dealer servicing (stealer?)

bluespit

bluespit

Senior member
 Near Chester
Site Supporter
Took the daily 420i to BMW today to get in booked in for service, first service oil change and pollen filer. Astonishing £460! including a £60 service charge! so they want to charge a service charge for a service.

Walked

Took it 200 yards down the road to a well know indy, same service £170, same parts just no fancy waiting room, no TV, no Check in receptionist.

Guess who's getting my business?
 
Only ever used a BMW main stealer once. Charged large fortune and returned the car filthy, that's a relative thing. It was polished within an inch of it's life when it went in. Never again.
 
Never used a main dealer but have used an Indy. Went clean and came back dirty with bits missing. Garages, all the ruddy same.
 
I used BMW dealers all the time for my first 2 BMWs because they had a Service Pack!

After the pack expired I took my 2nd one back to a dealer to keep the BMWSH, and I took my first Z4 to a dealer for an oil service after I had agreed a sale as that's what the buyer wanted - even if he didn't keep that up. :rolleyes:

Otherwise I've only ever used Indies, but then both were ex-Sytner so better service for way less money. :D
 
We have two (that I know of) ex-BMW mechanics 'BMW indies' near me.
Both are around 10% cheaper than the local franchise dealers. One is a 'one man band' who knows his stuff but knows how to charge and the other is a multi-site 'indie' who is expensive and not any better than the stealers IME, just make more profit as they don't have the huge overheads.

If only my local garage had the software, as they can do anything (well) for around £50 an hour.

Incidentally.....I charge £50 per hour for my work. I have 40 years experience and have more industry qualifications than 90% of my peers. I am very very good at what I do. I definitely have more experience and knowledge in my industry than 99% of car mechanics do in theirs, yet they don't bat an eyelid at charging £150 an hour.
The world has gone mad.
 
Pondrew said:
We have two (that I know of) ex-BMW mechanics 'BMW indies' near me.
Both are around 10% cheaper than the local franchise dealers. One is a 'one man band' who knows his stuff but knows how to charge and the other is a multi-site 'indie' who is expensive and not any better than the stealers IME, just make more profit as they don't have the huge overheads.

If only my local garage had the software, as they can do anything (well) for around £50 an hour.

Incidentally.....I charge £50 per hour for my work. I have 40 years experience and have more industry qualifications than 90% of my peers. I am very very good at what I do. I definitely have more experience and knowledge in my industry than 99% of car mechanics do in theirs, yet they don't bat an eyelid at charging £150 an hour.
The world has gone mad.
Click to expand...
You should charge at a level that reflects your training, skills and experience
 
Yeh - no idea where they get their prices from.

After 2 degrees, 30 years of experience running high tech crews of hundreds, responsible for £multi million budgets - my charge out rate is similar to a BMW service tech fresh from his apprenticeship.

I paid my solicitor less per hour to buy my last house.

Bonkers.
 
BMWZ4MC said:
You should charge at a level that reflects your training, skills and experience
Click to expand...
Wouldn't get any work if we did that. In all industries there is a 'going rate' set by market forces and competition.

Just in the car servicing world that 'going rate' has become ridiculously expensive, for reasons that defy me.
 
I feel it's likely that when paying an hourly rate for mechanics, that may also have to cover the general costs of doing business. E.g. rent, business rates, insurance... It's not like the mechanic is taking home £100 per hour, is he (or she)?

I run a hotel and often hear that £250+ for a night in a hotel is very expensive... Ok Karen, but the insurance was over £100k last year, so I've got to sell 480 bedrooms at £250 each just to cover that. Maybe insurance etc for garages is a small cost and the owners are making a fortune, but I doubt it.
 
tiglon said:
I feel it's likely that when paying an hourly rate for mechanics, that may also have to cover the general costs of doing business. E.g. rent, business rates, insurance... It's not like the mechanic is taking home £100 per hour, is he (or she)?

I run a hotel and often hear that £250+ for a night in a hotel is very expensive... Ok Karen, but the insurance was over £100k last year, so I've got to sell 480 bedrooms at £250 each just to cover that. Maybe insurance etc for garages is a small cost and the owners are making a fortune, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
It's the same for any business, though. I have a company that do work for me; they have over 200 employees, 100 vans, a large office building, etc etc. They charge £38.00 per hour and charge parts at cost plus 20%. They still make a lot of money.
 
Pondrew said:
It's the same for any business, though. I have a company that do work for me; they have over 200 employees, 100 vans, a large office building, etc etc. They charge £38.00 per hour and charge parts at cost plus 20%. They still make a lot of money.
Click to expand...
Different businesses, different industries, different costs, different margins.
 
tiglon said:
I feel it's likely that when paying an hourly rate for mechanics, that may also have to cover the general costs of doing business. E.g. rent, business rates, insurance... It's not like the mechanic is taking home £100 per hour, is he (or she)?

I run a hotel and often hear that £250+ for a night in a hotel is very expensive... Ok Karen, but the insurance was over £100k last year, so I've got to sell 480 bedrooms at £250 each just to cover that. Maybe insurance etc for garages is a small cost and the owners are making a fortune, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Nice to see someone understands the costs involved running a large main dealer dealership. However you are pissing in the wind my friend as dealers are simply overcharging scum to most people. The same people that will pay £5 for a latte at Costa that costs 30p to make, or £20 for a Dominoes pizza that costs a couple of quid to make.
 
Scubaregs said:
Nice to see someone understands the costs involved running a large main dealer dealership. However you are pissing in the wind my friend as dealers are simply overcharging scum to most people. The same people that will pay £5 for a latte at Costa that costs 30p to make, or £20 for a Dominoes pizza that costs a couple of quid to make.
Click to expand...
I think 99% of business/industries are labelled as overcharging scum by the majority... it feels like everyone thinks they're constantly being ripped off.

The reality these days is that the people making all the money, and doing all the ripping off, are the Amazons, Googles, booking.coms, blacktyres etc, but we keep using them because they're convenient.
 
If I want the BMW Stamp then buy your own stuff, keep receipts (if you have warranty) and give it to the $tealers. Or just buy your own stuff and goto a decent specialist.
 
I would say though that BMW are well known for offering out of warranty deals if you have an issue but only if the car has a full BMW main dealer service history. Regardless I’d 100% use BMW for the first few services on a brand new car.
 
Might be tricky if the car is still under warranty and you go independent for general servicing as I bet your friendly dealer could be nice and awkward.

Tim.
 
If I’m buying a new car I use dealer for services in warranty then there is no argument when something goes wrong, I costs me a few hundred but main dealer service record has a value when you sell at 3 or 4 yrs.
 
It is a difficult one, I agree with the above it does feel like every business is accused of being expensive or a rip off. Not denying that this has never happened but sometimes we make assumptions when we don’t know the full costs. Things will only become more expensive with business rates increasing next year, will likely also close some business down.
 
TitanTim said:
Might be tricky if the car is still under warranty and you go independent for general servicing as I bet your friendly dealer could be nice and awkward.

Tim.
Click to expand...
The law in the UK says you can use whichever garage you like to service a car under warranty. The only conditions are that they have to use 'approved by the manufacturer' parts, the intervals have to be as per the manufacturer's specified and the scope of works has to be the same.

If those three conditions are met and can be proven, the manufacturer is duty bound by UK law to uphold any warranty claim.

I need a new battery for our Focus under warranty. The car is a year old but the battery has been crap since we got it. The car was sitting around for a long time before we bought it and the battery was allowed to go too flat, so it has never been any good. I am looking forward to the conversation with the stealer!!

Even though I despise main dealers I will be getting the Focus' first service done by the main stealer, as the car uses very specific oil due to the stupid wet belt (only for the oil pump on the later 2.3 Ecoboost, not the cam). I don't trust an indie to put the correct oil in.
 
Pondrew said:
The law in the UK says you can use whichever garage you like to service a car under warranty. The only conditions are that they have to use 'approved by the manufacturer' parts, the intervals have to be as per the manufacturer's specified and the scope of works has to be the same.

If those three conditions are met and can be proven, the manufacturer is duty bound by UK law to uphold any warranty claim.

I need a new battery for our Focus under warranty. The car is a year old but the battery has been crap since we got it. The car was sitting around for a long time before we bought it and the battery was allowed to go too flat, so it has never been any good. I am looking forward to the conversation with the stealer!!

Even though I despise main dealers I will be getting the Focus' first service done by the main stealer, as the car uses very specific oil due to the stupid wet belt (only for the oil pump on the later 2.3 Ecoboost, not the cam). I don't trust an indie to put the correct oil in.
Click to expand...
Isn't that only in regard to new car and/or approved used warranties though?

Any extended BMW warranty is just an insurance policy and they can put whatever terms & conditions they want in there...because you have the opportunity to review them and agree/disagree with them before making the choice to purchase it (you don't have that option with a new car/AUC warranty).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom