The independnt.
The main dealer was happy for you to pay £200 or so over the odds and would hapily have let you pay this had you not queried it. As you rightly say they may well try and claw back the dicount in investigating the stering problem.
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Without wanting to be glib, whichever is better. There is not enough of a difference to take a chance on workmanship.
If you're planning on selling the car soonish, I'd definitely go for the dealer but if you're planning on keeping the car past its fifth or sixth birthday, the independent specialist's service stamp is likely to be as well regarded as the dealer's.
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The independant is STILL a Volovo specialist so this is unlikely to make a differance when you come to sell.
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What's the bet that once some dismantling has been done, the Volvo dealer will identify some problem needing a few hours of charageable work? (thereby putting the bill back up to where they'd like it to be)
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Support your local independent! - if he is anything like mine- good mechanics, good prices, very helpful, open all day Saturday, genuine manufacturers parts, only charges for the hours taken rather than the "book hours", can watch him doing the job and/or the diagnosis, even does the occasional "little thing" for free.
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Phil
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agree 100% PhilW anybody that can knock £200 off at the cock of a hat would not get my business ever.
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I assume with the local independent you will actually deal with the guy who is getting his hands dirty on your car?
If so, that would be my choice.
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One other thing an independent gardge must rely is retaining customers wereas many main dealers viewe the repair of cars as jet another excuse to bump up the profit margin safe in the knowledge that even if you never come back, another person will be coned into the false sense of security a main dealer gives, albeit till a problem ocurs with the car wereupon they can charge hansomely jet again.
The local independnt garadge I use services all my vehicle including the vans to a very high standard and is also wiling to arange for speacilist contractors to do air con service and windscreen repair etc on the same day as the service and mot.
Furthermore the owner is happy for me to drop the vehicles off in the night before and will stay open later to enable me to setle up. Unforseen brakedowns etc are treated as a priority. This helpfull atitude and work ethic is one that binds the staff aswell. Very differnt from my experience of the two local ford dealers.
Paul
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The independant is STILL a Volovo specialist
Volvo themselves will certify that the Volvo main dealer is competent to service a Volvo, and that their technicians are Volvo trained . An independent may claim to be a specialist but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are competent. It may only mean that they mainly service Volvos.
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L\'escargot.
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