Guy with 2001 boxster and his request...

[2010HHRUMADBRUH 10+ year member]

If I were trying to get someone to do some work for me and they didn't have a shop or gas money, it wouldn't inspire a lot of confidence. I'm nervous enough leaving my stuff at a legit shop, much less some yokel's house that can't afford gasoline.

Yokel means hick or redneck? What's up with the racism/derogatory comments? Can't make a point without insulting someone? How do you even know if I'm Caucasian? I sense a lot of hate in your post.

Clearly you missed the part about this dude sounding drunk on the phone.

I am not working right now. I have an acre, and a huge carport just for his little car. This guy wants to save money, but can't afford to come to me either? Why not talk bad about him? Clearly he can't afford gas to come to me either, yet drives a much nice car (actually it's probably worth the same as my car)

When you want a car audio shop to do work on your car, do you expect them to come to you, or do you go to the shop?

This guy contacted me, and wants me to break my back to suit his wants and needs. I'm not gonna drive 40 miles each way just to listen to his stock system, when I already know what it needs.

"legit shop" - yeah if you want to pay $100 per hour for the same work any enthusiast can do (including me)

You sound like a butthurt shop owner, trying to justify some outrageous hourly rates for simple work.

 

[st0n3r 10+ year member]

Actually it sounds as if you just dont want the job really. 40 miles is nothing when you are in need of money. Call the guy and tell him flat out there is a $25 consulting fee due up front and can be paid in cash in person or via PayPal. Drive out to his house, listen to his stereo and get his feedback on stuff, not what you think he wants. Thinking you know what someone else whom you do not know wants is bad for business. As others have mentioned also, if you cannot afford the gas to go out to his place you should NOT work on his car because if you do screw something up how do you intend to pay for it? Saying he sounded drunk is judgmental, what if he had a stroke and didnt have full feeling in his face, what if hes on medication, or any of the many learning disorders etc. You are complaining about him coming to your place just like you are his. You were found through craigslist it sounds so he is probably just as iffy about coming to meet a stranger and leaving his car with someone at their house compared to a shop... Think at it from his standpoint also.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

soo many guys with nice cars but no gas money for it...

 

[st0n3r 10+ year member]

soo many guys with nice cars but no gas money for it...

well when your unemployed for whatever reason, spending money on gas to go see about making money may be a hard choice to make. This country (USA) has went to crap in the last 20 years due to politicians screwing everything up to line their pockets with more money and bigger spending lobbyists get their way.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Yokel means hick or redneck? What's up with the racism/derogatory comments? Can't make a point without insulting someone? How do you even know if I'm Caucasian? I sense a lot of hate in your post.
Clearly you missed the part about this dude sounding drunk on the phone.

I am not working right now. I have an acre, and a huge carport just for his little car. This guy wants to save money, but can't afford to come to me either? Why not talk bad about him? Clearly he can't afford gas to come to me either, yet drives a much nice car (actually it's probably worth the same as my car)

When you want a car audio shop to do work on your car, do you expect them to come to you, or do you go to the shop?

This guy contacted me, and wants me to break my back to suit his wants and needs. I'm not gonna drive 40 miles each way just to listen to his stock system, when I already know what it needs.

"legit shop" - yeah if you want to pay $100 per hour for the same work any enthusiast can do (including me)

You sound like a butthurt shop owner, trying to justify some outrageous hourly rates for simple work.

You think calling me a racist is hurting my feelings or helping your cause? I am a racist, and I believe the vast majority of people are. It is a basic human instinct to distrust the person who looks/dresses/talks/smells different from you and your family/tribe/group because we have millions of years evolution/experience that that person is more likely than not competition for your resources. Furthermore, I find that most people who try so hard to prove they're not racist are, and have just been conditioned to feel guilty about it.

My post wasn't even directed at you, just a general perception of what this scenario would look like to your potential customers based on the situation. Your potential "customer"'s blood alcohol content doesn't enter into his concerns or his ability or willingness to pay for work done either. You'll find drunks are generally pretty loose with their money (why casinos feed people free booze), so you may want to revise your thoughts on that being some kind of detriment to doing business.

I don't work in the industry whatsoever, but I can tell you if you don't understand why a shop needs to bill 100$ an hour to stay afloat, you have a lot to learn about the real world. For the sake of argument tell us what you bill for your time per hour for your work.

 

[cfox10 10+ year member]

Yokel means hick or redneck? What's up with the racism/derogatory comments? Can't make a point without insulting someone? How do you even know if I'm Caucasian? I sense a lot of hate in your post.
Clearly you missed the part about this dude sounding drunk on the phone.

I am not working right now. I have an acre, and a huge carport just for his little car. This guy wants to save money, but can't afford to come to me either? Why not talk bad about him? Clearly he can't afford gas to come to me either, yet drives a much nice car (actually it's probably worth the same as my car)

When you want a car audio shop to do work on your car, do you expect them to come to you, or do you go to the shop?

This guy contacted me, and wants me to break my back to suit his wants and needs. I'm not gonna drive 40 miles each way just to listen to his stock system, when I already know what it needs.

"legit shop" - yeah if you want to pay $100 per hour for the same work any enthusiast can do (including me)

You sound like a butthurt shop owner, trying to justify some outrageous hourly rates for simple work.

I'd be curious if you have a mobile certification, or use proper equipment even. How do you set your gains? What kind of connections do you use? crimp? solder? heat shrink? electrical tape? You make sure you drill for the ground and sand the paint off? What happens if you hit the dudes gas tank? Ever taken a door panel off a boxster? So many variables that I'm willing to bet local shops have more experience with. Shit happens and if you couldn't pay to fix that shit I'd be pissed.

Anyway, I'd like to see a log of how you would wire up a system. Have experience with fiberglassing? What tools do ya have? You drive a pretty effing fuel efficient vehicle, save up the money to go talk to the dude in person and tell him what needs to be done.

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

You have a car port for your "clients" cars to spend the night in?

Not sound rude here, but perhaps this guy works hard to buy this car and it does not see rain, gravel, or any thing other then bright sunny days. If this is the case, then he justified by requesting you to go to him since you do not have an adequate location to house/store his car.

Considering you are a "criagslist" only business I would request you to come to me. Why would I take a nice car and money to some one with no business establishment and no knowledge of who you are or the location I will be at.

Both of those statements piggy back onto what I told you earlier. If you can not afford to replace parts then do not work on it.

You are not looking at the entire picture here.

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Hmm let's do a little math here. Let's say your car averages 20 mpg and gas is $4.50 a gallon

To drive 45 miles there and back, you should put in 6 gallons to be safe; that comes out to a whopping $27

Definitely would not leave a Porsche with somebody who couldn't afford $27 in gas to come check out the car.

And LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL at you for comparing and older porsche to an HHR

 

[Silver-N-Black 10+ year member]

If you have no gas money how are you going to pay say for a trim you mess up?

 

[DRS0105]

I find it funny that you keep saying that shops don't come out to people, people bring there's cars to shop.

Just remember... YOU ARE NOT A SHOP.

You're a kid with an ad on craigslist. Can't fault the guy for wanting you to come out.

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

Just an FYI

My shop does make house calls when needed. Some of our clients prefer not to deal with general public and request us to come to their residence. We of course charge for this, but it does happen.

 

[NFrazier 10+ year member]

I find most porsche drivers hold out to be "high rollers" but really are rather stingy. In all honesty its a 2001 Boxster, they go for around 10K....not really an expensive car. There's some CUSTOMERS that just arn't worth the headache that goes along with it.

We get a lot of porsches in here. Most with the Bose system think that the $600 harness to integrate the fiber optics is too expensive. It's like half of them come in expecting the price is the same as if they had a 96 Honda Civic, the other's want it dont right and we get paid accordingly.

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

BMW owners are similar to that as well.

The exception to the Porsche rule is when they are not driving the base line models.

 

[NFrazier 10+ year member]

BMW owners are similar to that as well.

yup. absolutely.

 

[2010HHRUMADBRUH 10+ year member]

Well I mostly do local stuff. (I changed the ad to specify this). And I mostly work on cars that people would not have enough money to take it to the shop (which pretty much eliminates the care for very minor damage)

I just got mostly done working on a 2001 jetta and the girl didn't really care about some stuff not being 100% She gave me $200 on the first day and I wasn't even half done. (that's not all she gave me, hehe //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif but I'm keeping this G-rated)

I don't advertise anything I can't do. I put that I can't do fiberglass or box making - just getting everything wired up properly/good enough (as on not just twisting 2 wires together, etc)

People see my system and it's not the best, but it is more complicated than what they have or can't do, and I can basically do what the shops will for a lot cheaper. They quoted her for $600 and she thought that was ridiculous, just to move 3 amps and 4x 6.5"s from one vehicle into an identical one.