Just curious about opinions on this practice...

Need a part installed, so I find a local recommended shop, not a Jag dealer. It’s a long job and didn’t want to do it myself. Also I am new to the area.
Shop says “we can’t get the part from Jaguar or our other parts sources, please call to discuss”
I locate the brand new Jaguar OEM part online and call shop to tell them the job is on...they say “fine but we have to charge you a surcharge if you bring your own part”

Is this usual practice? I understand shops making money on parts that they acquire, or could acquire, but when they cannot source the part and I manage to do so, why should I have to pay them a surcharge?

 

Independent shops have different (and sometimes unusual) practices and policies. If this particular shop is going to surcharge you for your own part, then they better be providing you with a warranty for it as well. If they do not, I would go elsewhere....

 

Good point. I’m also in NC ... can you recommend anyone between Raleigh and Pinehurst?

 

I believe the best indie shop here in the Triangle area is Flying Circus English Cars in Durham. The owner is Toby Briggs. The phone is (919) 596-4250. Not sure how the pandemic has affected their availability, but they used to stay booked at least one to two weeks in advance....

 

Yes, they are quite good, but time before last I used them was 5 weeks lead time. The last time (I wanted an ECM swap out, was initially afraid to do myself, job was too small to be scheduled) was so long, months, that I ended up doing it myself with help from one of motorcarman's posts (was actually quite simple and very quick, explaining why the job was too small). This was just before the crazytimes, don't know how they have fared.

There is another shop that does JLR cars here in Durham (British 4x4, disclosure: my daughter's boyfriend works there), I have never used them so I cannot personally recommend them.

 

Do restaurants in your country charge "corkage" if you bring your own bottle of wine? The principle is the same.

The shop could have been more subtle (or devious, depending on your point of view) by disguising the "lost" profit element on the parts in the labour or sundries.

Graham

 

RPH, just being nosey, what was the part you need installed?
As you are searching out someone to install, the car must be drivable to the shop.

 

Ask him if he can match the price (and quality) that you can obtain the parts at, then you'd be good. My indie here in Las Vegas (Top Car; highly recommended) is only too happy if I supply parts; keeps his overhead down and my car doesn't clog up one of his lifts for days while he's trying to source parts...

 

Not sure the “corkage” is a good analogy...if I bring my own wine and let the restaurant uncork it, use their wine glasses and let them wash up...that’s more like a labor charge. And corkage isn’t a percentage of the listed cost of the wine 😎

 

It’s the rear window regulator we discussed in a previous thread. I decided it was too much for me to do myself.

 

If I bring my own part for my favorite shop to install they will warranty their labor but not the part.
If your shop is charging more for labor to install your part they're just charging more for labor, unless that is the cost of them providing a warranty for your part.
This kind of crap is why I do anything that I possibly can myself and only farm out what I can't do, which is very little.

 

One downside to supplying your own parts is the potential to provide the wrong one or a counterfeit that quickly breaks. In that case, you'll have to fight with the vendor you bought the part from and pay the labor a second time. In the same situation, the shop has to fight with their vendor and likely eat the labor. The mitigating factor is the ridiculous markup on parts by the dealerships. For some parts, if you can find the aftermarket manufacturer's part number, you can very often save a bit of money by shopping various auto parts stores for the best price. I once owned a Mercedes 560 SL and the first (and last) time I bought a part from a Mercedes dealer was when I opened the Mercedes box to find a Bosch part inside. And the markup was literally 100% over what I could have purchased the part for from a store! Lesson learned.

 

Always better to find a good Mech you can trust. If they supply the part, they will(usually) guarantee it. Not so if you supply. Cost might be a bit more for them to supply the part, but they are in the business to make money, not just 'Blue Sky and Good Feelings'. A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold.

 

I think the point was, he tried but the shop could not source the part. This was accomplished by RPH and then they wanted extra to install a part they couldn't find.
"Why don't I just hand you my card and you get what you want." How ridiculous!!!
You need to add a review on his site, if he has one.
Wait on a nice sunny day above 45 degrees and head this way early. Doing the top hoses gets you almost there, done that, and hope I can figure out the rest of it.
Form what I can see on the writeups for this, the star tool (torx) for the seat belt is the only thing most folks wouldn't have.
Anyway, that's a option or you can wait till warmer weather. I'll try to get Jon here and if it becomes difficult, he could rip the side of the car off. LOL, kidding of course, but he could.

 

Ok, shop waived surcharge, job completed. It took them much longer than they expected, but they honored their original estimate.

I’m pleased at the outcome, and thankful to board members who offered help and advice.

 

Sounds like a good shop. Hold on to them.

 

Speaking of markup, I had a cracked windshield several years ago. The Jaguar dealership wanted $900 to replace the windshield, no warranty. Safelite replaced the windshield in my driveway for $450 with a warranty. I'm sure the dealership was simply going to have Safelite replace the windshield in their shop and double the price to me.

 

Upcharge for corkage? More money for a regulator? Does it cost more if you bring your own condom?