[terrymaloy]

Just got my CX portable back from Extracta.
The water pump packed up on me yesterday afternoon.
The pump itself cost £140 plus £20 vat...

I then looked at the labour charge...just under 2 hours ! At £40 per hour, you can add another £80 onto the bill.
I did query it, and was told that electrical checks also had to be done on the machine.

I'm no expert, but I'm sure the above could have been done in half that time ?
Has anyone ever fitted pumps / vacs themselves...it cant be that difficult, can it ?

TM

[M.Acorn]

Do all my maintenance,fitting pumps vacs etc ! not sure about your machine,as i have a Prochem,which is very sraight forward,can change either in mins  but thats only because i have done them several times now.Can be a pig to get the pump out if the captive nuts spin,had to chisel my last pump out because of that  .
You can claim it back against your tax though

[Simon@arenaclean]

I have an Alltec, 30 mins I reckon. Did they do a pat test? They might have a minimum of 2hrs charge?

[Len Gribble]

One has to remember they don’t have toolbox beside them so they have to walk the length of the workshop and back it your money and there time, the other week it took me one hour to install a TM blazer.

Len

[daysdeepclean]

Maybe it took 1 hour 5 mins.... but in a mechanics world it's always rounded up! It would take a reasonable amount of time with the bench run in and all that. They do check "Everything's" spot on and their main priority is the operators safety... I don't think for one minute they'd rip you off mate!

[Karl Wildey]

Now its time to start learning to fit it yourself.
The more of your own maintanenace you do the easier you will find it

[M.Acorn]

Now its time to start learning to fit it yourself.

Is there any way of charging my time back into my business ? as i do all my own maintenance,could i not charge myself for it somehow ?
So i get some money back,i see the government screwing everyone over,why can`t i claim

[richy27]

as long as they did a decent job seems fair enough to me no business works for nout we all know that.
maybe their min charge. had hydramaster do a 30 min job for me and cost me 35  that was bit steep i thought.

[robert meldrum]

Gentlemen

Consider your own hourly rates when thinking about others who probably have overheads of 10 or 20 times yours .

I recently had to buy a few mediocre little spares however. Now normally a U K retailer will charge about the dollar value in pounds sterling which allowing for carraige I've always found acceptable, but I was charged over five times U S price for a little maintenance kit.

That........... ain't acceptable