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And this is why for these mainly German cars that so many make specialist indies have sprung up, halving the labour rate whilst going that extra mile for the customer, ie fixing sub assemblies not replacing entire units, the irony being that those in the know looking to buy used now often value a good indy service record more than a MDSH.
These dealers will overegg the pudding eventually and suffer terminally for it, probably when the easy credit QE based economy we have 'enjoyed' for the last decade crash dives.
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255.00 for the oil change 477.00 for the inspection 6 months down the line (not including oil / filter) 60.00 for a pollen filter (not included in the above) Broekn down that was 112 for the oil 17 for the filter and 174.00 per hour labour.
Sounds almost like RR aero engines, selling them at a loss and making up for it with the "service plan".
Capitalism gone bonkers if you ask me.
No different to the pinter ink issue on the General BR section. Firms have for years been seeling products at a loss so that refills/parts can be sold at a huge mark-up, because they know said OEM stuff doesn't last that long, can easily be broken/used up and often are fashion accessories, like mobile phones.
My Mum & Dad used to rent (only gave up on that about 5 years or so ago) their TV and VCR at a huge cost of £40pm (for a CRT TV mind you as well!), i.e. £480 a year. Yes, that included free swap-outs if an onsite repair wasn't possible, but still, over 5 years that's £2400, for something of far less quality that you could replace (as they eventually did) for £600 (now the same would cost half as much) including a 5 year warranty from John Lewis. Even if they replaced the TV & (VCR replcaement) PVR now, they'd be quids in hugely.
Too many people buy products without checking what the ownership costs are and whether you can get a better deal on that as well as the purchase price by shopping down the road (mostly laziness) at a store identical (and sometimes better) to the nearest or one they bought the product from, cars included.
I did this when researching buying my Mazda3 (a Honda Jazz mk1 and Civic 3dr was also in the running) by checking both dealership reviews (including servicing depts) and their prices for services for the car's 6 year service cycle. Luckily my local dealer came tops in both as regards Mazdas; I took a view on the Hondas as the price of the cars and servicing were so much more expensive.
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"Too many people buy products without checking what the ownership costs are and whether you can get a better deal on that as well as the purchase price by shopping down the road (mostly laziness) at a store identical (and sometimes better) to the nearest or one they bought the product from, cars included."
Diito with buying food.
And energy (half the population never switch)
And phone services
And insurance.
etc
There is a word for behaviour like that .. several words.. None of them are particularly polite.
And in the age of the internet, comparison sites are all there to do all the work..
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"Too many people buy products without checking what the ownership costs are and whether you can get a better deal on that as well as the purchase price by shopping down the road (mostly laziness) at a store identical (and sometimes better) to the nearest or one they bought the product from, cars included."
Diito with buying food.
And energy (half the population never switch)
And phone services
And insurance.
etc
There is a word for behaviour like that .. several words.. None of them are particularly polite.
And in the age of the internet, comparison sites are all there to do all the work..
Cheapest does not always mean best. One of my bugbears is that you can find 1000 comparison sites which will tell you the cheapest (allegedly) but precious few that tell you the ‘best’ (defintion of ‘best’ is of course very personal).
I won’t be ripped off by overcharging but I would rather spend my pounds locally if I can, even if I pay a little more upfront. Same when I ran my own company, we always tried to source locally (and that was damned hard at times), looking for good suppliers who were there for the long-term (like us), rather than looking to make a fast buck.
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True, especially with insurance, though buying from 'the best' (by reviews) such as NFU Mutual is often 2-3x the cost of most other 'reasonable' insurers. Generally, I find a reasonable amount of work upfront goes a long way to ensure you get a very good deal for most things, value-for-money wise. Waiting until you need something before looking is never the way to go.
Many of my friends, family and acquaintances are often dumbfounded at how I can either afford certain luxuries or have such savings despite some earning more than me. Its not rocket science, it just requires a bit of patient investigative work in advance of needing something. Its also means I'm not a skinflint either, just savvy on certain things. I also have no qualms about taking advice (weighing up if its any good as well) from others rather than just believing in my own hype. Doing so on this site saved me shedloads of money when I bought my current car.
I actually spend LESS on food nowadays (despite eating roughly the same stuff [actually better]) as I did in 1994/5 when I was living out at university. Not trying to brag here - admitedly food prices are lower relatively speaking than then, but a lot comes from me knowing what is and isn't a bargain, how to get one (especially when dealing with sales/customer services people) and 'going all in' for long lasting stuff/good products when it is. Same goes for cars and many other things.
Sadly, most in the younger generation seem oblivious to this sort of thing, and often wonder why they have no money for necessities (mortgage downpayment, buying a car, etc) and pay full price (on credit) for almost everything. Well, their loss is my gain.
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True, especially with insurance, though buying from 'the best' (by reviews) such as NFU Mutual is often 2-3x the cost of most other 'reasonable' insurers. Generally, I find a reasonable amount of work upfront goes a long way to ensure you get a very good deal for most things, value-for-money wise. Waiting until you need something before looking is never the way to go.
Many of my friends, family and acquaintances are often dumbfounded at how I can either afford certain luxuries or have such savings despite some earning more than me. Its not rocket science, it just requires a bit of patient investigative work in advance of needing something. Its also means I'm not a skinflint either, just savvy on certain things. I also have no qualms about taking advice (weighing up if its any good as well) from others rather than just believing in my own hype. Doing so on this site saved me shedloads of money when I bought my current car.
I actually spend LESS on food nowadays (despite eating roughly the same stuff [actually better]) as I did in 1994/5 when I was living out at university. Not trying to brag here - admitedly food prices are lower relatively speaking than then, but a lot comes from me knowing what is and isn't a bargain, how to get one (especially when dealing with sales/customer services people) and 'going all in' for long lasting stuff/good products when it is. Same goes for cars and many other things.
Sadly, most in the younger generation seem oblivious to this sort of thing, and often wonder why they have no money for necessities (mortgage downpayment, buying a car, etc) and pay full price (on credit) for almost everything. Well, their loss is my gain.
One of the many things I learned from a man who was my boss for a decade and has become very wealthy (Forbes Rich List level) out of running businesses ethically and for the long haul - ‘customer service is an attitude that everyone must excel at, it is not a department’. I tried to embed the same ethos in my own business but here in the UK is was tough finding talented people who could draw a link between their salary and a happy customer.
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One of the many things I learned from a man who was my boss for a decade and has become very wealthy (Forbes Rich List level) out of running businesses ethically and for the long haul - ‘customer service is an attitude that everyone must excel at, it is not a department’. I tried to embed the same ethos in my own business but here in the UK is was tough finding talented people who could draw a link between their salary and a happy customer.
You can make a good living by providing goods at a fair price with good service. I buy canned and bottled beer at the local brewery. They sell beer from around the world. They cost more than Waitrose et al, but they have a massive range, and they give me honest recommendations, and yes they will say to avoid some which they think are not worth the money. Going there is an experience, an opportunity to chat and learn. And I am happy to support a local business. I also buy hockey kit at a shop rather than online, as they allow me to try items, and they know their products very well. Again, they will sometimes tell me not to buy something if they think it’s not worth the money. For example, there are some new skates costing £650, but he is suggesting that £400 ones would be just as good. It helps that I am financially secure I guess, but cheapest is not always best. As for car insurance, I buy the cheapest. I have no way to know which is best.
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