https://maps.app.goo.gl/BLNrAkgmbd7BgnhJ8
After returning from a cross-country trip to the East Coast and back I decided my car needed new struts & shocks. Especially in the East Coast with all the bumpy roads there it was banging like crazy. Not so bad out here in the west coast where the roads don't get as bumpy and potholed ( because we don't have the cold weather,) but I still wanted to do new struts for preventive maintenance.
So I checked around different places to see how much they would charge me just for labor and Ray came out with a VERY LOW OFFER of $240. I wasn't going to argue with that, so after receiving the struts via eBay I brought them to Ray, and he did them very quickly. He knows all the expert shortcuts.
However, I wonder if he has a memory issue or if this was just something he decided to circumvent. Cuz when I went to pay, the price was now $340. Even at $340 that would still be the lowest price offer. I was actually planning on giving him a nice tip but since he jacked it up $100 I decided to pay that price without arguing.
I also asked him to let me know if he saw anything underneath that I should be concerned about. He didn't have any suggestions after the job was done and after taking it for a test drive.
It was actually Ray's grandson who gave me a subtle tip about changing my tires. The grandson must have noticed my two tires on the passenger side were getting bad. I had not noticed it because the wear and tear was on the inside that you wouldn't see unless you got underneath a little bit.
I had noticed the weird wonkiness and vibrations & wasn't sure what that was all about. The new struts and shocks helped it a little bit, but it was still vibrating & getting worse. So after leaving there a few days later I had other things checked out elsewhere and then I noticed how bad the two tires were. I appreciate the grandson's advice.
But why didn't Ray give me a STRAIGHT HEADS-UP about that ? He must have felt it when he took a test drive as well. When I saw the tires especially after they had been taken off, anybody would know these were REALLY BAD. And since he was underneath, I would assume he would have noticed that, especially if the grandson had as well.
I'm not too proud to admit I need all the help I can get when it comes to auto repair. I was never taught anything about it growing up, and I just keep learning little by little as I as I go.
Otherwise, mostly good experiences with Ray 👍
