One reason dislike car "main dealers"

[Tommo21]

Dodger, I'll bet you *** your breeks when you first tried that. Why VW continue with that beats me.

 

[Lump]

My car is due its 50k service. The local renault stealers want £800 for the service. A local Renault RS specialist will do the job for £490.
If every service was done at the Specialist over a five year period you'd save the best part of £2k. Now there is no way that having full stealer stamps in the book would make the car £2k more expensive.
Stealers price themselves out due to labour.

 

[chris661]

I am funny about what sort of person has owned the car before I bought it. If I see main dealer stamps and good quality tyres on the car I know it has been cared for irrespective of cost. When I see a car that has been serviced at a local garage even if it is to manufacture schedule, I wonder if the car has had good quality parts used on it. Like seeing budget tyres on a car really does not make me think that the car has been maintained to the highest standard. I always buy second hand German cars and we all now that the can be expensive when they have major problems.

Tell me what major manufacturer makes their own parts such as brake pads etc.

 

[gripitripit]

In response....I guarantee that I would give a few hundred pounds more for a 3 or 4 year old car in part exchange if it had full MAIN DEALER SERVICING rather than a non franchised garage servicing. Makes it easier to sell on and the 2nd owner feels a little more reassured.
So it's not ALL savings, (athough I can see where you are coming from).

If you gave say £200 quid extra for 4 MDS stamps in the service book that cost £75 a service extra means I would be still a ton out of pocket...?

 

[Smiffy]

If you gave say £200 quid extra for 4 MDS stamps in the service book that cost £75 a service extra means I would be still a ton out of pocket...?

But think of the peace of mind you would have had. And if you had a problem with the service you had received, the manufacturer would have got involved. They won't do that if you go to a "third party" service department. I know.....I had this when I got my Kawasaki serviced at a Suzuki dealer and they fecked up

 

[gripitripit]

But think of the peace of mind you would have had. And if you had a problem with the service you had received, the manufacturer would have got involved. They won't do that if you go to a "third party" service department. I know.....I had this when I got my Kawasaki serviced at a Suzuki dealer and they fecked up

It would depend on were the services were done. I worked in the trade years ago and came across some very good techs working as independants after years of being witht he main dealers..!

 

[Smiffy]

It would depend on were the services were done. I worked in the trade years ago and came across some very good techs working as independants after years of being witht he main dealers..!

I'm not knocking the quality of the work carried out by independants. I'm just saying that if you had reason to be unhappy with what they had done and wanted to take things further, a manufacturer would not get involved with trying to sort out a dispute you had with a non franchised dealer.

 

[johnboywalton]

I had 10 years with Mercedes, part of my role was to value the p/x`s etc. and it does make a massive difference to the price if the car has Main Dealer service history, yes you may pay a bit more but they have all the latest equipment and they all run good apprentice schemes ,that take years to recouperate the outlay, all this does add to the cost. Luckily I have a Company, car but I have just bought a new family car, and I would only buy from a main dealer.

 

[USER1999]

They might have fantastic apprentice schemes, which is great or the kids, but when I pay £800 plus for my car to be serviced, I don't want it done by a kid on work experience.

 

[johnboywalton]

That is not quite how it works.....but i am sure you know that:ears:

 

[MadAdey]

Tell me what major manufacturer makes their own parts such as brake pads etc.

I never said they make their own parts like filters and brakes etc etc. When you go to a local garage even though you can get it done cheaper are they using top quality parts or just cheaper alternatives to still make money from it. I saw a local garage from my home town getting in a lot of trouble doing things on the cheap. Someone caught them out using nasty dirt cheap engine oils when they claim to use Castrol. How I see it is if someone is willing to pay main dealer servicing prices and put quality tyres on then the car has been maintained correctly. If someone is trying to save money on servicings and putting budget tyres on then what else has been done on the cheap??????

 

[surefire]

I think Merc wanted about £750 to service my old car. Paff, not going to happen. My wifes BM was quoted at £850 for a major service, also not going to happen.

Which dealer?

Just in case you were not aware, most Merc dealerships offer 10% off parts and 20% off labour if the car is over 3 years old, and 10% off parts and 40% off labour if more than 5 years old.

 

[Yerman]

Try these guys -an honest dealer (Sorry smiff)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/signlanguage/8411893/Sign-Language-week-145.html