Car Main Dealers

[Axe]

The Volvo had to go in for a 72,000 mile service an its second MOT on Friday. I've always been keen to ensure that its been serviced by an approved Volvo dealer so I took it to the dealer I got it from. I new it was going to be a little more expensive but £450 was a joke. Not to mention they charged £78 for a simple exhaust mount that had apparently broken.

 

I got a second phone call whilst they were doing the MOT and asked if I wanted two bulbs replaced (side light & number plate) which I thought was good of them but then mentioned the rear wiper blade was split. I asked how much a new blade was going to cost and they quoted £68 for supply and fitting!!! I nearly fell off my chair. Don't get me wrong, I don' my paying a premium for an approved service but £68 for a small rear wiper blade is just obscene.

 

I've just been down the road to visit a car parts shop that I used to frequent in my earlier years and they fitted a replacement blade for just .... wait for it ....... £2!!! A total saving of £66.

[Dunkield]

Seems to be labour that is the killer Axe.

We were quoted £65/hour by a non main dealer the other day

[myuserid]

Same with my Disco, I was paying £450-500 for a service, I'm now taking it to a local landy spares garage, they charged me £145 for a full service!

The dealers dont make anything from selling the cars, they make their money from MOT's and Servicing. Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

[Axe]

You'd think that after charging me £450 for a service coupled with my loyal custom that they would forgo any charge for physically fitting the blade, which incidentally took my man 2 mins to do!

[Dunkield]

You would think so wouldn't you Axe.

 

Some time ago, mrs stuartp rang our local garage to say her car had an oil leak.

The bloke she spoke to knew the car well and said he knew what it was (a rubber seal round the dipstick)

As he lived round the corner from us he dropped in on his way home and fitted the part.

He wouldn't take anything for his effort, or the part.

 

THAT is customer service

[al4x]

they've billed it at their minimum labour charge axe which is just not right.

[Axe]

they've billed it at their minimum labour charge axe which is just not right.

 

Seems I have two letters of complaint to write today!

[Cranfield]

When we bought Mrs Cranfield's last car we had a couple of discount service vouchers from the Main Dealer.

At the first service I booked it in , went and collected it, they gave me the bill and I produced the discount voucher.

Just as I expected the Service Manager went white, "you should have given us this when you brought the car in", he said.

"Oh, sorry about that", I replied.

He then tried to tell me that they couldn't honour it, but I insisted they knock £75 off the service bill, or I would have to speak to Trading Standards.

I got my discount and silently thanked an old friend of mine, who gave me that tip some time ago.

 

Axe, a man of your calibre shouldn't be running around in a vehicle with 72,000 miles on the clock.

[sandersj89]

Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

 

That is n longer the case, you do not have to use main dealer service to preserve warranty, this was challenged by the Office of Fair trading and upheld so you can now take you volvo/ford/bmw to non main dealers for service whilst still in warranty with no effect on the warranty.

 

http://oft.gov.uk/news/press/2004/85-04

 

As for £68 for a wiper blade fit, they are having a laugh.

 

Axe, was this Hapstead's or Caffyns? I had a run in with hapsteads with a Volvo I used to run.

 

Jerry

[Oly]

Vote with you wallet, don't give them a penny!

[myuserid]

Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

 

That is n longer the case, you do not have to use main dealer service to preserve warranty, this was challenged by the Office of Fair trading and upheld so you can now take you volvo/ford/bmw to non main dealers for service whilst still in warranty with no effect on the warranty.

 

http://oft.gov.uk/news/press/2004/85-04

 

As for £68 for a wiper blade fit, they are having a laugh.

 

Axe, was this Hapstead's or Caffyns? I had a run in with hapsteads with a Volvo I used to run.

 

Jerry

 

Well I suggest you write to LandRover and tell them about that, as I had to wait until the warranty had expired until I could take it to another dealer.

[Axe]

Jerry, yes it was Hapstead but in fairness I have previously received very god service from them. However, Hapstead sold their Volvo Dealership onto a company Called Doves who seem to be systematically destroying customer satisfaction.

[game_boy]

Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

 

That is n longer the case, you do not have to use main dealer service to preserve warranty, this was challenged by the Office of Fair trading and upheld so you can now take you volvo/ford/bmw to non main dealers for service whilst still in warranty with no effect on the warranty.

 

http://oft.gov.uk/news/press/2004/85-04

 

As for £68 for a wiper blade fit, they are having a laugh.

 

Axe, was this Hapstead's or Caffyns? I had a run in with hapsteads with a Volvo I used to run.

 

Jerry

 

 

Yeah isnt it that as long as a garage is VAT registered then your warranty is safe, no matter what dealer or garage it is.

[sandersj89]

Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

 

That is n longer the case, you do not have to use main dealer service to preserve warranty, this was challenged by the Office of Fair trading and upheld so you can now take you volvo/ford/bmw to non main dealers for service whilst still in warranty with no effect on the warranty.

 

http://oft.gov.uk/news/press/2004/85-04

 

As for £68 for a wiper blade fit, they are having a laugh.

 

Axe, was this Hapstead's or Caffyns? I had a run in with hapsteads with a Volvo I used to run.

 

Jerry

 

Well I suggest you write to LandRover and tell them about that, as I had to wait until the warranty had expired until I could take it to another dealer.

 

When was it bought? I believe the new rules came in in 2004. It shoulf not be an issue now.

 

Jerry

[sandersj89]

Jerry, yes it was Hapstead but in fairness I have previously received very god service from them. However, Hapstead sold their Volvo Dealership onto a company Called Doves who seem to be systematically destroying customer satisfaction.

 

This was some time ago and when they had a branch at Ardingly, car went in for a major service, picked it up and broke down in 2 miles on the way home, they had over filled the car with oil and did not replace the expansion tank cap. Engine was a mess and they tried to get me to pay for it to be put right!

[Axe]

Ouch!

[sandersj89]

Yeah isnt it that as long as a garage is VAT registered then your warranty is safe, no matter what dealer or garage it is.

 

Garage has to operate at an approved level, VAT registration is note the issue.

 

Jerry

[myuserid]

Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

 

That is n longer the case, you do not have to use main dealer service to preserve warranty, this was challenged by the Office of Fair trading and upheld so you can now take you volvo/ford/bmw to non main dealers for service whilst still in warranty with no effect on the warranty.

 

http://oft.gov.uk/news/press/2004/85-04

 

As for £68 for a wiper blade fit, they are having a laugh.

 

Axe, was this Hapstead's or Caffyns? I had a run in with hapsteads with a Volvo I used to run.

 

Jerry

 

Well I suggest you write to LandRover and tell them about that, as I had to wait until the warranty had expired until I could take it to another dealer.

 

When was it bought? I believe the new rules came in in 2004. It shoulf not be an issue now.

 

Jerry

 

I bought it new (52 plate) which is 03 I think.

[sandersj89]

I bought it new (52 plate) which is 03 I think.

 

Just missed the new rules then.......pity!

[Highlander]

Most mechanics today are nothing more than ‘fitters’ and basically that’s what you get when using ‘Main Dealers’ services. We have a local family run garage run by a father and son both of who are trained engineers and there’s not a lot they can’t do between them. Full on service on Mrs Hs Volvo £180 plus if something’s wrong they know what it is and can fix it!

Best saving; broke a rear suspension unit on the ML which Mercedes wanted a re-mortgage to fix mainly due to the whole body having to be lifted off the chassis to get at the parts. Mike cut a (very) small hole in the floor and did some keyhole surgery. Bobs your uncle! Main Dealers you can keep ‘em!

It’s also worth noting that nowadays you DO NOT have to have your vehicle serviced by the main dealers to keep the warranty. One good piece of EU legislation...if the garage is a certified workshop any manufacturer’s warranty stands. For what it’s worth!

Biggest disasters I’ve had both with Landrover Discos (admittedly the older styles)...new vehicle bought from a Lex Mead dealership needed a repair and the garage noticed the engine number didn’t match the log book number. Lex Mead said original engine didn’t pass their initial quality control so it was replaced and they forgot to alter the log book details. My solicitor and the AA both said nothing illegal in that and you have no right to compensation. LR didn’t even reply to my letter. On another occasion a time chain went (on the Forth Bridge), 28000 miles and LR couldn’t have cared less! Never bought another LR after that!

 

And don't even start me off on the totally banal marketing buzz word 'customer service' which just about every major organisation tells me they give but whenever you try to contact them the last thing your likely to get is 'service'.

[pin]

£65/hour? Audi want anywhere between £90 and £148 (+VAT) down my way.

 

First service with my A4 I took it to Docklands Audi and they presented me for a bill for £589 inclusive. I checked with loads of other dealers and the audi forum I go on, others were paying about £250 for the first service (oil and filter).

 

There was 2.5hrs labor on the ticket, I asked why considering it's oil and filter and the service manager stood there and told me it was because they have to run "extended diagnostics". Total and utter *****.

 

Ended up paying £250, even that's a complete ripoff.

 

Second service, forewarned I phoned about and found somewhere reasonable (Amersham Audi). This was a much larger service, oil, all filters (pollen, diesil, air etc) etc.. Quoted £239 on the phone, £239 was the bill. Even for that service with much more to do they only put 1.6hrs labor down.

 

When I phoned around I was quoted anything from 1.6 hours to 3.5hrs labor for the same service, the labor rates varied massively and so did the time to respond.

 

You don't expect it from Audi, but then it's all franchised anyway and they couldn't care less.

[Axe]

That is frightening Pin, it certainly makes you think. We have had similar problems with Mercedes as well. I'm starting to think its not worth buying a 'nice' car. You get ripped off when you buy it, ripped off when you service it, the Tax man docs your pay for it, then some buggar opens a door on it it or catches a trolley agaisnt it in the supermarket car park and by the time you come to sell it, its worth just buggar all!

 

Oh well thats life I guess!

[Lord Geordie]

It don't really matter WHERE you get the car serviced after the warranty period is over as long as you get the book stamped it's just as good in the eyes of a potential future buyer should you wish to sell the car

 

Even on the Astra a garage is £70 for an interim.

 

To do it myself takes about 45 mins and costs about £40 inc parts

 

Try an interim in the Vauxhall garage and again your talking crazy money.

 

 

I know a few chaps locally who do cracking jobs on cars and I often play one off against another till I get a price I like.

 

£100 to have ALL the brake lines re done with Copper piping

 

Service including the timing belt and aux belt changed (inc parts) £90

 

Vauxhall wanted me to take out a second mortgage

[digger]

Took my 52 plate tdci Mondeo to my local Ford dealership as it was smoking like Amy Winehouse. Thought it may be an injector problem but turned out to be a perished hose, expecting a bill of £200 ish, cost me £50 and they fitted two new bulbs free of charge

Two days later the hand brake failed and the rear near side brake was binding ( disc was glowing ). Took it to quick rip off and got stung for £167 for a new caliper and £76 for two new pads. Theiving scum

LB, why not open up a garage nearer me ?

[jayward]

Same with my Disco, I was paying �450-500 for a service, I'm now taking it to a local landy spares garage, they charged me �145 for a full service!

The dealers dont make anything from selling the cars, they make their money from MOT's and Servicing. Thats why you normally get a 2-3 year warranty when you purchase a car, if you take it to another garage the warranty is then broken. So obviously your going to keep taking it to them!!

actually thats generally not the case however many people believe that to be the case , You can legally use any vat registered garage they must use approved parts however and service must be done according to schedule however theres a massive saving to be made if you look around the manufactures can not void the warranty !!!

see OFT