'A' Service = SHOCK Of My Life

[MSG2004]

Hi

Phone to MB today/London.

Car needs MOT for Sept and about 2300 miles before next service/

So I asked for a 'A' service and mot.

The lady came backwith a price:

The lady @ MB: Sir, once you've paid the 62 pounds mot this time, it will be free for the next mot, or until you sell he car. This is if you have it service. As your car as almost reached 42000 miles, with the '' service you will need the plugs, engine oil, gear box oil & filter changed = inc VAT = £986.00

(((no, i do not drive a S class MB, but aW203, 10k auto classic SE 2003)))
In the past I paid about 20 for an A service & abou 50 for a B service.

So i asked for a gearbox oil & filter change only = tha was just over £200.00 inc vat.


The lady expalined as the car had reached 42 k miles it meant extrawork

BTW, they offered me a 20% discount as car is more than 3 years old.

As I can changed the oil, filter air filter, plugs - where can I get the auto gearbox oil and filter changed & appox how much??? (what oil & filter))

I have read up on auto box oil & filter change & its too complexed for me

Thanks!

 

[simon_wall69]

If you say where you are, someone should be able to recommend an independent or gearbox specialist near to you; it shouldn't cost a great deal.

 

[jberks]

As Simon says - use an indie - I'd guess around £3-400 for the lot.

However - based on my E classes which should be a bit more than yours - roughly
A Service £240 in oil etc
plugs £200 - 12 on the 240 - either 4 or 8 on yours so adjust accordingly
Gearbox oil & filters £200 (also had it done last year on the 270 - at a dealer - and it was around this amount too)

So, I make £650 topside based on a more expensive car & without a discount.

Where do they get £986??

Additionally, assuming its running fine, there is no reason to change the plugs. They're possibly time expired but mileage wise and therefore wear wise they're fine and they'll let you know when they start to give up - probably not for another few years yet. The ones in the 240 were officially good for 60k. On the advice of the indie I left them and eventually changed them at 70k and to be fair that was premature.

 

[Blobcat]

I think they get the £986 due to being in London....

 

[karlefr]

I had my B service done, Oilchange, Filter change, Gearbox oil changed, Gasket, Front Antirollbar replaced, two bushings replaced, replaced faulty Thermostat:

Total; Euro 680!!!!!!!

Mercedes-Benz Dealer McElligotts, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

You are being ripped off in England!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greetings

 

[jberks]

I think they get the £986 due to being in London....

Yet another reason to live in Yorkshire - that and in the last 3 weeks I haven't been mugged, knifed or shot, not even once !

 

[zweistein]

I had my B service done, Oilchange, Filter change, Gearbox oil changed, Gasket, Front Antirollbar replaced, two bushings replaced, replaced faulty Thermostat:

Total; Euro 680!!!!!!!

Mercedes-Benz Dealer McElligotts, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

You are being ripped off in England!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greetings[/quote


Oh indeed we are being ripped off in England! in every imaginable way, last year my MB dealer wanted to charge me nearly £500 for two front discs and pads for my C220, because we were going to Germany just two days after the quote, we were told that it would be ok to drive to Germany and back on the exsisting breaks.
Once in Germany, I could tolerate the squealing no longer, I called the RAC who within 20 minutes took us to the nearest MB dealer, having explained the situation to the very friendly Manager, our car was on the ramp with the wheels off in 5 minutes flat.
Not only did they fit 2 new front discs and pads, they replaced the rear pads too! whilst all this was happening we had coffee and cakes, the receptionist kept our child amused, and we paid 220 Euro for the lot.
Indeed we are being ripped off in England!!!!!!!

 

[zweistein]

oooops! that should be brakes not breaks! I'm not illiterate.....honest

 

[Blobcat]

Yet another reason to live in Yorkshire - that and in the last 3 weeks I haven't been mugged, knifed or shot, not even once !

I have a meeting in London next month followed by another in North Wales, I'm being pushed to take the train to London then the underground then after the meeting underground to city airport fly to Manchester then hire car to North Wales and back home. I (A) Don't want to go & (B) would much rather drive. It will be faster driving into London and up to North Wales than taking the train, underground & flying.

 

[MSG2004]

Thank you all, bar 1!

I live in SE10. So any go indie?
Thanks

 

[zweistein]

Thank you all, bar 1!

I live in SE10. So any go indie?
Thanks

Bar 1! eh? tut tut

 

[st4]

The same thread on two different forums. Olly (Black C55) IIRC might be worth having a chat to.

 

[RGubbioli]

Yet another reason to live in Yorkshire - that and in the last 3 weeks I haven't been mugged, knifed or shot, not even once !

Yes, but do you have electricity and running water up there?

 

[100%Bitch]

Yes, but do you have electricity and running water up there?

Electricity no, but running water yes - it runs straight off the roof of the cave and down the walls.

 

[PeterCLK]

Electricity no, but running water yes - it runs straight off the roof of the cave and down the walls.

Didn't Noel Coward find Norfolk "very flat" ?

 

[jberks]

Yes, but do you have electricity and running water up there?

Yup,
We got t'canal out back so we can take a bath every 3 months whether we need one or not. Now that's luxury.
As for that elastictrickery - nah - witchcraft all that. Nowt wrong with steam.

 

[GKH]

hi all
having less debt up north we can still afford electricity

 

[philharve]

What about Cornwall?

Yet another reason to live in Yorkshire - that and in the last 3 weeks I haven't been mugged, knifed or shot, not even once !

Hi All

If I understand the logic of this argument, MB owners pay over the odds for service in the large conabations but less the further they are from the cities. Yorkshire may be cheaper but where does this leave Wales and Cornwall and other 'far off' places? Servicing is not cheap in the Southwest where I live and we don't have the luxury of cheap alternative transport systems. Vehicles are a necessity rather than a luxury and so the main dealers have got us over a barrel. We don't have many indies here but those I'm familiar with provide excellent service and are comparatively cheap, between 30 and 50 percent of the hourly rate of the MB dealers.

As for crime, there's a lot of it in Cornwall but it seldom attracts the headlines. Muggings are quite common but I reckon more goes on in the motor trade.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[jberks]

Hi All

If I understand the logic of this argument, MB owners pay over the odds for service in the large conabations but less the further they are from the cities. Yorkshire may be cheaper but where does this leave Wales and Cornwall and other 'far off' places? Servicing is not cheap in the Southwest where I live and we don't have the luxury of cheap alternative transport systems. Vehicles are a necessity rather than a luxury and so the main dealers have got us over a barrel. We don't have many indies here but those I'm familiar with provide excellent service and are comparatively cheap, between 30 and 50 percent of the hourly rate of the MB dealers.

As for crime, there's a lot of it in Cornwall but it seldom attracts the headlines. Muggings are quite common but I reckon more goes on in the motor trade.

REGARDS

Phil

To be serious for a moment, I really don't understand why SE dealerships seem to be so hell bent on overcharging. Accepted, a dealership out in the sticks, with lower overheads etc will probably be cheaper. But, the ones I refer to are located in Leeds and Harrogate. Leeds is the 3rd/4th biggest city in Britain and the biggest financial centre outside London. The local dealership is enourmous. Accepted, the cost of living is probably lower than central London, but I doubt there is much in it when comapred to the suburbs where most of you really live, hence their overheads won't be much different and so nether should their charges.

Then there is choice. I take the mickey out of the SE for being a sardine tin to live in, but the upside of a 6 to a room lifestyle is a greater range of choice per square mile, hence, competition should be fiercer where you have dozens of dealerships plus hundreds of indies to choose from as against me who has 2 of each.

On the crime front there is a lot in what Phil says. London will be the worst but you do have to allow for the media when you take a view. BBC news is based in London and its well understood that from their perspective nationally important news only happens in London - hence small scale crime in london becomes a major national story and more serious crime, elsewhere never gets mentioned.

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

The average Merc' driver in London must be prepared to pay at that sort of level. All about company/individual disposable income, a sensible business wouldnt keep quoting prices to customers that they knew would be rejected. That just raises their overheads??:wink: