Dealer servicing rip off - Online versus real 'price'
Discussion
Dropped my car at a well known dealership group this morning (they call themself a UK Prestige Car Dealers) to be given a load of BS about the price of the service. All around me I could hear people being asked 'what price were you quoted' followed by 'price have gone up' and/or 'the online price doesn't include'.
This time I had pre-booked my service on the manufacturer app, had a booking confirmation and plainly stated prices. The service rep of course had higher price for each item (oil change and 'Standard Scope', i.e. plugging it in) and then added an 'environmental charge' for disposal of old items.
As a goodwill gesture they will 'honour' the online price but I'm waiting to see if they try the 'environmental charge' again when I do pay. He tried to blame the price difference on VAT but dropped that when I questioned legality of providing a non-VAT price to a retail customer without stating the VAT was not included and the value of VAT
I recall very similar shenanigans with our 'non-prestige' old car where I booked online once to be confronted with a far higher price, and had to go through the BS of debating a pre-quoted cost (in that case it turned out as it was a 'Privilege' car I got a decent discount which brought it lower than online quote).
I am hugely conscious the dealer servicing is a rip off to start (got to pay for the shiny showroom somehow) with but trying to add on another 20% is a joke.
Is this the dealer way of skimming a bit extra on every car? Do the manufacturers care, as I imagine they will send a 'satisfaction survey' after where it will be noted?
This time I had pre-booked my service on the manufacturer app, had a booking confirmation and plainly stated prices. The service rep of course had higher price for each item (oil change and 'Standard Scope', i.e. plugging it in) and then added an 'environmental charge' for disposal of old items.
As a goodwill gesture they will 'honour' the online price but I'm waiting to see if they try the 'environmental charge' again when I do pay. He tried to blame the price difference on VAT but dropped that when I questioned legality of providing a non-VAT price to a retail customer without stating the VAT was not included and the value of VAT
I recall very similar shenanigans with our 'non-prestige' old car where I booked online once to be confronted with a far higher price, and had to go through the BS of debating a pre-quoted cost (in that case it turned out as it was a 'Privilege' car I got a decent discount which brought it lower than online quote).
I am hugely conscious the dealer servicing is a rip off to start (got to pay for the shiny showroom somehow) with but trying to add on another 20% is a joke.
Is this the dealer way of skimming a bit extra on every car? Do the manufacturers care, as I imagine they will send a 'satisfaction survey' after where it will be noted?
Edited by boombang on Friday 20th January 09:39
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Car servicing costs will vary hugely from one model to another and minor/ intermediate/ major services so others at the garage comparing prices is really not relevant.
Online or quoted prices should be honoured though as long as full details of the car and type of service is given.
'Environmental' charges though are bs. Most workshops have their old oil taken away by tanker free of charge or use it themselves for workshop heating.
Steel like brake discs ,suspension components, batteries ect are paid for by scrap collection Co's by the tonne. Oil filters if crushed/drained will also be taken away free.
Find a local garage with a good reputation instead..
Online or quoted prices should be honoured though as long as full details of the car and type of service is given.
'Environmental' charges though are bs. Most workshops have their old oil taken away by tanker free of charge or use it themselves for workshop heating.
Steel like brake discs ,suspension components, batteries ect are paid for by scrap collection Co's by the tonne. Oil filters if crushed/drained will also be taken away free.
Find a local garage with a good reputation instead..
Blue Oval84 said:
boombang said:
'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That's just fraud.boombang said:
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Someone mentioned on these boards once that staff who work in dealerships have targets to reach for selling extra work. That will be what this is. Sod the dealers and use the local independent every time.That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
The environmental charge is not a profit line.
I never had any issues with BMW online pricing. The price online is the price at the dealers. And vice versa.
It is a bit more than the local BMW specialists (about 20%) but they have a terrible reputation.
Servicing at BMW rates is actually good value after 3 years and rightly or wrongly it is good for car value retention.
I never had any issues with BMW online pricing. The price online is the price at the dealers. And vice versa.
It is a bit more than the local BMW specialists (about 20%) but they have a terrible reputation.
Servicing at BMW rates is actually good value after 3 years and rightly or wrongly it is good for car value retention.
boombang said:
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Ooh. Ask them to show you that. It sounds very clever That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Blue Oval84 said:
boombang said:
'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That's just fraud.
k you Audi you will never get a penny from me again.Its the best thing about having a Tesla not having any scheduled servicing
Dave Hedgehog said:
Blue Oval84 said:
boombang said:
'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That's just fraud.Its the best thing about having a Tesla not having any scheduled servicing
gt40steve said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
Blue Oval84 said:
boombang said:
'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That's just fraud.Its the best thing about having a Tesla not having any scheduled servicing
Pommy said:
I always love the 'tyre rotation' charge.
Me: so what's that then?
Garage: well we rotate your wheels front to back to even out wear
Me: so what's the charge actually for?
Garage: to take the wheels off to rotate them.
Me: aren't you taking them off anyway to check the brakes?
Garage:
My car was in with a main dealer once and they said I needed new wheel nuts, then added 0.5 hours labour to change them.Me: so what's that then?
Garage: well we rotate your wheels front to back to even out wear
Me: so what's the charge actually for?
Garage: to take the wheels off to rotate them.
Me: aren't you taking them off anyway to check the brakes?
Garage:
Me: "How do you know the wheel nuts have swollen?"
Them: "They were hard to get off when we removed the wheels to do the brakes"
Me: "So the wheels are currently off the car then?"
Them: "Yes"
Me: "And you want a half hour labour to change the wheel nuts"
Them: "I see your point, I'll take that off"
Me: "Just finish the brakes please, I'll get any other work done elsewhere"
The same dealer at the same service wanted £100 to change a cabin air filter that just unclipped from behind the glove box. 5 minute job with nothing more exotic than a screwdriver. I did not take the car back again.
andy43 said:
boombang said:
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Ooh. Ask them to show you that. It sounds very clever That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
https://www.gunson.co.uk/product/G4008/Trakrite-Wh...
murphyaj said:
Pommy said:
I always love the 'tyre rotation' charge.
Me: so what's that then?
Garage: well we rotate your wheels front to back to even out wear
Me: so what's the charge actually for?
Garage: to take the wheels off to rotate them.
Me: aren't you taking them off anyway to check the brakes?
Garage:
My car was in with a main dealer once and they said I needed new wheel nuts, then added 0.5 hours labour to change them.Me: so what's that then?
Garage: well we rotate your wheels front to back to even out wear
Me: so what's the charge actually for?
Garage: to take the wheels off to rotate them.
Me: aren't you taking them off anyway to check the brakes?
Garage:
Me: "How do you know the wheel nuts have swollen?"
Them: "They were hard to get off when we removed the wheels to do the brakes"
Me: "So the wheels are currently off the car then?"
Them: "Yes"
Me: "And you want a half hour labour to change the wheel nuts"
Them: "I see your point, I'll take that off"
Me: "Just finish the brakes please, I'll get any other work done elsewhere"
The same dealer at the same service wanted £100 to change a cabin air filter that just unclipped from behind the glove box. 5 minute job with nothing more exotic than a screwdriver. I did not take the car back again.
andy43 said:
boombang said:
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Ooh. Ask them to show you that. It sounds very clever That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
boombang said:
It gets better - urgent call from dealership to tell me 'when you enter the service area the cars runs over a machine which has told us your wheel alignment is out' and 'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
I know service advisor have to upsell as part of their job, but if they said that to me I would ask for my keys back and walk out.That would have been another £250 towards their Christmas party.
Wasn't it BMW that say charge £x for a service, but at the end of the booking make a compulsory £30 to hook the car up to vehicle diagnostics that you cannot deselect - so the real cost of the service is £x + £30. I'm fairly sure that when I took my 520d in, there was no £30 charge because it was a lease car with inclusive maintenance. If I did ever have to pay the £30 I'd save the most explosive dump for their pristine toilets.
Bennet said:
Blue Oval84 said:
boombang said:
'aircon gas is not just for summer, in winter the aircon gas runs over the screen to demist so *manufacturer* recommends degassing and regassing every 2 years'.
That's just fraud.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff