Don't get stung by a main dealer like I did

esuhl

maindealers wrote: »

I live in the real world where I get paid for an honest days work and expect to pay for an honest days work too.

So you're now claiming that the garage were dishonest?

In the real world, it would be wise to negotiate the highest salary you can get away with and the lowest price for the goods/services you buy. If you look at average worldwide earnings, you must be relatively handsomely rewarded - in the top 5%, maybe? Do you not feel like you're taking your employer for a ride?

And what would be your approach to fix the perceived problem of some companies charging "too much" for their goods/services?

grizzly1911

If it makes you feel any better.

1.) I have an Avensis and yes the bumper does get caught on "high" kerbs it is a pain, even when you know it is there and are careful:doh:

2.) A local independent I use and has always been reasonable IMO stung me for an oil change last year. Dropped it in for an MOT, asked him on spec to do the oil change. £90+. Charged me by the top whack litre for synthetic when it needs semi, over the odds for the filter and labour. My fault entirely as I was in a rush.

I don't mind paying premium price for the parts/oil but to then charge a labour charge for a basic job was heavy handed IMO. Trade plus "labour" I can live with.

Needless to say he isn't getting another one.

seafarers_wife

I have an avensis and used our local main dealer today, no issues at all with the price paid. usually when getting the any work done i wait around for it and have always found them to fully explain the problems to me and what needs doing to rectify it and the cost then and there. they also explain the cost for "looking" over the phone when i phone to make the appointment and go over it againn when i get there.

today was me wanting a new car battery as ours wasnt starting first time, they did a test first of all to ascertain the issue and it turned out that it just needed a long run to fully charge it and no charge for looking at it if i decided not to have a new battery, but at £100 all in for a new battery i decided to have a new one and i really noticied the difference when driving home as it wasnt as throaty sounding as it had been previously.

not all main dealers are out to con you and for me the main dealer is actually cheaper than a local independant garage and i get better customer service from the main dealer.

Tucker

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Customer asks main dealer to service car and fix or presumably replace undertray, dealer contacts customer and suggests the car needs new tyres and undertray will need replacement, customer says yes.

Dealer charges the correct price for the undertray and more than an internet price for 4 carp tyres.

How has the dealer done anything wrong, should they have tried to talk the customer out of having their car fixed?

Most of us would have either fixed the undertray better by rivetting a panel to it and securely cable tying it on or we'd have slung it and got one from a scrappy if possible, we'd also have known we had worn tyres and found some good quality well priced replacements.

Dealer comes out of this quite well IMO, seems the car is repaired and repaired well, exactly as one would expect from a Toyota dealer.

Customer wanted convenient one stop shop and got it.

I understand the work was agreed in advance. What they have done wrong in my view, was not making it clear to their customer what the total cost was going to be.

Otherwise it would not have been a huge shock. £350 for labour for what is basically a service, four tyres and fitting a new cover! Not exactly reasonable in my view!

I had four tyres fitted recently and it took 20 mins all in, balanced and fitted to the car. £72 for doing that. What are they on £200 per hour! Then they will have the mark up of the budget tyres, which is likely to be about 100% at those prices.

If they said the total for doing this, this and this is going to be £1300, I suspect the OP would have said, woooo hang on a minute. How do you get that figure and could then have made some informed decisions.

They could easily advise the total in advance and why should it be down to customers to drag that information out of them.

They know what they are doing and I don't think they are always clear and open in advance, they want to rack up a bill.

photome

Tucker wrote: »

I understand the work was agreed in advance. What they have done wrong in my view, was not making it clear to their customer what the total cost was going to be.

Otherwise it would not have been a huge shock. £350 for labour for what is basically a service, four tyres and fitting a new cover! Not exactly reasonable in my view!

I had four tyres fitted recently and it took 20 mins all in, balanced and fitted to the car. £72 for doing that. What are they on £200 per hour! Then they will have the mark up of the budget tyres, which is likely to be about 100% at those prices.

If they said the total for doing this, this and this is going to be £1300, I suspect the OP would have said, woooo hang on a minute. How do you get that figure and could then have made some informed decisions.

They could easily advise the total in advance and why should it be down to customers to drag that information out of them.

They know what they are doing and I don't think they are always clear and open in advance, they want to rack up a bill.

I guess you had your tyres fitted at tyre centre though where they buy tyres in bulk and have less overheads than main dealers (unskilled fitters for a start). The main dealer would have more than likely bought the tyres from the same place you got yours and wouldnt have paid much less than you did.

Main dealers charge main dealer prices, after all they are a business and the consumer is free to shop around

The garage did tell the OP the prices before hand, but even you would ask what type of tyre wouldnt you?

mikey72

Tucker wrote: »

I had four tyres fitted recently and it took 20 mins all in, balanced and fitted to the car. £72 for doing that. What are they on £200 per hour! Then they will have the mark up of the budget tyres, which is likely to be about 100% at those prices.

I've spent longer than that trying to get a corroded on wheel off the car.

I've had a tyre fitter have to use a gas torch to get a metal valve out of a van wheel, and some alloys I've brought home so I can clean the rims up, and that took me the best part of 30 minutes each.

Every one is different.

photome

seafarers_wife wrote: »

I have an avensis and used our local main dealer today, no issues at all with the price paid. usually when getting the any work done i wait around for it and have always found them to fully explain the problems to me and what needs doing to rectify it and the cost then and there. they also explain the cost for "looking" over the phone when i phone to make the appointment and go over it againn when i get there.

today was me wanting a new car battery as ours wasnt starting first time, they did a test first of all to ascertain the issue and it turned out that it just needed a long run to fully charge it and no charge for looking at it if i decided not to have a new battery, but at £100 all in for a new battery i decided to have a new one and i really noticied the difference when driving home as it wasnt as throaty sounding as it had been previously.

not all main dealers are out to con you and for me the main dealer is actually cheaper than a local independant garage and i get better customer service from the main dealer.

Here is a different perspective. A customer who is happy that the main dealer looked after her despite the fact that a battery can be had for an Avensis for around £60 or less and would only take minutes to fit DIY.

Dont understand how a new battery would make your car sound different though

mikey72

I could just imagine my wife ordering the battery, getting the old one unbolted and out, getting the new one back in, re-programming the radio, re-setting the windows, then disposing of the old battery.
Some things are worth paying for sometimes.

mikey72

The tyres aren't that bad actually, for a main dealer.
blackcircles £72 fitted
or
£60 delivered, and then about £15 for fitting locally.


so £84 from the dealer, £72 for fitting is a bit pricey, but probably compares to a kwik fit or ats sort of price

maindealers

Witney tyres (local tyre specialist) quoted 84 quit fitted for continental tyres. They were shocked to here I paid 102 pounds for budget tyres.

Kwikfit online price was 89 for continental tyres but they have a drive in price of 130.