Do women get a fair deal with tradespeople/mechanics? [Archive]

martybabe

16th January 2009, 14:58

Do you think Women get a fair go when it comes to dealing with mechanics in particular but tradesmen/sales people in general, or do you have experience of the way some of these guys treat the fairer sex like they know nothing or simply don't matter when it comes to anything mechanical.

Misogyny, arrogance or ignorance ? I don't know but it pisses me off!

I ranteth because...

Case 1. My mother took her car for a scheduled service, the guy behind the counter asked if she'd had any problems with the car, She said the Rev counter doesn't work. The Guy apparently took a huge intake of breath, bent double with laughter slapping his hand on the counter and said " Oh my dear dear thing, your car doesn't even have a rev counter, so it doesn't matter if it works or not now does it hahaha", looking to his work mates for confirmation of how funny he was and how sweet and stupid this Lil old lady was. Mom was made to feel about one inch tall, in truth she wasn't much bigger but the c#nt hadn't counted on the genetic hair trigger temper mother possessed.

She knew nothing of mechanics but she knew a shed load about respect and gave this Twat the dressing down of his life, assisted him on his way to look at the car by nudging him with her crutches and demanded from the manager a written apology when it was in fact confirmed that her car not only had a rev counter but that it was indeed fooked.

Honestly, would she have got the same belittlement if her two rottweiler sons had been in attendance, I think not.:mad:

Case 2. A lady friend took her 'under warranty' mower in because it was buggered. she heard Today that she would have to pay because the fault was caused by owner misuse. They claim to have siphoned two litres of water out of the petrol tank.

Bullshit says I, The tank doesn't even hold 2 litres, of water or anything else, you'd have to stick a hose pipe in it to get half that amount in. It's because she's left it out side they say. It's three months old, she's used it 3 times and it lives in a garage. It must be condensation then caused by crap petrol. Two litres of condensation!!

She goes in Monday to collect it, she will not be alone.:girlfight:

I hate injustice/prejudice, I've read a lot about women being totally ignored in bike shops, does this extend to servicing as well? is this kind of thing widespread? I bloody hope not, piss taking b'stards.

magicfairy

16th January 2009, 15:04

Hell no. I'm much tougher to deal with than my male partner. He get's walked all over, I jump up and down and get stroppy.

ManDownUnder

16th January 2009, 15:12

Case 1 - buy your mother a beer for me! Bloody top woman that one!

Seriously - that attitude rocks!

as for the question - dunno - I'm of the wrong gender

MadDuck

16th January 2009, 15:12

... or do you have experience of the way some of these guys treat the fairer sex like they know nothing or simply don't matter when it comes to anything mechanical.

Sometimes it may start out that way but once they (now this is very very generalised) realise you know a thing or two they soon change their attitude.

I also think it helps to be a "shorter" female because we are known to bite.... :shutup:

slofox

16th January 2009, 15:13

.... some of these guys treat the fairer sex like they know nothing or simply don't matter when it comes to anything mechanical.

A little off the topic, but in fact the least mechanically inclined person I ever met was a guy...

e.g. 1. He refuelled a diesel tractor with petrol...the hire firm stopped hiring out tractors after that...to anyone.
e.g. 2. Whilst slashing Manchurian Rice Grass on his property with a rental tractor (before he fucked it up as per 1., above) he drove a tractor across a limestone driveway without lifting the mower up...and broke all the blades off.
e.g. 3. He thinned water based paint with turpentine...then tried to "separate" it by whirling the can around at arm's length to "harness centrifugal force"...
e.g. 4. He got his 4wd stuck in the mud because he did not know how to engage the hub locks...asked for a tow out. The guy helping turned the hubs and drove it out (and laughed his head off)...

So I don't let him ride my bike....

Nasty

16th January 2009, 15:26

Generally people don't fuck me around ... I offer to go over the law with them ...

That said my mechanic is my neighbour of 13 years .. and is lovely ... the bike guys I deal with know me ... and Harvey Normans got used to me and grubs and my knowledge of the consumer guarantees act ... which give them good platform with their suppliers.

martybabe

16th January 2009, 15:27

Hell no. I'm much tougher to deal with than my male partner. He gets walked all over, I jump up and down and get stroppy.

Good for you! Do you know if I thought my worthiness as a customer was judged on what I was or was not packing in my underpants/Knickers, it would be clobbering time, bloody nerve! :bash:

Sometimes it may start out that way but once they (now this is very very generalised) realise you know a thing or two they soon change their attitude.

I take your point and surely the very reason we consult/use mechanics is because their bloody knowledge /skills are supposed to be greater than ours. I don't recall a Doctor disrespecting me because I didn't know how to do a triple bypass on myself. or passing me off with the explanation that avocado abuse has caused my hair loss because I won't know any better.

.

So I don't let him ride my bike....

Bloody good call :yes:

firefighter

16th January 2009, 15:30

BOGAR

16th January 2009, 15:35

Recently heard of a case were the guy tried to put 4 new tires on her car. He started off saying that the puncture could not be fixed, so would need a new one but that would put the balance out so he said she would need to do all 4. Her mate goes to another garage and got the puncture fixed for free. (which was all it was and needed). Take care. There are some low life's out there.

Trudes

16th January 2009, 15:40

I have experienced a bit of this over the years, however only after I was married because before that I only had old shitter cars that I always did my own fixing of or got my dad and bro to help me so never got fucked around. First experience I had was when I took Kendog's car in for a service to a place here in Welly and when I picked it up they were quite surprised that I a. wanted to see the job sheet and b. queried some of the things we had been charged for which they then tried to argue with me about ie. charging $10 to fill up the window washer fluid... I mean come on!!! I did my nut in the shop and basically told them they were rip off c*%ts and I'd never be back. I received a follow up service call from them about 3 weeks later asking if I was satisfied with my service and the chick on the other end of the phone was told to write down every word I said and to tell them to once again get fucked.
The interesting thing is Kendog said he'd never even looked at the job sheets before, just paid the bill and went on his merry way (sucker!)
That's just one experience, have had many more, but I have to say I've never really had a bad experience with motorcycle mechanics (yet), I've always been given the benefit of the doubt that I may know something about the machine I ride.
That was a big rant eh? :lol:

martybabe

16th January 2009, 15:46

Yes, PIT STOP in Tauranga, Don't go there, they saw my ex coming a mile away, she had her car serviced and they charged $300 for changing brake pads, no machining of the discs, just a pad swap, and there was nothing wrong with them.......I went in after finding out and talked to the dick head in charge- who could offer no logical reason as to why it was such an obtuse price, asked to see the old pads and he showed me some worn right down so there was nothing left......there was no way these were the same pads, i'd driven it a couple of days before and they were fine. Needless to say I only ended up paying for the price of the pads when fair go was mentioned............

Bingo, even if they thought riping off women was justifiable due to being ridiculed by former girlfriends, on account of having a tiny weiner, are they so stupid they don't realise the lady they just stole off or belittled is someones mom, wife, girlfriend, daughter, life partner, significant other. The tale of humiliation/theft/disrespect will surely be passed on to other 'interested parties'/customers or are they so arrogant, in the case of money gained for work not done, they think the lady concerned won't even know she's been robbed. :oi-grr:

Trudes

16th January 2009, 15:47

Yes, PIT STOP in Tauranga, Don't go there, they saw my ex coming a mile away, she had her car serviced and they charged $300 for changing brake pads, no machining of the discs, just a pad swap, and there was nothing wrong with them.......I went in after finding out and talked to the dick head in charge- who could offer no logical reason as to why it was such an obtuse price, asked to see the old pads and he showed me some worn right down so there was nothing left......there was no way these were the same pads, i'd driven it a couple of days before and they were fine. Needless to say I only ended up paying for the price of the pads when fair go was mentioned............

Must be a PitStop policy to rip people off!
I took my car to PitripoffbastardsStop in Johnsonville for a service and about 2 weeks later it started making this awful knocking noise which I thought was the tappets, hubby took it back and was informed it wouldn't be tappets as the car is too modern to have tappets (snigger snigger I'm sure) and that it could be the pushers which would be costly to fix. Anyway I was stuffing about under the bonnet and decided to check the oil and low and behold there was NONE! No wonder the poor bloody thing was making terrible noises. It hadn't leaked, it wasn't burning it and 2 weeks after a service makes me think that they hadn't filled it up, charged me for it though. Wankers!! So I filled it with oil and look, no more knocking noise!! Surfice to say, I won't be back there again. I guess, if you want a job done properly, do it yourself (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1892479#post1892479)!!
EDIT: My bad, sorry Pitstop..... it is Autostop in Johnsonville who are bad news, not Pitstop.

Rosie

16th January 2009, 15:48

I usually have no trouble at all, even when I try to explain the problem in greater detail than my mechanical vocabulary will allow.

I did deal with a dreadfully condescending auto electrician once, who didn't believe me when I carefully explained the problem I had, and all the diagnosis Clint and I had done. He told me off for using electrical-grade CRC on what appeared to be the offending electrical plug, and took him two days to find out that there was a problem in the ignitor circuit. I told him that when I dropped the car off :angry:

firefighter

16th January 2009, 15:59

check the oil and low and behold there was NONE!

:shit: holy fuck, I would have demanded a full refund- imagaine the damage that has probably done, a full refund would have been the least of their worries! Fuck me that is absolutely in-excuseable......

Moral of the story I think is stay the fuck away from PIT STOP.....

There hopefully they'll lose out on some business from that!

jim.cox

16th January 2009, 16:00

martybabe

16th January 2009, 16:03

Trudes

16th January 2009, 16:12

Oh my :o Martybabe I'm all blushy!
And here I was thinking I was just a bolshy and mouthy bitch!!!:) (My hubby will tell you I am, but hey I save us money.)

The Stranger

16th January 2009, 17:07

I hate injustice/prejudice

Ah, my knight in shining armour. I've had a few of them injustices lately, will flick you a PM so you can get started ta.

MadDuck

16th January 2009, 17:13

I dont think its just a 'wimmin' thing

Agreed. I have had my fair share of Trudes moments but I have heard stories of them that are not female being ripped just as easily due to lack of knowledge.

martybabe

16th January 2009, 17:22

Ah, my knight in shining armour. I've had a few of them injustices lately, will flick you a PM so you can get started ta.

:lol: Been fighting it all my life dude and to date I've achieved ,erm, counting that case in '85 and the trouble in 2002........absolutely bugger all! Still hate it though.

ynot slow

16th January 2009, 17:27

Similar situation with dad,they raise bull calves to a weight contract for extra dough.They get around and pick up maybe 4-5000 lts of colostrum maybe every 2nd or 3rd day,one cockie we stopped to pick up about 500lts said the tank over there and a plug point inside the door,we drove over lifted the lid and about 150ltrs of water was evident,we said to him how many litres in here,about 1/2 full and capacity is 1000ltr so charge ya 450ltr @20c ltr $90.00,I said less about $30 for water we'll give ya $50,he mumbled wankers so I inadvertedly left the tap on a fraction,next day he rang the old man ranting about losing several hundred ltrs going into a stream via drain and getting a repremand from local council for spillage.

Ixion

16th January 2009, 17:29

Mrs Ixion took her little Nissan Sunny into the local Midas , they had one of those 'oil change and filter for $19.99' or summit deals, and I don't do oil changes on cages.

She rang me up in a state, said 'The Midas people say my clutch is worn out and needs to be fixed right away , they say they can do it today , and it will cost about $800. Should I tell them to go ahead. Why is my clutch broken'.

Uh. That's a bit odd. Car's only done 50000k. Clutch usually lasts more than that. But I don't often drive it, could be I suppose. "Uh, ask them what they mean wornout, slipping or dragging? And ask if they've checked the hydraulic fluid " (Cos sometimes a seal can crap out and the fluid gets full of rubber chunder and bolluxes the pistons n stuff). Comes back "They say it's slipping, and they've checked the hydraulic fluid and it's all right. They say I need to get it fixed right away , because it's dangerous to drive like that".

At that point the warning bell went off, cos a slipping clutch is not a good thing, but not normally particularly dangerous. So "No, I want to look at it first, tell them you'll come back Monday" "but but but .. " " Just tell them".

Get home, take Sunny round the block. Hm, gotta admit, there is some clutch slip. Not much , but it is slipping. Guess they're right, bloody Nissan , can't make clutches.

Back to the gargre, I'll just double check that hydraulic fluid. Open the bonnet, now, where's the reservoir. Uh, where IS the reservoir. Not in any normal place. OK, I'll trace back the hydraulic line. Uh where is the hydraulic line? And what's this honking big cable? This cable, complete with adjusting nut? Hm. A wee adjustment later, road test, just like a new one.

Riigggghtt. Checked the hydraulic fluid did you? And what sort of mechanic wouldn't notice that honking big cable?

Went in on Monday. "Oh come to have the clutch fixed ". " Well, no, it's fixed - tell me, how did you check the hydraulic fluid?". Some argument later, and they were telling me that there was no such thing as a cable clutch! "they are all hydraulic , you must have meddled with something else, it could be very dangerous, we need to check it out". Piss off buddy.

Would they have tried it on me? Probably not. Would they have tried it on Cyril the accountant with the horn rim glasses? Probably.

enigma51

16th January 2009, 17:31

I give all women that want it a fair deal

You show me yours and i show you mine

MadDuck

16th January 2009, 17:36

I give all women that want it a fair deal

You show me yours and i show you mine

And I bet they all run the opposite direction laughing loudly........

martybabe

16th January 2009, 17:43

Mrs Ixion took her little Nissan Sunny into the local Midas , they had one of those 'oil change and filter for $19.99' or summit deals, and I don't do oil changes on cages.

She rang me up in a state, said 'The Midas people say my clutch is worn out and needs to be fixed right away , they say they can do it today , and it will cost about $800. Should I tell them to go ahead. Why is my clutch broken'.

Uh. That's a bit odd. Car's only done 50000k. Clutch usually lasts more than that. But I don't often drive it, could be I suppose. "Uh, ask them what they mean worn out, slipping or dragging? And ask if they've checked the hydraulic fluid " (Cos sometimes a seal can crap out and the fluid gets full of rubber chunder and bolluxes the pistons n stuff). Comes back "They say it's slipping, and they've checked the hydraulic fluid and it's all right. They say I need to get it fixed right away , because it's dangerous to drive like that".

At that point the warning bell went off, cos a slipping clutch is not a good thing, but not normally particularly dangerous. So "No, I want to look at it first, tell them you'll come back Monday" "but but but .. " " Just tell them".

Get home, take Sunny round the block. Hm, gotta admit, there is some clutch slip. Not much , but it is slipping. Guess they're right, bloody Nissan , can't make clutches.

Back to the garage, I'll just double check that hydraulic fluid. Open the bonnet, now, where's the reservoir. Uh, where IS the reservoir. Not in any normal place. OK, I'll trace back the hydraulic line. Uh where is the hydraulic line? And what's this honking big cable? This cable, complete with adjusting nut? Hm. A wee adjustment later, road test, just like a new one.

Right. Checked the hydraulic fluid did you? And what sort of mechanic wouldn't notice that honking big cable?

Went in on Monday. "Oh come to have the clutch fixed ". " Well, no, it's fixed - tell me, how did you check the hydraulic fluid?". Some argument later, and they were telling me that there was no such thing as a cable clutch! "they are all hydraulic , you must have meddled with something else, it could be very dangerous, we need to check it out". Piss off buddy.

Would they have tried it on me? Probably not. Would they have tried it on Cyril the accountant with the horn rim glasses? Probably.

Perfect example, thanks mate. So without recourse to your good self it sounds like Mrs Ixion would have took the bait and had the Dangerous fault fixed and gone home poorer but none the wiser. That just stinks, I fail to see any difference between that and helping themselves to $xxx out of your wife's purse when her back was turned. Robbing Gits :spanking:

gatch

16th January 2009, 18:45

cunts, that pisses me off, i know a couple o tradesman that would only be too happy to rob some fem blind if they couldnt get a root from them for doing some stupidly easy job that they made sound inextricably complicated..

its disgusting..

p.s im a fitter turner, only charge $200/hr for a perk job, best rates in town :innocent:

candor

16th January 2009, 19:54

Its not a sex thing - guys who don't know their stuff get ripped too.

Also there is a lot of insane misuse and home cures that lead to idiots trying to claim on warranty. Some almost unbelievable like a lady who lately called a m8 to repair washing machine 3 x.

1. Taps not on - her excuse - how can I be expected to know they need the water ON. Wasn't charged as pity was taken.
2. Rings with out of balance issue - cure explained. Idiot instead goes into control panel and twists and disconnects wires so no go, so calls - m8 again goes out to fix. Says she really ought be charged but he won't - her reply - but its your fault, two breakdowns. Not even.
3. She calls a day or two later with another complaint no go. M8 goes there and it's a different machine! She denies this but has removed the serial number. She has clearly pawned her warranted one, substituted with her old one and is trying to get the WINZ provided money back. Tui!

But re mechanics and sex - some willl try it on anyone who has no clue. Accidentally went to not my regular (whos a neighbour) lately, as mine booked up. The one who wasn't and did my WOF went nuts on it, even requiring 2 perfectly good tyres to go. And diagnosed non existent engine probs to tune of more than car bought for.

My eyerolling mechanics comment - was he busy? And a male teen I know who just bought a merc thru "make a wish" - mechanics diagnosed some thing or another and said $1500. Again checked by a work mate in the know and the truth was around $150, Meanwhile the guy had been trying to save 1500 from his low wage job and off road. Some people just aren't ethical - or believe make hay...

Pedrostt500

16th January 2009, 19:54

I advise some of my less mechanicaly inclined friends the the best policy is to ask around their local area about who to use, and what peoples impresions are on the local companies, once you have found a good company, try to stick with them, this helps to build a good working relationship with that company.
Dont be scared to ask for a cost break down of a bill or quote, for major work try to get at least 3 quotes, this will give you a good ball park idea of the cost to you of a job, the cheapest quote is not always the best quote, keep track of variations that you ask for on top of a quote.

Little Miss Trouble

16th January 2009, 20:33

Yes, PIT STOP in Tauranga, Don't go there, they saw my ex coming a mile away, she had her car serviced and they charged $300 for changing brake pads, no machining of the discs, just a pad swap, and there was nothing wrong with them.......I went in after finding out and talked to the dick head in charge- who could offer no logical reason as to why it was such an obtuse price, asked to see the old pads and he showed me some worn right down so there was nothing left......there was no way these were the same pads, i'd driven it a couple of days before and they were fine. Needless to say I only ended up paying for the price of the pads when fair go was mentioned............

Must be a PitStop policy to rip people off!
I took my car to PitripoffbastardsStop in Johnsonville for a service and about 2 weeks later it started making this awful knocking noise which I thought was the tappets, hubby took it back and was informed it wouldn't be tappets as the car is too modern to have tappets (snigger snigger I'm sure) and that it could be the pushers which would be costly to fix. Anyway I was stuffing about under the bonnet and decided to check the oil and low and behold there was NONE! No wonder the poor bloody thing was making terrible noises. It hadn't leaked, it wasn't burning it and 2 weeks after a service makes me think that they hadn't filled it up, charged me for it though. Wankers!! So I filled it with oil and look, no more knocking noise!! Surfice to say, I won't be back there again. I guess, if you want a job done properly, do it yourself (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1892479#post1892479)!!

Hmm, strange, the guys at Pit Stop Albany have always taken good care of me. Head mechanic used to ride an R1 :niceone:

Trudes

16th January 2009, 20:59

Hmm, strange, the guys at Pit Stop Albany have always taken good care of me. Head mechanic used to ride an R1 :niceone:

I used to say that too about the one I used to go to, got my car serviced there for the past five years and my van too since we bought it, but after this last ordeal and a few other dodgy things that have apparently "needed" to be done which seemed unnecessary to me I've decided that customer loyalty means dick to them and they can shove it up their arses. And they had the cheek to charge me $10 for a courtesy car for half a day that had no petrol in the tank!

Little Miss Trouble

16th January 2009, 21:14

I used to say that too about the one I used to go to, got my car serviced there for the past five years and my van too since we bought it, but after this last ordeal and a few other dodgy things that have apparently "needed" to be done which seemed unnecessary to me I've decided that customer loyalty means dick to them and they can shove it up their arses. And they had the cheek to charge me $10 for a courtesy car for half a day that had no petrol in the tank!

Hmm, if thats the way the rest of them are its no wonder my guys have a big shiny trophy for being the best Pit Stop in the country. Good service, good price and they don't talk down to me :sunny:

Isn't it sad that customer loyalty means so little these days? Mind you, given the way I've had 'loyal' customers mess me around at times its not that surprising either.

MsKABC

16th January 2009, 21:21

Went in on Monday. "Oh come to have the clutch fixed ". " Well, no, it's fixed - tell me, how did you check the hydraulic fluid?". Some argument later, and they were telling me that there was no such thing as a cable clutch! "they are all hydraulic , you must have meddled with something else, it could be very dangerous, we need to check it out". Piss off buddy.

Remind me never to take my fiddly french car there then - hubby informs me that not only is it a cable clutch, but it's a push rather than a pull one. :blink: :scratch: OK, so that means diddly squat to me, so I guess they'd have trouble with it too!

Ixion

16th January 2009, 21:27

Cable clutch is not so common now. I wasn't expecting it. I wouldn't condemn them for noting - oh clutch is slipping, needs replacing. But to say they'd checked the hydraulic fluid - when there was none to check, now that's a downright lie.

And they'd surely have opened the bonnet. The cable was pretty obvious, and so tight that when I gave it the usual whack with a spanner it sung like a guitar string.

MsKABC

16th January 2009, 21:28

I have to say I have experienced this, but I've also gotten some really good, honest service too, and you do tend to stick with them.

We took the aforementioned little poodle to an auto-electrical place because the airbag light was flashing and it failed a WOF. I was charged $700 for replacing the seatbelt pre-tensioner. Hubby was dubious, but unfortunately didn't get involved.... Sure enough, the light started flashing again less than 12 months later, but this time we took it to a poodle specialist and it was DUST IN THE CONTACTS!! :mad:

FTR, Redwood Autos in Swanson is fantastic :niceone:

I'm reasonably mechanically minded for a chick, so often times when I get to talking with a tradesperson they realise I'm not a complete fool and change their attitude a bit.

These days I have the consumate DIY hubby who refuses to pay anyone to do something he can do himself, so we seldom deal with tradespeople.

martybabe

17th January 2009, 07:47

I'm convinced if I'd put this thread on a similar web site in England town it would have been full of women with horror stories to tell. Whilst there are some shockers on here, I guess the boy blokes could come up with a not too dissimilar percentage of rip off tales.

Is the conclusion then that women are not ripped off a disproportionate amount in comparison to their penis packing counterparts and that shit trades people are not necessarily sexist, just shit?

Or is it, as I strongly suspected form the start, That kiwi girls have big enough balls, metaphorically speaking, to challenge rogue traders and their disrespecting, thieving, bullshit at source.

Whatever your gender, you deserve good and honest service. Stick it too em guys! but don't forget to praise the good ones on here so we can all have a bit. :yes:

karla

17th January 2009, 08:33

Have got to say, finding a mechanic that you can trust is a god-send. My car mechanic has always been a good bloke, charged appropriately and fixed all my problems. Life is far easier when you have a good Mechanic! I may have to dig a bit deeper or look a bit further afield to find a motorbike mechanical God, but I believe I am already on the right track there too ...

I do have a problem finding a builder, gardener, painter ... it seems like all the ones that I know are honest and trustworthy have so much work on that they are booked up for years ahead.

Which kind of says it all, really.

Her_C4

17th January 2009, 09:33

I'm reasonably mechanically minded for a chick, so often times when I get to talking with a tradesperson they realise I'm not a complete fool and change their attitude a bit.

Hmm me too. When it is evident that I am being played for a fool, I do like to string them along a wee bit for a while playing the dumb blonde bit (now that I am blonde!!):sunny: It makes the 'kill' so much more satisfying.

I do have a problem finding a builder, gardener, painter ... it seems like all the ones that I know are honest and trustworthy have so much work on that they are booked up for years ahead.

Which kind of says it all, really.

Yep - not often I get ripped off, I thought I did my homework reasonably well, but I have to admit a certain local landscaper got the better of me lately. Not too recently I bought a house that desperately needs some garden help, so I contacted three landscapers to give me a quote and have a chat.

I selected what I thought was the best one (gift of the gab got me! - THAT surprised me :shifty:). Paid thousands of dollars for a plan and some work on the back slope to tidy it up, the job was less than shoddy and the plants are dying and because they haven't been planted properly (some look like they are just sitting on top of the clay) and there is no irrigation in place, everything is either dying or being choked by weeds.

His response was amazing when I rung him to advise that I would not be proceeding with the rest of the plan (many thousands of dollars worth) and he came around to have a look at it with me and STILL tried to justify the issues talking down to me (oops never a good move)! :shit: His final payment is outstanding... and will always be.

Owl

17th January 2009, 09:41

We all hear horror stories involving women and rip-offs from time to time. It sucks and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone.

However the thing that bugs me most at work is the lack of respect towards women customers. I’m talking about the perving that goes on behind the scene’s that is often blatant and something I find extremely embarrassing. Another time, another place, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but not in the workplace! Surely women out there must get annoyed with this crap!

As far as dealing with customers, my preference would be males rather than females, but gender is really neither here nor there. There is however two job descriptions that come to mind when I think of problem customers. School teachers and Air Force personnel!:whistle:

sunhuntin

17th January 2009, 09:57

i havent overly bad service, but i did stop going to the local former suzi dealer when the mechnics looked at me like i was just another biker chick riding just for image and not for the love. considering i spent a fair amount on gear for the bike when i first started, it was a pissy attitude on their part.
the other suzi dealer wont see my money again either due to the same type of attitude, calling a years worth of fuck ups on a brand new bike, that had done less than 10,000k, "consumables" not covered under warrenty. this included a chain that jumped off the cog and the part that charges the battery [cant recall the name!] amongst other things. they also were not keen to throw a new helmet in with the purchase of said bike.

paragon, the yamaha dealer, on the other hand, have been awesome to deal with. my money will be staying with them until they give me sufficiant reason to get annoyed.

smoky

17th January 2009, 09:57

martybabe

17th January 2009, 10:30

(gift of the gab got me! - THAT surprised me :shifty:).

Surprising isn't it, then again, those that talk the talk and ultimately rip you off have probably spent a life time fine tuning the art of duping customers by telling them what they want to hear and then delivering woeful service.

I've suffered from the silver tongue too, I had a new drive laid by the keenest nicest bloke you can imagine. It warped, it melted and the whole thing moved like a magic carpet whenever you parked a largish vehicle on it.

The best of it was, he came back 6 months later to see if I still wanted the other work doing that we'd discussed. mmmm fool me once.....I lifted up a large section of the drive way with my bare hands and showed him the gravel underneath and explained that if he gave me a few minutes to dig a hole there, my four sons would be along shortly and the whole family would spend some quality time burying the bastard in it.

He was a c#nt but I was the fool. c'est la vie. :angry:

Her_C4

17th January 2009, 10:50

Surprising isn't it, then again, those that talk the talk and ultimately rip you off have probably spent a life time fine tuning the art of duping customers by telling them what they want to hear and then delivering woeful service.

I've suffered from the silver tongue too, I had a new drive laid by the keenest nicest bloke you can imagine. It warped, it melted and the whole thing moved like a magic carpet whenever you parked a largish vehicle on it.

The best of it was, he came back 6 months later to see if I still wanted the other work doing that we'd discussed. mmmm fool me once.....I lifted up a large section of the drive way with my bare hands and showed him the gravel underneath and explained that if he gave me a few minutes to dig a hole there, my four sons would be along shortly and the whole family would spend some quality time burying the bastard in it.

He was a c#nt but I was the fool. Se la vie. :angry:

Yep, what is it that says something along the lines of 'fool me once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me'?? Or summat like that.

When the aforementioned landscaper came back to inspect his work (at my behest), he told me that I needed to pay his bill ASAP, so that he could get on with the next stage of the plan...:lol: WTF??

Let me tell you again S.L.O.W.L.Y that hell will freeze before I (or any of my friends) do business with you again.... :Pokey::headbang:

c'est la vie indeed.

fireliv

17th January 2009, 10:53

Yes you’re right women do get treated differently, even in a positive way sometimes; I’ve seen guys bending over backwards to help young ladies when they’ve unbuttoned their blouse a little and flirted a bit.

Yup thats true too. My partners sister used to wear a small skirt when taking her scooter in to the mehanics (Typical no protective gear), they would fix the problem, do everything else for her, and charge her crap all.

Obviously I'm not hot enough cos I dont get that kinda treatment. I dont do the mechanical side of thing, leave that to phoenix to deal with. However I am the enforcer. If we get ripped off (which seams to always be insurance companies...) its me that gets these bastards on the run.

But I guess predujuces against women have been round for years. Its not going to change tomorrow, but maybe over time. I mean I still get the weirdest looks from both guys and girls when I take my helmet off and they realise I'm a chick.

Her_C4

17th January 2009, 11:09

I mean I still get the weirdest looks from both guys and girls when I take my helmet off and they realise I'm a chick.

ha ha ha me too!! Especially when they realise that I am an (cough cough) OLDER one. They look from me to the bike and back again with a look of 'cannot compute' aka sheer bewilderment, and then curiosity and then the braver ones come over and ask (having seen me just get off it)... 'are you riding that? Is it yours?' :gob:

:bash:

martybabe

17th January 2009, 11:36

Yep, what is it that says something along the lines of 'fool me once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me'?? Or summat like that.

When the aforementioned landscaper came back to inspect his work (at my behest), he told me that I needed to pay his bill ASAP, so that he could get on with the next stage of the plan...:lol: WTF??

Let me tell you again S.L.O.W.L.Y that hell will freeze before I (or any of my friends) do business with you again.... :Pokey::headbang:

c'est la vie indeed.

:yes: And let me tell you S.L.O.W.L.Y. you....... rock....... lady!

P.s. Apologies for the French spelling, I'm old and confused :laugh:

JMemonic

17th January 2009, 12:41

I do have a problem finding a builder, gardener, painter ... it seems like all the ones that I know are honest and trustworthy have so much work on that they are booked up for years ahead.

Which kind of says it all, really.

I can help with the builder and painter let me know and I will get their names to you.

enigma51

17th January 2009, 12:44

And I bet they all run the opposite direction laughing loudly........

More a case of being scared of what it might do to them :girlfight:

JMemonic

17th January 2009, 13:00

Having been in several industries now where these situations occurs I can say its not only females that get ripped off, its not only males or tradesman who do this ripping off, and surprisingly the ones who do the ripping off seem to build a following that allows them to if not blatant about it continue to rip folks off.

Take care, check job sheets etc, and never get to the point where you trust the "professional" to the point that you do not check what you are paying for, be prepared to question that which you don't understand, any good business will have staff prepared to assist you, answer questions and generally make you feel welcome.

Unfortunately there are rip off merchants out there, and certain events have pit falls as well, trust me mention wedding and prices go up, as do flowers around Valentines day, petrol around long weekends etc.

karla

17th January 2009, 13:21

I can help with the builder and painter let me know and I will get their names to you.

I have my eye on a painter (worth waiting for) but I'll get the builders name off you on Wed, if that's ok. :)

FROSTY

17th January 2009, 13:31

Actually Id say less and less females are "targets" but by gosh it gets me seething when I see some of the "servicing" bills older people are paying on their cars.
One old bloke had his cambelt replaced TWICE in 50000km and was charged About $1000 a time on a friggin corolla ($400 job)
Or the poor old dear that was given a $2500 quote to fix a list of "urgent WOF items" She decided not to bother and traded her car in.I put it through for a WOF at a reputable testing station. HMM flew through.
-Incidently in BOTH cases the culprits were the AA sevice centre in Devonport.

Xaria

17th January 2009, 14:22

My Mother used to have this problem with our local mechanic. She solced it by writing a note saying "Roley says we need..."

I used to have a mate take my car for its WOF. A couple of times it got through even though it probably shouldn't. (Get this seen to pretty quickly please...)

My car is booked into a new mechanic on the same block as my work. I know it is good to keep going back to the same guy and we get most of our work vehicles done there so we get good rates.

I just resent paying money for stuff for my car you know? Would rather it went towards the next bike :)

enigma51

17th January 2009, 15:07

barty5

17th January 2009, 19:48

I have automotive repair shop in newmarket and we pride ourselves on being honest to our customers. We hold all parts removed from vehicles untill customer has left, Parts are shown to anyone who wishes to see them and in a lot of cases we show the customer the faulty or worn parts before they are even removed so they can see for themselves if they are unsure.
This type of business requires a lot of trust from your customers if you are to get repeat work from them. All jobs are explained before they take place and the reasons why should be done.

martybabe

17th January 2009, 20:18

I have automotive repair shop in newmarket and we pride ourselves on being honest to our customers. We hold all parts removed from vehicles until customer has left, Parts are shown to anyone who wishes to see them and in a lot of cases we show the customer the faulty or worn parts before they are even removed so they can see for themselves if they are unsure.
This type of business requires a lot of trust from your customers if you are to get repeat work from them. All jobs are explained before they take place and the reasons why should be done.

And it works too, you'd have my business if I lived up there.It's bad enough paying out money for routine or unbudgeted for jobs but to be ill treated and ripped off because you're a woman, old or are not blessed with mechanical savvy is criminal stinkage of the highest order. :kick:

HungusMaximist

18th January 2009, 08:01

Just remember, Karma has it's ways with lairs, cheats, and con-artists..

And that they have to go to bed every night knowing that tomorrow just might be the day that they're gonna get caught out or fucked.

Beemer

18th January 2009, 13:26

I've had a few tradespeople try and rip me off but they don't get the work and I tell everyone about my experience so it backfires somewhat! We got quotes for having our two bathrooms lined in seratone and new fixtures installed. First guy says $6000 for labour alone, second guy never turns up but says about $10,000 including fixtures and fittings and labour, third guy says 'at least' $8000 for labour alone - and that was for ONE bathoom, not both. Ended up asking a mate for a referral and he put us on to two guys who did the building AND plumbing work for $3500 and the all-up cost (including new flooring) was about $10,000 for both bathrooms.

Took the car to Mexted Motors in Tawa for its first service as that's where we bought it from (second-hand) and there is no Mitsubishi dealer in Levin. Bird crapped on the windscreen as I was pulling in and I didn't want to smear it all over the place so I didn't wash it off. Picked up the car later that day (after having to put fuel in their courtesy car as it was on empty when they gave it to me) and paid the bill. Looked at it when I got home and found they had claimed to have checked the operation of the windscreen wipers and the wiper fluid reservoir. Really? Well how come the bird crap was still splashed all over the bloody windscreen? My husband checked and found we'd been charged for a new air filter or something that hadn't been changed either, but we got very little action when we complained. Guess what? Despite good service when we bought the car, we will NEVER buy anything from them again, and nor will we get the car serviced there again.

However, we get great service from the local Firestone guys - many times they have fixed punctures or removed tyres from bike rims for free and they always give us a good deal when we buy tyres. Same goes for the guys who built our front porch. We didn't really know what we wanted but they translated our vague ideas into something that has exceeded our expectations - and the price was pretty good too.

Unfortunately there are some people out there who think it's the done thing to rip people of both genders off, and they do it until they get caught out. I got told once by a computer repairman that I needed a new high-spec motherboard for my Mac. Rang the agent in Christchurch and was told it was highly likely the battery was nearly dead and that I should try replacing that first. "Tell you what," the guy said, "I'll send you a new battery and if that doesn't work, just send it back". It worked perfectly and was about $30 rather than $800!

We had new flooring laid in the ensuite and it lifted and bubbled near the door the following day. I rang and they sent someone out to fix it (two young guys who had a combined age - and IQ - of less than 40) but they managed to leave huge wrinkles where they had pulled it up to reglue it, and there was a 1cm cut in the edge where the metal strip was. I pointed it out to them and said I wasn't happy, so the owner came out and looked at it that night. He said it wouldn't get any worse, but I just said "if it were in YOUR bathroom, would you be happy? I've waited FIVE YEARS to have the money to get this bathroom renovated and I am not prepared to have a cut in the lino the day it is finished. I would like it replaced please." He could see I wasn't happy, so he said he could replace it or give us a discount and for me to talk it over with my husband that night and let him know what we wanted. We weren't keen to have damaged lino (they had put some sort of sealant over it and that was a different colour to the lino) so we said we wanted it replaced. They then had to pay to have the plumber come back and remove the vanity and toilet he'd just installed, and reinstall it when they were finished. So I'd say their profit went out the window - but at least they remedied the problem.

I think a lot of the trouble is caused by people not questioning the work or not complaining if they are not happy. What's wrong with complaining and still never using their services again!

Sarah1298kk

11th April 2009, 06:54

New to Kiwibiker.co,

Hate to be a new user but I thought that I would share my experience regarding finding a local mechanic in your area. For me, my bike is my life. When I hop on my SUZUKI 1000cc, I can tell if it isn't running correctly.

With this being said, it is crucial that I find a great mechanic to take care of my bike. While word of mouth from other riders is the best way to find a new mechanic, I recently came across a website that offers customer opinions, reviews, and ratings regarding not only mechanics but painters, contractors, and electricians.

The site, angieslist.com is pretty cool. It does cost money though- a step many have trouble stepping over. I strongly recommend checking it out.

It saved my ass.

-S:Punk:

awayatc

11th April 2009, 07:51

2 different breeds of people realy:
the bloody good value honest as gold competent real Kiwiblokes....half the time charge bugger all for little "help you out-ers"

The me, me me and I myself brigade out for a quick buck at any cost, without any sort off commendable skill or knowledge......
or even possessing the slightest redeeming character trait....

I have learned the hard way how to pick em now....

CookMySock

11th April 2009, 08:12

2 different greeds of people realy:
the bloody good value honest as gold competent real Kiwiblokes....half the time charge bugger all for little "help you out-ers"

The me, me me and I myself brigade out for a quick buck at any cost, without any sort off commendable skill or knowledge......
or even possessing the slightest redeeming character trait....
Thats not fair. There are also those who genuinely go to work because they love it, and try hard to pay their house off, and deserve to have a proper income. Living on 22k a year is robbery, and its not the consumer getting ripped off either.

I worked really hard for my customers for years and years, and it got me precisely nowhere - they just crunch me for an even BETTER deal every time and go spend the money they "save" on their $60,000 boat, or their teenage kids' $11,000 dirtbike. They didn't "save" any money at all - they just took it out of my pocket and stuck it in theirs.

I will go about my business in an ethical fashion, just like I always have regardless of what my customers project onto me, and if they still think I'm stealing from them then go use my opposition - I'm sure they will get a fair deal from him just like they did from me, but once again it won't take long for them to not think so, and then they can go to hell after that coz I don't want to see them again.

It's not always about everyone else.

Steve

awayatc

11th April 2009, 08:56

well Steve, you fit in the first category then.....
I said "charge bugger all for help you out sort of things".....not free jobs!
You can carge a fair rate for a fair job....Nobody should have a problem with that.
Don't charge for work you did not do or did not do properly...

The other people you talk about are definitely in the second category.....Met a fair few of them myself.

It is about live and let live.....

Mikkel

11th April 2009, 14:12

What man would even consider for a second to leave anything technical or mechanical to his spouse? I mean seriously, I wouldn't want to meddle in the cooking or the washing so I even letting her talk to a mechanic is out of the question. Dropping off or picking up the car is not a problem though... :devil2:

Jokes aside, if you don't engage your skepticism when dealing with people you don't already know you will get ripped off sooner rather than later. When I request the services of a professional I very much expect them to know more than myself on the subject, if they don't I'll find someone else. If I get a feeling that they start telling porkies or are unable to explain something that is within their field of expertise I'll find someone else.

And, indeed, your gender doesn't matter - much. If you are dealing with something of which you are completely ignorant you will always be an easy target for fraud.

I have automotive repair shop in newmarket and we pride ourselves on being honest to our customers. We hold all parts removed from vehicles untill customer has left, Parts are shown to anyone who wishes to see them and in a lot of cases we show the customer the faulty or worn parts before they are even removed so they can see for themselves if they are unsure.

Hehe, I had to laugh seeing that plate. "Nar" is the danish word for fool :lol:

Good practice btw. Witnessing the slight mechanical destruction of one's vehicle firsthand increases the appreciation of the need for maintainance.

Tank

12th April 2009, 09:32

I worked really hard for my customers for years and years, and it got me precisely nowhere - they just crunch me for an even BETTER deal every time and go spend the money they "save" on their $60,000 boat, or their teenage kids' $11,000 dirtbike. They didn't "save" any money at all - they just took it out of my pocket and stuck it in theirs.

So what you are saying is that they are all smarter than you.

scracha

12th April 2009, 10:57

2 different breeds of people realy:
the bloody good value honest as gold competent real Kiwiblokes....half the time charge bugger all for little "help you out-ers"

Yeah, but there's a fair few crooked, lying, bad paying customers out there too who treat tradesmen like sub-humans. I sleep well at night as I have honestly never ripped anybody off but I certainly don't go out of my way to help or give discounts to (the minority of) customers who can't be bothered to pay me on time and/or are quite frankly, bloody rude.

Females getting ripped off? Quite the opposite. Women tend to be much more pleasant to deal with and therefore my human nature tends to give them a better discount. A lot of blokes are quite offish, sometimes even blatantly aggressive in their questioning (they seriously give you the third degree) as they seem to consider tradesmen a dent on their fragile macho ego because they can't do the job themselves.

I can empathise with DB's point about customers taking money out of his pocket. Honest day's pay for an honest day's work and all that.

Tank

12th April 2009, 11:35

I can empathise with DB's point about customers taking money out of his pocket. Honest day's pay for an honest day's work and all that.

People negotiate (well smart people do).

If you dont like the $$$ being offered you have the opportunity to walk away - simple really.

If you dont - then you must still be happy that you are being paid appropriately.

People need to look it from the other side as well - Most traders charge as much as they believe they can get away with. Not what what is necessarily fair.

And to think that its money from your pocket to theirs is simple thinking - and shows a lack of understanding of business at a very basic level.

They are not taking money from your pocket - you didnt have any to start with - they are putting money IN your pocket - but with a poor attitude - they will take their money elsewhere in future. And thats you putting a whole in your own pocket.

scracha

12th April 2009, 20:04

People negotiate (well smart people do).
If you dont like the $$$ being offered you have the opportunity to walk away - simple really.

I often do. But anyhoo, I'm talking about the "smart people" who negociate once you've arrived to do the job. Even if I walk away, I've wasted time and fuel getting there, and that means less money in my pocket.

People need to look it from the other side as well - Most traders charge as much as they believe they can get away with. Not what what is necessarily fair.

Traders are not the same as tradescmen. Your above statement is nonsense. Most tradesmen have spent years learning their skill(s), work long hours, give discounts to the less well off and put a hell of a lot back into the community.

And to think that its money from your pocket to theirs is simple thinking - and shows a lack of understanding of business at a very basic level.

Yes, it's simple thinking. How you can extrapolate that to make assumptions about my understanding of business is amazing.

They are not taking money from your pocket - you didnt have any to start with - they are putting money IN your pocket - but with a poor attitude - they will take their money elsewhere in future. And thats you putting a whole in your own pocket.
Nobody's "putting" money in my pocket. I'm working for it. Lets see you arrive at work (or even do the work first) and then have your employer "negociate" your wages.