Major Serivce Due - need some advice

[nbot]

Hi everyone,
I am owner of a 2011 Bicolore - and need to put a major service on the car. So far the book is full of main dealer stamps, however I am considering using an independent specialist - in this instance BDM motorsport. These guys race Gallardo GT3's so seem to be a very well respected indie - and Mark seems a very nice chap.

The major service with BDM is over £1k cheaper than Lambo directly and I know they are anal when it comes to their work. Do you think it is worth going down this route? How much value is placed on a main dealer stamp...?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[jimmyslr]

I think this depends on a variety of factors. These could include:

- how long you plan to own the car
- the warranty position
- who you foresee selling the car through and to
- your need or otherwise to have a relationship with a main dealer

All relatively self-explanatory, but for example if you plan on owning it a while (so plenty of cash to be saved), you are out of warranty, you are likely to sell to an informed enthusiast (and to sell via a specialist indie) and you are not desperate to get on the invitation only list for the latest new model then it's an indie service all the way. If you might sell it on quickly, perhaps via a main dealer, and you want the widest addressable market and to keep your dealer sweet then stay in the dealer network.

I change strategy across my cars. For instance my Ferrari 612 is not necessarily an enthusiast model so the next owner might be of the mindset that "only a FFSH will do"; actually lots of potential Ferrari owners think that! For that reason I keep the servicing at the dealer and keep those stamps coming... For my Porsche 997 GT3 I took it to an indie straightaway as I think they know the older cars better and only an enthusiast would buy it and they know that indies are as good or better.

[nbot]

thank you very much for this information - this is very helpful. I don't tend to keep my cars for long, I was thinking of maybe selling it in the summer, however I certainly wouldn't look to sell to Lambo directly as I don't know if they wouldn't offer a competitive price - I would use the traditional routes - specialists, auto trader, maybe even some form of brokerage service so the car goes to an enthusiast - who hopefully knows the value of using some of these very good indie's. I have never taken my cars outside a dealer network before, but given the savings plus the fact that when you talk to some of these indie's they really know their stuff and are seriously passionate about their cars - I have always wanted to give it a go...

[RamboLambo]

Not entirely how I would look at it but What you save will potentially be lost on resale as the majority of people will view the full Lamborghini service history as very important and that anything else was done to save money ( which then opens up the other question of what other maintenance costs were short changed ).
A thousand pounds is a thousand pounds but on these types of cars it may be a false economy.
Personally on that age of car with current full manufacturer history I wouldn't be the one that makes the break away to an independent especially if you are going to sell it in the next couple of years

[WDISMYL]

Very sweeping statement by Rambo.

Mike Pullen at Carrera Sport in Haywards Heath is almost certainly one of the best Lambo guys in the country. I wouldn't trust my car with anyone else, and I certainly wouldn't buy a Lambo without Mike having looked at it.

[Craigwww]

It wouldn't put me off buying your car if there was a independent stamp in the book, especially if it was from a renowned specialist. However there are plenty of anal people in this world looking to haggle over the smallest detail. Most people are intelligent enough to do their own research when buying a car and we all know the dealers are not always the best bet for actual quality anyway.

[DarrenKMC]

Personally, I think if it has full dealer history and this is likely to be the last service in your ownership its a no brainer.

There are some great indie's out there, the problem though is that generally an indie's reputation is based on personal experience, so even if a potential buyer has heard of the indie and their reputation if they've no experience of them it is still to a certain extent an unknown. A main dealer stamp always gives that perceived confidence, even if we know in real terms that doesn't guarantee the care has been any greater.

When I look in a book and the last service is the first to drop from the official network I always think "what a shame", even if I know the indie thats touched it last.

Alot of people say they wouldn't mind seeing indie stamps when considering a purchase and I'm sure thats true, but alot of those same people are also the ones who would then try and chip for the same reason! Never heard anyone be concerned over a book full of main dealer stamps.

[Yipper]

Best option (beyond main-dealer stamp) is to go to a trusted indy mechanic who also does trusted retail-sales on Autotrader, PH, etc. and therefore has a good network of contacts and previous customers they can resell the car on to (if needed). There are probably <50 garages with a decent rep for regularly selling Gallardos in the UK, so the available pool is relatively small, and word soon gets round among buyers and sellers if a car or reseller is "not right" (regardless of stamps in book). This makes main-dealer stamps less important than many perceive.

[nbot]

thank you everyone for your feedback. It is a difficult one to call i have to say. I think at this stage i am willing to pursue this service with the specialist & see how it goes. i am so anal about my cars, i love to see the same passion coming from the people who work on them to, and i always get a good vibe from the well known indie workshops. Very genuine and honest guys most of them seem to be,

[70proof]

Whilst a car is in production, worth going main dealer as you get software upgrades etc which arent necessarily a recall.... So for the gallardo, someone like backdraft way to go, main dealers don't race any cars lol, so I would say bdm have more gallardo experience

[nbot]

70proof said:

Whilst a car is in production, worth going main dealer as you get software upgrades etc which arent necessarily a recall.... So for the gallardo, someone like backdraft way to go, main dealers don't race any cars lol, so I would say bdm have more gallardo experience

Hi there, thanks for your feedback - have you used Backdraft before on your car? i get a very good impression from them, but wanted to see if anyone else had any experience with them.

Cheers.

[70proof]

I've not myself but have heard good things from others who have