I recently brought my boat and Mercury 60-hp 4-stroke outboard back to the
dealer for a factory recall of a defective voltage regulator. Mercury picked
up the tab for the parts and 6-8 hours labor for the recall.

I requested an oil and filter change, and a change of the gearlube, while it
was at the shop. When I picked up my boat I was given a bill for $179.90 for
the oil and gearlube change; $32 in parts and $127.50 (1.5 hours) in labor.
I do most of the routine maintenance on this motor so didn't expect to pay
$180 for such a simple job. Was this bill out of line, or am I just out of
step with the current reality?

When I questioned the bill, the service manager reduced the amount by $50.

What are you folks paying for this type of work?

BTW: With the bill I received a note from Mercury Marine stating they would
be sending me a survey asking about my service experience. I wonder if
that's the reason for the $50 cut?

John Wentworth writes:

Was this bill out of line, or am I just out of
step with the current reality?

If you don't get a quote beforehand, this is what happens. Now you know to
ask.

I once ate in a restaurant that had no prices on the menu. First and last
time I did that.