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So, we rolled my truck back in January, and I took it to a highly-recommended shop in Golden, CO for the repairs.
In addition to having them fix everything back to pre-wreck condition, which my full coverage insurance pays for, I also asked them to charge me separately to install a set of Bushwacker cut-out fender flares (it's primarily a trail rig, and this allows me to run 40" tires with my current suspension setup). A lot of people install these themselves, but it involves cutting sheet metal on the front fenders and bedsides, and I wanted it done professionally.
I asked them up front what they would charge me to do that, and I was told that they would get that figured out and let me know. Over the past 2+ months, I have called and emailed them multiple times asking for a quote, so I would know what to expect to spend. They just kept telling me they would get me that info asap.
So today, they call to tell me my truck is done, and they are trying to charge me 32 hours of labor for installing the flares. 8 hours per flare! At $50/hour, that comes to $1600!
I've done enough research online to see where lots of people with basic skills say that they did them on their own, that it was fairly simple, and took them just a few hours. Then, there are lots of other people who took theirs to body shops and say that they were charged $300-500, and they got it done in one day.
I called Bushwacker, and according to them, it should take 8-12 hours. In fact, they said if the body shop is any good, it should take way less. They actually have to give that info to body shops who call them all the time, because the shops have to know what to charge an insurance company if/when they have to replace some on a wrecked/stripped vehicle. I'm smart enough to know that a shop would then charge the max 12 hours, and get it done in less time, so they can pocket the difference. Nothing wrong with that, imo.
So, of course, I am telling the body shop that there's no way it took them 32 hours, and that I know they are trying to gouge me, etc etc. They just keep insisting that it really took them that long.
At the end of the day, they have my truck. I can't pick it up without paying them what they want.
Other than blasting them on the internet, is there anything else I can do? Is there any legal way to dispute what they are trying to charge me? I mean, can they just get away with anything? Could they have told me it took 100 hours, and I still would be SOL? There have to be some kind of checks and balances, right?
Fuck, this shit has me heated.
In addition to having them fix everything back to pre-wreck condition, which my full coverage insurance pays for, I also asked them to charge me separately to install a set of Bushwacker cut-out fender flares (it's primarily a trail rig, and this allows me to run 40" tires with my current suspension setup). A lot of people install these themselves, but it involves cutting sheet metal on the front fenders and bedsides, and I wanted it done professionally.
I asked them up front what they would charge me to do that, and I was told that they would get that figured out and let me know. Over the past 2+ months, I have called and emailed them multiple times asking for a quote, so I would know what to expect to spend. They just kept telling me they would get me that info asap.
So today, they call to tell me my truck is done, and they are trying to charge me 32 hours of labor for installing the flares. 8 hours per flare! At $50/hour, that comes to $1600!
I've done enough research online to see where lots of people with basic skills say that they did them on their own, that it was fairly simple, and took them just a few hours. Then, there are lots of other people who took theirs to body shops and say that they were charged $300-500, and they got it done in one day.
I called Bushwacker, and according to them, it should take 8-12 hours. In fact, they said if the body shop is any good, it should take way less. They actually have to give that info to body shops who call them all the time, because the shops have to know what to charge an insurance company if/when they have to replace some on a wrecked/stripped vehicle. I'm smart enough to know that a shop would then charge the max 12 hours, and get it done in less time, so they can pocket the difference. Nothing wrong with that, imo.
So, of course, I am telling the body shop that there's no way it took them 32 hours, and that I know they are trying to gouge me, etc etc. They just keep insisting that it really took them that long.
At the end of the day, they have my truck. I can't pick it up without paying them what they want.
Other than blasting them on the internet, is there anything else I can do? Is there any legal way to dispute what they are trying to charge me? I mean, can they just get away with anything? Could they have told me it took 100 hours, and I still would be SOL? There have to be some kind of checks and balances, right?
Fuck, this shit has me heated.
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