Servicing - Main Dealer Or Indy
Discussion
I have used indy's for Porsche servicing before & if a car is of a certain age/miles having an indy service record had no affect on residuals when i came to sell on. My V8VS requires its five year service - this is my first Aston. My main question is on price for Aston servicing. Its seems there isn't a huge difference in price from taking my car to a main AM dealer or an indy. My nearest main dealer is Aston Works & nearest indy's are Desmond Smail & Dovehouse. Fixed price servicing at Works is £750 & Dovehouse £600. OK, I can save £150 but the main dealer stamp has got to be worth that surely? Why go to an indy for servicing? I can see there would a saving going to an indy for non-service work, but otherwise I'am not convinced going to an indy for its service. Thoughts?
The fixed price servicing might only be slightly cheaper, but if any additional work is required it could be more expensive. For work that is off-menu the main dealer labour rates can really rack up.
As for whether the stamp is worth anything above a respected indy I can only speak for myself, but personally it means nothing to me. If I'm buying a car as long as it has full history with someone who knows Aston Martins I honestly don't care if the stamps are main dealer or not. However I did take issue with a V8V I was looking at once that had just been serviced at a Mercedes garage, where the seller tried to tell me that "anyone can service them these days".
As for whether the stamp is worth anything above a respected indy I can only speak for myself, but personally it means nothing to me. If I'm buying a car as long as it has full history with someone who knows Aston Martins I honestly don't care if the stamps are main dealer or not. However I did take issue with a V8V I was looking at once that had just been serviced at a Mercedes garage, where the seller tried to tell me that "anyone can service them these days".
I've only been the custodian of my car for one service and due to it being under the Timeless warranty I took it to my local main dealer, the cost was very similar to my equally local respected indy specialist but warranty issues forced my hand.
One thing that annoyed me about both, and looking through my cars service history it's nothing new is the price these places charge for the consumables, they don't seem to blink at the idea of charging £20 a litre for oil that is readily available at the likes of Eurocarparts for less than half that, so top tight arse tip is supply your own oil and save £100 on the bill where ever you take it.
The 'service experience' is usually a bit nicer at the big plate glass palaces, nice courtesy car, premium coffee, cake and a pretty face welcoming you in but it's all in the bill somewhere.
One thing that annoyed me about both, and looking through my cars service history it's nothing new is the price these places charge for the consumables, they don't seem to blink at the idea of charging £20 a litre for oil that is readily available at the likes of Eurocarparts for less than half that, so top tight arse tip is supply your own oil and save £100 on the bill where ever you take it.
The 'service experience' is usually a bit nicer at the big plate glass palaces, nice courtesy car, premium coffee, cake and a pretty face welcoming you in but it's all in the bill somewhere.
When I compared dealer / Indy servicing a few years back they were not the same thing. The dealer price was for a basic service and many things were optional (e.g fluid changes) all of which were am extra charge. The Indy price included many of those things.
So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
davek_964 said:
When I compared dealer / Indy servicing a few years back they were not the same thing. The dealer price was for a basic service and many things were optional (e.g fluid changes) all of which were am extra charge. The Indy price included many of those things.
So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
Seems that pricing is more transparent now that dealers & indys quote fixed price servicing. It wouldn't generally worry me but given the difference is £150 - in the scheme of things I think an Aston main dealer stamp is probably worth it. Obviously if they pick up on 'extras' that need attention then I'll take it to an indy.So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
Always an interesting question, dealer hourly rates vs indy rates mean you potentially got a lot less time spent on your car for the given cost.
I imagine a main dealer would have a set piece for a service, I know my indy spends this extra time checking, tweaking and fixing stuff additional to that set piece.
And is still cheaper...
I imagine a main dealer would have a set piece for a service, I know my indy spends this extra time checking, tweaking and fixing stuff additional to that set piece.
And is still cheaper...
For a straight service then I'd say Works.
As others have said, if remedial work is required then perhaps shop around for that, but also remember that Works aren't quite the ogre some people think, and I doubt their labour rates are any different to any other MD. You can also try and negotiate a little too (not on the fixed service), as although they're "Works", they still want the business so are pragmatic.
I've always used Works and will continue to do so.
As others have said, if remedial work is required then perhaps shop around for that, but also remember that Works aren't quite the ogre some people think, and I doubt their labour rates are any different to any other MD. You can also try and negotiate a little too (not on the fixed service), as although they're "Works", they still want the business so are pragmatic.
I've always used Works and will continue to do so.
GameofCars said:
Seems that pricing is more transparent now that dealers & indys quote fixed price servicing. It wouldn't generally worry me but given the difference is £150 - in the scheme of things I think an Aston main dealer stamp is probably worth it. Obviously if they pick up on 'extras' that need attention then I'll take it to an indy.
It was 'fixed price' when I was checking. But the dealer told me that they'd changed the older Aston servicing to the same style as the newer ones (matrix or something) which meant the fixed price only included the basic essentials.The Indy's I called also had a fixed price but what was included in it was more - they didn't seem to have adopted the new dealer kind of servicing.
GameofCars said:
Was going to ask a price for the supply of own oil & guessed i could save a few quid.
Eurocarparts current price£34.44 or £8.61 a litre, compared to an invoice on my desk from 2016 at D Smail's for £19.50 a litre, considering you want 11 litres of the liquid gold for a V8 that's over £120 saved
I had a 12year service on my DB9 at Works in December last year, I provided my own Mobile 1 oil (purchased from costco at £35 for 5 litres)
Oil filter and sump plug and the service cost me £470.
They also collected and delivered the car back to me, for that price and the service received its a no brainer as far as I'm concerned
Oil filter and sump plug and the service cost me £470.
They also collected and delivered the car back to me, for that price and the service received its a no brainer as far as I'm concerned
davek_964 said:
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
I certainly hear what you're saying.One of the things for me would be whether a car was still under warranty or not. If it was, then it's MD all the way, as you're just giving them a very strong opportunity to wriggle out of any warranty claim if it wasn't serviced by a MD. I know legislation and all that says you can service where you like providing you use OEM parts, but that's an argument I'd rather not have if my engine committed suicide.
How many of your guys have actually checked to see if the work on the MD invoice was actually done? When I had my DB9 on the first service for me (30k?) I put it into a MD simply because I wanted to have a list of all that needed doing and get a clearer picture of what I'd bought. There was at least 5 things on the invoice which I proved to them hadn't been done and got refunded for. I didn't give them the opportunity for remedial work as I could no longer trust them.
I gave it to an indy along with their list of "needs attention" which was also proven to be a work of fiction.
as soon as the factory warranty has expired I wouldn't go near a MD regardless of make. As previously said, Indy's survive on their reputation.
I gave it to an indy along with their list of "needs attention" which was also proven to be a work of fiction.
as soon as the factory warranty has expired I wouldn't go near a MD regardless of make. As previously said, Indy's survive on their reputation.
Big Ry said:
For a straight service then I'd say Works.
As others have said, if remedial work is required then perhaps shop around for that, but also remember that Works aren't quite the ogre some people think, and I doubt their labour rates are any different to any other MD. You can also try and negotiate a little too (not on the fixed service), as although they're "Works", they still want the business so are pragmatic.
I've always used Works and will continue to do so.
You have a V12V?As others have said, if remedial work is required then perhaps shop around for that, but also remember that Works aren't quite the ogre some people think, and I doubt their labour rates are any different to any other MD. You can also try and negotiate a little too (not on the fixed service), as although they're "Works", they still want the business so are pragmatic.
I've always used Works and will continue to do so.
Make sure they (or you) check the brake pad thickness, don't rely on the sensors.
One things spotted by my indy was that the brass pins meet the discs before the sensors come on, dodgy design possibly but I would be suprised if it's on the service checklist. They only have around 5mm of life from new.
Forgive me if you already knew this obvs
Although I guess that would soon become their problem when the discs were fubar'd!
Edited by JaseB on Wednesday 29th August 13:20
3200gt said:
How many of your guys have actually checked to see if the work on the MD invoice was actually done? When I had my DB9 on the first service for me (30k?) I put it into a MD simply because I wanted to have a list of all that needed doing and get a clearer picture of what I'd bought. There was at least 5 things on the invoice which I proved to them hadn't been done and got refunded for. I didn't give them the opportunity for remedial work as I could no longer trust them.
I gave it to an indy along with their list of "needs attention" which was also proven to be a work of fiction.
as soon as the factory warranty has expired I wouldn't go near a MD regardless of make. As previously said, Indy's survive on their reputation.
I can't really comment on that, but to tar all MD's with that brush is no different than saying all Indy's are amazing....they're not.I gave it to an indy along with their list of "needs attention" which was also proven to be a work of fiction.
as soon as the factory warranty has expired I wouldn't go near a MD regardless of make. As previously said, Indy's survive on their reputation.
I only have knowledge of Works when it comes to Aston maintenance and servicing, and I can say first hand that I've been told about things I need to keep an eye on, whereas they could easily have told me they need doing now, so no rip off there.
When I didn't extend the warranty on my V12V I was talking to the Service Manager about it. I said my only real fear was the engine or gearbox letting go. His words to me were "well if that were to happen, we'd be looking for some serious support from the factory, as we know your car well". I can't see them saying the same if it were a car they had never seen since the day they sold it and hence could not vouch for the maintenance.
For me, if i'm spending £100k+ on a car then I accept it's going to cost a lot to keep it on the road, and I just like the peace of mind a MD gives me. Not saying that's the best way for everyone, but it works for me.
GameofCars said:
davek_964 said:
When I compared dealer / Indy servicing a few years back they were not the same thing. The dealer price was for a basic service and many things were optional (e.g fluid changes) all of which were am extra charge. The Indy price included many of those things.
So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
Seems that pricing is more transparent now that dealers & indys quote fixed price servicing. It wouldn't generally worry me but given the difference is £150 - in the scheme of things I think an Aston main dealer stamp is probably worth it. Obviously if they pick up on 'extras' that need attention then I'll take it to an indy.So although the initial price seemed similar, when you added on the differences and compared apples with apples the dealer was much more expensive.
I have never cared about dealer stamps in any car I've owned and it's never seemed to affect resale so far.
The fixed price thing is good in some ways but a PITA in others. A good Indy will inspect everything and change as required at every service. This is not the case for MD. A good example is the air filters. BR inspect these every service and change if necessary and the inspection is part of the price. MD service does not look at them in the fixed price service. I was told if you want us to look at them then you may as well change them (because the cost is in the labour more than the filters) and it adds something like £250 IIRC. That's a big difference. Also, I've never met a MD I fully trust and that's experience of four of them including Works. Any business that completely refuses to reply to multiple emails & telephone enquiries despite you having recently given them a big chunk of business is not to be trusted.
I'd agree with the AM works sentiments, they are backed by the factory. The majority of MD's are companies that have several MD marques amongst there group and see AM's and their owners as cash cows and try their luck accordingly, at least in my experience.
Indy's on the other hand tend to specialise in one marque and know that the only way they will survive is to treat their customers and vehicles with respect.
In affect AM works are an Indy, albeit at the top of the Indy tree.
Indy's on the other hand tend to specialise in one marque and know that the only way they will survive is to treat their customers and vehicles with respect.
In affect AM works are an Indy, albeit at the top of the Indy tree.
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