Thread: Fight back against dealer servicing costs.

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

mine wants me to,, saves him loads of time trying to source 2 micron Z9's, and having to keep zinc oils for silly pommy cars

I imagine it would cut into profits if he had to run around to get all the stuff.

If the Mech at my local garage needed to run around and get parts for every a few different makes and models each day, I doubt he'd be fixing many cars. Skoda don't provide a service schedule with a vehicle anymore, it's all electronic. It's only I have sourced my own service manual that I know what's required at each service. I couldn't expect my local garage to have all this information. Without the information he'd not know what parts were required either.

I get he appreciates I get all the stuff and he gets left to be a mechanic. He's a decent honest bloke and I appreciate that. I'm happy that if he doesn't know something, he will say and often leave it up to me to find out. There are a lot of different vehicle out there today and I don't expect him to know about all of them or have all the tools hence why this time this service needs a special tool and I need the dealer to do it. I just don't need them to rip me off.

Happy Days

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

My FIL has a Toyota Avalon, one of the first ones,, so its, what? 15 years old? he has never opened the bonnet, all responsibility on the local dealer to keep it in A1 condition.

Dealer servicing has to cover all kinds of owners.

I agree totally but they need to be flexible to all kinds of owners.

It was interesting, I had a separate issue that when they printed the service schedule for this service the Haldex oil change wasn't included but when they looked it up it was due and they could just add it like adding something to a menu. They ticked a box, it added $157 and all the parts and labour to the booking sheet.

So if they can add items so easily, why can't they remove them. I have no problem with them setting everything down as standard as some people will need or like everything done but I am neither incapable or too lazy to do some of these things myself.

This came about as I was aware that the Dealer up here has a reputation for being both expensive and not very good. So I asked for a quote before I would commit to anything. They printed 2 pages of what was included. The costs involved were broke down to labour, parts, and services and levies. I took the quote home and read over it and then went back and said I don't need these items done. That's when they said "If I don't get the service done as per the Skoda schedule then it wont be capped at the Skoda service rate of $124/hr but will be charged at $176/hr. Removing the other items meant the total cost would still be the same.

If they can tick a box and add an item which automatically adds the labour and parts, why can't they untick a box and have the labour and parts removed for that item.

We have never used the dealer to service either of our cars all the way through the warranty period, no way I'm paying dealer prices for work that is never carried out, we trust our mechanic to get any parts at good prices, and charge a reasonable rate for the work done, so far they have never let us down.

If I was you Joel, I'd be directing your local mechanic to Ebay for that special tool

A dealer cannot refuse a warranty claim if services have been done outside of the dealer network, as long as the mechanic is an authorised service centre and uses factory or equivelent spec parts and fluids.

Baz.

Originally Posted by joel0407

I imagine it would cut into profits if he had to run around to get all the stuff.

If the Mech at my local garage needed to run around and get parts for every a few different makes and models each day, I doubt he'd be fixing many cars.
Happy Days

Don't Repco, Burson et al do four deliveries a day up there?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Don't Repco, Burson et al do four deliveries a day up there?

Neither sell Skoda/VW/Audi parts. Just aftermarket and not everything is available aftermarket.

And try walking into either store and asking for oil for my diesel Skoda and not one of the guys there will know you need specific oil. While I was in Bursons buying my oil, a guy came in a got excited that he just bought a second hand car and the oil cap was missing on the top on the motor. He wanted to get a new one. The store we were at didn't have one but the next closest store did. The guy said he would leave the car out the front and wait for the cap to be delivered. After he left the 2 guys behind the counter were discussing if he could drive the car with no oil cap. These are not the kind of guys I trust to pick parts for my car nor do I accept their advice.

Happy Days

Happy Days

Is this thread for real?
Just "attack" the dealer mode?

Its called Free Market - if you don't like the prices, don't pay them and take your business elsewhere...

I can service my vehicles myself without issue, and have done with a few in the past.

With the current 2 they have been dealer serviced and will continue to be.

The dealers (one in Adelaide, other in Melbourne) have always done right by me and I will do right by them...

It has an ongoing benefit - when I buy a new vehicle I have saved far more than the cost of servicing over the coming years of ownership...

Dealers remember loyalty most times and return it...

Here's the rub... I can buy a new car online - look at it online, read reviews by motoring 'experts' etc..

BUT.... I want the 'experience' - the corporate feel, the service, the extra touches - a lounge to wait for my service to finish, a nice coffee.. Branding and corporate experience.

I don't want to buy from a plain wrapper experience...

I want trained technicians (not apprentices) who have attended corporate training on vehicle specifics, not some great mechanic who is brilliant, but was trained 20 years ago - and whilst his work is excellent standard - hasn't got vehicle specific training delivered.

And with loyalty comes benefits - I've had work done "in good faith" by LR because of my loyalty. What did it save me? Well, I didn't take out the extended warranty (which would run out early 2016) which saved me $3500.00 and yet LR "in good faith" has repaired some small issues outside of the initial warranty period without question...

Combined with a Service Advisor who is genuinely passionate about the brand and his clients, the thoroughness of the technicians working on the vehicle (I can sit and watch them if I desire as the workshop bays are on the other side of glass between the lounge area) and what I consider a fair and reasonable price considering overheads - flash service shops aren't cheap -I am happy to pay that little bit more for my service...

If you don't want that experience thats fine too...

What I find amusing is messing the process around and then complaining...

"I'd like your technician to take the check sheet, and only do items 1,7,12 and 25 please"

The only thing I ask at services is "Do not rotate the tyres" - they still pull them off, just replace them in the same location.

As for Oil handling, Consumables etc...
When you call out a plumber, electrician, tradesman. I've always been quoted one of the following ways:

• All up price - "We will do this job for you with xyz parts for $$$"
• Hourly rate plus parts - "We charge $$$ per hour, plus parts"
• Hourly rate - "You provide the parts and we charge $$$/hr to fit"

Dealers make no secret of their hourly rate... just like most service providers... Accept it or don't...


[/rant]




Don't like it, don't use them....


Perceived value, real value, experiences.....

Originally Posted by joel0407

Neither sell Skoda/VW/Audi parts. Just aftermarket and not everything is available aftermarket.

And try walking into either store and asking for oil for my diesel Skoda and not one of the guys there will know you need specific oil. While I was in Bursons buying my oil, a guy came in a got excited that he just bought a second hand car and the oil cap was missing on the top on the motor. He wanted to get a new one. The store we were at didn't have one but the next closest store did. The guy said he would leave the car out the front and wait for the cap to be delivered. After he left the 2 guys behind the counter were discussing if he could drive the car with no oil cap. These are not the kind of guys I trust to pick parts for my car nor do I accept their advice.

Happy Days

Happy Days

This one I totally agree with!!!

People need to realise - Super Cheap, Bursons etc are "Automotive Supermarkets" - Not technical shops...

And the Auto Supermarkets should advise that accordingly....

I've seen a guy in Repco get recommended a totally inappropriate oil for his TDV6 by the bloke behind the counter - it was only when I said something that they went hunting for the information required...


Auto Supermarkets are like going into Coles... You wouldn't ask someone there for Nutritional information of a product...

I've had some pretty bad times with the dealers servicing the last couple of new cars I've had - all resolved in the end, but not without a struggle . Over my entire car buying history , I've had good and bad from dealers and the geezers operating out of a shed type thing in equal measures. I think with the dealers , at least I know where they are to sue them or walk up and down the road outside their showrooms with my grievances nicely set out on a sandwich board. You get what you pay for.
cheers,
D