Is it normal for a repair shop to initially quote double the Repair Pal quote?
What is your question?
I had taken my Trailblazer in to have the fan clutch replaced, which is not uncommon on them and the quote was pretty high. I often visit an online forum for TB/Envoy owners and read about Repairpal. The estimate was less than half of the original quote from the shop and they were listed as one that honors the quote. I asked them about it and they fixed the issue and charged the highest number on the estimate, but it was $700 less than the original quote so.. yay money saved, thanks RP.
So fast forward several months and my alternator goes out in my 626 and so I had it towed to the same shop that fixed the TB. It was a Sunday so I was able to look at RP's estimator so I had an idea what I would be paying. They came back with a quote that was again double what RP's figures were. I went back and forth a bit with the quote and the exact work to be done and in the end they said they'd honor the estimate.
Is this normal? Should I go with another of the listed shops? Thanks in advance.
RepairPal Certified shops can diagnose and repair your 2001 Mazda 626. They provide transparent pricing with a minimum 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on repairs and services.
There can be a variance sometimes depending on the situation. Say bolts were frozen and needed to be drilled out or it wasn't a cut and dry situation that required more diagnosis.
It's great they honored the estimate on this site, I'd say that was the right thing to do.
If you feel comfortable with the work and they are on time I'd say stay with the shop. If not there are many more listed on here that you can try out to make sure you are 100% comfortable.
Alex
