NTB hidden fees such as "shop fees" Palatine Illinois
I went to NTB for an alignment problem on my car and they told me I needed two new front tires in addition to the alignment. They quoted a price but when it came time to pay the bill, it seemed higher than I expected. Looking at the bill, I see various extra charges, such as a "tire service" of $11.99/tire and a "shop fee" of $27.39. I asked about the shop fee and was told it was a fee they charge to cover the cost of supplies they use to service my car...supplies "such as rags and paper protectors for your floor mats".
What kind of bogus charge is this? Has anyone else heard of such a thing or is this just limited to NTB in Palatine, IL? Since the job was complete, I didn't feel I had any choice but to pay the fee but I feel ripped off and now question if I even needed new tires. I won't go back as I have lost confidence in this company. That ridiculous charge of $27.39 cost the company a customer..and I have four cars to keep up.
Marian
Schaumburg, Illinois
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Jean
Champaign,Illinois,
Illinois Shop Fees & Tire Service
#5Consumer Comment
Tue, August 12, 2014
I can only speak for the state of Illinois but shop fees are required. A shop fee is a percentage based on the sales to cover small items such as screws, fluids, etc. There are some shops that do not charge this fee but trust me, once they get audited, they will be charging it.
The only other solution for a shop would be to charge for each item seperate so they would charge you for a fluid top off or that screw you were missing. The state wants their tax money on that one little screw, it's not the shop's fault.
I do know that most shops charge between 5-10%. I'm not sure what the cap is but many shops will cap it off at $30.
The tire service was probably tire disposal or road hazard protection but without looking at your bill I cannot be sure. Don't be afraid to ask about the fees if you do not understand but please be understanding to the employees as they have procedures that are out of their control.
Bill d
lbts,Florida,
U.S.A.
me43 here
#5General Comment
Wed, March 02, 2011
shop fees are everywhere. i do not know what it is here. i am tire kingdom in south florida. however i think if they were smart and still want to make more money. they really need to reduce this fee. tire kingdom does not use brake clean. we have rags and a bucket of grease and a lube gun that doesn't work. but we rarely need a lube gun anyway. in terms of the tire charge um, where is the rip off. it does cost money to install tires you know. it is a separate charge. regardless you have no complaint about the alignment or that your car was not fixed. you are just bitchin about the price-that's all. but again not to disagree with an excessive fee. it should be much less
Chris
Woburn,Massachusetts,
United States of America
Fees in MA too
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, February 26, 2011
I just got back from NTB in Woburn, MA and I had the same "shop fee" buried at the bottom of my invoice. I was never told about this fee, before or after the repairs. If I had seen this before walking out, I would have refused to pay it! I feel cheated and I certainly won't go back.
Rocketman
Aurora,Illinois,
U.S.A.
re: NTB hidden fees such as 'shop fees' Palatine Illinois
#5UPDATE Employee
Tue, January 13, 2009
First let me say that the shop fees are 90% B.S. Shop fees are there to cover the little incidental costs to the shop when preforming a repair. Shop rags, brake clean, bearing grease, etc. The problem is that the shop fee isn't needed for most cars entering the garage. Add the fact that the company expects the employees to provide their own shop supplies and now the shop fee charged to the customer is 100% profit. The computer system automatically adds a shop fee to every invoice and fee increases with the amount of money being spent. Every shop does this (at least in Illinois) because there is no law against it. Sometimes it's call different things, but it's always there.
The 'tire service' fee of $11.99/tire is your installation cost. It covers putting your new tires on the wheel, a new valve stem, and balancing of the tires. If you didn't want to pay $11.99 per tire then I am sure that the salesman would have gladly handed you four tires and allowed you to attempt your own installation and balancing.
Even if the shop fee is borderline unethical (as an NTB employee, I think it is), and even if you think your tires should be installed free of charge, nothing is ever "hidden". Before any work is done not only do you have to verbally agree to the work, but you are required to sign your name next to the agreed upon price and initial the agreement that no further work will be done without your permission. This is done to assure that nothing is hidden and that there are no surprises when it comes time to pay.