View Full Version : feel ripped off!!
chris106
26-09-11, 11:44 PM
had the car serviced for the first time, since buying the other week, this morning and i had an initial quote of 135 so was happy but then coming to pay it was 191! thats:
oil filter
air filter
pollen filter
engine oil
brake cleaner?
and top up of anti freeze
does anyone else think thats abit over the top? was in a rush to work so didnt really argue...
cheers chris
dont need to pay it if you never authorized it, only need to pay the amount you authorised
magpie67
27-09-11, 06:49 AM
Got mine serviced in June, cost me ?176, and that included spark plugs and air con regas :smile1:
the regas alone was ?40
oh i nearly forgot, and it was cleaned
peterzs
27-09-11, 07:40 AM
Can always disagree with the bill and ask for an itamised account.
You can price it up yourself from a factors, and then look at the difference, that will be the labour charge, VAT 20% on top, all pushes the price up.
Just had my car MOT'd at Halfords Autocentre, they had a priced menu for servicing, could give them a call and see what they charge.
No disrespect meant to yourself Pete, but I genuinely wouldn`t let a Halfords "technician" go to shop for a can of beans in fear of them getting it wrong, never mind work on my car!
If what you have paid is a main dealer using genuine parts, then I don`t think it is excessive at all, but looks more like they have done something worth an additional hours labour charge - maybe cleaned out sticking brakes/handbrake? But as said above, if you haven`t authorised it then you aren`t obliged to pay for it. Someone should have called before carrying out the work.
If that`s "back street" type garage using non genuine parts, then yes i`d say it`s a little overpriced.
Very difficult to find a trustworthy garage these days, and I see it from the otherside as a trader! The amount of cars I buy with problems that are solely induced by poor workmanship is frightening.
Mr ZS180
27-09-11, 12:04 PM
No disrespect meant to yourself Pete, but I genuinely wouldn`t let a Halfords "technician" go to shop for a can of beans in fear of them getting it wrong, never mind work on my car!
The Halfords Autocentres are formerly Nationwide Autocentres and the staff are still the same staff that were originally there, just renamed. Not like the Halfrauds monkeys working in the stores.
For the work you have had done mate that price is massively excessive. As Ritchy said, you only have to pay the price you agreed.
mattie007
27-09-11, 12:20 PM
When I first got my bike they said the first service would be ?80. Had it done last weekend at a cost of ?140, ?95 was labour.
Last time I let them do it!
The Halfords Autocentres are formerly Nationwide Autocentres and the staff are still the same staff that were originally there, just renamed. Not like the Halfrauds monkeys working in the stores.
For the work you have had done mate that price is massively excessive. As Ritchy said, you only have to pay the price you agreed.
Again I wouldn`t put my car anywhere near a Nationwide Autocentre either!
It`s not massively excessive as I said above. Completely depends on the breakdown of the bill and what make the parts are.
If it`s a main dealer taking ?50 per hour labour and using Castrol oil, there`s ?150 including the vat right off the bat! Based on 2 hours labour and rounded up to 5 litre oil.
Vat is a killer just now.
But for the difference in the original quote to what the OP paid, it has to be an additional item at roughly an hours labour.
had the car serviced for the first time, since buying the other week, this morning and i had an initial quote of 135 so was happy but then coming to pay it was 191! thats:
oil filter
air filter
pollen filter
engine oil
brake cleaner?
and top up of anti freeze
does anyone else think thats abit over the top? was in a rush to work so didnt really argue...
cheers chris
oil filter ?5
air filter ?10
pollen filter ?15-20
engine oil ?40+
brake cleaner? ?3-4
and top up of anti freeze ?5
?84 Plus 2 hrs labour at say 45-50 for an independent garage, I wouldn't have said to expensive but they should have spoken to you before doing anything over the 'estimate' note almost no garages will 'quote' for work as there are very often unforeseen things that need doing. A common one is a car has A/C on it when it wasnt booked in specifying it so it has to have a pollen filter fitted say ?20 and a fraction extra labour
Dan1971
27-09-11, 04:33 PM
Can't do that really ... but it's a bit late as you've paid.
Put the C4 into a main dealer the other day and had to sign that I would pay the ?205 for the service when I dropped off the car. Had a row with the service desk as they put an advisory on for a broken clip valued at ?1.46 and the girl asked me if i wanted to book it back in to get done ! I remonstrated that considering it was a warranty repair and they had it for a day they should've got on with it ! Fair point the manager stated and it got done in 5 mins.
Wouldn't go back though to your garage personally.
was rushing about earlier didnt have much time to reply, as goldie said a dealer then yeah that sounds about right with genuine parts, but as i said originally you only need to pay what you authorized, if they did additional work then tough without notifying you for auth, but too late if youve already payed really.
peterzs
27-09-11, 06:16 PM
Must admit I only use Halfords Autocenters for my MOT, use to go to them when they were Nationwide. Book online and its half price.
They are very good, done our Punto and the ZS and have never had any problems with getting them through.
I know you dont get a stamp in the book, but doing it yourself you know its been done, can never believe the rates they charge for a "service", just a filter and oil change usually.
Jay-ZS+
27-09-11, 06:18 PM
The girlfriend has just had her 2nd service on her swift and that was ?300 odd quid.
Apart from 2 cheap and nasty tyres it was a basic service.
daytona365
27-09-11, 06:36 PM
Can't do that really ... but it's a bit late as you've paid.
Put the C4 into a main dealer the other day and had to sign that I would pay the ?205 for the service when I dropped off the car. Had a row with the service desk as they put an advisory on for a broken clip valued at ?1.46 and the girl asked me if i wanted to book it back in to get done ! I remonstrated that considering it was a warranty repair and they had it for a day they should've got on with it ! Fair point the manager stated and it got done in 5 mins.
Wouldn't go back though to your garage personally.
That wasnt Motorsales by any chance????????????????????
daytona365
27-09-11, 06:41 PM
oil filter ?5
air filter ?10
pollen filter ?15-20
engine oil ?40+
brake cleaner? ?3-4
and top up of anti freeze ?5
?84 Plus 2 hrs labour at say 45-50 for an independent garage, I wouldn't have said to expensive but they should have spoken to you before doing anything over the 'estimate' note almost no garages will 'quote' for work as there are very often unforeseen things that need doing. A common one is a car has A/C on it when it wasnt booked in specifying it so it has to have a pollen filter fitted say ?20 and a fraction extra labour
Well I service mine myself.
Oil Filter ?5
Pollen Filter ?11.72
Oil ?20.68
Brake Cleaner......whats that?
Antifreeze top up FREE, loads of it at work.
In my experience, once you found a good garage, stick with it. Get to know a good technician and let him work on your car, doesnt matter who they work for.......He does the big bits I cant do.
Nothing beats doing your own oil change and just smiling at how much money you have saved :)
dealers are always expensive, if you think about what has to come out your ?50 or ?60 an hour. the wage for the technician, the person on the front desk, the elecritity bill for all the light, compressor ect. The use of the specialist tools, 1 IDS diagnostic computer cost ?11,000, we have 6 of them, and a nissan diagnostic machine, and a launch scanner as well at ?2000, and 2 rover t4 machines.
the special tools that the dealership must have, literally hundreds of them
the rates for the premises, a big building has a lot of rates, a ramp for every technician, a car wash and a valiter who cleans every car that comes in the place ect ect the list goes on.
a small garage doesnt necisarily have all that hence how the costs are less
peterzs
27-09-11, 07:16 PM
Took the bosses Merc into a main dealer, all the Technicians had their own lift, white tiled area, floor tiles, cleaner than lots of kitchens, Whats their labour rate charge out ?100 ?150 + vat????
think mercedies and bmw are about ?100 i think
Well I service mine myself.
Oil Filter ?5
Pollen Filter ?11.72
Oil ?20.68
Brake Cleaner......whats that?
Antifreeze top up FREE, loads of it at work.
In my experience, once you found a good garage, stick with it. Get to know a good technician and let him work on your car, doesnt matter who they work for.......He does the big bits I cant do.
Nothing beats doing your own oil change and just smiling at how much money you have saved :)
Yes thats a very good point as a mechanic ive never paid anyone to service my car. Just done a service myself at similar prices to yourself,
Brake cleaner normally a spray tin. Used to clean the brakes?! also to clean just about anything from oil leaks from the engine or cleaning the area around the sump plug / oil filter before refitting.
Ive just done discs and pads front and rear on my ZR for under ?150 using pagid parts by doing it myself. The retail on parts was ?300 so would have probably been ?400 worth of work in a garage.
Took the bosses Merc into a main dealer, all the Technicians had their own lift, white tiled area, floor tiles, cleaner than lots of kitchens, Whats their labour rate charge out ?100 ?150 + vat????
Merc have a dealer standard that the workshop must be.
Dan1971
27-09-11, 08:44 PM
That wasnt Motorsales by any chance????????????????????
Yep ....
daytona365
27-09-11, 10:18 PM
Yep ....
lol lol lol............Im saying no more, but the service dept down there has always been dire. I used to work in the parts dept for 5 years and was always amazed they got any customers cars fixed. The counter staff are awful :crazy:
chris106
27-09-11, 10:35 PM
cheers for the replies guys... it was just a garage close by, just moved to the area and neighbour said it wasnt a bad place...
seen that they used europarts not genuine and fair enough they mark up prices but i have not got a clue how they have done it, seems randomly added up.
oil filter 7.52
air filter 21.01
pollen 18.18
oil 24.50
brake cleaner 4.77
anti freeze top up 4.00
labour 2hrs 80
tax 31.99
was in a rush so didn't argue much...
o well spose its done now, how much has others paid?
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