Eye watering experience
There is currently an ad on TV where Roy Keane is asked by a barber if he would like his eyebrows trimmed, only a fiver...each. To which Keane responds, "Are you having a laugh?!"
I have a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 400 quad and after seeing steam from the radiator (no warning lights)thought I would get the coolant changed or topped up. A search online showed IGM as a Polaris stockist so I headed over and purchased a bottle. I discovered that they also serviced quads and so booked it in for an oil and coolant change. I also requested that they have a look at the foot brake which wasn't operational. On delivering the quad I brought back the bottle of coolant for them to use and asked a ball park figure for the service. I was told that labour was €85 plus VAT per hour. I'm not a mechanic, I couldn't service the quad myself and thought that at that rate these guys obviously valued their skills so I headed off thinking I'd be getting a bill of €300-350.
I got a phone call the following week saying that the foot brake needed a new master cylinder and a new bleed screw in the rear caliper. The cost of the cylinder was €150 but it wasn't in stock and since the front brakes were working I said just to go ahead with the oil and coolant change.
Two days later I got an email saying the quad was serviced and the bill was attached. I was gut punched when I got a bill for €848.55, the labour costs alone were €552.50 before VAT i.e. six and a half hours labour. I rang to double check that it took six and a half hours to change the oil and coolant and was reassured that it did indeed take that amount of time and it was undertaken by the most experienced mechanic. I read the invoice again to see where the time had been spent and saw that the gearbox oil and fuel filters were changed and the cooling system was pressure tested. I was charged €5 for coolant and that I had also received a pressure wash, start and run test and had the new Wildcat tires kicked.
When I collected the quad I asked to return the bottle of coolant that I had purchased the week before and it was graciously refunded off the bill. So I paid the outstanding €824.57 and collected my unwashed quad and headed home with my tail between my legs.
While the service from both the Parts and Service departments was civil and professional I have to draw attention to the fact that when you're charging so much for your expertise that the bill doesn't get padded by extras that were not sought or asked for. If I'm being billed for a power wash (was only power washed by me two weeks previously)and it wasn't done it sows doubt as to what else was or wasn't done in the six and a half hours.