Reasons why you don’t go to a main dealer for a service

[Lester H]

A1VDY said:

Not having main dealer services and therefore the service book stamped up can seriously damage the resale value of some makes and invalidate warranties.

Agreed. Many punters assume the second part,too. However, unless you are buying an up market car new, it doesn’t matter. If you buy at 3 years and keep for another 4 or so, the buyer then will only ask for evidence of servicing, if that! Hence, the good independent will suffice. My remarks refer to ‘real world’ cars which most on here drive for financial reasons. A1 is obviously spot on if you have a Ferrari or equivalent. (How many of you have had the ignominious experience of taking a 5 or 6 year old decent car to a main dealer, who doesn’t even leave the plush showroom to look at it before inventing a low trade in figure?)

Edited by Lester H on Saturday 27th February 19:35

[Daveb257]

So summarise 26 pages then:

-Some people like dealers
-Some people dislike dealers
-Some people like indies
-Some people dislike indies
-Some dealers are good/some bad
-Some indies are good/some bad

Missed anything ?

[SidewaysSi]

Lester H said:

A1VDY said:

Not having main dealer services and therefore the service book stamped up can seriously damage the resale value of some makes and invalidate warranties.

Agreed. Many punters assume the second part,too. However, unless you are buying an up market car new, it doesn’t matter. If you buy at 3 years and keep for another 4 or so, the buyer then will only ask for evidence of servicing, if that! Hence, the good independent will suffice. My remarks refer to ‘real world’ cars which most on here drive for financial reasons. A1 is obviously spot on if you have a Ferrari or equivalent. (How many of you have had the ignominious experience of taking a 5 or 6 year old decent car to a main dealer, who doesn’t even leave the plush showroom to look at it before inventing a low trade in figure?)

Edited by Lester H on Saturday 27th February 19:35

Would you get a much better trade in figure elsewhere?

[nickfrog]

Lester H said:

Agreed. Many punters assume the second part,too. However, unless you are buying an up market car new, it doesn’t matter. If you buy at 3 years and keep for another 4 or so, the buyer then will only ask for evidence of servicing, if that! Hence, the good independent will suffice. My remarks refer to ‘real world’ cars which most on here drive for financial reasons. A1 is obviously spot on if you have a Ferrari or equivalent. (How many of you have had the ignominious experience of taking a 5 or 6 year old decent car to a main dealer, who doesn’t even leave the plush showroom to look at it before inventing a low trade in figure?)

Sure, the older the car, the less relevant MD history is. But I don't think you have to go as far as a Ferrari to benefit from better value retention out of main dealer servicing (rightly or wrongly). A lot of buyers will think that the main motivation for going indy after 3 years is to save money so also wonder what other corners have been cut (rightly or wrongly) so you do reduce your audience, and therefore demand.
I have sold enough cars privately for £20k to £30k to know that some punters will only consider FMDSH. For me going indy tends to be a false economy but I have zero issues with someone using an indy for their shed and being outraged at MD pricing and assuming that anyone using them is an ostentatious idiot trying to impress the neighbours by leasing a car that they can't afford.. . If I had a shed, I would do my own servicing.

[mrnikko]

On Wednesday this week my Honda CRV needed its fourth year service and MOT. Its covered by five year service plan by previous owner.
Arranged to be at main dealers in kendal at 11 00 and collect car at 13-00, dropped cat at 10-45 collected car at 13-30 after wash and vac.
Leaving car agreed to replace any items needed sorting guess what none required, passed MOT no problem thanked dealership for service and said will see you next year, polite service manager repies yes thank you for your custom see you next year as we do not expect to see you before then as its a Honda,that speaks volumes about their product expectations. So use a main dealer again er yes I will. It was my choice re timings as the car was ready at 13-00 as arranged.

[evil.edna]

Daveb257 said:

So summarise 26 pages then:

-Some people like dealers
-Some people dislike dealers
-Some people like indies
-Some people dislike indies
-Some dealers are good/some bad
-Some indies are good/some bad

Missed anything ?

MX5?

No manual gearbox option?

[Lester H]

M4cruiser said:

ChocolateFrog said:

It would be extremely rare that a car would retain the difference in value that you've spent extra at a main dealer, unless we're talking the first minor service only.

I actually prefer to see a stack of parts receipts and a knowledgeable owner over dealer stamps.

But I'm probably in the minority on that one.

I'm with you ...

With me, that’s a minority of 3

[Lester H]

evil.edna said:

MX5?

No manual gearbox option?

Nope. You have missed nothing in your synopsis unless the thread descends to reviewing cup holders and soft feel plastic on lower areas of dashboard. (Bloody journalists!)

Edited by Lester H on Saturday 27th February 22:20

[anonymous-user]

4

[105.4]

1: Cost
(although if I can get OEM parts for a not eye watering price from the main dealer, then I will do so.

2: The quality of workmanship
I’ve worked in a couple of main dealer service departments. I know it’s mainly about turnaround time. If I do any work on my car then that work is carried out to a standard that I am happy with. If it’s a job that I’m unable to do myself, then I use a very good local guy who I’ve taken various cars to for over 26 years.

[Red 4]

My experience - full main dealer history means nothing.

Pollen filters (a pain in the arse to change, granted) invoiced but not changed.
Spark plugs (expensive ones) invoiced but not changed.
The list goes on ...

Now that is either down to lazy techs or techs cutting corners to make targets or systematic fraud. I'm not sure what other industries think it is acceptable to charge customers for doing work they know they have not done but this practice appears common place in the main dealer world.

[Mr Tidy]

SidewaysSi said:

Plenty of back street garages and indis run by complete muppets. Nothing wrong with paying for a dealer service if you find a decent main agent, depending on your car of course.

Lots of people drive ste old cars because they can't afford a newer car or don't give a crap. You can't generalise.

By that definition I probably drive ste old cars!

My daily is a 2005 BMW and my toy is a 2006 BMW.

But I've found an Indy who worked at Sytner for 15 years who would have worked on them ever since they were new, whereas current Main Dealer "technicians" may never have seen one before!

I'd never go back to a main stealer.

[powerstroke]

Red 4 said:

My experience - full main dealer history means nothing.

Pollen filters (a pain in the arse to change, granted) invoiced but not changed.
Spark plugs (expensive ones) invoiced but not changed.
The list goes on ...

Now that is either down to lazy techs or techs cutting corners to make targets or systematic fraud. I'm not sure what other industries think it is acceptable to charge customers for doing work they know they have not done but this practice appears common place in the main dealer world.

Shush!! Some of us like greasy joe’s eBay OE parts bargains

[SidewaysSi]

Mr Tidy said:

SidewaysSi said:

Plenty of back street garages and indis run by complete muppets. Nothing wrong with paying for a dealer service if you find a decent main agent, depending on your car of course.

Lots of people drive ste old cars because they can't afford a newer car or don't give a crap. You can't generalise.

By that definition I probably drive ste old cars!

My daily is a 2005 BMW and my toy is a 2006 BMW.

But I've found an Indy who worked at Sytner for 15 years who would have worked on them ever since they were new, whereas current Main Dealer "technicians" may never have seen one before!

I'd never go back to a main stealer.

That's fair enough. I drive old bangers and use indis and have used them for many years covering lots of marques. The assumption than an indi is always better because the guy who started it worked at X doesn't always make them any less likely to mess up.

In general they are better for older cars but you need to tread carefully there too. I have received some shocking service from some well known BMW/Lotus etc "specialists" and now would never touch them.

Can understand why people go to main dealers - time saving, convenience and an "official" stamp. The nice coffee and ability to mooch around some new cars or get a new courtesy car has an appeal too. You aren't in some st filthy shed with a dodgy mutt hanging about to save a few quid.

[lowdrag]

As far as main dealers are concerned, in the day the sales margin was 17.5% and you negotiated a deal, but the emphasis was on sales leading the servicing. I can't pin just when that all changed but from memory about the beginning of the nineties I think. Sales margins were cut and quotas came in for monthly bonuses, and the servicing side had to pick up the deficit. I bought a few new Mercedes and BMW's from 1982 to 1994 (after which I only bought used) and being offered a coffee was not a usual thing then. Even seeing a daily paper was pretty rare. Profit was not a consideration for the servicing part of the company. Now sales are struggling, and money has to come from somewhere.

[J3PTF]

Mr Tidy said:

BMW.

But I've found an Indy who worked at Sytner for 15 years

This is the bit I don’t get. If main deadlier techs are so clueless, then do most independents normally try and promote themselves with ‘worked as a mean dealer tech for 15 years before going Indy’ or similar. Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?

[raspy]

I tried independent garages but they don't seem to offer biscuits and coffee of a high enough calibre whilst you wait compared to main dealers, so that's why I now stick to main dealers.

[gizlaroc]

J3PTF said:

Mr Tidy said:

BMW.

But I've found an Indy who worked at Sytner for 15 years

This is the bit I don’t get. If main deadlier techs are so clueless, then do most independents normally try and promote themselves with ‘worked as a mean dealer tech for 15 years before going Indy’ or similar. Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?

The problem is what the mechanics/technicians are allowed to do while working at BMW.

Many have the skills to diagnose issues, but BMW won't allow them to, they simply want the part replaced.
Why? Because of how they charge, it is often more acceptable to charge a customer £700 for a part and £300 labour than it is to charge £20 for a part and £900 for labour.

Go to an indy and that would be £20 plus £360 for labour.

Many people don't like paying for labour, paying for parts is fine, but paying for labour?? Oooh, no.

At £150 or more an hour labour you have to have a very different business model compared to an indy charging £40-60 an hour.

I know a few who have worked at main dealers and just get frustrated, it is a case of 'scan and replace'.

These guys know that rather than change say the DPF filter, simply changing a thermostat and cleaning the DPF out is all that is needed, couple of hours work and £400 all in, but no, DPF is blocked, put a new one in.
Sure that will work, for the next 10k miles till it is blocked again, but it is the wrong way of doing things.



Main dealers are good for people who know nothing about cars.

[505diff]

Wife’s Used 1 year old Merc was booked in as the auto wipers not working, handbook stated it was fitted, the dealer said it was was fitted when it was booked in. Two visits later, (the first being a changed sensor and being told it now works) having the car for four days with the dealerships top technicians, the outcome was the original owner has not specified it when ordering, no issue for us we just wanted everything working.

Total shower of s never been back, never will.

[carreauchompeur]

^^^^ to be fair auto wipers aren’t always the most useful anyway!