Auto Import Ottawa - when love dies
04-27-2011, 04:39 PM
#1
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Auto Import Ottawa - when love dies
If you can find a great independent Porsche garage send them a Christmas card for sure. There is a drought in Ottawa. I brought a 993 parts collection that I accumulated for a scheduled spring oil change to Auto Import, a shop described favorably in this forum. What an illustration in how not to run a service biz. I was given hell for bringing in the parts, because of their inability to mark up what they would otherwise sell me. I was told that the car couldn't be worked on for a few days and when I got it back the body work was loaded with grease the carpets looked like they just absorbed the 10 liters of used engine oil, and worse, the whole experience (oil, air filter, cabin air filter, brake fluid and some belt changes) cost $1100. They got their parts mark up and then some. The building is for sale and I understand the owner wants to sell it AND the business. He is devaluing his asset!! He obviously has had enough and just doesn't give much of a ****.
Long and the short of it: someone needs to run a DIY tech inservice in southern Ontario. I bet you could get half a dozen people together for a day and make it worth some technicians while. I am not thinking engine rebuilds, but routine maintenance etc. Toronto perhaps?? Any techs on this forum that want to step up??
Long and the short of it: someone needs to run a DIY tech inservice in southern Ontario. I bet you could get half a dozen people together for a day and make it worth some technicians while. I am not thinking engine rebuilds, but routine maintenance etc. Toronto perhaps?? Any techs on this forum that want to step up??
04-27-2011, 05:49 PM
#3
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Maybe before you vent like a tough guy on a webpage you get your facts straight first. They have been in business for 30+ years and plan on that many more. As you have seen on this site they have a very loyal following. Did you even offer them a chance to match prices to support our local economy. Or do you even care. Anyway I will support any family owned business anyday of the week before some unknown webpage full of parts.
04-27-2011, 06:15 PM
#4
Team Owner
wow interesting post
did you get a quote before the work was done ?
if not shame on you .. everything you had done would have taken me about 4 hours in my garage .. even the pain in the *** secondary oil filter.
Anyway are you a PCA member ? if you were you would know they run the exact course you are looking for whcih covers exactly what you want. plus you get to do it on your own car on a hoist with tech instructors watching over you .
if i were you i would get involved in doing it yourself and stop whining that you had to pay someone else due to your incompetance.
did you get a quote before the work was done ?
if not shame on you .. everything you had done would have taken me about 4 hours in my garage .. even the pain in the *** secondary oil filter.
Anyway are you a PCA member ? if you were you would know they run the exact course you are looking for whcih covers exactly what you want. plus you get to do it on your own car on a hoist with tech instructors watching over you .
if i were you i would get involved in doing it yourself and stop whining that you had to pay someone else due to your incompetance.
04-27-2011, 06:30 PM
#5
Race Car
+1 on written estimates and freedom to use imported parts costing 1/2 Canadian prices. All of the indies down here happily compete and use customer supplied parts. Is problem no competition in Otawa?
04-27-2011, 07:39 PM
#7
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Indy's like that Family Owned business mentioned above are full of sh*t and greedy mo fo's and should be out of business
OP Next time bring your car down to the GTA
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04-27-2011, 10:25 PM
#9
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I wouldn't suggest the OP work on his own cars. Look at the one in his avatar - that's some shady work right there.
Now if I could just get any of the crazy canuck's avatars to volunteer to work on mine.......
Now if I could just get any of the crazy canuck's avatars to volunteer to work on mine.......
04-28-2011, 11:15 AM
#10
Thanks for the tip.
04-28-2011, 01:02 PM
#11
For whatever it's worth, I used to bring my Talon TSI to Auto Import, they were always very up front about what they found/thought should be done to the car, what I could live without fixing right away, etc...and very open to what it costs.
If you don't ask them to work on the price, why would they? I asked them to come down in price on some work, mainly because they found some work that needed to be done that I wasn't expecting, and he did. My $2800 job became a $2500 job. If I hadn't asked or pushed back a little, I would have paid $2800.
I don't know about your specific situation, but I find many people come online and complain about being overcharged or fleeced.....yet when you talk to them, they never haggled or tried in any way to get the shop to lower their price. If you can get $1100 for a job, why would you OFFER to do it at $800?!
I was happy with the service I got there. Granted it was back in 2001, but still....
If you don't ask them to work on the price, why would they? I asked them to come down in price on some work, mainly because they found some work that needed to be done that I wasn't expecting, and he did. My $2800 job became a $2500 job. If I hadn't asked or pushed back a little, I would have paid $2800.
I don't know about your specific situation, but I find many people come online and complain about being overcharged or fleeced.....yet when you talk to them, they never haggled or tried in any way to get the shop to lower their price. If you can get $1100 for a job, why would you OFFER to do it at $800?!
I was happy with the service I got there. Granted it was back in 2001, but still....
04-28-2011, 02:52 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
My experience with them has been pretty good. I supplied my own tires once which I bought from TireRack and they installed and balanced them for a decent price. The only minor issue on that was there were a few nicks on the rims which were not there previously... I never mentioned it though.
Alignment was done there and it's perfect!
And just a few days ago I got my spark plugs changed there for a decent price as well. I supplied the plugs because I originally thought I would do it myself but changed my mind and brought it to them. They didn't have a problem with me supplying them.
All in all, they are a tad expensive, but the work being done is great! And the main mechanic is a very nice guy and you can see his dozens of certificates everywhere! Their literally the only good Porsche indy in Ottawa!
Alignment was done there and it's perfect!
And just a few days ago I got my spark plugs changed there for a decent price as well. I supplied the plugs because I originally thought I would do it myself but changed my mind and brought it to them. They didn't have a problem with me supplying them.
All in all, they are a tad expensive, but the work being done is great! And the main mechanic is a very nice guy and you can see his dozens of certificates everywhere! Their literally the only good Porsche indy in Ottawa!
