183 replies to this topic

[71xu1]

Its a viscious circle everyone seems to want a piece of the mining action by over charging not just panelbeaters and painters. Neighbours got quote on some retaining walls something like 40k . Neighbour said not interested price droped overnight to 30k. Obviously the guy thought they were loaded and was testing the waters. I think with panebeating and spraypainting its not so much how much it costs its finding someone that is honest and can actually do what you want in a reasonable amount of time.

Edited by 71xu1, 10 September 2012 - 09:51 AM.

[StephenSLR]

i got a a guy to come and give me a quote i told him what i wanted he gave me a price and
i wasnt happy with it then he told me "well its a slr how much would it be worth when its finished"
this was after he told me the price he charges on combi vans was under half the price .so if i had a
vee dub it would be cheaper because its not worth as much

This is the same with weddings, I'm told if you buy a cake ask for a 'celebration cake'. If you ask for a wedding cake they charge you three times the price for exactly the same thing, same goes with venue hire and everything else associated with weddings, if you mention the word 'wedding' you get charged at least double for the same thing that goes by it's other name.

s

Edited by StephenSLR, 10 September 2012 - 03:05 PM.

[rexy]

Its the old mismatch of expectations.
If I want a street friendly OK job I expect a price commensurate, not a gouge fest. The usual problem is paying top dollar for average quality work. Everyone seems to think they are superstar artists and should be paid accordingly.

Healthcare is a nightmare. No one wants to pay 10 cents for anything.
Everyone wants elite service and performance from the best medicos for free and "what do you mean I might have to wait if I dont pay???"
God bless the great unwashed.

[ls2lxhatch]

When i started my panel beating apprenticeship there were 30 apprentices in my tech class. When i finished, there were six left. Read the Sydney Morning Herald or Daily Telegraph most any weekend & on average there are 12-15+ panel beating jobs advertised. Why? Because it is a dying trade that very few people want to do. When a second year plumbing or concreter apprentice can earn more per week than a first year qualified panel beater or painter, why would anyone consider a career in this trade? Little wonder good panel beaters & spraypainters are in such demand & the employers have to pay them good money to keep them. Out of twenty or so beaters i've worked with, only three had any kind of pride or passion for their work, the rest were either average or butchers who didn't give a crap & were only there to get a wage. One thing they almost all had in common was no interest in doing restos. Can't say i blame them, i'm not far off leaving this trade either. I don't get the same satisfaction from it anymore, especially since working in a resto shop. No matter how much care, pride & passion i put into a job, i never hear any positives, all i hear is complaints & negatives & despite what has been claimed in this thread, the wages aren't that good. I take home $150pw more than the unskilled labourer/detailer at my work.

You should come to Perth. The workshops with good reputations in Perth have 2-3 year waiting lists so they don't need to drop prices for work.

The price of painting my hatch has more than doubled in the last 5 years. The first quote I had was 8-10K by an award winning painter, paint only with the car prepared by a panel shop they recommended at extra cost.

The last quote I had about 12 months ago was 20-25K to paint my hatch, again that price is paint only.

3 colour coats ( Solid Yellow)
Blackouts fineline mask ( Solid black around windows)
3 coats clear
Cut
2 coats clear
Cut and polish

[rexy]

wtf rexy?
isn't that why we pay the medicare levy?
so we don't have to pay for healthcare and "doctors"
it's america where they force you to pay for health care

The levy gets you the basics free and looks after you OK if you are acutely dying. The starfire powered sunbird equivalent. God help you if you have a non acute or low acuity problem in need of high value healthcare resources. They are cost controlled by restricting availability.
You want your knee reco done by a learner - keep paying your levy. Just dont expect the outcome of the superstar orthopod who knows what he is worth and bills accordingly. Only one of these people will have you still walking when you are 60.
Car stuff seems the largely the same from my experience.

[Ice]

I think in life there is a general rule if you want something nice you have to pay for it wherever it be award winning paint job or a nice home you want you pay
everybody has choices in life and it goes down to who you know as well it all helps

[71xu1]

All true Gene. Its generally the guy who wants a so so job to save money who goes around bagging the tradie later because he felt it should be better.

[orangeLJ]

When i started my panel beating apprenticeship there were 30 apprentices in my tech class. When i finished, there were six left. Read the Sydney Morning Herald or Daily Telegraph most any weekend & on average there are 12-15+ panel beating jobs advertised. Why? Because it is a dying trade that very few people want to do. When a second year plumbing or concreter apprentice can earn more per week than a first year qualified panel beater or painter, why would anyone consider a career in this trade? Little wonder good panel beaters & spraypainters are in such demand & the employers have to pay them good money to keep them. Out of twenty or so beaters i've worked with, only three had any kind of pride or passion for their work, the rest were either average or butchers who didn't give a crap & were only there to get a wage. One thing they almost all had in common was no interest in doing restos. Can't say i blame them, i'm not far off leaving this trade either. I don't get the same satisfaction from it anymore, especially since working in a resto shop. No matter how much care, pride & passion i put into a job, i never hear any positives, all i hear is complaints & negatives & despite what has been claimed in this thread, the wages aren't that good. I take home $150pw more than the unskilled labourer/detailer at my work.

This strikes a chord with me on a number of levels.

I was talking to my uncle the other week about his business 9runs a civil excavation company, employs about 15 guys, 8 machines, few trucks, roller etc)

He has to pay a minimum of $28 per hour to get a machine operator....

Not a good machine operator, but jsut your run of the mill dumbshit, breaks things and doesnt give a shit operator.

Even worse is the jobs he contracts for the mines in singleton. To get the contract, he had to INCREASE his quoted price and INCREASE the hourly rate he was paying whoever was working up there as they set a minimum (unwritten, only spoken rules)

THAT is #@$^%& up.

I've been in marketing for 6 years, spent my time at uni etc etc. And some of these bloke who have done nothing more than a licence course earn more than me....

I think the whole frOcking worlds gone mad to be honest. We pay our apprentices shit money in USEFUL trades, and only OK money in most shops for qualified work.

No wonder we are running short of decent mechanics, panel beaters, painters etc etc. Go drive a machine for twice the money with no experience...

[orangeLJ]

Bullshit Quag,

maybe the underground guys are in a dangerous profession, but this is open cut, wide rolling hills of dirt mining that I am talking about.

I'd say the most dangerous professions in the country would be bouncing, police, firies, ambos etc....

EDIT:

actually, I think truck driving would have to be the most life threatening job in the country.....

Dont get me wrong, mining is doing wonders for the economy, but dont bullshit on like they are heros going to war... 80%+ of those that head to the mines to get the "big dollars" are in related jobs that never see the underground...

Edited by orangeLJ, 11 September 2012 - 10:10 AM.

[Dr Terry]

No wonder we are running short of decent mechanics, panel beaters, painters etc etc. Go drive a machine for twice the money with no experience...

100% correct.

I've had my own workshop for 37 years & I've just closed the doors to concentrate on selling specialist parts. No more employees, just my wife, brother & myself.

The last mechanic we had was working for $100 pw more than the award. After he left, he got another $300 more than that just to drive forklift. He was a very good apprentice, topped his classes at TAFE & good worker, not fast, but reliable & very few comebacks. But it was not possible to make money employing tradesman like him in Australia today, you have to charge higher labour rates or fudge the hours, in other words, be dishonest.

With the carbon tax on top of that, we closed on July 1.

Dr Terry

[LHSL]

Maybe someone can give this guy a job? Seems passionate and experienced enough and in Sydney
http://www.gumtree.c...airs/1006556492

[StephenSLR]

Maybe someone can give this guy a job? Seems passionate and experienced enough and in Sydney
http://www.gumtree.c...airs/1006556492

Do you know the guy?

I'm thinking of giving the SL/R a bit of a makeover but the prices I'm hearing are a bit prohibitive for me right now. Would be good to have a few contacts for when the time comes.

s

[LHSL]

^no I dont know him just seems genuine. I use a guy out of west ryde for panel beating. He is great. My car will be at toranafest come and have a chat.
Phillip

[StephenSLR]

My car will be at toranafest come and have a chat.
Phillip

Cheers, what's it look like?

s