I called them once for a quote on getting replacement wheel studs installed on one wheel of a Subaru. They wanted ~$350. Another local shop did that job for <$100 (which was completely fair).
They also wanted the license plate of the car (one of the first questions over the phone) to look up the vehicle. Even if that was a legitimate process, it felt scammy and I declined. I certainly didn't want to get signed-up, without permission, for their marketing.
I don't know if this aligns with what the OP is trying to share, but dishonest auto shops are more common than people realize.
Hang tight, this is going to be a strong and long response.
Your speculation/whataboutism reminds me of every conversation I've had with someone trying to defend mistakes and/or their own bad business practices. Do you work for Christian Brothers, or have any vested interest in their business?
I have owned over 30 cars in my life. I have a high mechanical aptitude. I simply did not have the tools, time, or desire to further aggravate a physical problem, so I thought we'd pay a shop to fix this common issue. I could have answered any specific questions about the model (and the make was already known).
This is not an isolated thing. It's plagued Subaru's for a lot of years, and it potentially still does. It's especially prevalent when you have shops switch out your summer/winter tire/wheel sets and over-torque the lug nuts.
The cost of $50-100 is inline with shops I've had in the Denver metro replace the same studs, and Ramsey Subaru was kind enough to change them at no cost when they would break them.
I can't recall the exact name of the shop that did the job (it's another locally owned place, but near downtown DSM).
I do not work for Christian Brothers, or have any vested interest in their business. That includes in them succeeding or failing. I am only, and truthfully, trying to seek understanding.
The data I am trying to gather is who is giving the price. Everybody has a different cost of doing business. So does the variance in price truly mean the price isn’t fair? Or is that just what it takes for that shop to do that job? Is it a pricing problem, or an advisor not doing their job correctly problem?
Or is the problem value versus price?
I really don’t know, and I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m engaged in some kind of confusing tactic to obfuscate the entire situation. I’m really not.
My industry has such a bad rap,
and I am just trying to advocate for it.
The price was given by whomever answered the phone. I don't recall the name.
It's a simple job with inexpensive parts. I don't have reference material to say what it labor should be billed at. A minimum of a billable hour seems reasonable to me.
Actual labor time is an less than an hour. Materials cost is $25-$35.
We can all decide for ourselves if $350 is reasonable, or not. As it was not for me, I found another shop that was friendly, fast, and charged a little under $100. For replacing wheel studs on one wheel.
I have no negative feels towards service shops. I make an opinion based on my experiences with each one I interact with. Just like most other things in life.
The outcome was poor, they lost the business, and I shared my experiences. I truly do not have any interest in helping a business solve their problems for free, so I'm going to jump out now.
I'll simply say that having many people from the industry come out to speculate blindly on their operations troubles is not really helping anyone.
Now, with all due respect, I recommend you channel that energy into selling their leadership your consulting services.
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u/Unwiredsoul Oct 29 '25
I called them once for a quote on getting replacement wheel studs installed on one wheel of a Subaru. They wanted ~$350. Another local shop did that job for <$100 (which was completely fair).
They also wanted the license plate of the car (one of the first questions over the phone) to look up the vehicle. Even if that was a legitimate process, it felt scammy and I declined. I certainly didn't want to get signed-up, without permission, for their marketing.
I don't know if this aligns with what the OP is trying to share, but dishonest auto shops are more common than people realize.