greg0723

i am pissed off. last week brought my car in for an oil change and the latest recall. they told me i need some work done to my car. so this week i decided to have my brake fluid cleaned out for $150 they said it needed to be done and change my spark plugs for $250. so when i go i show the guy the paper and quoted prices on it. he looks at his computer and says those are the prices he has. later when i go to pick up my car he tells me he left a voicemail (which i didnt check i hardly check them right away) saying the $250 was the price when my recall was being done. the price to change the spark plugs are $468. WTF? 30min drive 1 way i had to do 4 times. i wasted 2 hrs driving and all those hours sitting around waiting for my car and all they did was the brake fluid. lexus service is pissing me off with the 2 dealerships around my way. how can he tell me he has the same price as me then boost the price up $238?

sjgIS350

cause the have to do the labor again. Sounds like they tried to tell you why, but you didn't check your VM..so this is the dealers fault? Sound like your problem.

greg0723

how is it my fault? did you read the part where i sat down with the guy to confirm the prices and he told me those were the exact prices showing in his computer. if they werent the prices he could of told me right then and there.

as3.0cl

iTrader: (2)

what labor? opening the hood again....brake system has nothing to do with spark plugs.

Noticed your in CT, what dealer?

sjgIS350

Trip one: recall and oil change
Trip two: Brake fluid (one of the things identified in trip one apparently) and plugs

Trip one recall (fuel issue??? OP didn't say) involves some of the same labor as the plugs. Thus, going in on trip two involves doing the labor again.

greg0723

sjgIS350 you just dont get it do you? i know labor costs. my issue is the guy told me at his desk when i arrived it will be $250. im mad because 4 hours later he wants to change the price on me. if he told me at his desk it was $468 i would of just went home and had my day to my self.


as3 i went to Hoffman Lexus in east hartford.

Vroomin350

iTrader: (28)

Ya what does "labor again" have anything to do with price. I work at a dealership and when we quote people on a service that already includes the labor.

sjgIS350

Maybe I misunderstood your original post. I thought you were saying that on first trip he told you $250 price (the save the labor price). Are you saying he told you that on the second trip???

If so I retract my flame! Call the dealership..if that won't work, call Lexus customer service..

If you based your expected price on a quote give at the first estimate, then I stand by my original statement.

sjgIS350

So if I come in for a recall that involves certain labor and this certain labor is also required for another service, you will charge me the labor you are supposed to do for free on the recall? If so THAT is a ripoff!

Now if I come back another day, and the labor has to be done again, I should have to pay for it, thus "labor again".

Vroomin350

iTrader: (28)

I think sjg has the situation mistaken and thats understandable.
I can see where the confusion might occur but sjg, there was no extra trip for the plugs, they had told him they would do it the same day they were doing the brakes @$250, waited till he left the dealership and called to inform of a different price.

Some shady dealerships actually use that as a tactic, a lot of people out there who dont read through forums like us and dont know their exhaust from their intake... and guess what.. those same people get screwed by service advisors who make them believe their car will blow up if the service doesnt get done.

Vroomin350

iTrader: (28)

ok but read his OP again, the price quotes were given to him and changed THE SAME day.
Its not like they quoted him $250, he went home and brought it another day.

greg0723

Hope this is much clearer lol. 04//18/11 oil change and recall and they give me a paper with services to be done which included (brake fluid change at $150 and spark plugs at $250).

04/22/11 i bring my car in and as we fill out the loaner paper work i show him the paper with those prices at 10am and he looks at his computer screen and says those prices are what he has so he agreed to the $250. at 4pm when i pick my car up (never had a missed call from lexus but somehow a voicemail) he says he didnt do the spark plugs because it will cost $468. the $250 quote was last week when my car was in for the recall.

hope that sums it up better.

greg0723

can i go to a toyota dealership and change the spark plugs? i may consider that.

projectdna

iTrader: (56)

sounds like the dealership quoted you the lower price for swapping spark plugs under the impression that you did not have the valve spring recall performed yet.

that's not so much lying to you as it is a misunderstanding.

sjgIS350

maybe I don't get it..but....

"last week brought my car in for an oil change and the latest recall. they told me i need some work done to my car. so this week i decided to have my brake fluid cleaned out for $150 they said it needed to be done and change my spark plugs for $250. so when i go i show the guy the paper and quoted prices on it"

Last week/this week implies two separate trips...OP is this correct?
On trip one were you given the $150/brake fluid (real rip off btw) and $250 plug quote? If so, that was the quote for then. If the Service advisor quoted you $250 on the second trip, then you should be pissed and feel ripped off. Did you sign something on the second trip (e.g. an estimate on price?)