Main Agent service price

[MBDevotee]

Hi there,

I had (stupidly) assumed that all Mercedes dealers would charge much the same prices.....

However having booked the car into Merc at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, I saw a van advertising Merc in WSM charging a lot less for an "A" service than I am going to pay.

Am I to assume I was wrong and they all charge different prices - Does this mean I should do what I'd usually do and shop around big time for work?

Thanks

Grant

 

[television]

On a 51 plate car grant, is it worth going to the main dealer if the indie charges a lot less

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Hi there,

I had (stupidly) assumed that all Mercedes dealers would charge much the same prices.....

However having booked the car into Merc at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, I saw a van advertising Merc in WSM charging a lot less for an "A" service than I am going to pay.

Am I to assume I was wrong and they all charge different prices - Does this mean I should do what I'd usually do and shop around big time for work?

Thanks

Grant

Problem is its quite hard to shop around main dealers as usually there will be only one in some large towns or small cities and usually about two elsewhere in cities the size of Glasgow which doesnt leave much scope for "shopping around"

 

[st4]

Problem is its quite hard to shop around main dealers as usually there will be only one in some large towns or small cities and usually about two elsewhere in cities the size of Glasgow which doesnt leave much scope for "shopping around"

Plenty of main dealer shopping about in our parts,

MB Glasgow, MB Giffnock and MB Hamilton all close by-30mins will get you from one to the other. Plus MB Edinburgh (Eastern and Western) and MB Grangemouth (reckon all within 30mins of each other). We're spoilt up here. If you are a south sider MB Ayr isn't a million miles away. You play one off vs the other until you have a decent price. Its simple for routine work like ATF changes etc, and for work you want done, pads + discs etc.

On the indie side there is the Mizonni bros in Greenock, a good place in Clydebank was recommended for me, and theres an Indie in Blantyre.

 

[mercglas]

Hi there,

I had (stupidly) assumed that all Mercedes dealers would charge much the same prices.....

However having booked the car into Merc at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, I saw a van advertising Merc in WSM charging a lot less for an "A" service than I am going to pay.

Am I to assume I was wrong and they all charge different prices - Does this mean I should do what I'd usually do and shop around big time for work?

Thanks

Grant

Always shop around but also make sure they quote you for all the work that is due for your car - otherwise the quote is worthless. It is easy for them to itemise what they need to do - and as the others say, Merc dealers are often willing to undercut - but watch for who owns who! In your case Bristol andWSM are owned by the same outfit! Try Cardiff or Exeter

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Plenty of main dealer shopping about in our parts,

MB Glasgow, MB Giffnock and MB Hamilton all close by-30mins will get you from one to the other. Plus MB Edinburgh (Eastern and Western) and MB Grangemouth (reckon all within 30mins of each other). We're spoilt up here. If you are a south sider MB Ayr isn't a million miles away. You play one off vs the other until you have a decent price. Its simple for routine work like ATF changes etc, and for work you want done, pads + discs etc.

On the indie side there is the Mizonni bros in Greenock, a good place in Clydebank was recommended for me, and theres an Indie in Blantyre.

The last thing i want to do is travel 30 miles to get work done on my car so it would be MB giffnock or MB Glasgow and Glasgow is ten minutes away and can walk into town to pass the day so that would be my main preference though i suppose i could still get prices from the others to use against MB Glasgow.
I managed to escaped Greenock 15 years ago with only 3 scars on the back of my head so the idea of hanging around Port Glasgow all day trying not to get slashed doesnt appeal to me.

 

[st4]

The last thing i want to do is travel 30 miles to get work done on my car so it would be MB giffnock or MB Glasgow and Glasgow is ten minutes away and can walk into town to pass the day so that would be my main preference though i suppose i could still get prices from the others to use against MB Glasgow.
I managed to escaped Greenock 15 years ago with only 3 scars on the back of my head so the idea of hanging around Port Glasgow all day trying not to get slashed doesnt appeal to me.

Thats just it, its the using of the prices. They don't know that you're not willing to go else where.

Depends where you work, Milton St is handy if you work in city centre as you can walk off to work and when you're done collect it. Not so good for me now as based in Clydebank.

If you're bored in dealerships out of town, pretend to the salesman you're interested in an SL500 and you can have some free fun whilst you wait

 

[jberks]

The last thing i want to do is travel 30 miles to get work done on my car .

They collect & drop you off a nice loan car so you can go about your business.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I managed to escaped Greenock 15 years ago with only 3 scars on the back of my head so the idea of hanging around Port Glasgow all day trying not to get slashed doesnt appeal to me.

Just fire the occasional shot. I generally find that, once they know you are armed, they tend to leave you in peace.

 

[PanzerMcGrory]

Just fire the occasional shot. I generally find that, once they know you are armed, they tend to leave you in peace.

You have obviously never had the pleasure of visiting Port Glasgow

None of the deformed residents are above 5'6" and who have nothing else to do all day but try and murder each other and god help anyone who dares to come in from out of town as you quickly become the Omega man !!!!!

Looked at the website of the indy at ibrox and might give them a go after my warranty runs out.

 

[MBDevotee]

I don't know really Television.

Having just bought the car I am going MB first time out for an 'A' service + I've asked them to give the car a good check over.

I may then seek out a good indy to do all other work - I might get the basic services done at MB though - really depends on how MUCH the cost difference is.

 

[television]

I don't know really Television.

Having just bought the car I am going MB first time out for an 'A' service + I've asked them to give the car a good check over.

I may then seek out a good indy to do all other work - I might get the basic services done at MB though - really depends on how MUCH the cost difference is.

You do need to keep up the MB service work for some time for services, as all recalls and updates will get done, should you be unlucky enough to have a breakdown (the car and not you) then help from MB can often be got.

Sure have the brake parts done at an indie, there is nothing else to worry about on your car

 

[MBDevotee]

Well MB at Cribbs are charging £85 per hr + VAT which from some comments on here doesn't seem a lot more than many indies charge!

So yes, services at MB (and I will ask them to use Mobil 1 or equivalent, and turn on the full variable Assyst function rather than the every 12k / 1 yr option.

Is there any way I can check that this has been done and what mode Assyst is working in?

Thanks

 

[television]

You can call the service info up on the dash.

 

[teddycatkin]

I am amazed anyone can even afford let alone consider paying £85 an hour for labour- when I last worked as a mechanic I thought £8.50 an hour was fair.?I think I may even come out of retirement sell up and move to Devon !---working just a 40 hour week = £3,400 a week?

 

[carabind]

The £85.00 covers not just the mechanic, but his tools &workshop, his boss, the service receptionist and her/his boss , return to shareholders and a bit of margin on top for further investment in the premises. I have heard tales of jaguar charging nearer £150/hour

 

[jberks]

I am amazed anyone can even afford let alone consider paying £85 an hour for labour- when I last worked as a mechanic I thought £8.50 an hour was fair.?I think I may even come out of retirement sell up and move to Devon !---working just a 40 hour week = £3,400 a week?

It is £85 per hour for the whole package - mechanic, training, holidays etc, service reception, parts dept, diagnostic kit, workshop, coffee and that big B&O TV in the reception area. Anyway £85 is remarkably cheap, most are £100+.
All that said, there is room for menouver in all quoted figures. I rang up to book mine in, tehy quoted £240 and I replied "so whats my discount?" .. "We can do it for £200 Sir"
You can also cut it down by supplying your own oil as dealers charge silly prices for the stuff.
Anyways worth asking.

 

[MBDevotee]

Hiya,

Well I have to say I am most impressed.

A service was actually slightly cheaper than quoted. They also changed the gearbox oil, 4 bolts sheared off, and they had to drill them out and re-thread them... Car was actually in the workshop from 1:30 pm until 5pm with at times 2 guys working on it, and the total bill including a touch up stick was £410 inc vat - which I think was very good. No charge for the extra work on the gearbox.

Can't really grumble at that.

 

[mastereng]

Glad that you are pleased with the service. I had my first (12 month) service on my A Class recently. When I called the Mercedes Dealer from whom I purchased the car they quoted £250. I replied this contradicted what the salesman told me when he sold me the car (£200). They immediately offered to do the service for £200, so I booked it in and it was serviced and the bill was almost excatly £200.

Unfortunately it seems that it is a way of life for the motor trade to "wheel and deal" on prices. However, having been reading recently about Saab and their woes it seems a typical UK Saab dealer secures 70% of his income from servicing, so is not having too many sleepless nights about the future of GM/Saab. Goes some way to explain why Main Dealer servicing prices are so high.

 

[television]

In my local MB there are 6 service reception guys,I MOT tester self financing 4 mechanics, the 2 stores /spare parts guys pay for themselves, but a lot of mouths to feed.

Ford in Stockholm charge £150 per hour as do MB, Volvo are £160 in Sweden and £110 in the uk the same as MB