Secret password for hiring a plumber?

True, then he needs a better contractor, but not all are like that.

But he said: "No, what I resent is when they charge 3 or 4 times what it costs to actually do the job, and that is including paying the labor and the materials. That's just downright ridiculous. I'm happy to pay them for their time and the materials they use. But at the rate a lot of them charge, you are paying a day or two of work to people who don't even go out to your job site. That just doesn't seem right to me."

My interpretation of this is that he resents paying overhead costs no matter how needed it is. Yes, thee will be people that do not show up at the job site. Buyers, accountants, schedulers, etc. All depends on the size of the company. Yes, they do perform a needed function.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski
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Thanks for sharing -- got a good laugh :)

Reply to
blueman

...and all because he has a penis.

Banty

Reply to
Banty

No, that's not it. You forget who you're talking about. This is Mr. Can-Do!, the perfectionist. He refines his own oil because if anyone is gouging, it's the oil companies. The filter housings come from his foray into smelting a while back, so he was already geared up for production. The filtering medium was obviously left over from his paper-making endeavours (paper grows on trees! Why should he pay anything at all for it?).

R
Reply to
RicodJour

Well Doug,

Since no one here will tell you, I figured I should. Yes there is a secret password to get proper service from plumbers, and other service people too. For a small fee, I will share mine with you. LOL

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

Reply to
EagleMtn

I think he's saying he doesn't change oil and filter because he won't pay the exorbitant overheads involved in the manufacturing and distribution of the products that he could just as well make for himself... :)

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

"That's not the same. They are paying for a product and they are have to pay for R&D. That goes for anything you buy off the shelf whether it is software, a toilet valve, or an A/C. I am not complaining about the price of building supplies, now. "

Software purchases also normally require a purchase of maintenance in order to receive support when bugs are found, additional resources to test the software (because it rarely works as advertised), training, and (sometimes) additional hardware. Whether I buy that in the initial license or on the back end, software/technology is generally a bad comparison because the license models are very bloated.

I didn't read through all the posts, but sometimes the quote is based on other factors that may not be apparent to the purchaser (i.e., I was going to go fishing tomorrwow, but if you pay me enough I'll work for you instead).

I like to save money as much as the next person and I try to learn to do things myself (I'm not necessarily handy, but I'm inquisitive and like to learn new things), but there are also times when I'm willing to pay the premium to have someone else do it. It's rarely a black/white issue. I had some insulation work done last year...sure, I could have done it myself, but it was worth it to me to pay someone to a) get it done while I was at work, b) not have to deal with the attic heat, the itching and the crawlspaces, and c) it was actually cheaper than if I rented the equipment, bought the materials at non-contractor rates.

When it comes time to rewire some of the electric, I know what I can do and/or what I should probably contract out.

Dave

Reply to
tom_sawyer70

Oh....you pay a little more for the oil & filter someplace else? Whatever for?

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Actually, no, he only sort of gets it. That was a comment on a particular plumber. It doesn't represent how all plumbers will operate. My major complaint was that I can't get someone to actually show up, quote the job, and do the work. If I finally find a couple more whose math is faulty, I'll come back here and adjust these comments.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

I'm getting dizzy. You too? :-)

Reply to
Doug Kanter

This is boring so I quit.

Reply to
User Example

46 oz juice can, stuffed with cheesecloth, attached with duct tape. Got it!
Reply to
Doug Kanter

:-)

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Actually I change my own oil because I know that those guys don't grease the ball joints or check any other suspension type stuff. They are too busy undoing your airfilter so that they can get you to buy another one. I change my oil every 3 months and check out the bottom of my car. Costs a lot less than the jiffy lube and a lot more care goes into it. My Jeep has over 300000 miles on it and purrs like a kitten and has never needed any major service. Just a clutch, and I replaced that myself in an afternoon and save $800.

Who needs good gas mileage when you can save the money by doing your own maintenance?

Reply to
User Example

Yeah, that may look good on the surface, but when you realize that your time is no longer occupied with your car and you can work/play on something else, you... Hmmmm. Nevermind. ;)

R
Reply to
RicodJour

....

Can you say "Customer response" and "Emissions control" ?

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

Why not save in both areas?

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

When automakers get with the program and finally make efficient cars I will. Until there, they are wasting my time. There is no reason that there shouldn't be several cars on the markey with >60mpg. Honda had the CRX HF back in 86 or so that was getting over 40mpg easily which is about as much or more than some of these Hybrids, today. And it didn't even use a battery. If you have noticed, the HP in todays cars is MUCH more than it was 20 yrs ago.

Most small cars today have well over 100hp. Did you know that the Honda CRX which would go over 100mph only had around 70HP? Did you know that the VW Beetle (original) only had 38HP-60HP depending on model? The HP is today's cars is a waste... automakers could easily trade some of that HP for more efficient lesser HP cars.

Reply to
User Example

The consumer seems to go in cycles, often based on the price/availability of gas. Right now, the advertising is geared towards power (that will never be used) and that is what people are buying. Look at the Chrysler ads and how they tout the hemi engine. They are selling cars. Same with the SUV craze. No matter how hard you try, 99% of the buyers of big cars and trucks just cannot justify having the Super8DeluxeExtendedBedandCab4x4 to commute to work or pick up a loaf of bread.

The Element and Scion though, seem to be selling, ugly as they are. What I want in a car is enough room to get in and out easily, all the goodies like power everything, rain sensing wipers, ability to cruise at 70 mph, enough acceleration to get safely on the highway (not 0-60 in 4 seconds). Much as I like the sexy sport cars, it is not what I want to drive day in and day out. There are many cars that fit that category, but still get less than 30 mpg. They can get more and still give good performance.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I pay $29.95 for an oil change. My mechanic checks or greases all the fittings that Toyota recommends for my 4 wheel drive vehicle. They check brake pads and give me an idea of when to start thinking about service. He greases hood latch, tailgate latch, all door hinges & latches, checks brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and tops them off at no charge if they need it. At 12000 miles, he noticed some rust on the rear bumper, underneath where I probably wouldn't have noticed it. That enabled me to get it replaced under warranty. At 18000 miles, he noticed that the tires were wearing unevenly. Back to the dealer, since alignment is covered by warranty. They said it was within spec, and didn't adjust. My mechanic did some research and found, IIRC, that this truck wants its front wheels dead center within the range of spec, not just "within the range". He probably saved me having to spend $500 on tires a year or two too soon.

Sounds worth it to me.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

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