Get car serviced at main dealer or local garage?

reeac

I used to service and repair my own cars ...even to the point of "scraping in" a white metal big end bearing once on a prewar car, but I now get my cars serviced by the dealer or a local garage. I must say that I've never had any reason to suspect fraud by any garage that I've used. I don't expect you to name names but perhaps you could give us a clue about geographical areas where you have experienced such, supposedly widespread, fraud.

fred246

People like trading standards and Which magazine have done multiple surveys over the years. They all have shown universally poor standards. Main dealers were no better than independents. Nothing was ever done to rectify those standards. It looks like trading standards has now been lost to austerity.

Mercdriver

fred246 wrote: »

They don't get in any trouble at all. Most people won't realise that they haven't had the service done and the garage just pockets the money. Google it. Trading Standards don't want to know. They won't deal with the public. The advice is to phone citizens advice. Citizens advice on their website says sort it out with the garage. So the garage just say bring it back and we will repeat the service. That's what amazes me. The penalty for not having done a service is to have to do the service. One of my colleagues phoned up the credit card company and said I have not had a service that I paid for and he got an immediate refund off the credit card company. The poor servicing standards are the same whether you use a main dealer or an independent.

Let's see you back up your crackpot views with some evidence. Instead of tarring all dealers/independents with a broad brush give specific examples and have the evidence to back it up so you can defend a libel case.

Trading standards may not be 'client' facing, but they can be brought in by Citizens advice. Again you use supposition rather than any first hand experience.

If you have any evidence perhaps we might see you on BBC's Watchdog doing a massive exposè.

I won't hold my breath.

motorguy

fred246 wrote: »

Cars are made to incredible standards and then sold by a network of idiots. I have never bought a car with more than a 3 year warranty so for most of the life of the car it has no warranty. So I only miss 2 years of warranty. I have never had a problem. You can always buy dealer stamps on eBay. The advantage is that you know the servicing has been done properly for the whole life of the car. I have never had any engine problems on any car I have ever owned. I do a lot of research so I am unlikely to buy an engine without a good track record. There is nothing professional whatsoever about a car dealership. There is no requirement for mechanics to have any qualifications. They are not registered and have no professional body. If you could service a mini years ago you could service a modern car. They are much easier. I have saved myself a fortune over the years.

My dads Ibiza had the old fashioned 1.4i engine and still had two new engines fitted under warranty.

My Golf 1.6TDI required a 1/2 wiring loom fitted under warranty @ £,£££s and a new water pump costing £££s.

My Passat TDI required a full emissions control unit under warranty costing approx £2,350.

My Cooper S required a new pedal box under warranty at a cost of £500+

All those are in the last 5 years.

All of those cars, and others that we have had under warranty have been dealt with by the franchise dealer in a professional manner and to my expectations. Had they not i would have phoned the manufacturers customer services team.

All of those cars thus benefited from

• The full manufacturers warranty
• A servicing regime and history that maintained the value of the car.

You are talking about your unique circumstances perhaps from over a decade ago about vehicles you keep up to 20 years.

That is wholly not relevant to the O/Ps situation and i dont see why you cant accept your circumstances, experiences and approach are not not applicatable - and in fact are going to cost him many times any perceived saving if applied to the O/Ps circumstances. :eek:

motorguy

fred246 wrote: »

It's only the same as a dealer stamping a book and not actually doing a service which is common practice. Dealers will also just stamp books when a service history is needed.

Please provide hard evidence of this. You are extrapolating your beliefs as fact.

motorguy

fred246 wrote: »

When a dealer stamps a book without doing a service the customer is advised to phone citizens advice. Citizens advice tell them to go back to the dealer and ask them to service it. That's all that happens. There are no fines.

Please provide evidence of this widespread practice.

In the first instance, if i am not happy with the service i have received from a franchised dealer, the first point of contact is the manufacturers Customer Service team.

They will and do investigate these things.

Not a pups chance it is a widespread practice.

motorguy

Deleted_User wrote: »

I think that a main dealer not doing the device properly is probably very rare as if they were found out by a watchdog they would be in deep mire. You’ve more chance of getting a proper job done at a main dealer than at a back street garage but you do pay more for it.

Its not any watchdog - its the manufacturer themselves.

If the manufacturer caught a dealer doing this, they would lose their franchise.

motorguy

fred246 wrote: »

People like trading standards and Which magazine have done multiple surveys over the years. They all have shown universally poor standards. Main dealers were no better than independents. Nothing was ever done to rectify those standards. It looks like trading standards has now been lost to austerity.

Links please to services not being done by main franchised dealers.

almillar

If you have a new car and you plan to sell it after 3 years it will be OK without being serviced. You don't want it servicing but you want stamps in the book. So if you take a new car to the main dealer for a few hundred pounds they will stamp the book. Neither party is bothered if anything is actually done.

I have never had any engine problems on any car I have ever owned. I do a lot of research so I am unlikely to buy an engine without a good track record

Fred. What if, stick with me, I follow your advice, and don't service my new car, for 3 years. I buy dealer stamps on eBay. Then you buy my car. 'Full Service History'. You service it yourself for a few years.

Who will you blame if the engine breaks?

roddydogs

Must admit a couple of years ago, my car needed the air con repaired and the service was done at the same time, I checked the dipstick and noted the oil colour. I am 99% ertain it wasnt changed, and the old trick of marking the filter was too fiddly as their is now a cover underneath. But what could I do? It was still covered by warranty, it might have just have been a lazy mechanic, not the suits.I didnt say anything.



veen a lazy mechanic