Garages Ripping off the Mrs
Discussion
SuperchargedVR6 said:
Rick101 said:
J4CKO said:
I think it is one of those many situations where our money suddenly loses value and you instinctively bend over ready, feeling helpless, not wanting to look cheap or poor
For example, booking weddings, funerals, hotel bills, going to the vets, paying anyone in the legal profession, going to the dentists, settling the bill in posh restaurants and many others.
Not for us Northern folk. We've no need to keep up with the Jones's. Keep us coin in us pockets!For example, booking weddings, funerals, hotel bills, going to the vets, paying anyone in the legal profession, going to the dentists, settling the bill in posh restaurants and many others.
Never had any problems with my VW main dealer. Cambelts, services, MOTs. I've always just paid a fair price for a fair job. They've never fabricated any horseschitt parts failures with me. Maybe some dealers just prey on folk who are actually as greeen as they are cabbage looking?
I once went to a place that resembles speedy fitment for tracking as it was on offer for £15.
I left it with them as I had to go to work and I got a call an hour later saying that I needed 2 front shocks, arb's and a bottom suspension arm. Oh, and new discs.
I went down, and asked to look at it and was shown front suspension which was damp, but forgot to realise it was raining, and the discs had rust spots on them from the rain, and on the outer edge. Rest of it looked a little rough, but no excess play and passed an MOT a month earlier.
I never went back.
I left it with them as I had to go to work and I got a call an hour later saying that I needed 2 front shocks, arb's and a bottom suspension arm. Oh, and new discs.
I went down, and asked to look at it and was shown front suspension which was damp, but forgot to realise it was raining, and the discs had rust spots on them from the rain, and on the outer edge. Rest of it looked a little rough, but no excess play and passed an MOT a month earlier.
I never went back.
jamieduff1981 said:
The Wd40 leaking from dampers etc is more the preserve of crappy places without any prospect of repeat business.
Oh I think this is also the preserve of the Main Dealer too.Example recently -
Skoda service last time - rear shock absorbers lightly leaking.
Skoda service this time - front dampers lightly leaking - require future replacement
No mention of the rears this time
Ummm please make your mind up - you have just passed an MOT on it
Anyway it happens to be a lease car.....
In reply to my earlier post, and the inevitable questions that came up as a result.
I have been in the motor trade all my working life, (45 years), and have never had financial dealings with any main dealers. They are ALL under enormous, phenomenal pressure from the manufacturers to "screw", (they use different expressions, but it all amounts to the same thing), as much as possible out of the gullible consumers. That is all you dimbos that think that you can ONLY get the best service/deal by using these places. It IS a fallacy. Joe Public still WILL NOT do their research. That is the key. I have NEVER had any reason to use these places, and have bought hundreds of nearly new cars as part of my business.
Who do YOU think pays for these gigantic places with flash heating/air conditioning/carpet/staff/interiors/stock/equipment/and loads of staff walking around carrying bits of paper, etc., etc. YOU DO, you fools.
I have been in the motor trade all my working life, (45 years), and have never had financial dealings with any main dealers. They are ALL under enormous, phenomenal pressure from the manufacturers to "screw", (they use different expressions, but it all amounts to the same thing), as much as possible out of the gullible consumers. That is all you dimbos that think that you can ONLY get the best service/deal by using these places. It IS a fallacy. Joe Public still WILL NOT do their research. That is the key. I have NEVER had any reason to use these places, and have bought hundreds of nearly new cars as part of my business.
Who do YOU think pays for these gigantic places with flash heating/air conditioning/carpet/staff/interiors/stock/equipment/and loads of staff walking around carrying bits of paper, etc., etc. YOU DO, you fools.
littlebasher said:
This thread reminded me of a trip to a well known fast fit chain.
Luckily for me, i was only in there for a simple puncture repair. While i was waiting in reception, the branch manager made a call to a customer with a list of work their car required.
We had
4 new tyres
New disks and pads
Rear shocks
All this on a 2 year old Megane.
From the gist of the conversation, it was clear that the customer was happy to get the work done - all was going well for the manager, until he was told the car was leased!
Presumably needing authorisation, the manager called the lease company. This time, all he did was report that the two front tyres were on 3mm and could he change them!
To top it off, he phoned back the customer and told them he's only been authorised to change the two front tyres.
Lying t
t.
I've never, ever been in one of those places where they haven't tried to gouge someone within earshot. Luckily for me, i was only in there for a simple puncture repair. While i was waiting in reception, the branch manager made a call to a customer with a list of work their car required.
We had
4 new tyres
New disks and pads
Rear shocks
All this on a 2 year old Megane.
From the gist of the conversation, it was clear that the customer was happy to get the work done - all was going well for the manager, until he was told the car was leased!
Presumably needing authorisation, the manager called the lease company. This time, all he did was report that the two front tyres were on 3mm and could he change them!
To top it off, he phoned back the customer and told them he's only been authorised to change the two front tyres.
Lying t
t.I had a mate who was once told that the head gasket was failing on his rover. This was by a specialist dealer who had changed the gasket 2 months prior. When he showed the guy the invoice he was lost for words and let out a wee giggle saying something like "you got me there I thought you were a money making machine". Needless to say he never went back and that place is no longer there
datum77 said:
That is all you dimbos that think that you can ONLY get the best service/deal by using these places.
I don't think anyone thinks they get a good deal on franchised dealer servicing, and even if they do then it's often a trap to get more work.However it's such a big step to go even to a specialist indie, never mind a more general garage.
I just did it with our VW and went to a well recommended indie and it's such a world apart in good and bad ways. One of the bad parts is there's no all embracing, arse-covering, wrap of comfort in using an indie that you get with a dealer, where they give you lots of pieces of paper to assure you that everything is OK.
The other thing is that if you have a problem in a dealer, there's about 10 levels of people you can complain to. if it's an indie, you're probably talking to owner. If he doesn't see your point of view then that's the end of the matter.
datum77 said:
Who do YOU think pays for these gigantic places with flash heating/air conditioning/carpet/staff/interiors/stock/equipment/and loads of staff walking around carrying bits of paper, etc., etc. YOU DO, you fools.
I'd guess a good percentage is the lease company (for company car owners).Anyway, if people are happy to pay the price, why are they a fool?
Their money, their choice.
datum77 said:
In reply to my earlier post, and the inevitable questions that came up as a result.
I have been in the motor trade all my working life, (45 years), and have never had financial dealings with any main dealers. They are ALL under enormous, phenomenal pressure from the manufacturers to "screw", (they use different expressions, but it all amounts to the same thing), as much as possible out of the gullible consumers. That is all you dimbos that think that you can ONLY get the best service/deal by using these places. It IS a fallacy. Joe Public still WILL NOT do their research. That is the key. I have NEVER had any reason to use these places, and have bought hundreds of nearly new cars as part of my business.
Who do YOU think pays for these gigantic places with flash heating/air conditioning/carpet/staff/interiors/stock/equipment/and loads of staff walking around carrying bits of paper, etc., etc. YOU DO, you fools.
You are like a broken record for goodness sake. FYI, I have (almost) worked in/with the motor trade for as long as you have been avoiding us,.I have been in the motor trade all my working life, (45 years), and have never had financial dealings with any main dealers. They are ALL under enormous, phenomenal pressure from the manufacturers to "screw", (they use different expressions, but it all amounts to the same thing), as much as possible out of the gullible consumers. That is all you dimbos that think that you can ONLY get the best service/deal by using these places. It IS a fallacy. Joe Public still WILL NOT do their research. That is the key. I have NEVER had any reason to use these places, and have bought hundreds of nearly new cars as part of my business.
Who do YOU think pays for these gigantic places with flash heating/air conditioning/carpet/staff/interiors/stock/equipment/and loads of staff walking around carrying bits of paper, etc., etc. YOU DO, you fools.
You obviously have no idea how the Retail Industry works, do you?
I do remember people like you coming into my workplace, once identified, we all used to hide
(Don't suppose you are a Mr Hughes from Kilmarnock that purchased 2 309 Glx's for you and your wife, then discovered your wife was having an affair, then decided to spend all your time identifying EVERY SINGLE FAULT on the car - It was a bloody pug! 
Sheepshanks said:
I always got the impression dealers hated working on my company lease cars. I believe lease companies get hefty discounts, and take a lot of persuading to authorise any additional work.
But on lease cars it's likely to be just servicing as everything else is still covered by warranty?silentbrown said:
Sheepshanks said:
I always got the impression dealers hated working on my company lease cars. I believe lease companies get hefty discounts, and take a lot of persuading to authorise any additional work.
But on lease cars it's likely to be just servicing as everything else is still covered by warranty?Edited by PositronicRay on Friday 22 May 08:59
Having owned a much older car for years, and always having had it maintained at a handful of trusted specialists, I am now the owner of something much newer which I intend to get serviced at the dealer when it's due in October. I'm looking forward to the experience in a strange, perverted way if only to see if they try and ream me in the same kind of way as some of the stories on here!
3 or 4 years ago, I took a 350Z to a main dealer. Bearing in mind I'd only bought it some 7/8 months before, they tried getting me to change all Brembo discs/pads at a cost of £1600. They were correct on my front pads, but rear pads and all discs were all fine. Oh... and disc/pads cost less than £600 if I bought them...!
I wonder how hard Merc are going to bum me when the C63 goes in for a big service?
I wonder how hard Merc are going to bum me when the C63 goes in for a big service?
I took my Audi to a main dealer for a service which included rear pads. During the service it was noted that it needed a new glovebox lid so one was ordered for delivery the following day. I took the car back the following day and left it with them - I had a call later in the afternoon saying that they had noticed the pads were low and needed changing. I asked them whether a brake bad life of 11 miles was acceptable to them....
I remember the first ever time I was charged for topping up the windscreen washers.
Ever since, before leaving the car in for a service I top the washers up never to be charged again.....
Until a recent visit to a Skoda dealer, who miraculously managed to fill the already brimmed washer bottle even further at a cost of just under £5.
Ever since, before leaving the car in for a service I top the washers up never to be charged again.....
Until a recent visit to a Skoda dealer, who miraculously managed to fill the already brimmed washer bottle even further at a cost of just under £5.
I got sick of mechanics and having to take their car to them and constantly be in their pocket. My solution was simple, got a ramp, the tools, tyre changer, balancer, diagnostics, basically just kitted out my own workshop.
Now if I have any issues I just fix it myself at my own time and leisure.
Now if I have any issues I just fix it myself at my own time and leisure.
Sump said:
I got sick of mechanics and having to take their car to them and constantly be in their pocket. My solution was simple, got a ramp, the tools, tyre changer, balancer, diagnostics, basically just kitted out my own workshop.
Now if I have any issues I just fix it myself at my own time and leisure.
How long did it take to recover the cost of the investment v taking it to a garage?Now if I have any issues I just fix it myself at my own time and leisure.
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