Main Dealers - don't you just love 'em? - jacks Thu 27 Apr 06 10:06
My wife has a 3 year old MINI bought new from BMW dealer.
She's just received a letter from the dealer inviting her to bring in the car for a "Routine Maintainance Check" for only £39.99.
I rang the dealer to find out what this was about as the car has a "5 year servicing for £100 up front deal" and has only been serviced fairly recently anyway.
Apparantly this a new "between service check" they are offering - - you can bring the car in and wait while they:
check the fluid levels
Check the lights all work
check disc pad thickness
Check tyre pressures & tread depth
and er.. that's it !! for £40 quid !!
Incredible the ways they will find to get money out of you, for what are basic weekly checks for most sensible drivers.
I also asked them about the cost of extending the warranty when it expires shortly.............and was told an additional 1 year warranty from BMW costs £543 and has a £100 excess.
I've never heard of a warranty excess from a manufacturer before........so you have a warranty but anything up to £100 is not claimable, and if anything major goes you pay thr first £100 effectively meaning - if you have just one big job done - you have effectively paid £643 towards it.
I think I'll have to pass on both those kind offers !
Jacks
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It annoys me to think that they tar all motorists witht he same brush, ie you are unable to check over your own fluid levelks and tyres. I had this argument with my Audi dealer, who said that the reason for the 2hrs labour on an interim (oil change)service was all of the checks they do. I said, frankly, I check my car almost every weekend, and I don't want to pay someone £90 an hour for the priviledge !
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It annoys me to think that they tar all motorists witht he same brush, ie you are unable to check over your own fluid levelks and tyres.
Well this thread just proves what i always thought the MINI to me is a very Girly car
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Main Dealers - don't you just love 'em?
No! 100 times No!
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My son & DiL had problems with BMW garage on both a 3 yr old BMW & 3yr old mini - poor and expensive service over many months. Now both have Japanese and so far it is night & day regarding quality of service.
Civic just had 1,000ml oil change, no charge and they looked at a couple of minor concerns whilst they were at it - in & out in under an hour.
Contrast MB customer charged £150 for oil change 1 mth after forking out £25K on a new motor. Whether the manufacturer or dealer pays an oil change after 1,000/1500 mls should be incorporated in "the deal" for the new car - being presented with a bill for £150 a few weeks after buying a new motor would leave a nasty taste for private motorist. I suppose most MB sales are company cars and a charge is just a line on expenses.
Lexus is in today for 30K service - last time service was excellent, today ........ we will see - mind you it is a 2nd set of alloys as the originals are pealing.
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>>I suppose most MB sales are company cars and a charge is just a line on expenses.<<
This would surely be included in the servicing contract the leasing co. would negotiate ?
I'm sure MB and BMW give very good deals to the lease companies.
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Contrast MB customer charged £150 for oil change 1 mth after forking out £25K on a new motor. Whether the manufacturer or dealer pays an oil change after 1,000/1500 mls should be incorporated in "the deal" for the new car - being presented with a bill for £150 a few weeks after buying a new motor would leave a nasty taste for private motorist. I suppose most MB sales are company cars and a charge is just a line on expenses.
What model MB was this? I was not aware of any of the current models requiring an oil change after 1,000 miles.
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Contrast MB customer charged £150 for oil change 1 mth after forking out £25K on a new motor. Whether the manufacturer or dealer pays an oil change after 1,000/1500 mls should be incorporated in "the deal" for the new car - being presented with a bill for £150 a few weeks after buying a new motor would leave a nasty taste for private motorist.
Is this a post from the 1950's?
I suppose most MB sales are company cars and a charge is just a line on expenses.
If they're company cars then they're usually leased and there's *no way* a leasing company would allow the oil to be changed at 1000 miles.
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But there are some people out there who don't even know how to open their bonnets, at least it might remind some of those that "routine maintenance" is necessary. Alright, to us guys it IS a bit steep for something we do anyway, but it might just give piece of mind to an elderley lady say, or young woman driver. With longer service intervals on modern cars, it doesn't hurt to check brakes does it?
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They're always up for a laugh those dealers aren't they!
The Renault dealership my dad bought his Megane from sent him flier recently about servicing deals. Reading through it, it was just another rip-off by the garage, with none of the services being much more than an oil change and a fist full of 'checks'. And, in tiny print at the bottom, we were kindly reminded that this doesn't replace manufactures service intervals!
I don't think these 'special' deals or services are anything new though are they? MY old Polo service book tells be i can have 'Holiday services' performed which will check things like engine settings, shocks and brakes to make sure "they're up to the rigors of holiday traveling". 'Winter services' sound useful: ignition, battery, underseal and paintwork checked and touched up with the engine bay washed and rust proofed. Probably quite good, but not at the price they'd want to charge!
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some years ago I put my carlton in for a winter check - it was pretty cheap, about 25-30 pounds - it included a cooling system check.
They didn't detect the failed thermostat, but did guarantee their 'work', so I put it back and they fixed the failing thermostat, refilled the cooling system all without further charge.
Main dealers just can't win, can they ?
I wouldn't want to be running such a business these days.
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Truly, Madly, Deeply...:-)
In fact I've missed main dealers so much I've been considering going back.
Sometime in 2067.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I love main dealers.
New going rate for level 1 service at my local Nissan main dealer chain is £180. What's even more funny, level 1 service now only includes oil and oil filter change and so called "checks". Should the "checks" reveal anything, even as tiny as a bulb, to be out of order it's an extra on your bill. So basically, you are now being "renaulted" into a service you can do @ National for £10 with 1800% surcharge for better stamp in your service history book...
Oh, and courtesy cars have £20 a day insurance fee, mileage and maximum time limit.
After four Nissan cars in a row I am soooo not going back to Nissan for my next one...
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[Nissan dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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That's nothing. I saw an advert at BMW dealership for a pollen filter 'check'... 39.99 uk pounds.
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An efficient and caring main dealer is as rare as an honourable politician! If you find one, stick with them until they're taken over (which they will be, as the ones that are customer focused are usually smaller). Son just paid VW main dealer (gin palace) £400 for a 36K service, and reported the alarm not working. Car has gone back 3 times now and it's still not working, and they say they won't collect it to have a fourth go at it - he must take more time off work to leave it with them! After a debate they have now reconsidered, but you must remember ALWAYS that you sign your rights away as a customer the point at which you sign an order form and pay the money!! 'And that's before they do anything (or supply you anything) for you! Thereafter, the bigger they are, the less they care about individual customers. Insurance companies are exactly the same.
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The small number of bad experiences get lots of publicity. The overwhelming number of good experiences pass unpraised.
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L\'escargot.
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It's high time somebody blew the whistle on this brake discs and pads scam - it's disgraceful that main dealers (particularly) should be trading on fear with people who don't understand that discs don't wear out by the time of the first 12,000 mile service.
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Appropriate timing, this thread!
My Terracan is coming upto 40K service time - local main dealer in Halesowen - £427 (it is a main service), Local Independent (who I thoroughly recommend, Bartley Green Service Station) serviced to hyundai schedule with oem parts £275 (when I said main service, I meant a 3/4 of a day service...)
And the local garage probably has more knowledge about the car as the main dealer has only ever sold about 5 Terracans in 3 years
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Drive Your Way - If anything can, TerraCan
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