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Servicing Stop - watch out!
DanceBiscuits83
Posts: 5 Forumite
in Motoring
I used Servicing Stop for the first time today. They quoted me £875 to get through my MOT, so I asked around three local garages - all gave me quotes under £300. I also had to literally argue with the customer service guy on the phone that my car doesn't need 'special' oil costing £25, which was no fun.
I even phoned up the mechanic Servicing Stop used and asked him directly for a quote for the work. This came in at £450 - still over the odds locally, but almost 50% less than going through Servicing Stop. He said that no matter what your car, Servicing Stop always try to tell you need 'special' oil/brake fluid/liquids.
I think they hook you in with the idea that the MOT and service themselves are cheap - which is fair enough. But don't accept whatever they then say you need doing without shopping around a lot.
I even phoned up the mechanic Servicing Stop used and asked him directly for a quote for the work. This came in at £450 - still over the odds locally, but almost 50% less than going through Servicing Stop. He said that no matter what your car, Servicing Stop always try to tell you need 'special' oil/brake fluid/liquids.
I think they hook you in with the idea that the MOT and service themselves are cheap - which is fair enough. But don't accept whatever they then say you need doing without shopping around a lot.
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Comments
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It all goes without saying........
If they've got fancy neon signs, a customer waiting lounge and a large advertising budget, they're going to rip you off.
I don't know why that stuff tricks people so easily.
My local garage, you go for MOT, you sit in a dirty plastic booth next to the work shop OR in my case, I jump in the car and help with the MOT, maybe if I look parched I might get a cup of builders tea in a big old mug. Last car never failed an MOT, it was 12 years old.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
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Strider590 wrote: »It all goes without saying........
If they've got fancy neon signs, a customer waiting lounge and a large advertising budget, they're going to rip you off.
I don't know why that stuff tricks people so easily.
My local garage, you go for MOT, you sit in a dirty plastic booth next to the work shop OR in my case, I jump in the car and help with the MOT, maybe if I look parched I might get a cup of builders tea in a big old mug.
Plastic booth? Why that's luxury .......
The one I use you have to wait in't shoebox in't middle of road.
Although I agree with the rest of your comments.0 -
But isn't Servicing Stop just an introduction service to a local garage for fixed/reduced price service/MOT ? Do SS actually do any invoicing on additional work or is that left up to the garage doing the work ?0
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martinthebandit wrote: »Plastic booth? Why that's luxury .......
The one I use you have to wait in't shoebox in't middle of road.
Although I agree with the rest of your comments.
You haven't seen it
“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
If they've got fancy neon signs, a customer waiting lounge and a large advertising budget, they're going to rip you off.
They don't - it's just a website. You go on, compare the prices offered for whatever it is you want (don't think you get to see the garage providing it until you book) and pick one at a price you like. They have a list of 'trusted' service providers - garages that do the work. They do the MOT/service/whatever, then tell SS it's done. SS then ring you and tell you the diagnosis and what it will cost, having, it seems, tripled whatever the garage told them it would.
At that point, if you're me, you scream 'NO EFFING WAY AM I PAYING THAT'. Then they bring the car back and you take it somewhere cheaper! They'll redo the MOT for free once the work is done though, no matter who does it.
On the surface it's a good idea - you don't have to traipse around a bunch of garages trying to work out who will/won't overcharge you: it's all there online, in writing. But of course, they make their money somewhere and that's by massively marking up whatever the garages say needs doing. Like rudely marked up.0 -
DanceBiscuits83 wrote: »They don't - it's just a website. You go on, compare the prices offered for whatever it is you want (don't think you get to see the garage providing it until you book) and pick one at a price you like. They have a list of 'trusted' service providers - garages that do the work
From I can make out, you can't trust any of these websites, they make money buy charging businesses to be on the site and they don't allow bad reviews (delete them). That's how these websites for "tradesmen" work.
Even I have to admit it's hard to find a garage you can trust and I don't tend to listen to friends/family in that respect either, because i'm not somebody who's taken in by "chat" and most people I know are.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
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I need an exhaust on a BINI . It would take an hour. The part is £50 to £70 on ebay, £76 at ECP but I have a 25% off code.
I have replaced exhausts before but I can't really be bothered to spend saturday swearing from under my wife's car.
Local Fast fit place quoted me £228, then reduced that to £200 when I laughed, and asked him to think again.
Local Back street garage will do it for £42 if I provide the part, but can't fit me in for 4 days as "too busy" . Last time I paid them to do work, they told me they couldn't fit it in til "Next Thursday, but we will only need it for the morning" They actually meant "We'll ignore it until Friday but lie to you that we've started the job, and finally phone you late Friday afternoon to say it's ready - but when you pick it up our apprentice will tell you we started it at 3pm Friday as he wasn't party to the lies on the phone"
I'll most likely do it myself as I don't mind paying £42 to not have to lie under the car, but I can't wait until next week, and I am not paying someone the best part of £130 for an hours work.0 -
Mechanic sounded like a decent guy and I need some work done! What Garage was it and where are they based?0
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OK, I've never used these before but I've just gone on their website and put my plate and postcode in. Apparently, they recommend a full service (despite not knowing my service history), which should be £183.45?!?! A full service has never been anywhere near that price!
Anyone who actually uses these jokers is just as bad as them!0 -
after having had a no show before, i decided to give them another chance, and booked 3 months in advance for a service (i like to have 2 service on my car in a year) - and despite having done that, they call me the day before the service which i was looking forward to and say that my car cannot be booked in...this made me so upset and annoyed!
they are big on marketing and luring people in and cannot deliver. I will also be telling the Trading Standards about this...
stay away as much as you can0
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