I was raised with this saying singing in my ears...….You can shear a sheep Every year..you can skin him Once.
Latest NC inspection fiasco
- Thread starter Ikarus1
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Ikarus1
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Except it would not be a choice of cup of coffee, it would be the last available time to buy any coffee or get fined by the state for not buying it. . So you would have to buy that coffee by their designated agent. And that agent would be someone who sells other things not required, but working for the state is a good way to get repeat customers. So he would charge $50 for that liquid coffee when the beans cost $5, then he would charge $5 for brewing it, and another $10 for the cup. Or I could bring my own cup and water and he could brew it for me for $5
There's your analogy.
I had a shop try to tell me my high pressure hose on my power steering was bad after an inspection. Quoted me a price. I turned him down. Drove home with the car smoking like it was on fire. Got to looking and they had loosened the high pressure hose. Didn’t have an issue going in. Didn’t have an issue after I tightened the hose. That’s scamming folks.
Charging me to do a job I can’t isn’t scamming. I don’t give away my time either.
Personally, I try to figure if it’s cheaper to do it myself. Or if I can make more than the mechanic and let him do it. Or if I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. For the most part I do my own work. But when I can’t I get a quote and if I’m fine with it I pay it and go on.
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Charging me to do a job I can’t isn’t scamming. I don’t give away my time either.
Personally, I try to figure if it’s cheaper to do it myself. Or if I can make more than the mechanic and let him do it. Or if I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. For the most part I do my own work. But when I can’t I get a quote and if I’m fine with it I pay it and go on.
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Skilled labor isn’t cheap. Cheap labor isn’t skilled. Pay the man or eff it up yourself.
My routine for vehicle maintenance/repair is if I can do it well and without too much aggravation, I do it.
If I can’t, I get someone I trust and pay them.
Actually applies to all kinds of repairs, sometimes even if I “can do it”....I decide its best to leave it to a professional who does it every day....and pay them.
And yes, it is most often higher than I expect...but its done right and I didn’t have to get frustrated/stressed doing it or miss work.
Disclaimer;
It does help that I have lived in the same community for 50yrs and as my wife says “I must be a member of the good ole boys club”.
(Often I know or even grew up with the professionals and business owners I have been speaking of)
If I can’t, I get someone I trust and pay them.
Actually applies to all kinds of repairs, sometimes even if I “can do it”....I decide its best to leave it to a professional who does it every day....and pay them.
And yes, it is most often higher than I expect...but its done right and I didn’t have to get frustrated/stressed doing it or miss work.
Disclaimer;
It does help that I have lived in the same community for 50yrs and as my wife says “I must be a member of the good ole boys club”.
(Often I know or even grew up with the professionals and business owners I have been speaking of)
This.
My old man would tell me to do the math- I make X amount of money per hour, how many hours as a unskilled, untrained, no warranty, shade tree knuckle busting , mad, dirty DIY... is it going to take me Vs. paying a pro to do it.
Most of the time I make more doing my job and paying someone to do theirs.
But I don't agree to the price, have the work done and the cry because it was done faster than I thought.
That like a woman crying "rape" after agreeing to have sex ....
DrScaryGuy
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THIS
It's like every mechanic here seems to think complaining about a scammer is a personal attack. does that say something about them? i dunno, you decide.
The last time I heard griping like this it was from crappy CHL instructors arguing against constitutional carry laws because they're the only ones professional enough ...
I am more than capable of doing a whole lot of things, but I know my limits. If something is near or above my limit, or if I know it's going to take a lot of time I can't spare, I'll GLADLY pay somebody else to do it.
I just paid a lot of money to get my home hvac torn out and every last bit replaced (except for some of the wiring) because the last person who did something to it was working above his skill set. Too many variables and risks for me to deal with. The guy said "these panel vents don't give near enough air, so you're going to want to go to the store and pick up a FILTER GRILLE and put it in. not just a grille, a FILTER GRILLE, there's a difference"
"yeah, i know ... but that's not part of the replacement service?"
"not a standard part, no. and you don't want it to be. It's a $30 part, but you don't want me spending any more time out here with my and my guys to install it when I already know it's something you can do quick by yourself"
Or the auto shop I used to go to (my wife recommended him when we met...) The first time I went there he gave me a list of all the suggested repairs and the estimate. I said "break that down into what I NEED and what I can live without for now" and he immediately knocked half the things off the list without any BS, and then asked if I knew how to do XYZ myself because that would save me other $$$. After that, I decided I'd rather push my car into his shop than drive it somewhere else. I think he felt bad for me because my wife likes to pay top$ for every recommended ounce of headlight fluid and enhanced full synthetic oil every 2 months or 2,000 miles that some shops suggest.
matttahoe53
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My mistake, I didn’t realize vehicular ownership became compulsory in NC since I left.
Auto mechanics are no different than plumbers,roofers,hairdressers,waitresses,cops,doctors,veterinarians(just for you Micky)etc.Good ones,bad ones,and indifferent ones.Find one you trust or you will have something to complain about.
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I think you should go the SC way and get rid of vehicle inspections. That'll make everyone happy, right?
Just kidding, I know everyone here thinks they're for "safety".
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DrScaryGuy
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HAHAHAHAHA yeah, that. safety.
random
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Same in my business, but it's not fully reflected in the pay rates. I can code the same thing in 1/10 the time of someone new in the field. Problem is, I get maybe 2-3x the pay. What's funny is the attitude of many companies, who would rather hire 10 kids at $25/hr instead of one older guy like me at $70, even though I can get more done than their entire team. (who are all going to find another job paying more in 2 years).
Aye, there's the rub...
I've been screwed by two locals, and the third in the area isn't full-service. It seems quite a trick to get an honest & reliable mechanic, at least in my area.
I seem to recall an effort to get them dropped a few years ago, but it didn't go anywhere. The actual data I saw at the time showed that it doesn't really do much.
OP
Ikarus1
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No but if you don't pay your TAX AND TAG together (which requires inspection) then you don't drive. If you guys think that paying $425 for a set of brake shoes is a good deal, I'll be happy to install them on your 2003 Suburban for $200 all day long. I took 3 years of Auto Mech in school, and I suppose ASE certification means something more than I think it does. I've invested in quite a bit of my own tools but I'm not gonna rape someone for a 1.5hr job because the book say it's a 5 hr job.
Safety my ass, it was low hanging fruit.
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fishgutzy
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that it is illegal for the place that is doing your inspection to recommend or quote for any repairs. It is a conflict of interest.
Same reason home inspectors can't provide any estimate or referral for anything of the findings.
The state sends testers out to verify compliance.
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Same reason home inspectors can't provide any estimate or referral for anything of the findings.
The state sends testers out to verify compliance.
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NCLivingBrit
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Nope, they always want to "fix" something before you can get your inspection finalized
Other than a bulb being out, I don't recall ever having anything at an inspection other than, "Sir, your car is ready". And up until last month my newest car was a 2008 with 100k on it.
Finding something wrong is the only way for a shop to make any money doing inspections.
Here in VA the state sets the price for an inspection at $16. And mandates that it must take at least 45 minutes. But a halfway decent mechanics get billed out for $60 per hour for other work.
So the state says you must spend almost an hour on an inspection, but you can't charge even half your normal rate. You have to find something wrong or else you're losing money every time.
fishgutzy
Senior Member
That's a pretty stupid law. The only vehicle inspection that should come close to 45 minutes is bringing a used car in for a prepurchase inspection.
I've never had a annual inspection take more than a few minutes.
Even my old 93 YJ that had rust didn't take long. But they didn't check the parking brake. Ha!
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The issue I have with inspections is that is seems like Im the only one that has to play by the damn rules. My truck failed inspection for tint, after it passed the previous 2 years at the same shop. So no I have to have the tint removed, and new tint added. Mean while these dirt necks can ride around with blacked out side window and the ass end squatted so low there is no way they can see over the hood.
DMV likes to see a 15 min spread from the time the car is entered in the computer to the time the inspection is finished.Any more than that the guy is busy and multi tasking or just slow.
So the inspectors at my job tell me anyway
So the inspectors at my job tell me anyway
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that shop inspector probably got a fine for passing a vehicle with dark than allowed tint in between your inspections.
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Then every inspection you've had wasn't much good, was it?
They're supposed to take at least one wheel and tire off to check the thickness of the brake pads as well as inspecting the tread on all 4 tires. That alone should take several minutes.
I get that, but what about all these cars/trucks riding around with blacked out side windows. Someone is passing those vehicles, to be sure they are not peeling the tint off every year to pass. And the tint that failed on my truck was no where near blacked out, supposedly failed by a couple % points.
Generally its younger/newer inspectors that haven't been caught yet.
And you don't see the police writing tickets either. The whole process needs to go away if its not going to be far and equal across the board. It cant not be and will never be fair and equal.
Skaufma0
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Bingo. That being said there is still an expectation to not at least FEEL like you're getting screwed.
I just brought the Jeep in because I just didn't have the time to even look at it. The transmission AND Engine were overheating at idle, but not at highway speeds (text-book water pump failure). I figured for a couple hundred bucks I wouldn't have to worry about it and be on my way, easier and worth it for me.
The dealer quoted $125 for 'diagnostic', even though I told them what I wanted replaced. Then $1100 for the replacement of the water pump, and $200 on top for the water pump itself, coming to $1,425 total.
Shop around the corner quoted $720 for the whole shebang, half off the dealer, but still a little nuts considering I did the diagnostic work for them, and it's 6 bolts and some coolant.
That night I said screw it and bought the water pump for 60 bucks at Advance and replaced it in 30 minutes in my garage.
There isn't anything wrong with making money, and charging for a service, but there is something wrong with an extreme cost for something so simple and easy. There is no reason someone should charge more than $300 for what I was needing, and I think I'm being a little generous with that number.
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Since we are complaining about cost I had a Ford dealership quote me $500, with $200 of that up front for the replacement of the cabin fan. I bought the part online for $95, and installed in in 5 minutes. Literally 3 screws and a plug. They estimated that the job would take 4 hours.
Had a kid fail an old truck for a leaking master break cylinder. I asked him to show me the leak which in my opinion was just built up grime, no obvious wet spots. Of course he had a quote ready when he broke the news to me. I went back home and sprayed a few cans of break cleaner on the master cylinder which I’m turn made it look brand new. Brought it back, he was impressed with how fast I was able to replace it with a new one, and passed the inspection.
I rebuilt the 4 cyl engine in my wife's '85 Tempo in 1999, took it to Jiffy Lube for the inspection only, kid says engine is so clean, I told him I replaced the bearings, rings and valve seals. He then fails me because car has no fog pump. Pulls out some pocket sized book to show I need fog pump.
I told the kid look at the decal on the hood, car has exhaust injection so no fog pump. He still failed me. Total idiot. Fog pump on carburetor engines, this engine had central fuel injection. I contacted NC DMV emissions and got officer to stop by that station to prove I was right.
I told the kid look at the decal on the hood, car has exhaust injection so no fog pump. He still failed me. Total idiot. Fog pump on carburetor engines, this engine had central fuel injection. I contacted NC DMV emissions and got officer to stop by that station to prove I was right.
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amnesia
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So what I’m hearing is you don’t want to help me put a lean-to off the side of my storage container???
Skaufma0
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I'd do it for a 6-pack and a roll of Skoal. Any excuse to get out of the house.
What issue were you having an on what vehicle?
I have a slight issue with my fan - when I turn it on (the hvac) makes a 'clicking' noise from under the glove compartment. About 20 clicks and it's done.
Wondering if it's a common problem and how to fix
Just curious, what do you do if someone comes in for an inspection and their windows are rolled down and won't roll up? You wouldn't be able to test for tint, but is a vehicle required to have windows in NC?
Strangely, I dont recall having anyone come thru trying to game the system like that.
I personally stopped doing inspections manly due to the bs involved from both sides. Let my business partner deal with it. He pretty much goes by the book, no breaks or favors.
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I had mine inspected for 10+ years that way. Rolled them down, disconnected the wiring harness. Never had an issue.