Was I ripped off for being stupid?

[DJ LYX]

Hello everyone, I have posted here a couple of times, mainly for AC help.
But today i'd like to ask yall if i was ripped off. Here's the story:

I took in my car to this place to get Eibach Springs and Tokico Struts (pretty popular I've seen)

But the guy kept delaying the installation and finally today *about two weeks later* he said i can bring the car in. Upon my arrival he shows me the parts. The guy pulls out Eibach Springs and "KYB" struts. Geez, i did not know what to do. And unfortunately the reciept said KYB on it, i was so naive i didnt even know what the h*ll i was buying. headbang Well I paid $954 for the 4 set combo. I dont know exactly what type of KYBs they are. I called the guy up and he said they are premium kyb's. I know they arent the adjustable ones tho. I wanted the model number but he couldnt tell me, he told me to call back tomorrow.

I'd like to know from you guys/gals how much exactly i was ripped off, so that i know if i should cry myself to sleep tonite.
Thanx

 

[Slo-Sho]

KYB's!?! I'd castrate the fugger. You figure about $250 for the springs and about $60?/strut. How's the car ride btw?

<small>[ August 27, 2003, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Slo-Sho ]</small>

 

[PROPHET]

The Eibachs go for a little over $200.

The KYBs the cheapy about $100 all four.

The KYB GR-2s about $200 for all four.

Labor should not have been more than $200 and even that is a little high to me.

Check here www.tirerack.com to confirm the prices i just quoted.

Lesson learned the hard way ,buy nothing without checking in this forum first.

 

[DJ LYX]

I will be getting the car tomorrow. I'll let yall know then.
I'm actually more mad at myself for not not catching him when he wrote out the reciept. Ya see, i asked for tokicos and then he said "okay" but wrote KYB on the reciept. So i'm screwed
thanx for the reply

 

[shoinoff95]

OUCH!! Sorry man, but it sounds to me like you got ***** in the wrong ways!! headbang eek!

 

[shojuan]

PROPHET:
The Eibachs go for a little over $200.

The KYBs the cheapy about $100 all four.

The KYB GR-2s about $200 for all four.

Labor should not have been more than $200 and even that is a little high to me.

Check here www.tirerack.com to confirm the prices i just quoted.

Lesson learned the hard way ,buy nothing without checking in this forum first.

$200 labor seems a little low to me Tony. A lot of people have paid a lot more than that for strut installation on SHOs.

Figure about $475 for the parts, just struts and springs, not replacing any fasteners, boots, mounts, isolators, or strut bearings. So you paid about $480 for labor. That's on the high side. I've heard of people paying that, but that included drilling out the camber plates in the front too. You paid a lot for labor. Lesson learned. Next time figure out what labor charge would be fair for the job and shop around. Next time if it's staring you right in the face that the parts the shop ordered aren't the same as the parts specified then don't be afraid to speak up for yourself.

BTW, if they had provided the Tokicos that you asked for, the $954 installed price would have been very good...the labor for that would have been dirt cheap. I mean, REALLY dirt cheap!

 

[PROPHET]

I paid $150 to install my struts and springs.

 

[Frankiek3]

Tear the mother a new one.
I hate people like that.

(Haha if your ever there again tell about-to-be customers about it, get them out of there, and make sure the guy there to see u making customers leave )

btw what happen to the :laughing: emoto?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

These are the prices on http://www.shox.com as of this morning, which are lower than retail:

Eibach's: $219.00
KYB's: $205.00
Tokico's: $459.00

$200 is what I charge to install four struts and springs. Most people who come to me have usually been quoted between $300 and $350 labor for the same work.

Presuming he installed new mounts, bearings, and bumper bellows, which if he installed genuine Ford parts for a standard Taurus (not police/HD parts) would have come to about another $250-$300 in parts, or closer to $200 if he bought aftermarket (Monroe, etc.).

So, using the low-end of the prices above, at $219 for the springs, $205 for the KYB's, $200 for mounts, etc., and $300 for labor, you were probably charged a fair price for what you got. NOW, knowing that you asked for Tokicos, the price would have been more in the $1200-$1300 range installed with all new parts as mentioned. It's not uncommon to reuse the bumper bellows if they are not torn, which would only amount to about $60 retail and would still leave you in the 'fair price' ballpark. But, if he also reused the mounts and bearings, you would then have been certainly overcharged in my mind.

Definitely voice your dissatisfaction over not getting what you asked for (again, IMHO, you did get what you paid for). See what he's willing to do to ensure your satisfaction. You might also consider driving on the KYB's for a few days to see how you like them -- you might be pleasantly surprised. The KYB's, in my mind, are a nice compromise between stock struts and Tokicos. FWIW, the GR-2's are the only strut KYB makes for the SHO (or any Taurus sedan), so I'm quite confident that's what you got. If you aren't happy with the ride quality, just try hard to get him to replace them with Tokicos (for the additional price on the struts, but no additional labor charge).

Were you ripped off? Not really -- you paid a fair price for what you got even if it wasn't what you asked for. Were you stupid? Definitely not. Were you a little naive as you say? Maybe. A lot of private garages will try to take advantage of people, and some are just incompetent not knowing the difference between various manufacturers. You probably should have stopped the works as soon as you saw KYB and straightened thing out before proceeding. In any case, look at it as a good learning experience in the value of shopping around and being a knowledgeable/informed consumer.

Keep us posted!

 

[shojuan]

PROPHET:
I paid $150 to install my struts and springs.

That's a deal bro! Man, you get all the deals when it comes to labor. I've heard as much as $500 (which is CRAZY, IMHO) for strut install and a lot of people paying $350 or so.

 

[DJ LYX]

UPDATE:
I had some drama with the owner. Last nite i called him after reading the forum and talking with some AIM SHO buds of mine from the forum.
I must tell you that i was Sh*tting bricks last nite.
The guy called me this morning and said he'd charge me an extra hundred dollars for the tokicos ($999) but if i still kept the KYBs he'd charge me fifty less ($850). I was pondering keeping his service but when i went to the store today he mentioned that bushings might be an extra 200 hundred. He also cursed as he told someone to remove the box of eibachs from my trunk (they werent installed as yet.) So i got the chills because of his unprofessional tone and I told this other quite dude who worked there that I was worried about their service. The guy analy suggested giving me my deposit back. I agreed and now i'm awaiting the credit back into my account.
As soon as i see the 450 back into my VISA i'll let you know.

Thanx for your responses, it helped a lot.
wink

 

[luigisho]

Of course you know you can do this yourself. I spent well over $300 on bushings for the front and rear. Get the parts from cheap sources and give it a try.

<small>[ August 28, 2003, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: luigisho ]</small>

 

[DJ LYX]

Okay, haven't seen the credit on the site as yet, but i'm checking every hour on the hour.

Does anyone know where I can get the eibach springs and tokicos online for a good price?

Also what do you recommend for bushings?

thanx

 

[PROPHET]

For the eibachs go to the tirerack ad on the bottom of the screen youll get the best deal and the vendor will give a little to this site to keep it running. wink

 

[luigisho]

Moog tpr bushings from Rock Auto is the best price I found for the tpr. I already stated what they all cost me though. I heard rear Tokico's were out of the supply chain. Call around to verify this.

 

[SHO EET 1]

Just ordered Tokico's and Eibach's from Shox.com. $668 + shipping and they were in stock.

 

[shobikes]

I have been pretty happy with my KYB's & Eibach combo, FWIW. I paid around $950 for springs, shocks, bearing plates, bellows, and labor, from a local guy I have trusted for 15+ years - of course labor includes alignment. I also got Toyo Proxes from same place, and they also seem alright.

I don't autocross or street race, but I do like to see if I can get thru the twisties w/o brakes...

I have noticed none of the negative effects described having lowered springs and the KYB's - I figure that for my spirited, but no longer the racer-boy, driving style, this combo makes good economic sense.

 

[AVINO95]

All I saw on Shox.com was an eibach springs with koni sport shocks....where are you finding the tokicos, and what are the koni sports....does anyone have any experience with them?

 

[raze]

SHO EET 1, Last week I ordered Tokico's and Eibach's from Shox.com, and one of the guys called me to inform me that the rear struts would be coming a little late due to some delays. All the other stuff will come on time though, did anyone call you or tell you this too? shrug

<small>[ August 29, 2003, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: raze ]</small>

 

[DJ LYX]

Ok i got my deposit back.

I ordered the Tokicos from SHOX.com
I also Ordered Aluminum SFB from Midwestsho.com

I got back emails from both places saying that there will be delays for thier products. headbang

Shox said that they wont have the rear tokicos till october. MidwestSHO said that they will start processing orders on the 4th.

I guess in the meantime i'll read up on how to install these things. I know a SHOforum member had pics of his SFB install. I think I'll use that as a guide.

As for the tokicos and Eibachs... well, i guess i'll just start reading it on SHOtimes.com or something. But if any of yall know where i can get pics and info on the spring and shock installation lemme know. I'll really appreciate it. And thanx for the help with getting my money back from that mechanic who tried to screw me. thumb

Oh yea, I almost forgot... I never heard of Rock auto before... is that a store or an online place? Can I get the Moog bushings from napa, autozone or an online source? I'm kind of a loner as far as having mechanics as friends. Most of my friends are Hoodlums, PC jocks, or anime fanatics- So i don't know much about buying these things. But i'm willing to learn.

As a side note: A fellow SHOforum member is helping me in person with an AC compressor replacement next month. I am very happy to be working on my car.

Nite and day all I've been thinking about is my SHO. I feel like Mark Nunnally now.