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[Bill Branum]

I bought my new 2000 S from a dealer 200 miles away from where I live
in April 2001. After an unsatisfactory experience with the initial
15K maintenance from the local Porsche dealer, the dealer I purchased
my car from agreed to give a 10% discount on all service as an
incentive to drive the 200 miles to have them do it.

I am now approaching 150K on the vehicle and I have had this dealer do
all scheduled maintenances, repairs, as well as new tires and
alignment with every 30K maintenance. I have 18" rims and always go
with Pirelli P-Zero tires. Each time I had a service done I asked if
my discount was included. The first few times they would manually
mark down the ticket 10%, but for the past couple of years they have
assured my the discount was included. As I had built up a level of
trust (always the same people, zero turnover) I took their word for it
and didn't check the numbers.

Last week I took the car in for a new rear tire, two front tires, and
an alignment (I had to replace one of the rear tires 2 weeks earlier
at a local tire store). My bill was $1191, and this didn't seem
right, so I questioned if the 10% discount was included. Once again I
was assured it was. The alignment itself was billed out at $385, and
I questioned that, stating that I thought alignment was more in the
$250 range. I was told the normal price for alignment is $420. When
I got home I checked my prior service records, and sure enough, I had
been billed $240 for alignment at 90K but had been billed $385 for
alignment at 120K (my service records for prior to the 90K maintenance
are in storage). Also, the prices charged for the same tires are
varying from $210 to $305!

So, what do most dealerships charge for an alignment? Are
independents properly equipped and trained to do alignments a 2000
Boxster S? If so, what is their typical charge? Do most of you buy
your tires from the dealer? What about buying tires over the internet
and having a local tire shop install them?

Also, is there a guide as to how many hours should be charged for
secluded maintenances (and maybe other repairs also)? If so, this
dealer has a posted labor rate of $69.50 per hour, is that in line
with other Porsche dealerships?

Thanks in Advance for your help.

Bill

[Jim Keenan]

Bill Branum wrote:

[fbloogyudsr]

"Bill Branum" <Bill@nospam.Branum.com> wrote

[Vern]

My god, I am glad I know how, and have the tools to do this stuff myself.

The question I have to ask is what do you do to make the cash to pay for
your Porsche habit?

Do you need some help?

Back here in Iowa if you have a Porsche, you do it all yourself, no other
way. Unless you want to put a full half the miles on the car getting it
serviced, well now that wouldn't be all that bad now thinking about it.

Anyway, to your question, as a mechanic, NO, your not getting hosed.

I worked on cars for a while, and you know what?
I worked my butt off and saved every penny I could for the customers, only
to have them complain about my work or the bill, not once in a while, EVERY
time. The world has been less one mechanic since my one year endeavor into
it, 32 years ago.

It costs a TON of money for all those special tools and books that usually
the boss don't pay for. Consider your discount as a tip. You give a waitress
15% for Christ's sake, what do they offer? Ohhh, lets not go there.

"fbloogyudsr" <fbloogyudsr@nwlink.com> wrote in message
news:10ova583cktfb0b@corp.supernews.com...

[ethnopac]

Just for the records: Porsche in Germany charges 100 Euro per hour plus
tax. If I´d find a place that would charge only 70 it would be worth the
ride.

Markus