Car service extortion?

ness_w

My car recently had a full service and a new cambelt, it's a Skoda Octavia TDi. It seems expensive and I seem to have been double-charged vat on the parts. I've typed it out below, can anyone in the know let me know what they think? (It was at 100,000 miles.)

Labour: Carried out full service. Stripped brakes. Cleaned out as required. Supplied and fitted new cam belt kit and water pump. Re-filled with anti-freeze. Supplied and fitted two new tyres.

Labour total (net) £225.00

Parts:
1 oil flush - £5.25 net.............................................. £6.04
1 oil filter - £5.25 net ..............................................£5.98
1 Air filter - £11.67 net .........................................£13.42
4.75 oil - £4.95 net ...............................................£27.04
1 fuel filter - £20.50 net .........................................£23.58
1 pollen filter - £8.24 net .........................................£9.48
1 cambelt kit - £135.56 net .................................£155.89
3 anti-freeze - £2.00 net.......................................... £6.90
2 tyre - £65.00 net ..............................................£149.50
2 wheel balance, valve and disposal - £5.95 net..... £13.69
1 water pump - £48.03 net ....................................£55.23
1 brake cleaner - £2.50 net..................................... £2.88
1 sundries - £2.00 net .............................................£2.30

Total net:£635.36
Total VAT: £95.32
Total: £730.68

Now, I can see the tyres are overpriced (my husband said to go ahead and bung some on when they rang him) and I wouldn't get them done there again, but is the rest reasonable and if so is there any way I can cut down on the bills in future? And as for the VAT...are they fleecing us or is that okay for some reason?

tuggy12

Looks reasonable to me and the VAT is correct.

The tyres don't seem too expensive but then it depends on the make fitted.

ness_w

OK thaanks, I see the VAT is okay now, the way the bill is laid out it looks as though it was charged twice.
Sheesh, if that's a reasonable cost then so be it. looks like I'd better start saving for the next one!

endure

Your next service won't include a cam belt kit or the labour to fit it which will make it quite a bit cheaper.

goldspanners

all prices look ok, the water pump might be a bit on the high side but still not too bad.
the tyres might be a better brand than you usually fit to your car thats why they might be a bit more expensive than usual.
usually you can haggle a bit on tyre price,but if you said to go ahead with it then there isnt much you can do about it now.

maybe its my maths, but your parts come to around £470 and labour was £225.that all comes to around £695. did i miss something or did you miss a part from the list?

swiftnick

In general I have to agree that you've been charged quite fairly on the parts and labour, but as said the tyres are quite pricey but if they're a quality brand they'll grip well and last 3 times longer than budget tyres.

vikingaero

£74.75 for each tyre on an Octavia TDi doesn't sound bad. I bought some Dunlops for my Dads Micra 175/60/15 for almost £90 each. The Octavia is likely to have at least 195/55/15s.

hewhoisnotintheknow

the air filter and oil seem pricey other than that seems ok

i always qustion sundries

vikingaero

Sundries often the car protection kit: paper mats, plastic seat cover and for the decent garages a steering wheel cover.

CFC

It's just painful because it all came at once. Cambelt change is always expensive ....

BillTrac

Yes, I have just had a quote for a full service on my daughters 51 Megane. £180 for the service and £350 for the cambelt change. Both plus VAT!!