car service

[Brian007]

You take the car for a service and then it starts the hard sell.
Would you like us to change the pollen filter @ £69.00. / no thanks
Would you like us to 're-gas the air Con @ £59.00. / no thanks
We could put so injector cleaner Adative in £39.00 I can do this myself / no thanks

Must think we're made of money

Brian

[andyg]

Sound like the kind of thing the Main Dealer will try on. I once had a £500 bill for an interim service on a Ford Fiesta. I wasn't having that so I stood at the counter and politely (but perhaps slightly loudly!) discussed every item. 15 minutes minimum labour charge for tightening the battery terminals, 15 minutes minimum labour charge for greasing the bonnet catch and so on. I think it had about ten of these items. By the time I'd finished the bill was sub £200 - and as it was a company car I signed for it, but only after announcing (so that everyone in the queue could hear) that I'd report this to my head office and they could expect to lose the contract for all our cars - which they did!

I'm lucky, my neighbour owns the garage I use and he's serviced my cars for nearly 30 years. Only does what needs to be done and charges reasonable rates. I'm the same when I look after their computers!

[Brian007]

Hi Andy,

Spot on a Toyota Main dealer in the North East
They may give you 5 years warranty , but I am begging to wonder if I can afford it ?

Brian

[Rev Tony Newnham]

Hi

I had a run in with the former Hyundai dealer in Bradford - I was quoted a price for a routine service - when I went to colelct the car, not only did they try and charge me more than they'd quoted, they also wanted nearly £100 for fitting a set of spark plugs! I argued - got the service at the quoted price (not much they could do about that!) and got the spark plugs down to around £50 IIRC. Guess who took their business elsewhere! Interestingly, a few months later they lost the franchise - wonder why!

Every Blessing

Tony