Trade-in requiring "Service History" when home serviced
Discussion
I recently looked for a new car and was intending to trade in a car that was just out of manufacturer's warranty and almost due for a "service". There are service invoices from the previous owner.
I normally keep cars for a long time so it is less of an issue, but I was told that had the car been recently serviced at home by me then this would not, even with receipts, count for "service history" and would have reduced the trade-in price by about 500quid! A single service would be only a couple of hundred....
This is clearly ridiculous.
Modern servicing involves little more than an oil change, occasional air filter change, changing discs and pads far too early and pretending to change the pollen filter in exchange for quite a few pounds Sterling.
Timing belts might be changed once in a vehicle's lifetime.
What are people's experiences of successfully claiming home servicing as service history?
I normally keep cars for a long time so it is less of an issue, but I was told that had the car been recently serviced at home by me then this would not, even with receipts, count for "service history" and would have reduced the trade-in price by about 500quid! A single service would be only a couple of hundred....
This is clearly ridiculous.
Modern servicing involves little more than an oil change, occasional air filter change, changing discs and pads far too early and pretending to change the pollen filter in exchange for quite a few pounds Sterling.
Timing belts might be changed once in a vehicle's lifetime.
What are people's experiences of successfully claiming home servicing as service history?
Edited by MC Bodge on Sunday 2nd February 21:23
Reduced it from what to get some perspective?
Look at it the other way,would you wanting to pay the same price for a car that had only been home serviced or would you expect to pay less.
I know what you will say but irrespective of how well or otherwise a garage services a car, a fully documented service history from a main dealer or well established Indy will usually carry a premium compared to a home serviced car IMO, particularly if you have no knowledge of the person claiming to have serviced it.
Look at it the other way,would you wanting to pay the same price for a car that had only been home serviced or would you expect to pay less.
I know what you will say but irrespective of how well or otherwise a garage services a car, a fully documented service history from a main dealer or well established Indy will usually carry a premium compared to a home serviced car IMO, particularly if you have no knowledge of the person claiming to have serviced it.
To be fair I can see both sides of it. Usually I find that home serviced cars are better looked after than at a main dealer where they charge for jobs they don’t do.
The issue is that for someone not competent enough to check the quality of work that’s been done can only distinguish the quality based on the person that’s done the work ie trained mechanic at a fancy dealership or Dave at home with a few spanners. Just in the same way that you expect to get paid more for your job than Dave down the street who’s never had a job in his life.
The issue is that for someone not competent enough to check the quality of work that’s been done can only distinguish the quality based on the person that’s done the work ie trained mechanic at a fancy dealership or Dave at home with a few spanners. Just in the same way that you expect to get paid more for your job than Dave down the street who’s never had a job in his life.
Anyone can say they serviced their car at XYZ, it doesn't mean anything, even worse they aren't trained to do the job so could have made a right mess of it.
It's highly unlikely a main dealer would have done anything other than a proper job, although there are of course exceptions.
There aren't many cars which I would ignore a FDSH, only those with major engine faults/failures which occur regardless of who did or didn't do it and they are at the cheap end of the market where it matters less anyhow.
It's highly unlikely a main dealer would have done anything other than a proper job, although there are of course exceptions.
There aren't many cars which I would ignore a FDSH, only those with major engine faults/failures which occur regardless of who did or didn't do it and they are at the cheap end of the market where it matters less anyhow.
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
I think the problem with it all is when the dealer retails the car back out, it is the 'full main dealer service history' that will sell the car at a premium over one that hasn't. The vast majority of punters aren't that savvy when it comes to motors.
There is quite a bit of mythology about it, though.Most modern "servicing" is basically an oil change with a very brief inspection. It doesn't often involve de-coking the head, tuning the carbs, setting the points and adjusting the tappets.
It is not a difficult task and a big set of receipts for quality parts really should be enough.
It is conning the punters to suggest that dealer servicing is special.
The only time I paid a garage to do a service (it was a main dealer about 20 years ago), as the car was under warranty, I asked for a breakdown of tasks. There was hardly anything done beyond an oil change and top up of the screenwash. The pollen filter that was, allegedly, changed was obviously not touched because when I looked at it myself the next time I serviced it DIY, it was filthy and still sealed in place from the factory.
I typically keep cars for a long time and trade them when condition is more important than stamps in a book.
Maybe I should get one of my children to take photographs or a video of me performing the servicing magic and attach to the service history file.
Edited by MC Bodge on Sunday 2nd February 20:00
Monkeylegend said:
I think that is quite reasonable, I was expecting something like £500 on a £3000 car.
He suggested that if the previous service history was there (it is), but the latest one was a home service then it wouldn't be recognised as service history could not be claimed.Ps. It's only just had its first MOT and hasn't needed anything service wise beyond oil and filters.
MC Bodge said:
He suggested that if the previous service history was there (it is), but the latest one was a home service then it wouldn't be recognised as service history could not be claimed.
Ps. It's only just had its first MOT and hasn't needed anything service wise beyond oil and filters.
It’s reflecting what the market will value it at. You opted to home service, and presumably saved some money as a result. However, without the magical dealer stamp in the book the potential buyers of your car are looking for, it’s now worth less than the typical example, which will (presumably) have been dealer serviced at such a young age...Ps. It's only just had its first MOT and hasn't needed anything service wise beyond oil and filters.
If I were buying a 3 year old car, I wouldn’t expect it to be home serviced, and I wouldn’t buy one that was. Other people will (I’m clearly not the whole market!), but they’ll expect to pay less than they would for one with full dealer history... One presumes about £500 less.
This is a hypothetical question, folks. The car does have a service history.
If I was buying, I would be less concerned than many appear to be. The condition of the car is more important. On a fairly new car, knowing that an oil change every 10-20K miles is pretty much all it would require, I wouldn't be too concerned by a single home service if there was evidence of parts used + maybe some photos.
If I was a typical buyer, who thinks that "modern cars are too complicated to fix yourself", then I might be worried.
If I was buying, I would be less concerned than many appear to be. The condition of the car is more important. On a fairly new car, knowing that an oil change every 10-20K miles is pretty much all it would require, I wouldn't be too concerned by a single home service if there was evidence of parts used + maybe some photos.
If I was a typical buyer, who thinks that "modern cars are too complicated to fix yourself", then I might be worried.
MC Bodge said:
If I was a typical buyer, who thinks that "modern cars are too complicated to fix yourself", then I might be worried.
And there is your problem.This is who the dealer is selling to, it is your choice but the easiest way is surely just to get it serviced for the few £000 & then sell it to them at the inflated price or suck it up.
Considering the price of many main dealer services vs doing it yourself, £500 doesn’t sound too bad.
Took my 3 yr old Golf 7 for a main dealer service. It’s 3rd and 1st in my ownership. £360. 3 of those and you’ve likely saved the £500.
That said, although I do the servicing on my other 15yr old car myself, with the young new one, I’d rather take it to the dealer or a decent Indy.
Took my 3 yr old Golf 7 for a main dealer service. It’s 3rd and 1st in my ownership. £360. 3 of those and you’ve likely saved the £500.
That said, although I do the servicing on my other 15yr old car myself, with the young new one, I’d rather take it to the dealer or a decent Indy.
MC Bodge said:
If I was buying, I would be less concerned than many appear to be. The condition of the car is more important. On a fairly new car, knowing that an oil change every 10-20K miles is pretty much all it would require, I wouldn't be too concerned by a single home service if there was evidence of parts used + maybe some photos.
I think it's unlikely that if a car gets traded in at a dealer that's been self-serviced, that these documents will be provided - and if they are - retained.I've just bought a new car (private) and the service history is as you expect - a book with stamps.
There's also invoices that prove the work was done (...or at least, quoted for...) but includes previous owners' name, address, email etc. I'd be amazed if the dealer would want to be passing that on in these GDPR days.
I self service and expect a hit on value when I sell - but much less than the saving based by doing it!
Jakg said:
I self service and expect a hit on value when I sell - but much less than the saving based by doing it!
Same here. For some very specialist cars it might not hit the value, but for anything removement mainstream a main dealer service is worth more than an indi one, which in turn is worth more than proof of home servicing. Not because main dealer servicing is better than indi or home servicing, but because mainstream buyers believe it is. MC Bodge said:
What did that involve? Oil, filters -and spark plugs?
Oil and filters and an inspection pretty much. Absolute daylight robbery. This was an intermediate service, no sparks changed. They wanted another £160 for regassing my aircon, but it doesn’t actually need it yet, and I can get that done elsewhere for about £40I’ll be using an indie next time. I wanted the first service (whilst still in warranty) from the place I bought it, but definitely going indie next time.
Not sure if they can log the service on VWs online system though, mine didn’t come with a paper book for stamping as they apparently don’t issue them anymore.
Edited by markyb_lcy on Monday 3rd February 10:38
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