Servicing Stop - Environmental Surcharge

Mildly_Miffed

paul_c123 said:

The problem is, they are double charging because waste oil is in fact a positive cost "waste" material (like for example metal and batteries - yes technically its waste but it has a value; and unlike say plastics, which have a negative cost). Waste oil is blended and burned in small to medium scale furnaces, typically as part of the waste treatment plant and modern ones have scrubbers too. So all told, not that bad for the environment. 

Not directly to the garage. They pay to have it taken away.

The company taking it get their revenue at both ends - as with scrap metal collectors, tyre recyclers, etc - but that doesn't mean it's income to the garage.

But, yes, "avoid servicing stop" is a long-established maxim in this forum.

In fact, they're another example of that double-ended-revenue stream. Garages pay them, they also make money from the customer.

Why do those garages pay them? Because they don't have a good enough local reputation to trade effectively on their own. Because they're the ones that the word on the street locally says to avoid...

Grey_Critic

We *sold* our waste oil and scrap metal, Oil filters, Exhausts, Brake discs, body panels and such and quite lucrative  at the end of the year. I think someone has been quite crafty with the excuse *Environment- used. When I wrote annual budgets disposal costs of such was included in the Labour costs - Yes we did charge for Miscellaneous items such as replacement circlips, nuts, bolts etc. but Brake cleaner was issued as a service kitem and shown as a charge, We also had a much more sensible limit rather than 5% or 10% of the bill.     

                                        

WellKnownSid

Mildly_Miffed said:

paul_c123 said:

The problem is, they are double charging because waste oil is in fact a positive cost "waste" material (like for example metal and batteries - yes technically its waste but it has a value; and unlike say plastics, which have a negative cost). Waste oil is blended and burned in small to medium scale furnaces, typically as part of the waste treatment plant and modern ones have scrubbers too. So all told, not that bad for the environment. 

But, yes, "avoid servicing stop" is a long-established maxim in this forum.

In fact, they're another example of that double-ended-revenue stream. Garages pay them, they also make money from the customer.

I can never understand the attraction of these services. Perhaps I should set up a website “letmeputyourbinout.com”.

People could pay me £5 a week to put their bin out - then I could charge them £80 a week on top +10% to cover the rising cost of diesel used to fuel the bin lorry.

Mildly_Miffed

WellKnownSid said:

I can never understand the attraction of these services.

It's easier for many than talking to your friends, colleagues, and neighbours.

born_again

JanuaryBlues26 said:

I had my sons car serviced through booking company Servicing Stop. 
When i received the invoice there was an Environmental surcharge of £85 plus VAT. When i asked what this was for they said it was to do with disposal of oils etc. So I went direct to the garage and asked them how much they would have charged and they said they do not charge this to the customers as they re-cycle their waste oils.  Is this therefore legal that Servicing Stop charge the customer 10% of whatever the extra charges are when the garage doesnt charge them. How does HMRC justify this as well? In the Terms and Conditions it states its 5% but this is still too much when the garage arent actually charging them anything!

Recycling co's charge for this service.
 Unless by recycle they mean it goes into a big drum & they recycle into others cars oil changes...
Seems many of garages using the 3rd party co's are the ones not being used by people due to their low standards. Any good local recommended garage is always busy & word of mouth is enough for them. Instead of paying a 3rd party to drum up work..

paul_c123

Mildly_Miffed said:

WellKnownSid said:

I can never understand the attraction of these services.

It's easier for many than talking to your friends, colleagues, and neighbours.

For clarity, what "Servicing Stop" offer is collection + service + delivery. I don't know any garages outside of main dealers who would offer that. And for some, the convenience of having it collected vs having to take it to a garage and collect it, is enormous (shift workers, no public transport, etc). I'm not saying go to Servicing Stop but please be sure we're comparing like-for-like.

Mildly_Miffed

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

WellKnownSid said:

I can never understand the attraction of these services.

It's easier for many than talking to your friends, colleagues, and neighbours.

For clarity, what "Servicing Stop" offer is collection + service + delivery. I don't know any garages outside of main dealers who would offer that.

Most of the small ones round here.

But there's usually plenty of other options, anyway. From walking or cycling or getting a bus, to... asking your friends, colleagues, neighbours for a lift.

EssexExile

paul_c123 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

WellKnownSid said:

I can never understand the attraction of these services.

It's easier for many than talking to your friends, colleagues, and neighbours.

For clarity, what "Servicing Stop" offer is collection + service + delivery. I don't know any garages outside of main dealers who would offer that. And for some, the convenience of having it collected vs having to take it to a garage and collect it, is enormous (shift workers, no public transport, etc). I'm not saying go to Servicing Stop but please be sure we're comparing like-for-like.

Some do, some don't. It depends how enterprising the boss is.

JanuaryBlues26

paul_c123 said:

JanuaryBlues26 said:

I had my sons car serviced through booking company Servicing Stop. 
When i received the invoice there was an Environmental surcharge of £85 plus VAT. When i asked what this was for they said it was to do with disposal of oils etc. So I went direct to the garage and asked them how much they would have charged and they said they do not charge this to the customers as they re-cycle their waste oils.  Is this therefore legal that Servicing Stop charge the customer 10% of whatever the extra charges are when the garage doesnt charge them. How does HMRC justify this as well? In the Terms and Conditions it states its 5% but this is still too much when the garage arent actually charging them anything!

So your car had £850 of additional work done?

Having checked the T&Cs, they are indeed sloppy because one page mentions 10% environmental surcharge and another mentions 5%. The problem is, they are double charging because waste oil is in fact a positive cost "waste" material (like for example metal and batteries - yes technically its waste but it has a value; and unlike say plastics, which have a negative cost). Waste oil is blended and burned in small to medium scale furnaces, typically as part of the waste treatment plant and modern ones have scrubbers too. So all told, not that bad for the environment. 

If its in their T&Cs they can justify it. I guess they are making some kind of environmental point that they are re-investing some of that money into, errrr............. well they just waffle at that point. So its just an extra charge they make, for profit. Much like the admin charge for being paid when you sell your car to WBAC, or Ryanair charging you to have a **** on the plane if you don't visit the loos at the airport, etc. But if its in the T&Cs nobody reads, they've got you.

What is the connection to HMRC? They are interested in collecting taxes, they don't audit terms and conditions or how much businesses charge consumers.

My reference to HMRC was due to the fact they also added VAT to the environmental surchage which is not shown on the invoice and the fact that they are not being charged for the service by the garage so this blatantly a false charge. 
They Are rip off merchants as they also charged £200 +Vat for brake fluid change and even a Skoda garage would have only charged £60. So their claims that they comparable to main dealer charges is complete rubbish.
They also state they will take to a local garage and the one they chose was 22 miles away, I had no problem at all with the work done by the garage but I will not be using Servicing Stop again.