Dealer servicing
Discussion
My car is under extended warranty so has to go to a dealer for its annual service.
I may sound like a tight arse but knowing what they charge an hour and also mark upon all fluids etc.
Can I insist that they use fluids ( the right ones obviously) That I have supplied
Or can they tell you to do one?
I'm just trying to keep the prices down
I may sound like a tight arse but knowing what they charge an hour and also mark upon all fluids etc.
Can I insist that they use fluids ( the right ones obviously) That I have supplied
Or can they tell you to do one?
I'm just trying to keep the prices down
I won't get many friends on here for saying this, but I do have certain amount of sympathy with main dealer servicing prices.
For every £1,000 AM main dealer service (and think just how few they must do each day, in comparison with VW, Audi, Mercedes, Ford etc. dealers), I expect about £700 of the £1,000 goes directly towards paying the overheads of the dealer operation.
Multi million pound premises, AML insist on glass and travertine.
Vast stock of new and used cars worth millions, sitting around gradually going down in value.
Workshops with the latest equipment and twin post ramps, just because they look neater.
Someone said the specialist AML electonic diagnostic equipment costs a lot each month.
Specialists of course tend to have much simpler premises and so lower operational costs.
If the specialist staff are good, they might know more about Astons than the main dealer technicians.
stevenotwet said:
Can I insist that they use fluids ( the right ones obviously) That I have supplied
I’m not sure you can ‘insist’ but you can certainly ask politely if it is ok to supply your own oil, to the correct manufacturers spec. 
I have done this with AM Nottingham and it saved about £100 and they had no issues with it.
My local Indy doesn’t allow it, but then the price they charge for it is only fractionally more than what I can buy it for so no big deal.
I think the fixed price of £761 for a service on a V12VS is pretty reasonable all things considered. Land Rover charge £400 to service a 2L Diesel Evoque FFS, so the extra I'm charged for the Aston sits fine with me.
I agree with Jon......... the overheads they have compared to a small outfit are huge, and need to be covered somehow, and the markup on the materials is what does that.
I don't think AML fixed service cost for Gaydon cars is bad at all. A friend just had a service done on his 991.1 GTS at a Porsche MD and it was a packet of biscuits short of 4 figures. He was pretty surprised when I said mine was over 20% less at Works.
OP.....why do you need to take it to a MD ? Providing you can prove that all servicing was done to AML standards and using approved parts, then I didn't think it mattered these days ?
I agree with Jon......... the overheads they have compared to a small outfit are huge, and need to be covered somehow, and the markup on the materials is what does that.
I don't think AML fixed service cost for Gaydon cars is bad at all. A friend just had a service done on his 991.1 GTS at a Porsche MD and it was a packet of biscuits short of 4 figures. He was pretty surprised when I said mine was over 20% less at Works.
OP.....why do you need to take it to a MD ? Providing you can prove that all servicing was done to AML standards and using approved parts, then I didn't think it mattered these days ?
Consider this. The AM main dealer has to maintain certain standards (including the soap dispenser in the loo) that AM tell him too. He has high costs. He will collect your car if you want him to. He will pick you up from the station if you dont. He will clean your car for you.
Yes he will charge more than an independent , usually. But if you have bought the car from him and always had it serviced by him he will be an honest dealer and provide you with a good service.
Speak to him. Tell him you are not made of money (tightarse
) Try and negotiate a deal , which may involve you supplying oil.
But when you walk into his premises and see a couple of receptionists who will bring you coffee; and a man who cleans your car; and a couple of salesmen; and the mechanics who service your car; and the guy that will drive you to the station when you drop your car off....just add up all those salaries and in the current climate of the car industry ask yourself...is his price worth it.
ps...the soap dispenser in the loo costs £100 and has to be ordered through AM. I am not jesting.
Yes he will charge more than an independent , usually. But if you have bought the car from him and always had it serviced by him he will be an honest dealer and provide you with a good service.
Speak to him. Tell him you are not made of money (tightarse
) Try and negotiate a deal , which may involve you supplying oil.But when you walk into his premises and see a couple of receptionists who will bring you coffee; and a man who cleans your car; and a couple of salesmen; and the mechanics who service your car; and the guy that will drive you to the station when you drop your car off....just add up all those salaries and in the current climate of the car industry ask yourself...is his price worth it.
ps...the soap dispenser in the loo costs £100 and has to be ordered through AM. I am not jesting.
Nowt wrong with either approach, do what you're happy with OP.
Personally, the fact that they collect and deliver in their transporter at my convenience allied to the reasonable fixed price servicing schedule, make up for the few quid I could potentially save on fluid donation (Oooerr).
Personally, the fact that they collect and deliver in their transporter at my convenience allied to the reasonable fixed price servicing schedule, make up for the few quid I could potentially save on fluid donation (Oooerr).
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