From what you've said so far, you don't have nearly enough information to be throwing around accusations of rip off.
If you didn't authorize any work to be done other than to change the oil and LOOK at a spark plug (whatever that means - you couldn't tell much from looking at only 1 plug), you should only be charged for what you authorized - the oil change plus the labor to look at a plug.
If they did any other work, I wouldn't pay for it because you didn't authorize it.
What is it about "check it out" don't you understand? When an engine drops a cylinder one of the ignition coils is shorted out because of old used spark plug gaps has burned too wide.
If you had listed the year, make and mode of your car we could have listed the cost of OEM (original equipment manufactures) ignition coils anad spark plugs.
Best read the bill - The spark plugs are much $$, but many cars now days have a separate coil for each spark plug, & the could are like 25 ~ 45 EACH.
130 for an oil change must be a bmw or another import. either way you are being billed for the oil and the diagnostic fee for at least 1 hour maybe 2 hours. some places charge more than the dealer for diagnosting. if that place didnt have the oil that your car recommends they will order it and charge you twice what they paid for it
Depending on what kind of car you drive that could be a great price. If you are driving a BMW that would be cheap. I expect you are not exactly sure what you asked for or what was quoted you. I suspect you are for the first time facing the actual cost of car ownership.
Better Business Bureau (BBB), talk to a lawyer or a police officer they could point you in the right direction, or small claims court. you really need to talk to a public official because laws are different state to state in these matters. most common is the BBB though for all of USA . If this was me "I would talk to a police officer before I picked it up and explain this to him and see what he says because if this is a scam it will involve them at some point"
380 - 150 (oil change) is 230$
You people are saying 230$ is reasonable to look at one sparkplug? No wonder they get away with sh** like that.
If you are unhappy at what a mechanic charges, do the work yourself. Just make sure you know where th nearest mechanic is because if you are clueless, you will need a mechanic to fix your mistake!
Someones an idiot!
Took my car in to a mechanic, needed an oil change and it had a misfire on cold starts I asked them to check out. They told me it was running fine for them, and that they could pull a plug and take a look at its condition if I wanted. I agreed to, they phone me today asking when I would pick it up.
I asked how the sparkplugs were, he said "oh yeah it needs spark plugs and a complete tune up, you know a fuel filter and stuff" I told them to do nothing, and he wants 385$. Just to (possibly) look at one spark plug and an oil change. That's it. 385$.
Oil change for this car costs 130 at a dealership, I wrongly assumed this place would be cheaper. Say even 180 for the oil change, and a whole hour labor to LOOK at one spark plug at 150$ (I didn't go over bill yet, I'm being generous) that's still only 320.
385$ Is clearly a scam trying to get money out of a unknowing person, what's my options when I go to pick up my car and how should I handle this?
