Eye watering labour costs
Discussion
It has been an afternoon of main dealers getting right on my t*ts! To be fair, that's a normal afternoon for me.
The long and short of it is I telephoned my local Volvo dealer to book my MY2013 V40 in for a service. It's out of warranty now and is nudging 105,000 miles but it's a solid daily commute that I feel obliged to look after. Anyway, the booking was made, no questions asked, which I thought was odd because I'm supplying my own oil and required a loan car (Volvo's own website says alternative transport is included as part of its "Service Promise") plus I wasn't asked the current mileage.
I won't lie, I've been sat on it for a couple of weeks waiting for this Friday (it's booked slot) to roll round. £286 inc. VAT but after the oil is deducted that should bring it down to under the £200 mark. OK, I thought, I'll stomach it probably. After all, a loan car is included for the day.
Then, this afternoon, I get the courtesy call reminding me of the car's impending session with the Swedish-branded spanner...! After a conversation which resembled something like a tennis match, it became apparent that the amazing computer system designed to calculate current mileage since the last service isn't particularly accurate, and neither is the promise of a courtesy car. After some begging and pleading (from them I hasten to add), I agreed to rebook.
Service rebooked for Tuesday next week with the alteration made for the mileage from 99,000 to 105,000. Then the confirmation email came through. £465...£465?! "I've noted on the job card that you'll be supplying your own oil". So, wait! Is that £465 with me supplying my own oil? Well, I nearly chocked on my caviar and foie gras.
Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me so I asked for a comprehensive break down of the servicing cost. After all, even Volvo's website estimates a 112,500 service to be a mere £395.
After noting the £75 for "powertrain inspection" and "wear and tear inspection" plus an inner windscreen clean for the collision warning camera (side note: the car is currently sporting a Vauxhall Astra van-shaped dent in the bonnet where the camera clearly failed to warn of an imminent collision), the next thing to catch my eye was the labour charge. £150 PER HOUR. But that's OK because it's including VAT.
I'm pretty sure my local Aston Martin service department don't charge much more than that for labour, even though they're effectively working with the same parts.
I am still awaiting a call back from my local Volvo dealership to break the bad news to them that I'm going somewhere the labour costs are only £45 per hour. As it has now gone 6pm I have a feeling I'll be waiting until tomorrow. Oh, and Euro Car Parts is sporting a 37% sale, so that's £27 for a fuel filter and oil filter delivered to my front door.
The long and short of it is I telephoned my local Volvo dealer to book my MY2013 V40 in for a service. It's out of warranty now and is nudging 105,000 miles but it's a solid daily commute that I feel obliged to look after. Anyway, the booking was made, no questions asked, which I thought was odd because I'm supplying my own oil and required a loan car (Volvo's own website says alternative transport is included as part of its "Service Promise") plus I wasn't asked the current mileage.
I won't lie, I've been sat on it for a couple of weeks waiting for this Friday (it's booked slot) to roll round. £286 inc. VAT but after the oil is deducted that should bring it down to under the £200 mark. OK, I thought, I'll stomach it probably. After all, a loan car is included for the day.
Then, this afternoon, I get the courtesy call reminding me of the car's impending session with the Swedish-branded spanner...! After a conversation which resembled something like a tennis match, it became apparent that the amazing computer system designed to calculate current mileage since the last service isn't particularly accurate, and neither is the promise of a courtesy car. After some begging and pleading (from them I hasten to add), I agreed to rebook.
Service rebooked for Tuesday next week with the alteration made for the mileage from 99,000 to 105,000. Then the confirmation email came through. £465...£465?! "I've noted on the job card that you'll be supplying your own oil". So, wait! Is that £465 with me supplying my own oil? Well, I nearly chocked on my caviar and foie gras.
Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me so I asked for a comprehensive break down of the servicing cost. After all, even Volvo's website estimates a 112,500 service to be a mere £395.
After noting the £75 for "powertrain inspection" and "wear and tear inspection" plus an inner windscreen clean for the collision warning camera (side note: the car is currently sporting a Vauxhall Astra van-shaped dent in the bonnet where the camera clearly failed to warn of an imminent collision), the next thing to catch my eye was the labour charge. £150 PER HOUR. But that's OK because it's including VAT.
I'm pretty sure my local Aston Martin service department don't charge much more than that for labour, even though they're effectively working with the same parts.
I am still awaiting a call back from my local Volvo dealership to break the bad news to them that I'm going somewhere the labour costs are only £45 per hour. As it has now gone 6pm I have a feeling I'll be waiting until tomorrow. Oh, and Euro Car Parts is sporting a 37% sale, so that's £27 for a fuel filter and oil filter delivered to my front door.
Edited by XLR Motorsport on Thursday 28th September 08:43
The car was serviced by the supplying dealer back in Feb as I cut a deal for a cost price cambelt change when I bought the car in May last year (not my local dealer). Therefore I have breakdown on it until February of next year. But full breakdown cover costs me £15 through work, and parts and labour for this service is costing me £97 from a reputable indie. Still a long way to go to get to £465.
The car is over 4 years old now. Volvo can't be that interested in my business and I have no customer relationship with them like I do with Audi.
The car is over 4 years old now. Volvo can't be that interested in my business and I have no customer relationship with them like I do with Audi.
Edited by XLR Motorsport on Thursday 28th September 08:45
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