OilIT Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I came out the other morning and my tyre was flat on my merc, i replaced it with the skiny 50mph max spare, then saw that the inside wall had a groove in it and it had burst/deflated. buy a new tyre, then book it into local merc dealer after waiting for them to call back 12 hours, then they told me they could see me yesterday. Get there, tell them what the issue is, they said well we can take a look but we cant fix anything today because your only booked in for 30 minutes - and we are two men down..... Comes out, and tells me that the suspension bushes which they advised me of at last service - (less than 3k miles ago) to do at the next service were to blame - and wait for it - have quoted me £670+vat for replacing 4 bushes on the front suspension + 4 wheel alignment... (had a look around - and its a special tool job apparently) and they couldnt do it until end of april with a loan car!!! - until i lost it with them - now its booked in for next week. Not a bad business - £167 an hour for 4 hours work.........including four rubber bushes oh joy for the defender - at least i can do most of it myself without the need for some daft tools or computers... theiving gits...rant over.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I very nearly got thrown out of a Volvo dealers for suggesting their labour rates went some way to paying for the shiney showroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 mate of mine has just bought a second-hand Merc E-class, I thinkn its about 4 years old, he took it to the main dealers for a service last week and was told it needs two new rear shocks... at £287 each!!! Apparently its dangerous to drive and they wanted him to book it in on the spot.. as apparently the shocks were leaking badly. he looked underneath and there is no leak.. its hadndling fine so looks like a bit of job creation... must be one fancy shock for £287!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I have no sympathy for Mercedes owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ101 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I have no sympathy for Mercedes owners. Whys that Bish sgnas, I'm glad Volvo dealers charge the earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Same reason I have no sympathy for new RR or any other luxury car owner - why should I feel sorry for someone who can afford an expensive car and then has to pay to service / maintain it? Now, being ripped off for new shocks when they don't need replacing is a different matter that would get my sympathy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilIT Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Same reason I have no sympathy for new RR or any other luxury car owner - why should I feel sorry for someone who can afford an expensive car and then has to pay to service / maintain it?Now, being ripped off for new shocks when they don't need replacing is a different matter that would get my sympathy. yeah - but its a 5 year old 1.8 c class not some limo or sporty thing (and it cost me less than my defender to buy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ101 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Bish,, so you think its OK to charge £167 per hour, just because you are a "luxury car owner" and £780 + for a wheel alignment and bushes is not a tad OTT !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Whether I think it is OK or not is irrelevant Tim - If the cost of servicing is not to your liking choose another brand. One should enter into vehicle ownership with the full picture of ownership costs - that's why I bought a Ford and not a VW / Audi for my daily drive. If a business can charge £167 and stay in business and keep customers then what business wouldn't? The whole raison d'etre for independants like yourself is to offer an equivelent (often better ) level of service to a main dealer but at a more palatable price. After all, if independants were more expensive than a main dealer they would have a hard time tempting folk away from dealerships... OilIT - fair doos, but surely in that case the main dealer is not the place to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Baldwin Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Mate of mine has an S-Class. Worst car he's ever owned, made worse by the fact that Merc dealerships are all hopeless. Waiting weeks for a workshop slot isn't uncommon. He now uses an independent Merc specialist. IIRC from my days in 'the trade' Merc used to own all of its own UK dealerships before going the the franchise dealer route. From that day on, Merc dealers have had an awful reputation. Slagging Merc service at every opprtunity used to be one of Clarkson's favourite topics, much to the annoyance of Mercedes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Ours go to a local merc independent, who resigned from the dealer because he was disgusted with the practices going on there, shocks for the mercs with self levelling are very expensive but then thats what gives you the magic carpet ride... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilIT Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Mate of mine has an S-Class. Worst car he's ever owned, made worse by the fact that Merc dealerships are all hopeless. Waiting weeks for a workshop slot isn't uncommon. He now uses an independent Merc specialist.IIRC from my days in 'the trade' Merc used to own all of its own UK dealerships before going the the franchise dealer route. From that day on, Merc dealers have had an awful reputation. Slagging Merc service at every opprtunity used to be one of Clarkson's favourite topics, much to the annoyance of Mercedes! I think your right - and they are all owned by the same group so you cant shop around - here, swindon, bath, bristol, gloucester, newbury, and Weston Super mare are all owned by the Sytner group... At least the landrover dealers in swindon and wooton under edge are still independent ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ101 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Whether I think it is OK or not is irrelevant Tim - : Of course it relevant Bish,, you are missing the point, you are saying everyone should be running Fords, or else pay over the top in labour charges and parts prices,,, and it that case tough !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I replaced the rear shocks and springs on a Merc 300TE the other week. The customer wanted only genuine parts, but got a bit of a shock when they cost him almost £600. The car was a right old shed as well - probably worth half that. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Of course it relevant Bish,, you are missing the point, you are saying everyone should be running Fords, or else pay over the top in labour charges and parts prices,,, and it that case tough !! No Tim, I am saying I chose to run a Ford as the cost to me of maintaining and servicing it was acceptable. That and I can't stand Vauxhalls! What I am also saying is if you can't afford / don't agree with the prices of a particular marque then don't buy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Projectblue Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 If one has enough money to drop £60k on a car, one has enough money to pay the service costs. If one feels the service costs are over priced, vote with ones feet and don't buy it. If you are 3rd owner 5 years down the line, I think you'd be niave to pay £15k for say an LM322 and then complain when you get spanked for ££ on say, an ECU reset. When I bought an LSE, the guru who taught me so much about Land Rovers at Land Ranger in Stockport said:- "And don't forget it was a £30k car new, so budget for £30k car bills if you need to fix it" Luxury motoring is taxed in so many ways - main dealer pricing is one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protoprincess Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Sorry guys but the cost of having your car serviced or repaired cost a fortune. And it does not need ot be a Merc. Very few people can now repair their vehicles themselves due mostly to technology and the garages know this. Special dissadvantage is being a female or old - it gets even worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Sorry guys but the cost of having your car serviced or repaired cost a fortune. Very true, but you still have the ability to influence just how big a fortune that is by selecting a vehicle appropriate to your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSi110 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Our now-8 year-old E-Class isn't cheap to service at our local specialist either, but that's the deal if one wishes to buy such cars. I think it's worth it, though. The money I've saved in depreciation easily outweighs the servicing costs and it's one of the few cars we've owned (along with my 110) that still feels special each time you get behind the wheel. We've toyed with replacing the E-Class with another LR, but just cannot find anything that matches her combination of versatility, comfort, build-quality and dependability. They're massive mile-eaters too. I've never used a dealer, apart from buying some Merc floor mats. That experience alone made me feel inferior and I vowed never to return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I suppose that if we all started buying cars on the basis of the on-going running costs as well as the initial 'screen' price of the car then the parts and labour rates would soon start going down to tempt us back. I agree with Bish that if a business can get away with charging £167/hour then it should/will do - most are not charities and many owe that to their shareholders. I do not know what a garage fitter gets paid but I would suggest that the actual cost of providing labour, kit and premises to mend a car would be closer to £30/hour plus whatever the garage gets on top of that as profit (or use to subsidise courtesy cars, flashy salesmen, showrooms, posh coffee machines, valeters, new cars etc... I would not deny anyone a living but I have always found it somewhat unfair that apparently Landrover garages charge labour according to the customers vehicle type - i.e. Defender is cheapest and Range-Rover most expensive hourly rate. Now I can understand that a Defender needs less computers to turn the service light off than a Range Rover but does a new Floda need less computer kit than a Disco, a RRS or a RR? Is it really true that they do this? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Any business overcharging shouldn't be condoned. Just because people choose an upmarket car rather than a run of the mill vehicle, they do not deserve to be ripped off. As for us Sod driving around in some non descript box on wheels, the costs of owning something decent are expected to be higher but I shouldn't be a victim to a rip of dealer which ever make it is. Thank goodness for Independents who are charging a fair rate for a job. We are ok with paying more to run a decent car that being said the Land Rover costs far more to run than either Merc has so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protoprincess Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Very true, but you still have the ability to influence just how big a fortune that is by selecting a vehicle appropriate to your budget. example - £1200 pug diesel - not expensive but all you could afford - headgasket replacement - £370 - £560 seems expensive it that is all the money you have Only the zero's change depending on the model - it is still expensive - in UK it is more like daylight robery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Well I just booked Vals car in for a service and the Quote is £250 for oil service Brake fluid change Filters Seems ok to me, can't expect to pay Ford prices funny though my Dad had his Ford Fusion serviced two weeks ago and that cost £300 only change of oil/filters and brake pads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I remember hearing somewhere and I don't know how true it was but its cheaper to service a Bentley than a 5 series BMW. Which would knock the luxury service cost theory nice cars aren't free neither is money some of the wealthiest people I know are also the tightest. I know if I didn't have Land Rover's I could afford quite a nice merc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Jules and me have an Uncle who has had Mercs for years. A couple of years ago he was selling one of his Mercs so he took it in for a service . Which even though he is a multi millianare which he got it by being as tight as a ducks Ar** he used to serice his own cars and never take them in to a dealer.However this time He took it to the big Merc dealer in the area When he went to pick it up they gave him the huge bill and told him that it needed new brakes all round plus aload of offther stuff that he belived was not needed. He ask to see the brake pads which they had replaced as he belived the pads were fine. The chap went out the back and came back with a box of bits. My uncle checked and asked the chap again , was he sure these bits were from his car and the chap got the mechanic out who told him that these were the bits off his car. Well it was at that point that my uncle told them he had put Halford pbrake pads on the car month earler and the parts they had given him were a set of old merc gen pads. He called the manager and got the garage to take off the wheels of the car and take the pads out . And sure enough there were the halford pads in the car . He got a really good deal on a new merc from that garage and free service for both his and his wife's merc for a few years . After he walked out saying you see you in court But goes to show you , you can't trust them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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