Dealer servicing; is it worth it?

[worldwidewebs]

My Alpine is due its first service next month which is just oil, filter and cabin filter plus 'safety check' and for that they want a 'discounted' £430. My partner's 4 year old Mini is also due a service which is coming in at £422 for oil, filter, air and pollen filters and spark plugs. Ordinarily I'd just take the car to the dealer without hesitation but I feel they're just taking the proverbial these days. Is it just me that feels like this?

[worldwidewebs]

Legacywr said:

If I was looking to buy your Alpine I’d be looking for main dealer history.

However, I’d accept specialist servicing on a 4 year old Mini.

That's the thing isn't it? We seem to put a value on main dealer servicing, when in fact it's no more than an oil change most of the time. The Lotus specialist that looks after my Elise goes over the car with a fine tooth comb every time he sees it and does everything that's needed but nothing that's not. Better and cheaper than the main dealers in every way. I can tell I'm going to end up going down this route for the reason you state but it just galls me, especially when I drain the oil when I get it home and put something more suited for track work in! They won't allow me to supply my own oil either.

[worldwidewebs]

Rob 131 Sport said:

My recent (last few years) of BMW Main Dealer Servicing has been most positive. Whilst it was never what you would describe as being cheap, I didn’t feel that I was being overcharged and the pricing was acceptable.

Which is how it should be, shouldn't it? I don't actually think the Mini service price is toooo bad considering it needs spark plugs as well but it's probably on the cusp of going to the local garage (who are very good). I've also got a Golf Clubsport which is coming up to 6 years old but do still take that to VW as the service plan makes the cost acceptable.

I think the Alpine's is well into gouging territory though and I felt Porsche's prices were certainly getting there a few years ago, but at least that was only every 2 years, whereas the Alpine's I every 12 months (and this is the cheap one!)

As I said above I'll probably end up taking it there though even though I know I could do the job quicker than it will take me to drive there and back and I'd save over £300. Just don't like wasting money /tightnortherner