Ask an expert

Hi there

I recently had a headlight replaced and aligned (for my WOF) and am unsure if I was fairly charged. The job was done while I waited at the mechanics. He informed me that he didn't have that particular bulb (I drive a '92 Daihatsu Charade) but would quickly head across the road and pick one up. All up it took him a little over 60 minutes to change and align the bulb, which came to approximately $120 (including the cost of the 'expensive' bulb). He was reluctant to show me the receipt for the bulb, saying it was in the workshop somewhere. I was in a rush so paid and left, however feel that I was overcharged for what probably should have been a fairly quick job. I would be grateful for some input on the situation and what I can do if I was indeed overcharged.

Many thanks

It's hard to say without seeing the invoice, but depending on the price of the parts (headlight and bulb?) if this job took over an hour the price seems very reasonable. Had you had the job done at a main franchise dealer, an hour's labour alone would have been around $120.
If you want to email a copy of the invoice to aatech@aa.co.nz we'd be happy to look at it for you.