How much is a stamp worth?

[izy_wizy]

I have a E320 CDI on a 04. It has now done 80k and is over due a c service by 97 miles! oops. I have tried playing the stealers of each other by ringing my local 4 stealers.

C service with the following:
Oil
Oil filter
Air filter
Cobination Filter
Dust filter
Brake fluid change including SBC Hold system
Batteries in key fob changed
Screen wash

C service prices

Mecedes-Benz Epsom
£619.22

Mecedes-Benz Mitcham/Colliers Wood
£659.25

Mecedes-Benz Croydon
£629.31

Mecedes-Benz World Brooklands
£689.01

I have not asked for any indi prices yet.

Is the merc stamp really worth that much? Can't i just get my mechanic to do it and cut the merc stamp out of a potato, dab it in some ink and stamp the book?

And apparently the service prices come off one set price system so why do they vary?

If I keep up the current full mercedes-benz service history will it have any effect on the re-sale price?

I have AA breakdown and covers me the driver as oposed to the car so will mobilo thingy be of any use?

If I have any paint claims/rust i can still claim as it will be service according to assyst and covered by eu lawwon't it?

all views/comments welcome.

Thanking you in advance

 

[television]

Well I have had my 2002 SL serviced by an indie, Black C55, there is noway that I can keep up with MB prices, and in my case if I do anything like change the plugs they will not stamp the book anyway, with all of my rebuilding experience I will be dammed if I am giving them a few hundred pounds to do that

 

[Micman]

Is the merc stamp really worth that much?

In my opinion No, I go independent - Once you know your independent you are likely to form a more personal relationship and know who is working on your car. Something the big boy stealers can never deliver, no matter how much they bang on about 'customer service'.

 

[True romance]

I have not asked for any indi prices yet.

phone some now, think this will answer your question.

 

[BlackC55]

I get asked this question all the time.

Us independents probably take more care than dealers as its OUR business'

 

[television]

I get asked this question all the time.

Us independents probably take more care than dealers as its OUR business'

I noticed that Olly you did not miss one thing, you also know exactly where to look in problem area's

 

[teddycatkin]

Amazing Izzy ? --just go now and price those parts they list in the service for us ? --you will struggle to make 3 figures --i.e. £500 labour(even if you use MB screenwash)--ridiculous idea anyway to charge for screenwash even when the system is full anyway --who rides around with an empty screenwash bottle? -- You also missed the brakes -they will be checked and any wear below tolerances will be renewed --pads and discs all round at full MB prices will add another £200 at least to your bill ! --when you have got round to paying vatect., it will be nearer a grand !
--Double what an indy will charge you !
A new car yes you have to be fleeced its part of the deal -- your car no -- just record all work with the serice book --stamp if you like but a record and milage and reciept is important -when you do come to change it and get a fair price .

 

[rf065]

If I have any paint claims/rust i can still claim as it will be service according to assyst and covered by eu lawwon't it?

all views/comments welcome.

Thanking you in advance

I'm sure mine has 30 year rust perforation cover with mobilo, if you go down the indy route you can kiss that goodbye, eu law or not.

I can't think of any other reason for using a dealer though, they are extortionate for simple servicing work.

Russ

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

In the twenty odd years ive been trading in cars i cant remember a single saleman looking at my service book including my other two Mercs so despite what some say on here and elsewhere a full MB service history is not the holy grail.

 

[antijam]

I’m still struck by the faith displayed by Joe Public in having his car serviced at his local garage – because in effect that’s what he’s buying – an article of faith.

This isn’t a dig at main dealers (M-B or otherwise) or at indies either, I have no reason to doubt the honesty of any ‘garagiste’ (even if our MP’s have turned out to be merely human), but when you leave your pride and joy with him in the morning and pick it up again in the evening (having ‘borrowed’ his super loan car in the meantime) how do you know what really happened in the intervening hours?

"The oil’s been changed." - Well OK, the stuff on the dipstick looks cleaner, but what is it – that £10 a litre fully synthetic you’re paying for, or what comes out of the bulk tank behind the workshop?

"The oil filter’s been changed." - Well how do you know, did you mark the old one before taking it in so you can check?

"The air filter’s been changed." - And you’re going to take the filter housing apart to check, eh?

"The pollen filters have been changed." - And you’re really going to take one out and check, are you?

"The brake fluid’s been changed." - Well that’s OK, it must have been – the empty can for the new stuff is in the boot..

"Your timing belt’s been replaced." - Well that’s good. Er – exactly where is my timing belt….?

"The diagnostics threw up an error sir - new plugs have sorted that." - And you hadn’t noticed anything, thank goodness for diagnostics, what?

The list is endless. The only way you can really know what a garage has done to your car is to watch them doing it – and how many main dealers encourage that? “Er, sorry sir, Health and Safety means the public aren’t allowed in the workshop.”
Even if you can, unless you have some knowledge of modern car mechanics - and a fair proportion of Joe Public do not - what are you looking at? And do you really want to spend all day staring at a bunch of guys drinking tea until the boss remembers where he put your keys…..?

No, sorry – it’s an article of faith – and the good news is that the tangible symbol of this article of faith – the stamp in your service booklet - has value! The next happy owner of your car will be only too happy to pay for the comfort of that FSH.

And the great thing is, there’s no comeback, because cars are essentially unpredictable. I well remember my father-in-laws fury when two days after a major service, his Vauxhall’s head gasket blew. “But it’s just been ****** serviced !!*!**!!?
Maybe – mais, c’est la vie !

The things I can do, I do; and that includes the bulk of routine servicing. The things I can’t do, go to Ron, the garagiste round the corner – because he’s a friend and I trust him…. ;-)

 

[MarkF]

Go and find a good indi and you will never look back, plus you will have lots more cash in your bank to do other things with.
My Ml is looked after first class by my indi and the replacement will be looked after by them also.
The only down side with any good indi is that you have to wait to get your car booked in, they are that busy with people who have seen the light.
S class Brabus in my indi the other week.

 

[mikestrivens]

Clearly for some this is not just about money.

I have three MBs all over ten years old. My local Mercedes dealer (Manchester) have a fixed price for the regular services, which for a B service is around £450, including all parts, labour & VAT, for each of my cars. My local Indie (SPR Autos) charges £295 for the same service. So clearly they do the servicing.

But it is not as simple as that. Mercedes offers significant discounts on parts and labour for cars over certain ages. I have had a few jobs done on each car outside of the regular service. SPR charges £55 per hour for this work and the normal price of parts, sometimes Mercedes OEM and sometimes from discounters depending on part. Mercedes Manchester normally charges £66.50 per hour for labour but I regularly get, and now demand, at least 33% discount on this bringing it down to less than £44.55 per hour. Mercedes also gives me at least 20% discount on Mercedes parts. But this depends on the age of the car. I think Mercedes starts offering discounts on parts and labour for cars over 3 years old. Remember that you can get at least 10% off parts by mentioning that you are a member of this club, or the other one for that matter.

So it boils down to whether you want a Mercedes stamp in your service book, which will certainly make it easier to sell the car to the uninitiated, and perhaps command a higher price. But this is really only relevant if you don't keep the car for ages.

Personally I now tend to only buy old cars (mostly fully depreciated) and then I keep them for many many years (I kept my W124 280TE for 14 years before swapping it for the E320TE) so having an MB stamp in the book makes no difference to me. I prefer to have a regular service with a local Indie I trust and can see them working on it, who are also cheaper than MB. But I do use Mercedes for other jobs as they are often cheaper than my Indie, or when my Indie is too busy. I feel that it is worth keeping tabs on the market and having a good relationship with a number of servicing agents. I use an Indie aircon specialist for that part of the system and a local Indie bodywork specialist for the occasional touchups and stone chips etc, both of whom were recommended to me by SPR. Keeping my old Mercedes on the road is more expensive than a drug habit but I wouldn't have it any other way as they are such fantastic cars to own and drive.

So for me this is the cost effective route. But for others having an MB stamp is likely to affect the resale value, which may be a consideration for those who regularly change their cars, plus service updates, Mobilo, rust warranty etc and for those cars that are younger than my small fleet.

 

[RensterUK]

Antijam - all very good points - backed up by my friend's recent genuine MB service on his SLK. Serviced, he collected it, and within hours various error lights were flashing as a result of poorly done work.

Seems there is some dispute as to whether or not an indie would invalidate my warranty. Well, there are just 4 months left on the warranty, and 1 of those months I'm out of the country! As for damaging the MGFV on the finance? My guess is that technically it shouldnt, but no doubt they'd argue it. Maybe if the last service before the finance period ends is a minor service, I'll have that done as a genuine MB service ;-)