Very sobering, I have just bought a used Mercedes from a main dealer and as with my last one there is no service book. It is all on line but at least I managed to get detailed print outs of all the work done including a pre delivery major service. Obviously non maintenance contracts are cheaper than service included ones so as you rightly point out there a big problem for buyers of these cars.

Maybe what used car buyers need to demand now is 'full online service history' as with Barney's Mercedes.

There aren't many things that can't be falsified, but one would hope that online service records are less susceptible than service books, provided that there isn't someone corrupt within a main dealer.

Chatting to a good friend earlier today and the subject of cars as per usual crops up. He casually explains (after me enquiring about the cost) that he has never had his three year old BMW 435d serviced to date. Now this car is on a very costly PCP and will have to be returned at the end of year 4 in retailable condition and one thing the dealer will be looking for is the service history. I explained that he’ll be billed for it which will mean any saving will be wiped out as the car is now substantially devalued and no longer suitable to be sold as an approved used example meaning it’ll end up at auction despite him having looked after the body and interior to a very high standard. Who’d buy a 4yr old twin turbo prestige car like this with no history?

Wise words, SLO. BMW no longer issues service books, the main dealers simply keep a record of each car (well, supposedly, anyway).

What's silly about your friend's situation is, BMW's variable service regime isn't particularly expensive. In fact, the 'minor' and 'major' inspections are pretty much a fixed cost, irrespective of whether the car is a 116i or a high-end variant.

For example, my 225xe was on company contract hire, and on variable servicing. In the 3 years I had it, it needed only one service (at 2 years / 18K miles). That service was a 'minor' (basically, oil / filter change and a plug into the OBD port). £270 all in. The car went back to the lease firm with the next service due in 2021 at 35,000 miles. That 'major' service would be £430. The cost for all minor and major services are pretty close across the BMW range and BMW dealers in the UK.

Putting aside the merits or otherwise of BMW's variable servicing, your friend would probably only have needed 2 services in 4 years (i.e. a cost of about £700) to avoid the upcoming hassle with the lease firm - that's around £3.50 per week. Which is trivial compared with the lease cost, insurance etc.

All useful knowledge. It's good news that online MoT histories have largely killed off electronic clocking - the only valid excuse for this might be replacement of a failed odometer. Another point in favour of buying privately, when one should be able to learn more about a car, and assess the trustworthiness of the seller.

But I think a savvy buyer might detect a falsified set of service stamps - a genuine series would vary in colour, intensity and probably handwriting. Only a very thorough scammer would make the effort to achieve that.

The other side of the coin is that servicing is pretty poor value because they do very little and charge a lot. Our Roomster has seen five years of dealer servicing, in May each year. Delayed this year because of COVID. The dealer has been chasing me, and I asked them how much they proposed to charge.

£280 for air, pollen and oil filters, oil change, and "inspection". I've bought Bosch filters for £32 delivered, and good oil for £23. I'll take it to the independent at the end of the road. I've also bought a full set of Pagid discs and Textar pads for £130 or so as I will have them service the brakes (which the main dealer will never have done) so they might as well fit them and the brakes should be good for another 6 low mileage years.

My Mazda is also having dealer services (warranty expired this year). I took my own oil for that and saved about £70.

I shall apply myself to seeing what I can save on the Mitsubishi service in December. They charged me £380 for replacing a key lost in a recent house fire (which the house insurers wouldn't pay for).