local garage - does this sound fishy?
Discussion
i bought a 67 reg insignia recently as a bit of a stopgap car recently after selling my C63s. As I'd normally use reputable marque specialist for more interesting cars, and I had moved house recently, I had to do some research to find a local generic sort of servicing agent. One highly recommended (on facebook) was a sort of MOT centre type place. It needed a few bits looking at and a major service.
Bill was £380, which seemed OK. However they made a massive deal about doing the 'bits' for free because the service parts were so incredibly expensive. As an example they pointed out the cost of the fuel filter which they said was huge. It said like £40 cost to me. I had no frame of reference there so just had to nod along. So, just a service for £380 seemed a touch toppy from a fairly basic MOT place.
However, pretty much all the bits they did for free they have not actually fixed and are still evident. Rattle from exhaust/rear of the car, rough after starting up from cold, etc.
I'd sooner have paid £600 and had it all fixed properly. Seemed a bit of a weird way for them to conduct themselves there and either they are just an odd sort of place or maybe I have been shafted somehow? Or were they panicking about delivering a big bill to me and tried to cut it right back....
Bill was £380, which seemed OK. However they made a massive deal about doing the 'bits' for free because the service parts were so incredibly expensive. As an example they pointed out the cost of the fuel filter which they said was huge. It said like £40 cost to me. I had no frame of reference there so just had to nod along. So, just a service for £380 seemed a touch toppy from a fairly basic MOT place.
However, pretty much all the bits they did for free they have not actually fixed and are still evident. Rattle from exhaust/rear of the car, rough after starting up from cold, etc.
I'd sooner have paid £600 and had it all fixed properly. Seemed a bit of a weird way for them to conduct themselves there and either they are just an odd sort of place or maybe I have been shafted somehow? Or were they panicking about delivering a big bill to me and tried to cut it right back....
Decent chance it's the last of your suggestions I'd say. I expect a good number of their customers are the type who'd baulk at paying £50 for a chinese ditchfinder and consider an MOT a service let alone be willing to fork out for OEM parts and preventative maintenance so they just haven't realised you weren't like that.
It depends on what the 'service' entailed. Clearly, they've changed the fuel filter, what about air, pollen, brake fluid etc.?
£40 for a fuel filter isn't unusual, which midel Insignia. Some MB fuel filters are nearly £100, or £200 fitted. Same with air filters. Perhaps the garage is more used to cheaper car parts on more common cars?
Rattles from the exhaust might be baffles or catalytic converter, in which case 'fix' is a new one. An oil change alone on a C63 is probably £400 approx at an MB dealer, it vertainly is at mine.
£40 for a fuel filter isn't unusual, which midel Insignia. Some MB fuel filters are nearly £100, or £200 fitted. Same with air filters. Perhaps the garage is more used to cheaper car parts on more common cars?
Rattles from the exhaust might be baffles or catalytic converter, in which case 'fix' is a new one. An oil change alone on a C63 is probably £400 approx at an MB dealer, it vertainly is at mine.
Benmac said:
Decent chance it's the last of your suggestions I'd say. I expect a good number of their customers are the type who'd baulk at paying £50 for a chinese ditchfinder and consider an MOT a service let alone be willing to fork out for OEM parts and preventative maintenance so they just haven't realised you weren't like that.
possibly. It does feel a bit odd as if i were them i'd do a bit of investigation, then ring up the customer and say right we reckon it's this and it's going to cost approx this do you want us to do it? I don't get the fixation on the fuel filter cost though! TarquinMX5 said:
It depends on what the 'service' entailed. Clearly, they've changed the fuel filter, what about air, pollen, brake fluid etc.?
£40 for a fuel filter isn't unusual, which midel Insignia. Some MB fuel filters are nearly £100, or £200 fitted. Same with air filters. Perhaps the garage is more used to cheaper car parts on more common cars?
Rattles from the exhaust might be baffles or catalytic converter, in which case 'fix' is a new one. An oil change alone on a C63 is probably £400 approx at an MB dealer, it vertainly is at mine.
i asked for a major service as per the manufacturer service spec. I am not sure many places would refer to the proper manufacturer checklist for service items per service type but it would be good if they were clear whether they do or don't and what's included if not. £40 for a fuel filter isn't unusual, which midel Insignia. Some MB fuel filters are nearly £100, or £200 fitted. Same with air filters. Perhaps the garage is more used to cheaper car parts on more common cars?
Rattles from the exhaust might be baffles or catalytic converter, in which case 'fix' is a new one. An oil change alone on a C63 is probably £400 approx at an MB dealer, it vertainly is at mine.
Maybe this is just how basic companies do things. I've spent years just going to marque specialists who just get on, but are transparent about price, and are really committed to the idea that their customers want quality first. I don't really want bodge fix attempts for everything and have to go back over and over.
Grumps. said:
How can you be shafted if they didn’t look at the bits they were going to look at for free?
dunno about shafted but are they lying to me... in other words did they not even look at the other list of issues, and just told me some b
ks to get rid of me. Although the other option is that they've grossly inflated the price of the service, used some chosen at random part price to justify why it was so high, and then tried to convince me they are great value by saying they've done a load of other things gratis when in fact they haven't.cootuk said:
I would have thought you would have asked for an approx service cost before booking in?
Did they underquote on parts, then realise it was more?
i have no idea. It seemed expensive to me but then my last few cars have been a lot more to service. They could have stuck £150 idiot tax on the top of the normal service price for all i knew. I was more asking if the behaviour was odd and might indicate something. Did they underquote on parts, then realise it was more?
If they lied to me about the list of issues then how do i even know they've actually serviced the car at all too, i guess?
I have a 68 reg Insignia 1.6 petrol and I just book it in at the local Vauxhall dealer website.
Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
LuS1fer said:
I have a 68 reg Insignia 1.6 petrol and I just book it in at the local Vauxhall dealer website.
Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
I should probably have taken it to the dealer for servicing and somewhere else for the list of jobs, tbh. Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
Blown2CV said:
...I am not sure many places would refer to the proper manufacturer checklist for service items per service type but it would be good if they were clear whether they do or don't and what's included if not....
The local garage I use has a computer system that you type in the number plate and it comes up with the service schedule and parts prices straight away (and show them what work they have previously done on the car) so they should be able to give an accurate quote on booking.Even in the olden days before computers, small garages seemed to have a big phone book sized guide to all the service schedules and 'book times' for common jobs on different cars.
Truckosaurus said:
Blown2CV said:
...I am not sure many places would refer to the proper manufacturer checklist for service items per service type but it would be good if they were clear whether they do or don't and what's included if not....
The local garage I use has a computer system that you type in the number plate and it comes up with the service schedule and parts prices straight away (and show them what work they have previously done on the car) so they should be able to give an accurate quote on booking.Even in the olden days before computers, small garages seemed to have a big phone book sized guide to all the service schedules and 'book times' for common jobs on different cars.
Blown2CV said:
LuS1fer said:
I have a 68 reg Insignia 1.6 petrol and I just book it in at the local Vauxhall dealer website.
Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
I should probably have taken it to the dealer for servicing and somewhere else for the list of jobs, tbh. Well under £200 for the last two, brake fluid change £60, all in a transparent menu system. They tell you which service to have based on your mileage. They obviously use Vauxhall parts too.
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