Greater Boston Motorsports estimate fee.

[dingley00]

i just got off the phone with greater boston motorsports for an insurance job (my bike was pushed over). has any ever heard of a estimation fee? they're taking out 10% off what it would have cost to get work done there. i'm going to do it myself, because it's mostly just replacing easy bolt on parts. the damage total was somewhere around $1300, so they're taking $130?! what's up with that? has anyone ever heard of this before?

[Awesome]

Sounds like bullshit.

[KillBill]

I would think the estimate fee would be built into the cost
of them doing business

[ssg]

Did you ask up front "how much for an estimate?" if you didn't...consider it a 130$ lesson, still sounds like total bullshiat though.

[BigShel]

I have been hearing it alot, and as you know no one does anything for free. if they do work its free, but what you should do is pass the bill on to your insurance company they pay them with a smile.

[dingley00]

i didn't. my insurance agent towed it there (with my permission). i'm still getting some work done (and electrical switch was broken). so, it seems pretty bullshit that they're still taking that money out even though they're getting money for the "diagnostic fee" (even though i told them what the problem was). and for the hour and half labor to install? IT TAKES AN HOUR AND A HALF TO INSTALL A HANDLEBAR SWITCH?! BULLSHIT.

[ssg]

So they charged to 'diag' the problem with your switch, then they are charging you 1.5 hours of labor to fix it? Glad I will never take my bike there.

[noxin]

That seems to be common practice now since TONS of people go the estimate/fix it yourself route, especially with motorcycles, as they are typically very easy to repair compared to a car and it's body work. I know I've seen the signs at Parkway, GBM, and Cycles128, and I seem to recall it the few times I was in other shops.

The 10% come off the top of the repair work that the estimate was done for, so if you get it done there, they didn't charge you anything.

[Pittenger5]

The 10% come off the top of the repair work that the estimate was done for, so if you get it done there, they didn't charge you anything.

Thats probably what they're doing.

[GixerJockey]

Absolutely... The dealership should not be expected to work for free. An estimate fee is more than fair. Someone spent a couple of hours looking the bike over, looking up part #s and costs and creating an estimate.

BTW... If you had them do the work, they would not charge you for the estimate. You have used their services and they expect and deserve to be paid for that.

[virtualbong]

The estimate fee is pretty normal...I remember seeing something like that posted at various dealerships. Like some people have already mentioned...they are taking their time to look over your bike. It's the same as car dealerships paying for a diagnosis fee or whatever they call it.

[capt1014]

I call Bull Shit!

[DuncanMoto]

As long as they tell you up front when you bring your bike there, then an estimation fee is completely fair, but insurance should pay it.
Also your insurance should pay to have the bike fixed there. Why waste your time fixing it? The insurance company isn't going to pay you for your labor are they?

[slammp]

Yeah, Parkway does that too. I think its only fair - the problem the dealership have is riders use them to get the estimate's done when there is an issue and then everybody pulls the bike out and does the work themselves to save money. It is only fair that the shop be paid for the effort. The option is A: do the estimate work yourself (very time consuming), or B: let the shop fix the bike and don't try to turn a profit off of the insurance estimate.

[jwm2k3]

There is only an estimation fee if you do not have them do the work they pointed out to you that the bike needs. If you have them fix what is wrong then there is no estimation fee. Seems pretty simple to me.

[boloson]

it's gbm...what did u expect?




parkway & gbm is the same co.

[jwm2k3]

it's gbm...what did u expect?




parkway & gbm is the same co.

You work for free?

[Kham]

i got charged $75 flat rate.

[boloson]

You work for free?

with my salary i might as well lol.

free plug: their service dept is pretty good, sales i'm not too crazy about

[Jayspeed]

IT TAKES AN HOUR AND A HALF TO INSTALL A HANDLEBAR SWITCH?! BULLSHIT.

It took 1/2 an hour to install and during the other hour, they took it on a beat run.

[j4eric]

if i was a garage and you pulled a DIY, i would be bullshit if i did not get paid for doing the estimate...

[Sheppo]

Absolutely... The dealership should not be expected to work for free. An estimate fee is more than fair. Someone spent a couple of hours looking the bike over, looking up part #s and costs and creating an estimate.

BTW... If you had them do the work, they would not charge you for the estimate. You have used their services and they expect and deserve to be paid for that.

We do the same thing.

[RandyO]

what's up with that? has anyone ever heard of this before?

ya, its called "charging for services rendered"

it's usually added into the estimate and paid by your insurance minus your deductable

most of the time waived if you get the work done at the shop that does the estimate

if a shop didn't charge, I'd be leary,

[Nikon]

FUCK GBM. I had a terrible experience with them and will bad mouth them to everyone I can.

DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.

[butcher bergs]

So you wanted their time but didn't want to pay for it?

Interesting.