I went in to get my mothers AC serviced. They found the problem, cooling fans that stopped working. I was told that it would be $149.00 for a estimate and diagnosis of problem. I was given a estimate $1600.00 to complete repairs. A new fan was quoted at $948.00. This price was roughly 300% higher than ordering the part myself. I refused to pay this price and did not receive the repairs. I ordered the part and repaired the vehicle myself in 2 hours. I was shocked to receive a bill for $172.00 for a estimate instead of the quoted $149.00. Being in the service business for 14 years I prided myself on being honest. I left Pals thinking “WOW!!! They are a bunch of rip offs!”. I will by default warn anyone who asks where they should get their car fixed not to go to Pals.
Hi, Jonathan. We are sorry you feel this way about our pricing. You had been working on the car before it came into our shop. The car has a lot of new parts, but the new parts didn’t fix the problem. You paid for a diagnostic that is free when you let us repair the problem. The vehicle required a cooling fan assembly with an evac and recharge to fix the problem. The repair requires 5 hours of labor with the fan assembly, removal of the radiator to accommodate the removal of the fans, reassembly, and refill of coolant and refrigerant. Our cost for the fan assembly was over $400.00. So yes, taking everything into account, the bill would have been $1425.00 to do the job. Also, we back our work with a nationwide warranty. Of course, you can always do a job for less if you do it yourself. But when you put parts on a car that don’t fix the problem, it becomes much more expensive. We wish you well and safe travels with your mother's car.
- PALS Ocala Auto Repair