Main Dealer B-S
Discussion
My customer calls me to tells me the local main dealer has told him his old Merc C250 TD needs some work even though it's passed the mot they carried out. Work required was....
Replace 'Ideal' pulley shock absorber. (the ribbed belt idler pulley)
Both rear springs are at 'Breaking point' with excessive corrosion.
I placed a nylon shim on the idler pulley as it was only a slight rattle on the thing and the damper itself is fine. But....WTF? How does this bunch know if a coil spring is at breaking point? A coils is either intact or not.
They quoted him over £600 to doe the Urgent work. Here's the coils....not even the plastic coating on them is marked...
Replace 'Ideal' pulley shock absorber. (the ribbed belt idler pulley)
Both rear springs are at 'Breaking point' with excessive corrosion.
I placed a nylon shim on the idler pulley as it was only a slight rattle on the thing and the damper itself is fine. But....WTF? How does this bunch know if a coil spring is at breaking point? A coils is either intact or not.
They quoted him over £600 to doe the Urgent work. Here's the coils....not even the plastic coating on them is marked...
(Which don't need changing either!)This type of fraud has been going on for years, a main dealer tried it for size on my Sons partners clio by replacing the brake pads and discs at exorbitant cost. He went to the garage and demanded to see the old brake parts, after an 'discussion' the garage had to remove all the new parts they had installed and replace the old and perfectly good parts, at no charge.
Find a good honest garage and hang on to them.
Find a good honest garage and hang on to them.
crankedup said:
This type of fraud has been going on for years, a main dealer tried it for size on my Sons partners clio by replacing the brake pads and discs at exorbitant cost. He went to the garage and demanded to see the old brake parts, after an 'discussion' the garage had to remove all the new parts they had installed and replace the old and perfectly good parts, at no charge.
Find a good honest garage and hang on to them.
Couldn't agree more, I recently moved 30 miles away from my old garage but will still drive to them to get work done that I can't do myself, because I know they won't screw me over. A good garage is worth it's weight in goldFind a good honest garage and hang on to them.
Unfortunately MB often take advantage of the fact their customers are usually well off and often people that have no interest in the mechanics of the car and leave it to the 'experts' to deal with. Chap I know took his C class into MB for it's first MOT after having it from new, unfortunately he very much gave the impression that he would have any work done straight away. Think he came out about £1500 lighter after they said it needed brakes & tyres all round.
Funny enough i had a damper change in last week, the plunger had punched through the body and the ensuing scramble of parts departing thier propper place took the P/S pump out, never seen that happen befoe yet the pully was still perfect.
sorry just thought i spam ya all with that, not had it before, mind the ole lump was on 297K so all not bad really
sorry just thought i spam ya all with that, not had it before, mind the ole lump was on 297K so all not bad really
I wonder if they get so used to servicing lease cars, where just about any expense is accepted, that they presume everyone replaced brake pads when they're 50% worn, or tyres that have 5mm left.
I see it on our company cars. I've never known cars to go through tyres as fast as they do!
I see it on our company cars. I've never known cars to go through tyres as fast as they do!
Gallen said:
Ask him to get a written quote and estimate.
I have this already....This dealer and I don't get on at all after they tried stiffing me on various old mercs of mine needing parts....(that and the fact I look like a slob when I go in there.) so my customer is going back to them this afternoon to moan.I had similar from the BMW dealer when he told one of my other customers he needed new control arms on his X5 to cure the wheel/brake wobble. They lifted £900 from him with no effect.
lance1a said:
I had similar from the BMW dealer when he told one of my other customers he needed new control arms on his X5 to cure the wheel/brake wobble. They lifted £900 from him with no effect.
That's the thing - The contract your customer agreed to was to pay for the control arms to fix the problem. It didnt fix the problem so please refit the old ones - oh and I'm not paying you for a mis-diagnosis.G.
farrendahl said:
crankedup said:
This type of fraud has been going on for years, a main dealer tried it for size on my Sons partners clio by replacing the brake pads and discs at exorbitant cost. He went to the garage and demanded to see the old brake parts, after an 'discussion' the garage had to remove all the new parts they had installed and replace the old and perfectly good parts, at no charge.
Find a good honest garage and hang on to them.
Couldn't agree more, I recently moved 30 miles away from my old garage but will still drive to them to get work done that I can't do myself, because I know they won't screw me over. A good garage is worth it's weight in goldFind a good honest garage and hang on to them.
My mechanic has a little lock up about 20 miles from where I love. But always goes there for any work that I cannot do myself! Most of the time, courtesy of the AA
geeteeaye said:
Unfortunately MB often take advantage of the fact their customers are usually well off and often people that have no interest in the mechanics of the car and leave it to the 'experts' to deal with. Chap I know took his C class into MB for it's first MOT after having it from new, unfortunately he very much gave the impression that he would have any work done straight away. Think he came out about £1500 lighter after they said it needed brakes & tyres all round.
It probably needed the brakes ! I had a brand new one which needed new rear discs and pads at 2 years old and less than 20,000 miles. The discs had rusted to f
k.My MB dealer said the Combination Filter needed changing at a cost of £450 (or something suitably large) as part of the service.
I did my research and confirmed that my car doesn't have the type of air con that has a combination filter, which he should have known from their data.
I got the service done by an indie at a ludicrously modest cost instead.
Something like this happened to me just the other day. Took my VW to the local dealer for it's yearly service, they said it required a turbo oil return pipe replacing as it was leaking, total cost of £200. I smelt a rat, took it to my trusted garage of 15+ years, a simple tightening of a bolt was all that was needed to stop the leak, cost to me £10.
And this isn't the first time, I'm so tired of taking mine or my wife's car to a dealer only for them to try on the "your brake pads need changing" line.
And this isn't the first time, I'm so tired of taking mine or my wife's car to a dealer only for them to try on the "your brake pads need changing" line.
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