Does anyone think I had 'Idiot' written on my forehead ...?!

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Lulu01

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'Scuse me whilst I have a bit of a rant ... and maybe shed a tear or two!

I've just had my 2004 C class serviced (B) by Mercedes and was expecting it to be quite high as it was previously serviced by my Company and they've had a variety of garages maintain the fleet over the years. This was the first service with me as the owner. I guess I was thinking £600 - £800 inclusive. WRONG! Try £1300!!!

I was so stunned I left the garage without checking, or querying the bill. I am now just going through it with a view to discussing it with them tomorrow and can't make head nor tail of it. I've had everything done bar a new body (and heaven know's I need one, even if the car doesn't!).

They have charged me £62.00 to take it for a test drive!!! What?!

I've been charged for rear brake pads - no problem there. Then they've also charged me for brake rotors; 2 x brake cleaner; 2 x brake discs; brake shoe; sender unit; fastener; oh and let's not for the brake paste. Then we move onto V belt; fuel filter; air filter clean; and fuel hose. Then comes the service along with a washer; battery set; seal ring; combi filter; oil filter; oil; oil filler cap; and brake fluid.

The best bit was that I've just had it MoT'd and they missed a bit of play on the offside track rod.

Does this stuff sound reasonable after 4 years of servicing and maintenance by mainly non Mercedes garages?

:shock: :confused: :(
 

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As I understand it they are not allowed to do unscheduled work with out asking first,, that bill is awful, terrible
 

Xtractorfan

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Whoa did they go to town on you... I think it is idiotic to leave a car with any garage in this day and age and expect an honest to goodness bill for work done, always. always ask for an estimate and leave instructions that no work or nothing else is to be done unless your permission is sought and got.. By all means query the bill, I can see why you wouldnt at the time as the shock just leaves you dumbfounded..

garages are feeling the pinch and their latest way of making money is from servicing and add on after sales ..

Unless a substancial reduction is given on your bill you should inform them that you intend to take your car to a local indie in future
 
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turbopete

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£62 just to go for a spin round the block? thats what id call taking the P!55 big time! and unless they replaced front AND rear brake discs then as far as im aware discs and rotors are the same thing! unless it was the abs sensor rotors they changed!! also theres no mention of new brake pads. parking brake shoes, yes, but id guess that the rear discs were replaced so the rear pads should also have been changed! especially at that price!
 

PeterCLK

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Who are these thieving b******s so that we can all avoid them in future?
 

teddycatkin

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Take a zero off that for what we currently charge for a normal service ????
These people need exposing?
 
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Lulu01

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£62 just to go for a spin round the block? thats what id call taking the P!55 big time! and unless they replaced front AND rear brake discs then as far as im aware discs and rotors are the same thing! unless it was the abs sensor rotors they changed!! also theres no mention of new brake pads. parking brake shoes, yes, but id guess that the rear discs were replaced so the rear pads should also have been changed! especially at that price!

It's difficult to tell what they've done re the brakes until I speak with them. The bill layout is so complicated. The first item is possible replacing the rear brake pads + paste. Then the front brake pads appear as a separate item along with rotors, cleaner, 2 discs, 2 shoes, 4 sender units, fastener.

When I took it for the MoT, the guy said to me "It's recently had some work done hasn't it?" which seems to suggest that they've actually done the work as opposed to charging for something they haven't done.

I knew the brakes needs checking and possibly replacing as I booked the service when I first got the warning. I don't understand why all the other brake related stuff has been done, like the discs.

I am truly gutted.
 

alan782

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Truly Gutted and Skint no doubt. Did they call you to ok the additional work above a normal service?
 
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robertjrt

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There is the Motor Industry Code of Practice, motorindustrycodes.co.uk that may well be the place to air your undestandable fellings towards an Invoice of that would make your eyes water:shock:

There is a comments box, so, feel free to express yourself:rolleyes:
 
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Lulu01

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Truly Gutted and Skint no doubt. Did they call you to ok the additional work above a normal service?

Unfortunately, my husband took the car to be serviced and didn't ask too many questions re price, work to be done etc. Normally I do all that kind of thing, but was away on business. I think they may have contacted him to agree the work but he's the kind of person that would have just said 'yeah, go ahead' whereas I ask more questions. Just as a silly example, when I get our other car serviced, I always get a price including parts and VAT. The price he was quoted was just the service, not the parts etc.

This could be a very painful lesson!
 
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Lulu01

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Who are these thieving b******s so that we can all avoid them in future?

Unfortunately, I think this may be largely our fault - me for getting my husband to arrange it all whilst I was away then him for not querying the work, costs etc or at least speaking with me about it. Also, I should have queried the bill when I picked up the car but I was honestly stunned.

Once I've spoken to them, if I feel they've been dishonest and/or blatantly overcharged us, I'll post a note and also get in touch with the Motor Industry Code of Practice website mentioned by Robertjrt.
 

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Is this a case then of a female taking the car in and picking it up,,as these shock service issues have been up many times, when it been a lady involved
 

hawk20

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Here we go again. Once again people are confusing the cost of a service, which may well have been reasonable for all we know, with lots of other work needing to be done.

None of us have seen the invoice. None of us know what work was left undone by non MB garages beforehand. Yet we judge them to be rogues. On what basis? Hardly any evidence at all and an owner who says that her husband approved the work to be done!

We don't even know how many miles the car has done.

At four years old the brake fluid needs changing. What other jobs were needed in detail before too many stones are thrown? How many miles has the car done?

Pity we omly ever get one side of the story and some people are very quick to judge.
 

peter001

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what a shower ! Who are these people ? THEY MUST BE AVOIDED !
 

rf065

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Pity we only ever get one side of the story and some people are very quick to judge.


True, but anyone who has ever used MB for servicing on a regular basis will have had a similiar experience at one time or another.

In my experience, taking a year old car with low mileage for a B service, which really only involves checking the vehicle over & changing the oil & filters, results in a bill between £500 to £600. Nothing you say can convince me that MB servicing rates are acceptable.

Russ
 

Alex M Grieve

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As I understand it they are not allowed to do unscheduled work with out asking first,, that bill is awful, terrible

Absolutely Malcolm. Indeed, I recently experienced the absolute reverse of this case. I had my W 220 through a B service (43,000) and mentioned that there had been an advisory on brake pads at the previous service (29,000).

(I bought the car @ 21,000 miles, so don't know the braking habits it would have experienced until then - but I seldom use brakes much, so I tend to be very light on them).

The garage phoned me and said the pads looked too good to change. We agreed to leave them and change as required, or at the next service.

In my view that makes the provider very credible. Nor do you pay for things they don't do!
 

PeterCLK

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Whatever Hawk says, the thing that makes people "imbibe" goodwill from any business is service.
This has been proved time and again and indeed over the pond there is a common saying that only 3 things make a successful business - Service, service and service.

The people running the garage are not stupid - they must know that a bill like this would be viewed badly by a private customer.

Why do they do it?

It's grab the money now and there'll be another mug along tomorrow as far as I can see.

BTW, I have always had my car serviced at a Mercedes dealer who have been honest and fair with me over a number of years so I have no axe to grind.
 

Alex M Grieve

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Whatever Hawk says, the thing that makes people "imbibe" goodwill from any business is service.
This has been proved time and again and indeed over the pond there is a common saying that only 3 things make a successful business - Service, service and service.

The people running the garage are not stupid - they must know that a bill like this would be viewed badly by a private customer.

Why do they do it?

It's grab the money now and there'll be another mug along tomorrow as far as I can see.

BTW, I have always had my car serviced at a Mercedes dealer who have been honest and fair with me over a number of years so I have no axe to grind.

Sadly Peter, your note is all too true. Whilst this may be a sustainable business strategy in a central London Restaurant (high number of passers by, there will be another mug along soon, you only need to hit each one once, you do not rely on (or expect) return business), none of these short termist arguments works if you are a static target such as a dealership, in the midst of a stable population of brand owners (who presumably speak to each other) and with little passing trade.

It is all to redolent of current UK politics - squander the money/good will now and let the future take care of itself. A viscious negative circle whereas good operators create an upward virtuous spiral and a sustainable business.

I bought a mint 2 year old 190 in 1991 and took it for a service to our local dealership. The bill was £625 pounds, and I laughed. I explained to the service executive that his bill (which included lots of adjustments and time, but very few consumables) was exactly 25 times the cost of my first car! I never went back.
 
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