who gets to decide if something is "grossly overpriced"?

Surely if the person is staying in business the market supports their charges and therefore by definition they can't be "grossly overpriced"

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

@NickNic
I answered the OPs question.. it was my opinion..

If you are happy paying over £200 for labour to fit a regulator, and think that is fair.. fine, lets agree to disagree ..

 

[Judge Mental]

Faced with same situation when I imported last van just got wall mounted regulator from GasIt £21...

£300? indefensible IMO, but not surprised, perfect example why I give UK dealers a wide berth!lol

what a waste of time....

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I answered the OPs question.. it was my opinion..

If you are happy paying over £200 for labour to fit a regulator, and think that is fair.. fine, lets agree to disagree ..

Personally, no I wouldn't be but I am capable of doing that particular job myself. If it was something that I needed immediately, couldn't do myself and that person would do it on the spot then, yes, no problem with paying for it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[bellabee]

If you don't like the price go somewhere else. If the market supports their charges good luck to them. There is no "rip off" involved.

The market doesn't support it. I would, most definitely have gone somewhere else.

The only time I believe "rip off" is appropriate is if someone is trying to tell you that you need unnecessary work

I suspect that they may have been doing just that, but was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, and put it down to lack of knowledge.

try and find someone who is prepared to do it properly for less. Good luck with that

Thank you for your good wishes, but I'm totally confident that I would be able to find someone who would be prepared to do it properly for less.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

I think the issue is the labour time quoted and not the hourly rate. To remove one bulkhead regulator and replace with another is only a pipe fitting remove/refit and a bracket remove/refit with the possibility of drilling a couple of holes for the new bracket followed by a pressure test.
Even with driving in and out the workshop, the time quoted would be difficult to go much above 45 minutes all done, so I cannot see that the quote is fair or reasonable.
Personally I think it is the case that the dealer knows you have found a good deal overseas and inflated the quote as some way to redress the lost trade. As others have reported the difficulty of getting bookings at dealers you did not buy from is quite common.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

The market doesn't support it.

If it didn't they wouldn't still be in business.

I suspect that they may have been doing just that, but was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, and put it down to lack of knowledge.

Sorry, no. You knew you needed a new regulator or adapter, that's why you were there in the first place so it obviously wasn't unnecessary work.

It may be that they didn't want to do the work and therefore priced it away. That isn't the same thing at all, it's standard practice. Anyone who's ever priced any job in any field anywhere has done plenty of times.

Thank you for your good wishes, but I'm totally confident that I would be able to find someone who would be prepared to do it properly for less.

If you had read my post properly I was referring to my business in that sentence, not your situation.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bobby22]

And who gets to decide if something is "grossly overpriced"?

Surely if the person is staying in business the market supports their charges and therefore by definition they can't be "grossly overpriced"

What your saying is people can't, under any circumstances,be " ripped off '.
If you watch watchdog on tv you will see that it does happen.

People go to suppliers they think they can trust . In OP case a motorhome dealer
The dealer obviously through ignorance or greed quoted an exceptionally high price. By anyones standard a rip off if you consider what is involved.

As you say market forces will decide what a job is worth, and on this occasion the OP took his business elsewhere.

It is your prerogative to charge what you like........if you think "that most of you would probably think my charges for a part of what i do are a rip off".

Then they probably are..........and i couldn't care less.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

It is your prerogative to charge what you like........if you think "that most of you would probably think my charges for a part of what i do are a rip off.

Then they probably are..........and i couldn't care less.

As long as enough people disagree with you to keep me in beer neither could I

I should just point out that this isn't really relevant because what I do isn't motorhome, or even vehicle, related.

 

[Bobby22]

I should just point out that this isn't really relevant because what I do isn't motorhome, or even vehicle, related.

You were the one that used what you do as example.

Keep enjoying the beer

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Keep enjoying the beer

I will. Cheers

 

[chaser]

For that money he could of had a complete gas it refillable system and fitted it himself.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Anyway, as interesting as this all is, the point I was attempting to make is that I don't think it is right to automatically substitute "expensive" or "very expensive" with "rip off"

The price quote to the OP was undoubtedly expensive but there's nothing inherently wrong with that. The work needed doing and the dealer provided their quote for said work. They obviously had their reasons for the quote provided.

It's entirely up to the customer at that point to decide whether or not they are happy with the price and to order the work or go elsewhere.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Paddywack]

Anyway, as interesting as this all is, the point I was attempting to make is that I don't think it is right to automatically substitute "expensive" or "very expensive" with "rip off"

The price quote to the OP was undoubtedly expensive but there's nothing inherently wrong with that. The work needed doing and the dealer provided their quote for said work. They obviously had their reasons for the quote provided.

It's entirely up to the customer at that point to decide whether or not they are happy with the price and to order the work or go elsewhere.

So at what point on the price continuum does "expensive" become "rip off" for you?

 

[chaser]

Anyway, as interesting as this all is, the point I was attempting to make is that I don't think it is right to automatically substitute "expensive" or "very expensive" with "rip off"

The price quote to the OP was undoubtedly expensive but there's nothing inherently wrong with that. The work needed doing and the dealer provided their quote for said work. They obviously had their reasons for the quote provided.

It's entirely up to the customer at that point to decide whether or not they are happy with the price and to order the work or go elsewhere.

If the dealer was talking to some poor old pensioners who didn't know any better it was without a shadow of doubt a ripoff, and they would accepted it at face value and been ripped off.
So , what else could it be.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

So at what point on the price continuum does "expensive" become "rip off" for you?

It doesn't as long as the work is something that is required or it's something the customer insists on having. If the person quoting for the work can do it sooner than anyone else or is prepared to drop everything and do it immediately or if it's not something they would normally bother with but will do it to get the customer out of trouble or anything else along these lines why shouldn't they charge as big a premium as they want for the work?

As I said before the only time I find the term "rip off" acceptable is when the work being quoted for is unnecessary and of no benefit to the customer.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

If the dealer was talking to some poor old pensioners who didn't know any better it was without a shadow of doubt a ripoff, and they would accepted it at face value and been ripped off.
So , what else could it be.

Nothing to stop the poor old pensioners getting another quote for the work.

 

[chaser]

Nothing to stop the poor old pensioners getting another quote for the work.

Why would they if they thought they were dealing with an honest guy they could trust.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Why would they if they thought they were dealing with an honest guy they could trust.

Why on earth would they think that?

I thought it was a commercial transaction we were talking about, not doing someone a favour.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chaser]

It doesn't as long as the work is something that is required or it's something the customer insists on having. If the person quoting for the work can do it sooner than anyone else or is prepared to drop everything and do it immediately or if it's not something they would normally bother with but will do it to get the customer out of trouble or anything else along these lines why shouldn't they charge as big a premium as they want for the work?

As I said before the only time I find the term "rip off" acceptable is when the work being quoted for is unnecessary and of no benefit to the customer.

Don't know what line of business you are in but I hope I never have to deal with you.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Don't know what line of business you are in but I hope I never have to deal with you.

There's every chance you already have done

 

[Judge Mental]

Why would they if they thought they were dealing with an honest guy they could trust.

exactly..... its predatory pricing how ever some wish to dress it up

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chaser]

Why on earth would they think that?

I thought it was a commercial transaction we were talking about, not doing someone a favour.

because there are still a few honest people about

 

[Deleted member 29692]

It comes back to that same question again and again.

Why is profit a dirty word for so many people?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

because there are still a few honest people about

So in your opinion what is an acceptable margin for a trader to make? 10%? 30%? 50%? 200%?

If they charge £50 for a job that costs them £40 to do what's the point in them bothering with it really?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}