Since the answer to my question appears to be not forthcoming from the OP, I’ll clarify further. The level of diagnostics is often related to the price charged. How many people do you think do what the OP did? Often, shops charge a token amount to keep out the riffraff looking for free services. If they charged actual cost, it would be quite high. Getting to absolute correct root cause often means doing 90% of the work. Then the customer balks at the cost of repair and goes elsewhere looking for a bargain. They tell the second shop to fix what the first one said was the problem because they are hoping to avoid yet another diagnostic fee. Then, when the second shop does exactly what the customer told them to do and it doesn’t fix the problem, they get mad at the first shop. In the end it costs more money than to allow the first shop to do a decent diagnosis and then the repair. That way, if they are wrong, they have to eat the consequences. And they often waive the diagnostic fee if you have them do the repair. Trying to be cheap usually ends up costing more in the long run. That’s my double lincolns…
True, but “should” implies an ideal, and transactions between businesses and their customers aren’t always ideal. Letting them know you are interested in a long term relationship sets you up for the desired ideal response.
Funny, but I actually incurred a little bit of this “bribery” myself, when a dealer “did not see” the clear warranty case until I let them fix a relatively small another non-warranty item.
Once I said “yeh, go ahead and do that”, they immediately turned around and said “ah, and our mechanic looked closer and indeed see you have a warranty case”.
With all understanding that they have to do their living, it does not smell very good in the end.
Seriously !! I do not consider myself cheap or rif raf . I do consider myself an informed consumer !! I received a 2246 qoute from the dealership on a 6300 car. I got the same work done for 1000.00 at an independent. The problem did not go away. Dealership said they mis diagnosed and they would not help me in any way. I am a repeat customer who has purchased another vehicle from them plus service work from them. Do you pay sticker price on a new vehicle? if no, then are you cheap and rif raf or are you an informed consumer ? Dealership did not offer me a free oil change or anything and they cost me 1000.00 because I trusted there advice ! Many people lose there jobs if they make a $ 1000.00 mistake !
The only thing you can do at this point is look at the bright side . . .
At least you’re only out 1000, versus 2246
Well, technically speaking, the dealer didn’t make a $1000 mistake . . . how can the shop make a $1000 mistake if you didn’t pay them $1000 to replace the driveshaft?
And the other shop is 100% off the hook, as far as I concerned
You told the shop to simply replace the driveshaft. It doesn’t even matter if you mentioned that the dealer diagnosed it. All the shop knows is this . . . “the customer is paying money to replace the driveshaft. he’s not paying for a diagnosis. Let’s give the man what he paid for”
that said, there was nothing preventing you from paying the second shop from also diagnosing the problem. Perhaps they would have arrived at a different conclusion . . .
Not sure what that has to do with the current problem . There have been many times that a much in demand or special vehicle has sold for over sticker or you did not get it.
I agree with DB, the dealer did not make a $1000.00 mistake. If they had done the work they would have stood behind it .
I still say it is time to trade because being a BMW any repairs are going to be expensive and you will be just that more irritated.
You have still not answered the question- how much did you pay for the diagnosis? Since you refuse to answer, I think the answer is a big fat zero. You got what you paid for then…
I paid nothing for the false information and it costs me 1000.00 for trusting there professional advice. I got nothing for 1000.00. You need to check yourself.
If I was the manager of the dept that made the misdiagnosis, I would immediately refund the price you paid for the diagnosis. It is in your mail box now, Zero $
A driveline shop will set up your driveshaft in a high speed lathe type machine, support the center bearing, and spin it up looking for run-out or imbalance in the spinning shaft. If they find any, they can correct it. They will then install it or return it to you and that’s that…
Professional: someone that gets paid for work they do.
Professional advice: Advice you get after paying a professional for their time and expertise.
The big lesson here is to not tell anyone how to do their job. When you disliked the first diagnosis and went to a different shop, you should have told them what symptoms you were experiencing and let them do their own diagnosis. Most shops will balk at just replacing parts the customer tells them to replace because it often ends up just like this. Then there are instances where the customer refuses to pay a diagnostic fee and insists the shop just do the work they have requested. Some shops will acquiesce and if it doesn’t resolve the problem figure you got what you deserved while others will insist it be done the right way…Sounds like you got the former…
A professional diagnosis should be the same whether paid for or as a part of doing business !! You should not get two different diagnosis. Do I need to reinterate I was a repeat customer who had purchased a previous vehicle and had service work done on two vehicles and gave them a 5 star review. Put that in you mailbox !!!
So what? Big deal. Do you think they charged you more for the car or those services to cover the future leaching of their services? Apparently, you have no concept of what it takes to run a business and be profitable. Hint: it doesn’t include giving away free services hoping someone comes back later. I suspect they sensed this and you got the appropriate level of diagnostic accordingly. If he comes back, we’ll figure it out, until then give him the worst case scenario so we’re not nickel and dimed to death later…
Leaching of there services ?? That company has made a serious profit off of me !! I refuse to dialogue with ignorance anymore. It is my sincere desire, wish, and hope that one day you are misdiagnosed with your vehicle ( or something else) and it costs you $ 1000.00 .( or more ). Then we will see what type of song you sing !! So what !! Big Deal !! Ha Ha !! Suspect that if you are so smart !!
And it’s my sincerest desire, wish, and hope that when Karma cashes that one back out against you that I am nowhere near you when it happens
you stamped your feet so hard, i felt the ground quake!
There is the possibility that there was more than one problem with the vehicle.
Should shop # 2 have replaced the drive shaft if the center support bearing had not failed? Or stop before removing the old drive shaft and advise the customer that there is nothing wrong with the center support bearing? Did they comment that the bearing was in good condition?
After they replaced it , they said it had some play in it. But I made a mistake and did not ask them to diagnos it. I trusted the dealerships diagnosis after I asked them Are you sure ? And they replied , yes.
When I was younger and less experienced (like you), I had a professional mechanic propose a diagnosis that seemed out of line and was quite extensive (and expensive). So I paid their $100 diagnostic fee and left with my truck to go to another shop. I didn’t tell them anything about what the first shop said even thought they were quite adamant that this was my problem. The second shop diagnosed it very differently and actually fixed the problem. Shortly after that I embarked on learning to fix my own cars and have done so ever since. I don’t need to rely on anyone to diagnose my vehicles and I do all my own work. Regardless, I would never be foolish enough to blindly trust any diagnosis and certainly not one that I didn’t pay anything to get.
So you also need advice on negotiating…
@GaryOglesby:
you have received some good input in here, and an even more valuable (and somewhat expensive,) life lesson from your dealings with the dealership and second shop.
I just hope you are learning from all of this.
and none of these fine folks responding to your question deserve the nasty attitude you are portraying. You posted here asking for input, and you have gotten it. In return, you have been quite rude to several users.
I sincerely hope you have a better experience next time you have car issues.