Good for you but if you have a warranty it should be maintained within BMW spec otherwise it's invalidated. By not using a BMW dealer or a local indy, doesn't have to be a BMW speciality but they do need to be VAT registered to carry out there work then no warranty. Some people prefer to use BMW for their servicing and I note that Matt hasn't suggested that he will be looking to go elsewhere for this so not. And he won't be doing it himself especially not the brakes unless he has diagnostics to run the ABS pump.
Servicing cost discrepancy
- Thread starter matthurley
- Start date
Bradders75
Senior member
John002 said:
Yeah of course it does...and let's say in the rare event that a tech decides to risk his job by stealing a few litres of customer oil rather than the stacks of stuff they have in drums, is the £60 saving lost? No.
Bradders75
Senior member
It's a boring circular argument but of course money can be saved doing DIY servicing or using an Indy. :roll: Freedom of choice is great and neither approach is wrong.
Personally, since having both Vauxhall and Honda carry out several thousand pounds of repairs for me on cars well out of warranty (cambelt and gearbox issues), I've felt more comfortable with keeping a main dealer history on any decent car I own. The chance of goodwill support is worth it to me plus the ease of resale.
Personally, since having both Vauxhall and Honda carry out several thousand pounds of repairs for me on cars well out of warranty (cambelt and gearbox issues), I've felt more comfortable with keeping a main dealer history on any decent car I own. The chance of goodwill support is worth it to me plus the ease of resale.
TitanTim said:
:sick2: on both counts
I've yet to find a service girl or boy for that matter with any decent 'chat' or even some eye candy. At least I get decent chat from an Indy and usually get to have a good look at what's going on and checking things myself. I'm like that, just wander into the garage but I'm usually invited.No you're not grumpy John002, it's how it is I'm afraid, I've worked in a Ford dealership many moons ago, and let a dealer do a service on an MR2 to keep the stamps up, gearbox oil not done, oil filter not changed etc etc, I don't trust anyone basically. Up until this 35is I've done all my own servicing and will continue to do interim services on this to make sure all the little bits like using copper grease where needed, brake pipe greasing, an mot failure favourite, brake pads, oil changes, fluids etc are done, and then just have to take it on the chin and pay the dealer to 'service' it just to get the book stamped, it's an evil you have to put up with if you want a car of this nature. At least I'll have peace of mind knowing that that it's done, as I trust myself a lot more than a dealer.
Actually yeah reading that back I'm a grumpy fecker too..!
Actually yeah reading that back I'm a grumpy fecker too..!
Well it's been a whole day since I emailed the Stealer with their price discrepancy and they haven't bothered coming back to me
In the meantime I have had a quote of £402 from a local Indie for the same work
Maybe I'll contact BMW UK and have a winge
In the meantime I have had a quote of £402 from a local Indie for the same work
Maybe I'll contact BMW UK and have a winge
matthurley said:
Twitter mate. It's amazing how quickly you get a response when you tweet something. We went to look at Grey Paul, to look at Maserati GT turns out a Startstone company. The customer spaces were filled with porsches being taken off a loader so we had no where to park so Mike was like let's not bother and slightly annoyed. I mentioned it on Twitter and they were all over it like a tramp on chips.
Haha, quick delete it like I did nobody will know...we must maintain the aura of trust surrounding dealerships. (or what's left of it)
Must be a Ford thing, that's where I worked also. Maybe that's why we're grumpy?[/quote]
Ha! Nah i'm too set in my ways to care what folk think, we must stand up for grumpy rights!.. :lol:
Sorry for thread hi-jack Matt.
Must be a Ford thing, that's where I worked also. Maybe that's why we're grumpy?[/quote]
Ha! Nah i'm too set in my ways to care what folk think, we must stand up for grumpy rights!.. :lol:
Sorry for thread hi-jack Matt.
I never get all the bemoaning about dealers and servicing pricing etc. You don't have to get your motor serviced with them even if under warranty, just buy the genuine parts yourself and get any VAT registered garage to do the work and stamp the service book up. For as long as I will own a BMW I will take it to my dealer as luckily I find them very good and can't fault them for customer care etc. Just because some people may have had bad experience with one particular franchise doesn't mean they're all the same, far from it.
Tim.
Tim.
TitanTim said:
Who said all franchises are cack? I didn't
The idea of a forum is information exchange. Good experiences, bad experiences and those inbetween
Have a lovely evening
matthurley said:TitanTim said:
Who said all franchises are cack? I didn't
The idea of a forum is information exchange. Good experiences, bad experiences and those inbetween
Have a lovely evening
Not implying you did Matt.
Thats what I'm doing, giving my experience of using a BMW dealer which since 2008 has been excellent. Often find on forums people seem to think franchised dealers are the work of satan along with their prices so tar all dealers with the same brush. Like I said your not forced to use a franchised dealer so no real cause to complain about their costs. Not having a pop at you personally, just a general observation across the forums when it comes to criticism of dealers, one bad experience so all dealers are bad across the planet
Tim.
matthurley said:TitanTim said:
Who said all franchises are cack? I didn't
The idea of a forum is information exchange. Good experiences, bad experiences and those inbetween
Have a lovely evening
I think Tim is referring to the comments re techs stealing oil if you supply it (which is quite an accusation and gives a false impression to someone with little experience of the brand) and the fact people keep saying it costs X to do this yourself. Or the fact that some people say they don't care what a potential buyer thinks by not having stamps from a dealer or the servicing not being done to BMW requirements. That might be their idea of servicing but Clearly Matt you want to a garage to do the work, be it BMW or an Indy to keep your warranty intact and like Tim said not all garages, franchise or Indy are the same and calling franchise dealers staff thieves, like some have implied is uncalled for.
Unless said people have proof of such activities they cannot post such comments as people use these forums for information and it could put them off.
No there are bound to be some good one's Tim, and good on you for having one, just personally I hav'nt found the one's I've been to so far, Toyota and Land rover in particular, to be very good and will do interim servicing myself as i will do in between oil changes etc, which is my own choice and not in the service schedule admittedly, and especially the little detail stuff that dealers don't, it makes my teeth itch that they won't put some copper grease on wheel bolts and hub faces for example, wouldn't hurt them to do that considering what they charge. Maybe the dealer I take it to will be good, I won't know for a while, I hope they will be, we'll wait and see.
john-e89 said:
I haven't always been so lucky John, namely Vauxhall and Peugeot but I can't say then that all those franchised dealers are bad, I think alot of the time its the luck of the draw as to whether you get a good or bad one. Sad as it sounds its why I've partly stayed with BMW as a good dealer goes a long way towards brand loyalty in my book. Nothing worse than having countless problems with a new motor and having a dealer who is not interested and makes the problems worse.....thanks Peugeot
Tim.
I've just booked my car in for a service and replacement rear springs on my e86 coupe at a dealer.
The price on the bmw site is £422 for inspection 2. The quote on the phone from the dealership started at £600 and then discounted to just below £500. I did state the 'fixed' internet price and they said they'd get back to me.
They got back to me and said the cheapest they can get it down to is £435 but I could book it through the BMW site for £422, which I thought was fair enough. I booked it on the phone because the springs were discounted to £265 fitted which I thought was a pretty good deal.
I've had a similar experience with Internet fixed price with Vauxhall. The dealer quoted a (slightly) higher figure than the internet price and stated I had to book online to qualify for the discount.
The price on the bmw site is £422 for inspection 2. The quote on the phone from the dealership started at £600 and then discounted to just below £500. I did state the 'fixed' internet price and they said they'd get back to me.
They got back to me and said the cheapest they can get it down to is £435 but I could book it through the BMW site for £422, which I thought was fair enough. I booked it on the phone because the springs were discounted to £265 fitted which I thought was a pretty good deal.
I've had a similar experience with Internet fixed price with Vauxhall. The dealer quoted a (slightly) higher figure than the internet price and stated I had to book online to qualify for the discount.
EdButler said:
You're right, but I fancied original springs. Given my last quote was £117 to buy an original spring I think its pretty good!!Its the service that seems a rip off but that's the price to maintain full BMW history. Might start using indys depending how long I keep the car!