Wheeling and Dealing

I have always been a fan of servicing my car at the dealership. I realize that this choice causes me to pay a price premium for similar services that might be offered elsewhere. However, in my opinion, a dealership is motivated by the incentive to keep your car running well to encourage brand satisfaction and loyal customers, while a random "garage" or "auto body service shop" has an incentive to wreck your car and require it to need more repairs.

Unfortunately, I recently discovered that I need to replace the brake pads on my car. I spoke with the local Honda Dealership regarding this process:

C: "At my last service, you informed me that I need to change my breaks. Can you tell me how much that will cost?"

HD: "It depends--do you have to replace your front brakes or back brakes?"

C: "I don't know--your service report just said I need to replace my brakes. What's the chance that I have to replace both at the same time?"

HD: "Well, that's pretty likely. In total, replacing both the front and back brakes will cost you around $440."

Following this phone call, I called Big O Tires, where my roommate had her car's brake system replaced a couple of years ago.

C: "Can you give me an estimate for replacing my brakes? [Gave car specs]"

BOT: "Do you have to replace your front brakes or back brakes?"

C: "I'm not sure--how likely is it that I have to replace both at the same time?"

BOT: "Not very likely--the front brakes typically wear out faster than the back brakes. If you bring your car in, we can give you an accurate estimate. However, pricing is at $119.95 per axle."

C: "So, that's like... $240 for the whole thing. Are there any taxes?"

BOT: "Just sales tax."

Following Suzanne's advice, I then called the Honda Dealership to see if they could come anywhere close to matching the estimate for brake repair that I received from Big O Tires.

C: "You gave me an estimate, and I also got an estimate from Big O Tires. Is there any way you can match that estimate?"

HD: "Unfortunately, [pause] we can't for brake repair. We're already doing it at a discount."

Really? A discount? Off of what price?

I guess Big O it is.