Servicing Quote Variations

[agxster]

My VW Jetta 1.9 TDI DSG is due for a service shortly, it's the cheaper service (oil, oil filter, sump plug and basic inspection). I phoned 3 dealers nearest to me, the prices (all incl. VAT) I got quoted were:

Dealer 1: £232.78

Dealer 2: £250.00

Dealer 3: £159.73

Amazed that the quote from Dealer 3 is so much cheaper then the others, I phoned Dealer 2, the most expensive, to ask if they gave me the right price as I've got a quote for much cheaper. They confirm yes that is the price and ask me how much Dealer 3 quoted me. They then say they can price match and offer to do the service for £159.73 as well.

Now this is crazy, dealers are blatantly trying to rip customers off. That is a massive £90.27 difference or almost 35%!!!

Question is out of principle, do I use Dealer 3 the cheapest which is further away and a bit harder to get to. Or do I take Dealer 2 up on there price match offer, they are closer to me and easier to get to/from work etc.

[JR]

agxster said:

Question is out of principle, do I use Dealer 3

Yes. Do you want to put D3 out of business so that D2 no longer has to price match?

[bazking69]

And the best bit is, thousands of people daily are driving into main dealers and parting with far to much cash for menial jobs just to get the stamp, oblivious to the fact that they don't need to.

[Jonny671]

We get this sometimes..

Make sure D3 is offering exactly the same things as the other Dealers as they may add things when you come to pay.

Things like turning the service light off, dealers can miss this off and then you have to go back and have it turned off via a diagnostics and then you get charged extra for that.

With our Mazda 6 Diesels they have DPF, DPF needs to go on the diagnostics system as part of the service, we've had customers tell us how expensive we are that we're alot more expensive than so and so, when customer comes to us the next year they let us know that the other dealer hadn't done this and that in the end they paid more because of it.

So 100% check it is all being done properly..

[frosted]

dealer 3

[TheCarpetCleaner]

bazking69 said:

And the best bit is, thousands of people daily are driving into main dealers and parting with far to much cash for menial jobs just to get the stamp, oblivious to the fact that they don't need to.

Why don't you just go to an independant? You will just get the saturday boy / apprentice doing it anyway at the main dealer.

The last time my Mondeo (when it was nearly new) went into a main dealer, they overfilled the oil and left the rad cap loose.

Never had that type of problems with independants. Now I do it myself.

[Engineer1]

Dealer 3 could be on short time so having a job come in that covers costs could be a good idea for them, add in that after a while they can up prices safe in the knowledge people tend to be creatures of habit and once you get settled on the idea that dealer 3 is cheapest they may not check again.

[hornetrider]

I also encountered this with Mazda servicing. When we were booking in our 2 Sport we got 3 different quotes from 3 different dealers. Our supplying dealer was most expensive and would not price match, so we went to the cheapest.

[Jonny671]

hornetrider said:

I also encountered this with Mazda servicing. When we were booking in our 2 Sport we got 3 different quotes from 3 different dealers. Our supplying dealer was most expensive and would not price match, so we went to the cheapest.

Labour rates does make a difference, but all Mazda dealers usually go by a Menu Pricing with the set prices anyway

[hornetrider]

Jonny671 said:

hornetrider said:

I also encountered this with Mazda servicing. When we were booking in our 2 Sport we got 3 different quotes from 3 different dealers. Our supplying dealer was most expensive and would not price match, so we went to the cheapest.

Labour rates does make a difference, but all Mazda dealers usually go by a Menu Pricing with the set prices anyway

I thought menu pricing would be the case too, especially when you are talking about the 1st service. Not so.

I'm just buying a Roadster Coupe now as well - pricing is all over the place from different dealers!

[Jonny671]

hornetrider said:

Jonny671 said:

hornetrider said:

I also encountered this with Mazda servicing. When we were booking in our 2 Sport we got 3 different quotes from 3 different dealers. Our supplying dealer was most expensive and would not price match, so we went to the cheapest.

Labour rates does make a difference, but all Mazda dealers usually go by a Menu Pricing with the set prices anyway

I thought menu pricing would be the case too, especially when you are talking about the 1st service. Not so.

I'm just buying a Roadster Coupe now as well - pricing is all over the place from different dealers!

Yeah thats right, but obviously if dealers are quiet they can drop their labour rate.. Rates in our area compared to up north are quite cheaper, you can also offer cheaper oil etc.

But yeah its mostly all the same really.

Good luck with the Roadster, lovely cars!

[bazking69]

Even dealer 3 is pulling your pants down IMO. AN oil and filter service should be no more than £100 even at a main dealer.

[hornetrider]

bazking69 said:

Even dealer 3 is pulling your pants down IMO. AN oil and filter service should be no more than £100 even at a main dealer.

For long life oil?! It's more expensive than myrrh that stuff

[agxster]

I've decided to go with dealer 3. I would take it to an independent but the car is still under warranty. Yes I know warranty is still valid if taken to a VAT registered garage but it should make things easier if it has VW stamps if something goes wrong.

Yes £159 is still a crazy price, and I know I could probably do it myself for much less. Oil filter, maybe what £5? Oil probably around £30, sump plug £5?

[Superhoop]

Jonny671 said:

hornetrider said:

I also encountered this with Mazda servicing. When we were booking in our 2 Sport we got 3 different quotes from 3 different dealers. Our supplying dealer was most expensive and would not price match, so we went to the cheapest.

Labour rates does make a difference, but all Mazda dealers usually go by a Menu Pricing with the set prices anyway

But dealers set their own labour rate and oil prices on the menu pricing - So all dealers will quote a different price for the same service.

The only fixed costs on manu pricing are the cost of the parts/oil and the quantity of labour

[JR]

agxster said:

sump plug £5?

Why do you need a new sump plug. Can't a 20p washer suffice?

[Jonny671]

JR said:

agxster said:

sump plug £5?

Why do you need a new sump plug. Can't a 20p washer suffice?

Our sump-plugs are the ones that you kind of crush so you need a new one each time.

£1 though so its no worries.

[JR]

Jonny671 said:

JR said:

agxster said:

sump plug £5?

Why do you need a new sump plug. Can't a 20p washer suffice?

Our sump-plugs are the ones that you kind of crush so you need a new one each time.

£1 though so its no worries.

Ah, cheers.