Main Dealer prices

[obi_waynne]

A lot of people think that main dealer prices are always really high and they avoid them like the plague.

I was in a local VW dealership the other day and they are offering a fixed priced service on all VW cars upto 10 years old.

They charge £210 for a typical full service, another generic garage who "specialise" in VAG cars charge £310 for exactly the same work!

I think it pays to ask the question rather than assume you are going to be ripped off.

Parts prices are also often a pleasant surprise from main dealers.

What experiences have you had of prices on parts or servicing from a main dealers?

 

[bigbadjoe]

A lot of people think that main dealer prices are always really high and they avoid them like the plague.

I was in a local VW dealership the other day and they are offering a fixed priced service on all VW cars upto 10 years old.

They charge £210 for a typical full service, another generic garage who "specialise" in VAG cars charge £310 for exactly the same work!

I think it pays to ask the question rather than assume you are going to be ripped off.

Parts prices are also often a pleasant surprise from main dealers.

What experiences have you had of prices on parts or servicing from a main dealers?

HAHA try owning a miti!!! lol

£65 for an oil filter!!
£140 for a cam belt!!
£12 each for the plugs!!

Oil filters cost £38 + Vat
HKS cam belts only cost £148
The best plugs to use believe it or not are a certain type of lawn mower plugs @ £2.50 each!!

 

[herb]

A lot of people think that main dealer prices are always really high and they avoid them like the plague.

I was in a local VW dealership the other day and they are offering a fixed priced service on all VW cars upto 10 years old.

They charge £210 for a typical full service, another generic garage who "specialise" in VAG cars charge £310 for exactly the same work!

I think it pays to ask the question rather than assume you are going to be ripped off.

Parts prices are also often a pleasant surprise from main dealers.

What experiences have you had of prices on parts or servicing from a main dealers?

part of this is laziness!!! people automatically think cause its on the net its cheaper
couple examples for my car
oil, filter and sump plug £40 dealer - £52.49 for just the oil and filter opie oils (not sure what discount tc's get of opie???) so would be slightly chaper
cupra r splitter £23 dealer - £39.50 ebay
fabia rear wiper kit £15 dealer - £24 ebay
mist jets £6 dealer - £10 ebay

another 10 years and we will be a nation of fattys all due to laziness:sad2:

 

[HDi fun]

BMW dealer undercuts Halfords and other indys for parts by a huge margin. Cabin filter (2 required) Halfords £33 each, BMW charges £29 for the pair.

Labour can be pricey but the local BMW outlet does £299 inc VAT for an Inspection 2 - BMW's name for major service.

Halfords is a well kept secret. The yip on about being cheap and the daft customers believe 'em and don't even enquire elsewhere.

 

[MasterAuron]

Halfords is a well kept secret. The yip on about being cheap and the daft customers believe 'em and don't even enquire elsewhere.

Not with a trade discount, some things are dirt cheap then. Well dirt cheap for Halfords, normally brings the price in line with a proper motor factors.

I'd use genuine parts every time unless there was an uprated aftermarket version avaliable.

Herb, it's okay if you've got a USEFUL dealer close to you but travelling miles and then having to wait half an hour before spending another half an hour trying to find the right things, waiting two days for it to come in, and it being the wrong part after all that isn't usually worth a £4 saving, or even £10. I could've earnt £40 in those two hours lol.

Not that it matters to me I get my Ford parts straight from the distributer before they even get to Ford dealers

 

[HDi fun]

Not with a trade discount, some things are dirt cheap then. Well dirt cheap for Halfords, normally brings the price in line with a proper motor factors.

I'd use genuine parts every time unless there was an uprated aftermarket version avaliable.

Herb, it's okay if you've got a USEFUL dealer close to you but travelling miles and then having to wait half an hour before spending another half an hour trying to find the right things, waiting two days for it to come in, and it being the wrong part after all that isn't usually worth a £4 saving, or even £10. I could've earnt £40 in those two hours lol.

Not that it matters to me I get my Ford parts straight from the distributer before they even get to Ford dealers

I remember you mentioning this trade card thing before. Not a lot of use to me because Halfords and BMW are equidistant from me and all I buy is the odd air filter, cabin filter or wiper blade.

 

[MasterAuron]

I remember you mentioning this trade card thing before. Not a lot of use to me because Halfords and BMW are equidistant from me and all I buy is the odd air filter, cabin filter or wiper blade.

A very fair point. As expensive as it is and as rubbish as most Halfords own-brand things are, it has an online stock checker, two stores within 10 minutes of my house and is open til 8 on the weekdays and sundays so I can't knock it from a convenience perspective.

 

[HDi fun]

That, too, is an equally valid point. Convenience counts for a lot. Halfords does do some good products. Their screenwash stuff is excellent across the range. As are their tyre pressure gauges - very accurate and robust.

 

[T9 man]

Well it's nice to see that there are some sensibly priced main dealers out there, BMW? WOW! :amazed:

My Saab dealer in East London now give me a permanent discount off 30% before that, it was like being mugged but without the usual associated violence

I suggested to them sometime ago last year, that I chuffing well deserve some recognition around here for the Third World Debt kind of money that I keep spending in this place and not just the convienience of having everyone in the dealership recognise my face and calling me by name!

If you don't ask then you don't get!

 

[HDi fun]

Saab and Volvo are known as being a bit steep on dealer parts and service prices. BMW seems to have re-invented itself a little bit in this respect - ten years ago they'd rob you dry.

 

[T9 man]

Saab and Volvo are known as being a bit steep on dealer parts and service prices. BMW seems to have re-invented itself a little bit in this respect - ten years ago they'd rob you dry.

This is so true HDi

I went to collect my car after having some fuel injection work done and actually went to the dealership Service Desk with a big queue behind me and with my wallet opened out slammed it onto the counter and said "Help yourself, you usually do!"

I had the raving hump about something that day if I remember rightly, but it worked!

I am glad that BMW have seen the light with regards to their prices now!

 

[RobBentley]

I think alot of the main dealers are starting to feel the pinch and have to do something to get the work in... and that'll be to reduce prices.

When I took my, now sold, R36 in for its first service with VW - I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[HDi fun]

This is so true HDi

I went to collect my car after having some fuel injection work done and actually went to the dealership Service Desk with a big queue behind me and with my wallet opened out slammed it onto the counter and said "Help yourself, you usually do!"

I had the raving hump about something that day if I remember rightly, but it worked!

I am glad that BMW have seen the light with regards to their prices now!

They used to be insanely high. There was a dealership in West London apparently charging £135 per hour!

That's high than many criminal defence solicitors!

 

[WLBjork]

How much of this came from the change in legislation a few years ago which meant that warranties couldn't be cancelled just because you'd had work done elsewhere?

As I recall, that was pretty much aimed at forcing cheaper prices on the main dealers, and it looks to have worked.