In principle I have to agree that a service provider has the right to charge what he wants for a proposed service, and the consumers only option is to go elsewhere if unhappy with that.
However, that should only apply if the price is actually fixed for a specific result. I will pay you x amount to fix problem y. I will not pay more because you guessed wrong as to what was needed, or your tech broke off the glow plug, blew up the engine, or whatever. If you want the option to charge more if it goes badly, then you should also give me the benefit if it goes well and he's done in 15 minutes.
Also there is and/or well should be another notable exception to the free market offer and acceptance method of determining fair pricing, and that would apply to anyone who achieves the coveted monopoly or near monopoly status in their field of enterprise.
Say if a certain shop manages to hire nearly all the good technicians for miles around, hoping that customers will have no reasonable alternative but to visit him for all of their repairs, and then charges exorbitant fees which the customer has little choice but to accept, then this is similar to areas where anti-trust laws and enforcement can be applied.
It seems many big businesses tends to focus on eliminating competition (and deceptive marketing) to maximize profits, as opposed to becoming more efficient or offering better service or products.
Another similar situation exists if say branded car dealers have a near monopoly due to warranty restrictions and restrictions on access to service information and code reading, then there needs to exist some restriction on their ability to charge or overcharge for services. To some extent the consumer has a choice of other brands, but they seem to adopt each others worst restrictive practices as fast as they can.
Nothing is ever as simple as it first seems.
Many think it is unfair that we should pay for the costs of shoplifting as part of our grocery bill, but we do. We will also pay the costs of scofflaws attempting to drive off without paying for service. Thus it behooves all of us to teach honesty to our kids, by example and action, if we wish this world to be a pleasant place to live.
