Should you invoice someone for a jump start?!!?

Question

My boyfriend's motorbike conked out on a busy road but by sheer luck he pulled off the road right next to an Arnold Clark garage. He went in and asked the receptionist if anyone could give him a jump start - she toddled off to ask her superiors and came back saying "no problem, that will be £15".

He politely declined and phoned someone who drove out to him with a set of jump leads.

I have to ask, how on earth is this fee calulated? A jump start takes, at most five minutes, from start to finish. That would mean whoever popped out to help with the jump start would be paid a labour fee equating to £180 per hour.

Do you think this fee is fair?

Answer 1

I see your point...But let's say during the jump...the battery exploded.(hey, it happens)....someone would want a new battery..who would pay..if someone got hurt...who would have paid for that. I'm sure not saying its right.....but the garage guy is looking at cost..he's paying for labor..and charging out for it...sounds like he's worried about giving it away..

Answer 2

Please publish the full name and address of the garage that asked that so nobody else makes the mistake of asking for their services EVER. Any garage with such nerve deserves all the bad publicity they get, at most it should have been £5 and even then I'd think someone was taking the P**s!!

My girlfriend recently crashed my car, and not realising she was only covered third party only it's going to cost an arm and a leg to repair, but my local garage brought it home for me as a goodwill gesture because they know they will get the job when I can afford to repair it and because you have to give a customer a reason to want to use your services. I bet he will never go back to them, if you don't take any chances in business you will never get anywhere. the most successful businesses are always the liked ones.

Answer 3

I personally would've helped him but then I'm an easy going guy who isn't rolling in cash. The garage owner's probably not like that. You do the math.

As to weather its fair? Your BF has asked the garage to stop what they are doing and help him out. They are entitled to be paid for their work as I'm sure you, your boyfriend and all the rest of us here are.

Answer 4

They are providing a service to you. They can charge whatever they want for the service. You have the option to accept their price or go elsewhere. It's a convenience thing, if you were late for a meeting it might be worth it to pay the fee to get on the road instead of waiting for a friend. For you it wasn't.
Fairness depends on the circumstance, and your perception of the value of £15.

Answer 5

perfect if the engine grew to change into into cranked over with a ineffective battery and the jumper reversed the worst is truly a probability if you're fortunate the in difficulty-free words aspect that happen is a blown fuse or fusible link. Now that you say lighting fixtures furniture and various circuits are ok you're in a position to truly be a fortunate one if now no longer the computer is fried and subject matters do now no longer seem perfect. If the bounce %. grew to change into into presented by technique of skill of the business enterprise business business enterprise then they are at fault by using very truth they are to blame for the right training of suggested equipment. some element truly elementary to study is the connections to the starter checking for 12 volt signal after searching for burnt fuses and or fusible links. good success!

Answer 6

Sure, you are asking a professional shop for professional service. You don't like the fee, you don't get the service. I worked for years as a part-time entertainer, and couldn't believe how often people would ask me to work a little longer, no mention of more pay, because I "was there anyway".

Answer 7

I work in the automotive industry and am surprised they offered the jump start at all. not knowing/specialising in motorbikes they would leave themselves open for legal action if the caused damage to the bike. it was probably a way of putting off your boyfriend without saying no

Answer 8

£15 sounds like he got a cheap offer, instead he incurred the cost of a phone call, to inconvienience someone else who had to spend money on petrol to come to his rescue, and luckily they had the jump leads or they would have had to be purchased as well.

Welcome to the world where things are not free

Answer 9

I think that's absolutely disgusting.Nothing comes free anymore!All for the sake of a few seconds.Personally,i would tell everyone of the attempted rip off,and i congratulate your boyfriend on NOT being ripped off.

Answer 10

Yeah, it sounds a bit mean, you'd think they'd have done it just as a good will gesture; but then again, there aren't many businesses that do something for nothing nowadays.