costs of running a car

584467

I feel so strongly about this I think others should be made aware;

 On checking the invoice for my car service yesterday I noticed an amount of £1.44 had been added for screen wash.  As I’d topped up the screen wash myself the previous afternoon – I always do before it goes for MoT or Service, I was really annoyed by this.  In fairness, when I queried it with the Repairer they refunded it without quibble.  The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash, however when checking previous years’ service records it seems to be common practice. 

 Although it’s a small amount, it seems to be a nice little earner when you take into consideration all the cars that get serviced & I believe is downright dishonest to charge for something they haven’t done & should be called out on this.

I did feel slightly guilty quibbling over a small amount when businesses are struggling to survive - but so are we all - & I suspect garages are getting away with this on a large scale because they think people are reluctant to be seen to be nit-picking over small sums, but I don't get paid for work I haven't done...

 

AdrianC

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

Grumpy_chap

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Mercdriver

Grumpy_chap said:

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Apparently, my key fob was short of battery power.  So the Mazda dealer changed it and charged £16.99 - but my service cost the same as the service cost in any case, so you are correct.  

fred246

Mercdriver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Apparently, my key fob was short of battery power.  So the Mazda dealer changed it and charged £16.99 - but my service cost the same as the service cost in any case, so you are correct.  

£16.99 - was that for one button cell or two?

Mercdriver

fred246 said:

Mercdriver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Apparently, my key fob was short of battery power.  So the Mazda dealer changed it and charged £16.99 - but my service cost the same as the service cost in any case, so you are correct.  

£16.99 - was that for one button cell or two?

doesn't matter - my service cost exactly the same as if they didn't change it - so it was effectively free.

fred246

Mercdriver said:

fred246 said:

Mercdriver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Apparently, my key fob was short of battery power.  So the Mazda dealer changed it and charged £16.99 - but my service cost the same as the service cost in any case, so you are correct.  

£16.99 - was that for one button cell or two?

doesn't matter - my service cost exactly the same as if they didn't change it - so it was effectively free.

So anyone taking their car for a service gets charged £16.99 for replacing the batteries in the key fob even if they don't change the batteries in the key fob?

Mercdriver

fred246 said:

Mercdriver said:

fred246 said:

Mercdriver said:

Grumpy_chap said:

AdrianC said:

584467 said:

The explanation they offered was that ‘it comes up automatically when they input oil & filter change’ which was all I had done.  I can’t see the relationship between an oil change & screen wash...

It's good practice to go over the car and check the basics while it's in, so I can see it being part of their basic checklist of things to do. I'd suggest the proportion of people who do make a point of topping the screenwash up before taking the car in is somewhere around... you. 99% of people refill it when it stops working or - if the car has a level sensor - when it goes bing.

I purposefully never do anything before the car goes in for a service as that is what the garage is there for.  It is probably still sold as the basic interim service, more than just oil & filter change.  Did the garage give a price for the service when you booked?  Is that the price they charged?  How they split the bill is a bit irrelevant.

Apparently, my key fob was short of battery power.  So the Mazda dealer changed it and charged £16.99 - but my service cost the same as the service cost in any case, so you are correct.  

£16.99 - was that for one button cell or two?

doesn't matter - my service cost exactly the same as if they didn't change it - so it was effectively free.

So anyone taking their car for a service gets charged £16.99 for replacing the batteries in the key fob even if they don't change the batteries in the key fob?

I booked a service for a set price, and they charged me only that set price in spite of the £16.99 itemised.  I thought I had been clear.  I was reinforcing Grumpy___Chap's point.  

fred246

So they charge for screenwash that they don't put in and batteries that they don't change. Anything else?

Grumpy_chap

No, they charge you for a service.  That includes what you reasonably need and a good garage will manage it through "swings and roundabouts" so that you get what you need and don't get a surprise when the bill comes out.