A cool £108/hour then.
BMW Effing P*sstake!
- Thread starter Minihen_LDN
- Start date
original guvnor said:
I'm in the wrong job.
Liverpool
I haven't taken my Zed into a main stealer just yet, though after reading this im very cautious to do so. I owned an Audi TT before the zed and took it to the dealership 3 times while I owned it, most I ever spent in a single sitting was £780 for a timing belt, and front light that had gone white which would have failed its next MOT on... Audi labour was well in excess of £120/hour...
OMFG.
But I know nothing about cars so paid it
since owning my zed i've done simple things with it, like changing rear tail lights for tinted ones and doing that myself which is a silly easy job for many felt like I was climbing Mt. Kilamajaro! Great feeling 
OMFG.
But I know nothing about cars so paid it
since owning my zed i've done simple things with it, like changing rear tail lights for tinted ones and doing that myself which is a silly easy job for many felt like I was climbing Mt. Kilamajaro! Great feeling Half Colin
Senior member
Not for nothing are they called Stealers.
Easy in hindsight I know, but always, always get an estimate before getting work done and then insist they call you if it's actually going to be much more than the estimate.
Easy in hindsight I know, but always, always get an estimate before getting work done and then insist they call you if it's actually going to be much more than the estimate.
I think what you have to remember about dealers is that much of the cost of service/maintenance is to recoup the cost of having a franchise to sell the cars in the showroom.
Think of the cost of building/fitting-out the nice glazed showroom, the rent they pay on it if it's leasehold or the purchase price of the land if it's freehold, the free coffee, the sales staff, receptionists etc. All of that is based on BMW's strict requirements. They don't actually make that much margin from selling the cars so they need to make it on service and parts.
Occupancy costs in London are very high so it's bound to cost you more to maintain in larger cities where land prices are higher. Just have a drive out to a dealer in the sticks and you'll get a much better price. An example for me - Sytner Nottingham are a lot pricier than Stratstone Chesterfield - both only 30 mins away from me but one is in a big city with very flash premises and the other in a smaller town, smaller (but no less lavish) premises, with much cheaper occupancy costs.
Think of the cost of building/fitting-out the nice glazed showroom, the rent they pay on it if it's leasehold or the purchase price of the land if it's freehold, the free coffee, the sales staff, receptionists etc. All of that is based on BMW's strict requirements. They don't actually make that much margin from selling the cars so they need to make it on service and parts.
Occupancy costs in London are very high so it's bound to cost you more to maintain in larger cities where land prices are higher. Just have a drive out to a dealer in the sticks and you'll get a much better price. An example for me - Sytner Nottingham are a lot pricier than Stratstone Chesterfield - both only 30 mins away from me but one is in a big city with very flash premises and the other in a smaller town, smaller (but no less lavish) premises, with much cheaper occupancy costs.
I must say the Steven James near me which is Enfield is very flashy. No wonder they charge silly prices.
I'm never going to a dealer unless i don't have a choice.
I'm never going to a dealer unless i don't have a choice.
Not really. You don't think their technicians are getting all that. The top ones (master////M technicians) are probably on less than £15/hour.Minihen_LDN said:original guvnor said:
I'm in the wrong job.
It's the same as any business. My agency charges some of my colleagues (I do a much cheaper role in the same industry) out at up to £5000/day (although huge discounts are always applied if it's for more than a 1 day workshop). However the colleague is getting less than 10% of that.
Minihen_LDN said:
Stephen James Enfield is my next closest. I'm not far from you, in Woodford Green. Sytner Chigwell is the dealer I was on about in post above, it's not even as if the customer service you get is that great considering the prices they charge. I'm only going to go to dealer for services. A friend of a friend works at a BMW specialist in Woodford, but not sure how good they are to be honest. So I am also on the look out for a well recommended indy in our area
Denis O said:
That sounds about right. Over 2 years ago Wollaston Motors, BMW main dealer in Northampton were charging £105 per hour plus VAT so I reckon a BMW dealer in London would be now be charging well in excess of £150 per hour plus VAT.
The OP could possibly budget £200 per hour including VAT. There will be a book time for fitting a window regulator so not difficult to see how they arrive at their charges.
No idea on their hourly rate but recently had my Coupe serviced at Sytner in Coventry.
I knew it needed tyres but the list of advisories were:
Full set of tyres £1000 fitted
New rear wheel £550 fitted (cost me £60 to get the dent fixed)
New front lower arm bushes £400 fitted (bought a pair for £80)
Brake fluid change £120. Will get a local place to do this.
I declined their offer to start work on it.
I knew it needed tyres but the list of advisories were:
Full set of tyres £1000 fitted
New rear wheel £550 fitted (cost me £60 to get the dent fixed)
New front lower arm bushes £400 fitted (bought a pair for £80)
Brake fluid change £120. Will get a local place to do this.
I declined their offer to start work on it.
mark a said:
At those prices i don't blame you.
AW = Arbeitswerte or Work Values. There are 12 AW/hr so 1 AW is 6 mins. So your job was 20 * 6 or 120mins.
HTH
HTH
So it sounds like the OP was charged 2 hours labour at £125 ph plus £130 for the part plus 20% VAT on the total making £455 for the original invoice.
