getting ripped off!!!

I love this one anytime you want anything at all to do with your vw its always double the price for any other car

"mmmm a Volkswagen huh..Hmmmm..."

:cry

and there never seems to be just one set
way to do things, there's so many
conflicting opinions it can get pretty
confusing and difficult to decide on what
you should with your VW, some advice is total
ly opposite to someone else's advice.
does anyone else feel like this?
is it like this with other more common cars???

Most opinions I get are well meant. Most people are trying to help me rather than influence me which is sweet🙂

For me Bel is a classic of simplicity, 6 volt, 36 hp with manual choke and old oil filled air filter, wonderful airconditioning in the vent windows. I want to keep her that way and run her as my daily ride. What other car can do it?? I love her to death:kiss

Hmmm, I think her original wiring may be on the way out? She stays 6 volt!!🙂

As a young fella before uni I got ripped off heaps of times. The sadest one was a red escort panelvan for $1000 which had to much wrong to live. The derby was fun though.

I think it because I put too much faith into citizenship and solidarity. When Emerald was a small town people didn't rip other people off because as a buisness person you wouldn't last long. The motorbike shop nearly went under a couple of times as did many small traders who delt in quite shifty methods.

As Emerald became bigger, scumbags recieved less justice from the word of mouth and tended to just do not so good. The honest traders good at their craft had successful shops and community postitions in say Lions, rotary and similar clubs.

Recently I have develped a simple method of purchase. I get the total price of a product and divide it by 13 (dollars / hour - minimal security wage). Therefore a 2000 car would equal just under 154 hours walking around a shopping centre solving others people grievances and finding lost cars and kids. This was my first job here in Newcastle, I enjoyed it but 154 hours is a long time - do I want it that much.

It like walking down the yoghurt isle in the supermarket - that tub of yoghuts is equal to 1/2 and hour in front of 30 hot, tired kids on a friday afternoon, is it worth it.

I think graduates are successful not because their smart but like apprentices (who are also smart) have lived with very little money for a long time and become very thrifty on a good income.

Ripoffs are a fact of life and they have been and will be everywhere. If you an emotional person then send or at least take a practical person to do your dealings.

When I walk into a mechanics I say - "Here's $200, do what needs to be done and thats all I have, it you think it might cost more than that I'll bring it back when I can afford it". because 9 out of 10 times that is all I have or can afford that week. For example I want heaps of stuff but I need rubber mounts. I went to buy these the other day but the mastercylinder went instead - What more important - Brakes won. Clutch cable snapped two day later - bought clutch cable and a carby kit - turns out it was the pedal assemble hook bent. Hopefully rubbers next week!

One of my biggest regrets about moving to Dubbo is that I have finally found not on but two good mechanics so parts purchase and repairs will have to coincide with visits to family and friends.

What really annoys me about mechanics is when they have their apprentice/s doing all the work and the mechanic dosen't oversee what is being done i.e. torque settings, seals, adjustments etc. When the mechanic is too busy answering phones, sending faxes and doing tax forms to oversee what going out the door. That shits me!😠

The best mechanic I've ever met did a service on my X girlfriends kombi - after an hour after the appointment he came out to the waiting room after suggesting a nice cafe down the road and sat down with her and explained exactly what he had done with diagrams and a check list. He noted on the form when the next check up would be and how much that checks should cost and what should be done at it. On the flip side of the form was a list of other problems he found that she might need to look at in the near future. This was all put in an envelope and the bill came to what he said it would be when we arrived. Sound to good to be true but it happened. Unfortunately this was up in Queensland, in Rockhampton.

I don't need all the flair and pizzaz, I just need the income to beable to go to a mechanic, although its nice to work in the Dog-O-War myself. It's like we have a special kinda relationship but there will be things I can't do myself.

[Edited on 15-12-2002 by The_Bronze.]

I will give My Email address and anyone Who has a gripe with a company over VW parts etc please let Me know.... I have bought parts from VW suppliers all over Australia.... and the prices vary.. but then again the Quality can Vary Greatly too..... Whatever Happened to the Customer is always right!!!!! I thing it died about 40 years ago.... 😀:o these days the salesperson is always right.... even if they aren't....
vk2lee@qsl.net pse send any info...

my first beetle i bought, named deloris, turned out to have no back brakes. rather than fix them as they leaked. the guy just clamped the hose and wound the brakes off all together...was very pissed off.

had another guy once install new adjusters in the front beam of another beetle only to have one beam snap thru completely and the upper beam all but.
just happened that we were jacking up the bug to check the damage done bumping one of those parking stops.

also had the steering wheel come off after picking up my chop top, aptly called 'deathtrap', after a minor service.

oh it was called deathtrap as it really rattled oh and the roll cage could be lifted out if it bother you at all...

it came about that way as it was left on a hoist over the weekend only to find it bent like a banana on monday. it was straighten by placing a kombi on the hoist and then lowered onto the rollbar and front window. (but i only found this out after it was scrapped)

hope these little experiences make you feel better......

Well... Is it OK to say that Ball joints cost Me $** at so & so's etc.... just prices.... & truthful.... that can't hurt... or what about scanning dockets.... thats got to be OK.... but things like window rubbers... I bought a set at a VW show from a retailer about 5 years ago and haven't used them yet... they cost around $100-00.. I saw a 1964 or 65 beetle that had just been restored- at a VW show and the windscreen rubbers were beginning to crack at the bottom corners... Now I don't want to pay $300 for a set of Rubbers... I just want to buy Quality at a reasonable cost.... I don't want to buy a set of NEW window rubbers for $30.00... My Son bought door rubbers years ago for His 56 oval.... and when He shut the door... it chopped half the rubber off.... Now whether this was a rubber problem-- or Car door problem I'm NOT sure.... but if I can find somewhere - someone who is truthful & gives You a Fair deal - and has reasonable parts at reasonable prices....
I Have been buying the Majority of My parts from MICK MOTORS in brisbane,,, & when I go to the Nationals or Valla.. I usually purchase something from someone..... Probably the Best would be to have Two different prices for two different Qualities.... although They would probably sell the One that does the job.... regardless of price....
:birthday:birthday Guess What !! The clock just turned over to My Birthday....
and I'm NOT telling how old I am... but I am under 55.... and My first beetle was bought in 1967... a 1959 model...🙁😀

APOLIGIES.. for the pic.... Wrong One...Lee

[Edited on 15-12-2002 by 68AutoBug]

Lee :birthday:birthday:birthday