Servicing Stop - Worst Service Ever

rev_henry

debtdebt wrote: »

A BMW doesn't need a main dealer or specialist to service it. Any decent garage can work on a BMW. They aren't anything special??!!

I don't disagree, key word being decent. Does this answer your question...?

AdrianC wrote: »

You booked THROUGH "Servicing Stop". They did not do the work, or ever even see your car.
Busy garages, with a good reputation locally, do not need to pay to get work in this way.

a&akay

As well reported, they're only as good as the garage on their franchise. The only 'work' carried out on my diesel on Thu 11 Jan 18 was to sign the logbook and cancel the servicing spanner on the dashboard. I undertook a finger test on the dipstick prior to collection. I supplied the 5l specialist oil can which came back full. The oil is still as black as the ace of spades with the acrid smell of used oil in a diesel engine. I've taken a sample for analysis by The OilLab if necessary. They told me the Total Base Number will indicate if the oil is new. I've taken out the air and the oil filter and photographed them with today's Sunday Times 14 Jan 18 as the backdrop. Both are not new. Working at 4 degrees C in the wind is no fun. Youtube has excellent videos of how to remove them showing what new filters look like. The deception is bad enough but it's the damage that could have occurred to the engine by the time of the new service spanner appearing, that could have cost £1000+, is the real issue. Response to complaint awaited.

vikingaero

I've posted this before about Servicing Stop and similar sites. Why?!?! All you have to do is ask friends, family and colleagues for decent local garages. If you are pulled in by the collect and deliver service then more fool you. Garages on sites like these are generally average to poor garages with no work. Same with takeaways on Just Eat and HH. A decent takeaway is flat out during main hours and doesn't need the hassle of JE/HH taking 30% cut for a poxy website.

Let's say SS quote you £100 for a service. SS take 30%. That leaves £70. 2 blokes on minimum wage to collect and deliver you car - say 15 minutes drive from your house = 2 man hours = £15 excluding NIC/Pension/Fuel/Insurance Etc. That's £55 to service your car. Mechanic for at £10 an hour max for a service = £45 to service your car. Generic oil filter and bulk oil at say £15 = £30 left for everything else. Rent, business rates, electricity, owners wages etc. What do you think they have to do? They will price gouge on anything they can find and make up about your car. Brake pads and discs are bread and butter scams for a lot of unscrupulous garages.

a&akay

Because it's people like pensioners and those with no knowledge of car servicing that will get sucked in on their price promise and reviews. A pick up and return on the same day is not to be sniffed at, do local garages provide the same service at those prices? They don't around here. I supplied the oil and said in my email that I didn't want any extra work carried out. They rang and said extra work was required so I reiterated what I'd already told them. The 2 best garages that I've used for years for honest MoTs have both sold up. The only ones left are those that, as you say, find brake and exhaust lambda defects that are hard to disprove. You're left with the option of going for a new test elsewhere. In my case it was to the local council, where the brakes were not an issue, twice.

takman

a&akay wrote: »

As well reported, they're only as good as the garage on their franchise. The only 'work' carried out on my diesel on Thu 11 Jan 18 was to sign the logbook and cancel the servicing spanner on the dashboard.

So you booked your car in for a service and they ended up signing the logbook!. They must be really stupid if they couldn't tell the difference between the Servicing Book and the Logbook :rotfl:

Ahmed.El-zahar

Actually all the front lights were off when the car came back (Dipped lights, High beams and Parking light)
I think they done it on purpose as a frustrated garage will do if you don't believe what they say and you shouldn't

Ahmed.El-zahar

AndyMc..... wrote: »

So they did your oil and filter change ticked some boxes on a check sheet and found additional work.

Your light wasn’t working before it went in and you wouldn’t let them fix it.

What’s your issue now?

My issues were I don't have problems with the car or MOT
I took the car to BMW after to check and surprise surprise nothing at all is needed. I also got a read out to say the lights were malfunction in the time they had the car
one bulb missing they offered £42+vat. I said No so they fused all the lights because I dared to say No
Repairing the lights has now cost more than £250

Ahmed.El-zahar

wgl2014 wrote: »

What was the damage to the light?

Are you saying that after the service you are only getting 8mpg? If so I would get your car checked out somewhere reputable ASAP.

I had the car checked at BMW and surprise surprise none of the extra items were needed.

Ahmed.El-zahar

agrinnall wrote: »

How was the car driven back to you at 6pm in late November with the lights not working?

Yes, he parked the car in the underground carp ark and said it is dangerous to drive.

wgl2014

Sorry but it's not very clear what you are saying they did to the lights. Did they actually damage them, take a fuse out, leave a bulb out?