Ford Dealer Vs Independent (again)

dom272

Hi,

I've been reading around about this but wanted to ask if it was worth paying (£270) for the Ford dealer service over the (£122) service offered by servicingstop for any reason?

e.g. Ford offer an "echeck" and I wondered if this was exclusive to them?

They also include a 1year breakdown service but I'm assuming its cheaper to buy this seperately.

BeenThroughItAll

Whatever you do, I'd advise searching this board for threads about ServicingStop. They have lurid titles like:


"ServicingStop Ate My Daughter! Avoid these cannibalistic Mad Men"


and


"I asked for servicing by ServicingStop and all I got was a leg amputation"


Yes, I'm exaggerating the titles, but the feedback is not good.

daveyjp

Compare what the dealer will do compared to servicing stop.

SS state they service to manufacturers requirements.

My car has just had a full main dealer service. It had fully synth oil, pollen filter, air filter, brake and clutch fluid change, front to back wheel swap and ECU software upgrade which are all required to keep the warranty intact.

SS full service 'to manufacturers spec' for the sum of £109 excludes all of the above work.

forgotmyname

I would rather pay a main dealer £1000+ for a service rather than use servicingstop.

shaun_from_Africa

This is the bit that would put me off:

Your car service will be done by an approved Servicing Stop garage

Unless I knew the garage that was going to be carrying out the work I would never let them do it.
How are they approved? Cost?, Speed, a back hander to someone?

[Deleted User]

Is my car worth risking for £148 is the question you might ask yourself

ukjoel

How old is your car?

If its under 3 years old is it worth saving £100 but losing the full main dealer history it has.

The loss of stamps might mean a future buyer dropping the value of your car by £200 or more.

Ford do some cheaper services on older cars (and if you shop around a lot of dealers do offers as well, especially during the quiet months.

I think a good independent is the best option on a 3 year plus car but base this on experience and feedback from people you know and trust.

dom272

Scary!...But they get 5/5 based on 5946 user reviews?

Also, how do you know what they will/won't include? Can't find that info anywhere....they do say they use genuine parts and guarantee 1yr (although that's probably impossible to hold them to if anything went wrong).

Think i may go with the good garage scheme to try a good independent. Does anyone know if this a good scheme?

May also try to ring around local dealers to find a special offer, thanks for the tip.

Also, the estimated £200 off resale value would be equalised after 2 services at this rate (£150 saved after just this service) so that doesn't seem to be a valid reason to service at the main dealer?

Thanks for the replies!

motorguy

dom272 wrote: »

Scary!...But they get 5/5 based on 5946 user reviews?

Also, how do you know what they will/won't include? Can't find that info anywhere....they do say they use genuine parts and guarantee 1yr (although that's probably impossible to hold them to if anything went wrong).

Think i may go with the good garage scheme to try a good independent. Does anyone know if this a good scheme?

May also try to ring around local dealers to find a special offer, thanks for the tip.

Also, the estimated £200 off resale value would be equalised after 2 services at this rate (£150 saved after just this service) so that doesn't seem to be a valid reason to service at the main dealer?

Thanks for the replies!

What age is the car?

dom272

13 reg so about 3yrs old

motorguy

dom272 wrote: »

13 reg so about 3yrs old

Personally, i'd take it to Ford.

If the engine goes bang or you have a major fault in six months time or a year, with a full Ford History you'll get a major contribution from the manufacturer.

If its been serviced by Johnny Local, then Ford wont be under any such obligation.

Also, you'll get the latest software updates, recalls applied, safety notices, etc by going to Ford.

Also, it will get what its due for that specific mileage according to the Ford service guides, rather than the minimum doing that Johnny Local thinks he can get away with

And also, its currently a dealer retailable car under their Approved Used schemes and even for a couple of years yet would make good main dealer stock. If you go down the indy servicing route, then they'll be trading it on, which means a lower valuation.

Of course if you plan on driving it years, the final point doesnt really matter.