BMW or Indy Service

S

soundboy10

Member
Hey all,

I have a 2009 30sDrive which is coming up for it's second service and was just wondering what you guys thought about service history. I know some people wouldn't touch a second hand car zed without full BMW service history, but the fact is, i have been using the same indy for years for several manufacturers i have bought, BMW, VW etc and trust his expertise. Cost is obviously cheaper at the indy, but i'm not too concerned with that.

Do you agree i will be cutting certain people out of the buying market if i continue with indy services, or do you think it doesn't matter??
 
Personally , buying a car like the z4 I would only touch one with full bmw history, independents have their place, but not for me. :poke:
 
Trading into BMW later may mean less $$$ if you have non BMW history (if you want to do that in the future). Some private buyers will also insist on BMW history. Personally I'd be happy with either BMW history or BMW-specialist history. I would NOT be happy with 'any old' indy in the history if I were buying.. unless it was a banger of a car.
 
If cost is not an issue then stick with BMW service, unless your Indy is a BMW specialist. It could put some potential buyers off, and may be used as a bargaining tool when coming to sell.
 
The issue is an Indy would probably do a far better job (not necessarily for an oil change, but the whole customer care etc)

But a BMW service by some apprentice would hold more value on the service booklet
 
The problem is simply that unless you personally know the indy, you can't trust it on a service history.

While the majority of indy's are reputable and do great work for much better rates, there is a subset who are cowboys and will, for example, use whatever oil they have lying around instead of the recommended grade, fit incorrectly sized filters etc. All experiences I've had - cost me £800 to clean the sump out on a 1.8T engine after an indy filled it with incorrect grade oil and clogged the pickup.

At least using a dealer you know (as much as possible) they are using the right parts and doing the right jobs.
 
A full main dealer history means nothing to me...I would rather see a nice loved car with a folder full of good Indy receipts.

I have heard of far more main dealers failing to do the basics than Indys...mind you, I actually do most of the service work myself on my cars, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that I can trust to do it right! :lol:

Never had an issue with selling any car either.

:thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the responses.

Also realised that i have been using this site for a few years now, on my second zed, and I never introduced myself in the newbie section. I'll do so soon.
 
I only use bmw when the car is less than 3yrs old then use an ind bmw specialist never had a problem with trade ins always keep all receipts
 
I have always used my friends garage, in fairness my cars aren't as new as yours and I have never traded one in, always sold privately, he's a great mechanic who with his team work on a multitude of vehicles, from Aston to Transit, I trust him implicitly, I know not everyone is the same though, however upto a certain age I think that potential buyers would look for manufacturer service history then specialised Indy.
 
Still use my friendly BMW main dealer for the Z3, nice to know its looked after and won't come back to me covered in dents and scratches. They do cheaper rates for cars over 4 years old.

Tim.
 
Ive justed traded in my 6 year old e92 330d coupe for my Z4 and was offered £1000 over Glasses price despite the last service being carried out by an Inde. When speaking to the BMW salesman he stated that BMW history was far more relevant on vehicles up to 4 years old. If the Inde uses BMW parts detailed on the invoice and the vehicle will be 4yrs + Id go with the inde - so I guess it all depends on how long you plan to keep the car
 
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