texaspandj

50 bucks for a chain replacement would have me wondering if I got ripped off too. However when you factor in everthing they did it tends to sound reasonable. Perhaps you should have asked how much it was gonna cost first, then when they say 50 bucks, walk your bike home, order the chain (20-25 bucks), and park chain breaker (10 -20 bucks) online, wait 2-3 days for parts, look up on you tube and see how to replace chain, replace chain and you'd be on your way. That's what I'd do if I were you. No disrespect intended.
Me? I would have called my wife to pick me up, finish my ride on another bike, and replaced the chain myself.

Who Dey3334

I think it was a fair deal for sure, and they sound like a nice shop to do it for free and trust that you will come back and pay them. Thats the type of shop that will get my business right there.

American Euchre

I don't know, man. The MSRP on that chain is $43. The actual price is about $20 (lowest quotes). However, you didn't mention the cost of shipping and tax. Choose the slowest shipping, and you pay $28 for the chain, shipping and tax. Choose faster shipping, and it's an additional $15 to $25. Two day shipping can actually take up to 5 days, depending on when you order (UPS doesn't ship on weekends for example).

So, let's say you choose overnight shipping. Now you're out over $50. Choose two day shipping and it's still close to $40. The chain is still not installed. You need to buy a chain tool, if you don't have one. An additional expense and yet another wait. Also, you need to watch a few youtube videos.

What if you botch the installation? That's right, go through the whole process all over again.

A derailleur adjustment can cost anywhere from $0, if it is a minor adjustment on a bike you purchased from that shop within, say, 30 days. Otherwise, it's anywhere between $10 and $20, depending upon how badly out of adjustment the derailleur is. If it took 10 minutes, it's probably closer to a $15 or $20 adjustment.

Also, you had no wallet, no cash, no card, nothing. They did the work for free and trusted you to come back in.

In addition, you didn't ask for an itemization or for pricing. They should write up an itemization at the time of the service(s), but then again, you didn't have any money with you either.


One thing you didn't mention: how much better is your shifting now with a new chain and derailleur adjustment. I'd be ecstatic if the quality of shifting improved noticeably.

canklecat

My LBS just replaced a rear wheel for me after I trashed the original single wall rim riding it home after a borked spoke warped the wheel. Replacement price seemed reasonable to me, considering I don't have the tools. But I was surprised the labor was valued at only $19.

Labor generally has to be charged the same (usually per unit of time0, regardless of the value of the item being replaced or repaired. This tends to make some repairs seem like bargains (mine), and other seems "overpriced" (yours).

Even if they bought a fully built wheel, they still had to order it from Dallas (a one-off order can't be cost effective, although they may have included some other items for other customers). And it included a new rim strip, new tube (which I didn't ask for but they did anyway), and hassling with my Michelin tires which fit rims almost as tightly as Conti's. And they had to re-adjust the brake because in order to ride the bike home last week I had to adjust the rear brake wide enough to accommodate the wobble while still offering a little braking because I didn't want to be stuck with just a front brake at night.

After a couple of rides I could feel the freewheel/cassette snug up a bit and throw off the rear derailer adjustment a bit. I could probably return to the shop next week and they'd tweak the derailer for me without additional charge. Great deal for me, not so great for them. But I need to re-learn how to do this stuff anyway so I may just handle the tweaks myself.

Rowan

The takeaway lesson here for me is... carry your own chain breaker and a quick link of the right dimension for the chain, and fix the chain on the side of the road. No cost, no problem.

OldTryGuy

LBS has a counter sign with labor prices listed for work to be performed. e.g.-tube installed, chain installed, brake adjustment, derailleur adjustment, bottom bracket face/re-thread.....etc.

For work performed on OP's bike I agree the price is reasonable.

PRAY TELL, what CARS/ENGINES do you have that hold 15 quarts of oil?

Forgot the rear derailleur adjustment.

bakes1

Based upon your OP you definitely were complaining.
Now you know you were wrong and in fact got great service at a good price.
Happy ending

bakes1

How do you know what dealerships charge for oil changes?
Or are you that hypocrite that advises strangers to wrench their own bikes while you can't even change the oil in your own car?
Or maybe you just do research and stay up to date on car dealership service pricing for ****s and giggles?

bruce19

$50 for a new chain and a derailleur adjustment and the owner lets you go away on your promise to come back the next day to pay and you're thinking you got ripped off? Good grief! Give your LBS some respect. Seems to me that he respected and trusted you.

TenSpeedV2

When I had my Audi, they charged $85 for an oil/filter change. Full synthetic oil and before anyone goes screaming DIY DIY, you needed a $300 Audi specific wrench to get the filter off. I just let them do it.

GerryinHouston

I thought about posting the same when the thread started, but then I decided to wait to see how long it will take for somebody to say it.

I have a chain break tool and the appropriate size Missing Link on each bike's toolkit.

I realized that the 7 speed Missing Links would not work very well on my new 30 speed bike a month after I bought it... Luckily didn't need the repairs in the first month (or yet...).

jefnvk

I'm very pro doing my own work (my saddle bag has a cheap $4 chain tool that allows me to fix a snapped chain, at least well enough to get home), specifically because those rates are spot on, if not better than average, from my glancing at price boards at LBS. $25 for front of the line privileges, emergency install, and a derailleur adjustment and store credit to come back and pay later to boot sounds like a great deal to me, someone who hates paying for others to do work he can do for free.

Also, count me in to the "you paid more than an oil change" group. Think my Mustang that I took to the dealer was $47ish all said and done.

molten

"Taxes" = plural; so it includes being charged on (an intangible value such as) labor service?
It's already a controversy that tax must be paid for a SELF-SERVE (paper) copy. As the one who pays is who did the labor.

Retro Grouch 

So cut the OP a little slack. He had a little bit of sticker shock so he asked a question and got his answer. Nothing bad about that.

mrodgers

Title:First post:Second post:2 pages of people saying he is complaining about being ripped off. Nowhere do I see him state he was being ripped off. He asked a question, simple as that.

The takeaway lesson for me is, move the General Cycling section back down to the bottom where everyone isn't inclined to read it first. Then we can go back to a year ago and someone asking,
Instead of having the worst of the forum jumping in with their "expertise".

$6.95 from ECSTuning, a well known parts shop for VAG vehicles. I pay $26 for 5 quarts of full synthetic for my VAG. I think you should DIY your oil change.

jefnvk

Depends on the car and situation. My Blazer has never seen the inside of an oil change place in the decade I've owned it, plenty of $19 conventional oil and filter specials at the various auto part places, and I can crawl under it easily. When I had the Mustang, bought new and under warranty, it was about $12 more than I could buy the oil and filter for for the dealership to do it, I didn't have to drag out the jack and stands from my apartment to the parking lot, and I had plenty of documentation that it was done at proper intervals if a warranty claim was necessary on the engine internals.

Norboo

Wow! So what if OP had sticker shock and minor complaint. He was curious and most here answersd nicely. I'm sure he will be supporting that LBS and maintain a good relationship with that shop. I know I would and at the least, semd Xmas card or thank you card.

mrodgers

Which is why I responded to his exact car and exact situation where he stated exactly he needed a $300 Audi wrench for the oil filter with a link to exactly a VAG parts site to the exact oil filter wrench that fits exactly "all" Audi cars for $6.95...

mconlonx

Not a ripoff. I'd have paid $50 cash with 3 $20s and handed the $10 change to the mechanic who did the work, with thanks for making the repair on the spot and doing it for free (at the time, on shop credit, with a promise of being paid back).

However, I would check the receipt -- if detailed, I would expect you were charged for the chain and install, but I would be surprised if they charged you a line item for the derailleur adjustment.

OTOH, if it was regular maintenance and the chain needed replacing on my bike, I'd find a cheap chain and do it myself for $20-25, total.

OTOH, pt 2: working at the shop, if it was routine maintenance, there's a chance during the slow months I'd do the install for free for a chain purchased at full MSRP, especially if it was part of a tune up.

fietsbob

Have not taken your Car in to the dealership for service,( new Timing chain ?) , to get a sense of Perspective I Take It

cb400bill

It appears that the OP is satisfied with this situation.

Closing.