How much should front discs and pads cost? Fleeced by Kwik Fit

randomnut

Hi,

Just wondering what is a reasonable price for front discs and pads to be replaced on a Vauxhall insignia? I'm talking supplied and fitted, not bought online and fitted myself or whatever.

Went into Kwik Fit today (big mistake) to get my brakes looked at as they didn't feel quite right and found the front discs and pads needed replacing. Got quoted, and I suspect like a massive fool paid £308 for that work to be done.

I suspect that work should have actually been a lot cheaper. If that is the case, I presume that is now an expensive lesson and I have no recourse being that nobody forced me to take them up on that (I was suckered in by the urgency of the work needing to be done, according to them) and should have called around first.

Have I been completely had?

Marktheshark

randomnut wrote: »

Hi,

Have I been completely had?

Short Answer Yes, Long answer NO, they usually try it on a lot more than that.
Discs £72 + vat pads £29 + vat about an hour to do the job if you mess about and have a pot of tea.

loskie

http://m.vauxhall.co.uk/servicing-and-repairs/fixed-price-repairs.html

randomnut

Marktheshark wrote: »

Short Answer Yes, Long answer NO, they usually try it on a lot more than that.
Discs £72 + vat pads £29 + vat about an hour to do the job if you mess about and have a pot of tea.

Thanks for the info, taking into account some labour cost, feel a bit sick paying basically double for that work!

That will teach me not to simply walk around and ring around first. Really the wrong time of year to get fleeced like that!

BykerSands

Marktheshark wrote: »

Short Answer Yes, Long answer NO, they usually try it on a lot more than that.
Discs £72 + vat pads £29 + vat about an hour to do the job if you mess about and have a pot of tea.

With those figures it makes labour £121 an hour.

For a kwikfit [STRIKE]fitter[/STRIKE] monkey to do the work the only answer is yes.

Are you going back tomorrow for new tyres and track rod ends?

BykerSands

loskie wrote: »

http://m.vauxhall.co.uk/servicing-and-repairs/fixed-price-repairs.html

Nice short answer and with facts to back it up. Take note bigjulie.

randomnut

BykerSands wrote: »

With those figures it makes labour £121 an hour.

For a kwikfit [STRIKE]fitter[/STRIKE] monkey to do the work the only answer is yes.

Are you going back tomorrow for new tyres and track rod ends?

Never going back there again!! Makes you wonder why they go for ripping people off for one off jobs rather than doing reasonable prices and getting repeat custom. Surely they can't assume people will pay those prices and then simply not ask around even after the fact so they know not to go back!

BykerSands

randomnut wrote: »

Never going back there again!! Makes you wonder why they go for ripping people off for one off jobs rather than doing reasonable prices and getting repeat custom. Surely they can't assume people will pay those prices and then simply not ask around even after the fact so they know not to go back!

I'm always amazed how they always seem to have the parts you need in stock too.

loskie

do they have any sort of "price promise" if so worth challenging them.

Marktheshark

The over heads of these firms are enormous.
Only the fitters generate income, from that income they have a manager, office staff, then area manager and his office, then regional manager and their office, then a board of directors who will be on a small fortune, all with copper bottomed pensions, the company cars and fuel bills.

All this has to be paid for from nothing but what the spanner boys do.

Hence why a garage where the mechanic does his own books and answers his own phone will always cost less, they only have one wage to earn.

You pay the wages of dozens at big chains.

randomnut

Marktheshark wrote: »

The over heads of these firms are enormous.
Only the fitters generate income, from that income they have a manager, office staff, then area manager and his office, then regional manager and their office, then a board of directors who will be on a small fortune, all with copper bottomed pensions, the company cars and fuel bills.

All this has to be paid for from nothing but what the spanner boys do.

Hence why a garage where the mechanic does his own books and answers his own phone will always cost less, they only have one wage to earn.

You pay the wages of dozens at big chains.

Fair point. I am surprised though that I've been had for way above even main dealer pricing. Considering I (wrongly) assumed these places were good for reasonable work cheaper than the main dealer.