Diagnostic Fee - Fair?

motorguy

dipsomaniac said:

I just hope this thread does not deter people from trying to save money by fixing their own cars. That is what MSE is all about.

Mechanics aren't super human and engines really haven't changed a lot in 120 yrs (just less room to work in). IMO people  have become a lot lazier when it comes to washing their cars and doing basic repairs.  That is why garages can get away with the exorbitant fees they charge.

It is wholly NOT what MSE is all about.

This is not a DIY forum.

We've been over this before, please go check the other boards, about us, etc.

motorguy

dipsomaniac said:

I just hope this thread does not deter people from trying to save money by fixing their own cars. That is what MSE is all about.

Mechanics aren't super human and engines really haven't changed a lot in 120 yrs (just less room to work in). IMO people  have become a lot lazier when it comes to washing their cars and doing basic repairs.  That is why garages can get away with the exorbitant fees they charge.

Mechanics are trained experts in their field.  

Theres an easy way to avoid "exhorbitant" main dealer charges - find and build a relationship with a local indy.  Its not hard - well might be hard for some on here though, given some of the personality traits coming through.

If someone wants to have a go themselves then great - but they need to be aware there could be unexpected consequences to that.

If someone wants to find the cheapest way to get something done as they dont want to / havent the capability / prefer to be doing other things in their spare time than lie underneath a car, then theres loads of options.  THATS what MSE is about - helping people find the best way for them to get something.  "Doing it yourself" is not the best way for many people, but they do want a more cost effective solution.

Thats what I / we provided for the O/P here.  They went away happy.  What did you offer on the thread, other than bickering and bitterness?

Thrugelmir

Jenni_D said:

pimento said:

Well, I said I was surprised that they would charge me the full £126 diagnostic fee seeing how I bought the car from them, had always had it serviced by them, the fault appeared very soon after it had been serviced by them, was having the fault fixed by them and that the likelihood was that I'd be buying my next car from them and it made no difference at all. I was told the diagnostic computer was a very expensive piece of equipment and the charge was therefore justified.
Looks like my next car won't be bought from there. Shame.

Write to the Dealer Principal at the dealer to express your dismay at their intransigence, and advise him that they've now lost your future business in all respects. (Servicing, repairs and future vehicle purchases).

A rocket under the DP's backside can sometimes work wonders.

Makes me chuckle when people think that they can tell others how to run their business. When they've never run a similar business themselves. 

Jenni_D

Thrugelmir said:

Jenni_D said:

pimento said:

Well, I said I was surprised that they would charge me the full £126 diagnostic fee seeing how I bought the car from them, had always had it serviced by them, the fault appeared very soon after it had been serviced by them, was having the fault fixed by them and that the likelihood was that I'd be buying my next car from them and it made no difference at all. I was told the diagnostic computer was a very expensive piece of equipment and the charge was therefore justified.
Looks like my next car won't be bought from there. Shame.

Write to the Dealer Principal at the dealer to express your dismay at their intransigence, and advise him that they've now lost your future business in all respects. (Servicing, repairs and future vehicle purchases).

A rocket under the DP's backside can sometimes work wonders.

Makes me chuckle when people think that they can tell others how to run their business. When they've never run a similar business themselves. 

Makes me chuckle when people denigrate sensible advice purely to act like an under-bridge-dweller.  

A sensible company wouldn't "cut off their nose to spite their face" ... a compromise on the fee may result in the consumer staying as a customer. No compromise = customer lost (lots of future business - this was a long-standing customer, remember) and negative publicity with that former-customer's family and friends which may lead to further lost business.

If this wasn't obvious ...... 🙄

Herzlos

Ibrahim5 said:

The connection costs £3.95 for the interface. The hardware on the other side is a phone or PC. Anything made in the last 25 years should do. Anything else is software costs.

I'm curious, how long do you think a £3.95* reader interface off of eBay would last in a commercial garage, being used easily 20 times a day?

*You're being ripped off at £3.95 too, it's probably a £1 part with profit and shipping. You could save a fortune by making your own with a bluetooth chip and about 20p worth of wire.
It's all just software driven, so you could write that yourself for free if you wanted to.

motorguy

Jenni_D said:

Thrugelmir said:

Jenni_D said:

pimento said:

Well, I said I was surprised that they would charge me the full £126 diagnostic fee seeing how I bought the car from them, had always had it serviced by them, the fault appeared very soon after it had been serviced by them, was having the fault fixed by them and that the likelihood was that I'd be buying my next car from them and it made no difference at all. I was told the diagnostic computer was a very expensive piece of equipment and the charge was therefore justified.
Looks like my next car won't be bought from there. Shame.

Write to the Dealer Principal at the dealer to express your dismay at their intransigence, and advise him that they've now lost your future business in all respects. (Servicing, repairs and future vehicle purchases).

A rocket under the DP's backside can sometimes work wonders.

Makes me chuckle when people think that they can tell others how to run their business. When they've never run a similar business themselves. 

Makes me chuckle when people denigrate sensible advice purely to act like an under-bridge-dweller.  

A sensible company wouldn't "cut off their nose to spite their face" ... a compromise on the fee may result in the consumer staying as a customer. No compromise = customer lost (lots of future business - this was a long-standing customer, remember) and negative publicity with that former-customer's family and friends which may lead to further lost business.

If this wasn't obvious ...... 🙄

The problem is, you're likely speaking to some service advisor whos got no authority to make those decisions and / or it could be company policy not to discount / waiver the diagnositics charge if it a relatively low overall cost.  

I used to work in a main dealers (a lifetime ago now!) and we'd have got that regularly.  I remember it being on occasions as blatant as "if you dont do X now for me then i'll not by my next car here in Y years time".  

motorguy

Herzlos said:

Ibrahim5 said:

The connection costs £3.95 for the interface. The hardware on the other side is a phone or PC. Anything made in the last 25 years should do. Anything else is software costs.

I'm curious, how long do you think a £3.95* reader interface off of eBay would last in a commercial garage, being used easily 20 times a day?

*You're being ripped off at £3.95 too, it's probably a £1 part with profit and shipping. You could save a fortune by making your own with a bluetooth chip and about 20p worth of wire.
It's all just software driven, so you could write that yourself for free if you wanted to.

There was an amateur do gooder near where i used to live who would "put EMLs and airbag lights out for £20".  He'd 100% success rate. 

He just unscrewed the dash and took the bulb out or broke it in situ.  

Jenni_D

motorguy said:

Jenni_D said:

Thrugelmir said:

Jenni_D said:

pimento said:

Well, I said I was surprised that they would charge me the full £126 diagnostic fee seeing how I bought the car from them, had always had it serviced by them, the fault appeared very soon after it had been serviced by them, was having the fault fixed by them and that the likelihood was that I'd be buying my next car from them and it made no difference at all. I was told the diagnostic computer was a very expensive piece of equipment and the charge was therefore justified.
Looks like my next car won't be bought from there. Shame.

Write to the Dealer Principal at the dealer to express your dismay at their intransigence, and advise him that they've now lost your future business in all respects. (Servicing, repairs and future vehicle purchases).

A rocket under the DP's backside can sometimes work wonders.

Makes me chuckle when people think that they can tell others how to run their business. When they've never run a similar business themselves. 

Makes me chuckle when people denigrate sensible advice purely to act like an under-bridge-dweller.  

A sensible company wouldn't "cut off their nose to spite their face" ... a compromise on the fee may result in the consumer staying as a customer. No compromise = customer lost (lots of future business - this was a long-standing customer, remember) and negative publicity with that former-customer's family and friends which may lead to further lost business.

If this wasn't obvious ...... 🙄

The problem is, you're likely speaking to some service advisor whos got no authority to make those decisions and / or it could be company policy not to discount / waiver the diagnositics charge if it a relatively low overall cost.  

I used to work in a main dealers (a lifetime ago now!) and we'd have got that regularly.  I remember it being on occasions as blatant as "if you dont do X now for me then i'll not by my next car here in Y years time".  

The Dealer Principal is a service advisor with no authority? (My original post is embedded in the quotes).

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If they say No then they would all still be in the same position - OP with the future business and the dealer not getting it.

motorguy

Jenni_D said:

motorguy said:

Jenni_D said:

Thrugelmir said:

Jenni_D said:

pimento said:

Well, I said I was surprised that they would charge me the full £126 diagnostic fee seeing how I bought the car from them, had always had it serviced by them, the fault appeared very soon after it had been serviced by them, was having the fault fixed by them and that the likelihood was that I'd be buying my next car from them and it made no difference at all. I was told the diagnostic computer was a very expensive piece of equipment and the charge was therefore justified.
Looks like my next car won't be bought from there. Shame.

Write to the Dealer Principal at the dealer to express your dismay at their intransigence, and advise him that they've now lost your future business in all respects. (Servicing, repairs and future vehicle purchases).

A rocket under the DP's backside can sometimes work wonders.

Makes me chuckle when people think that they can tell others how to run their business. When they've never run a similar business themselves. 

Makes me chuckle when people denigrate sensible advice purely to act like an under-bridge-dweller.  

A sensible company wouldn't "cut off their nose to spite their face" ... a compromise on the fee may result in the consumer staying as a customer. No compromise = customer lost (lots of future business - this was a long-standing customer, remember) and negative publicity with that former-customer's family and friends which may lead to further lost business.

If this wasn't obvious ...... 🙄

The problem is, you're likely speaking to some service advisor whos got no authority to make those decisions and / or it could be company policy not to discount / waiver the diagnositics charge if it a relatively low overall cost.  

I used to work in a main dealers (a lifetime ago now!) and we'd have got that regularly.  I remember it being on occasions as blatant as "if you dont do X now for me then i'll not by my next car here in Y years time".  

The Dealer Principal is a service advisor with no authority? (My original post is embedded in the quotes).

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If they say No then they would all still be in the same position - OP with the future business and the dealer not getting it.

They'd been refused it by the service dept though, thats where i was coming from.

We'd have seen those threats all the time.  Our DP was well used to it and would have replied "well you are of course free to buy your next car wherever you chose to".

He owned the most successful privately owned dealership back then and its still the most successful in the area some 30 years later, so he must be doing something right

Jenni_D

As I said - nothing ventured, nothing gained. OP would be no worse off trying with an email.