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Would you go down the butchers buy a steak then go to a posh restaurant and ask them to cook it for you and whilst their at it can they do you some chips, peas and a side salad? No? so why is it ok to take your own parts to a main dealer?
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Another thing to consider is that independent garages are more likely to use 'imaginitive' pricing schemes.
For example, one small garage used to charge £5 per hour while most independents in the area were charging £10 - £15. But, he insisted that he supplied the parts, which he sourced from the local factors at a hefty trade discount, and charged out at the full retail price. The garages charging the higher rates would pass on varying proportions of their hefty discount to the customers.
In my father's independent garage, years ago, he would tailor the final bill using very complex 'rules'. If he liked the customer, the bill came down a bit. The worst crime a customer could commit was to attempt to give off an air of superiority, and look down at him - they always paid for that!
Examples where you might get away with supplying your own bits include;
if you have an older car, and parts are only available via the deviants, ahem ...sorry!, owners club.
if you know the garage will use brand X oil, and you really want brand Y sloshing around.
I think the original poster wasn't ripped off - £152 to service a Merc sounds like peanuts to me.
number_cruncher
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I'd spend the money on some tools and do the basics yourself.
You can get a suction pump which will suck the oil through the dip stick tube, you should be able to get a filter for about £10 and the same oil they use is around £1.20/litre in 25l drums.
If you have a garage or shed, you can store bulk fluids easily, and you will have the invoices to give to the next owner.
Wipers take a minute to fit yourself, although Mercedes do tend to have non-standard wipers so £20 may be OK.
Have a look at / get a catalogue for
www.eurocarparts.co.uk
for most of your parts.
Good luck!
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Thanks for the replies folks. Just to clarify, the garage I use is an independent, not a main dealer, I get on fine with them, and they do a good job. The £152 + vat is labour only, parts were another £120, and that's without plugs or air filter.
Running an MB does not make you rich, or daft, or wanting things you can't afford. If you factor in depreciation, a s/h MB can be as cheap to run as a newer VW or Ford. I'm no snob. It's just nicer to drive than either of these, I felt when I chose it. You might not agree. All the very well off people I have ever known have been amongst the most "careful with money" I have ever met: that's how they got to be well off, by making good financial decisions, I guess. Spending money where you don't have to is just profligacy, isn't it? Look at personal number plates: the purchase of the canny and successful? Don't think so...
Schnitzel, I think you're right. I'd sooner DIY anyway. It's "buy a house with a garage" time then - anyone got one to sell me in Bristol???
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So people who are successful don't buy personal number plates? I think you are way off the mark there, given the plethora of celebrities that have them, not to mention the masses of private plates seen on top end cars.
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You seem to be forgetting.Point that NC made. Small garages need work to stay alive. Part of the profits are made on the parts. Labour charge is usually cheaper than MD. But mechanics still have to be paid along with overheads. Due to running a garage..Labour is cheaper because they make up the profits on parts. I think it highly unlikely any garage will fit what you supply...Unless you know the guvnor. But thats a different story
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Steve
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I have only even taken my own oil to a garage nothing else, an that when I wanted to use Mobil 1 a few years ago on a newish car. The garage didn't mind. think they would have been upset if I supplied all the bits though
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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These contracts are negotiable: free to agree or not on either side. Never had a problem with supplying my choice of oil: if they quibbled I'd go elsewhere or do it myself. There's little other than lack of experience and pressure of time to stop anyone from tackling routine tasks. As the trade know. The docile punter is the garage owners dream.
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The only other way I can see to cut the cost is to use a GOOD mobile or freelance mechanic.
My brother used to work for one of the vw/audi specialists in teesside, he set up on his own, has all the air con certification and does as much A/C work as he can and fills up with ordinary service work.
I know other people who do the same, a good mechanic having worked at the main dealers knows the cars, but has more freedom and earns more by being self employed. Does depend on you knowing the mechanic though. Plenty of main dealer mechs do a bit on the side - especially for older / high milage cars where the customer isnt going to keep using the main dealer, so they arent competing with their employer. I dont know how the employers view that but some dont seem to have a problem
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I've had a garage fit parts that I bought before - they didn't question it at all. I bought the parts intending to do the job myself but was unable to.
They charged me a rather generous time for the labour - longer than I expect it took them - which I think was to make up for the lack of profit on the parts.
Something to watch out for, though, if you supply your own parts: if there's a problem (something the matter after the job) you're in a sticky situation. Garage will blame the part, part manufacturer will blame the garage. If it's a part which you can't just take off and look at (because it's inside the gearbox, for example), you have to pay to have it removed, and try to resolve it all with the garage, the part manufacturer, independent experts and so on. None of them will want to know, of course, because they only stand to lose money. And all this time you're hiring a car. It's bad news.
-Mark
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I used to take my car in for a service at my local independent before i did it myself. I got sick and tired of looking at the service receipt and seeing parts often being quoted as twice the price that i know they are. 100% mark up on parts is common place in the trade, as is all the usual scams such as charging for screenwash. i even got charged £1.05p once for a copper sump plug washer - That one was the last straw and i do all the basic stuff myself now, and sometimes buy parts for bigger things like a timing belt change (tensioner,water pump etc.)
Mark smith is spot on with his advice to watch out if something goes wrong though, the garage i now use will not accept liability if my timing belt snaps with the parts fitted that i supplied. so it probably isn't worth it for bigger items.
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My local backstreet-but-reputable garage happily fits parts I've supplied, they mark that on the invoice, so I guess I've no comeback (on the garage) for any subsequent problems caused by faulty parts. Get a quote upfront for the labour and I don't think you can go wrong - unless they come across a rusted bolt, have to drill it out, but even then many garages solve that for free as a matter of pride in the job.
To save even more, avoid Halfords. Go to the local 'trade' parts shop (look for unflashy shop front on an industrial estate not the high street, customers with grimy hands) and you'll find they give trade prices to everyone. The difference is vast, £2.48 for a Bosch wiper blade for an Astra, versus £6.99 in Halfords.
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Good point. This had crossed my mind too. I think it's fair enough, and I'd probably take the risk. Having said this, the next service will be a home one, I think. Anyone know where you can get rubber stamps made up? (Joke...)
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The local auto factor charged me around a fiver for a wiper blade for the Civic.
A couple of weeks ago I forgot that the MOT was due and had to get one done in a mad rush the next day which happened to be a Saturday.
As you can imagine I had trouble finding a place to do the test at short notice.
The garage I used advised all OK except I needed a new wiper blade - Cost £15....It was just about worth it to save the hassle of going and getting a cheap blade and coming back but I did think the mark up was a bit steep. Its his loss because I wont use him when the next service is due.
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Yup. I think marking up the parts exorbitantly is pretty daft. Most people don't mind paying for things when it's transparent what you're paying for. If you want more for labour, then charge it, rather than sneaking it in on parts...
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> If you want more for labour, then charge it, rather than sneaking it in on parts...
I think it's down to marketing - it sounds better to have a lower labour rate - most punters don't know the exact cost of a given part for a given car, and won't check the trade prices - but the labour rate is transparent. So it "feels" like you're getting a good deal, because you don't have the same job done in two places very often.
I was quoted for an engine rebuild by an independent and by Rover. Both quotes were almost identical - the independent's labour rate was half that of Rover, but the job time was double. If I hadn't checked with Rover I'd have thought I was saving £1500.
-Mark
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I also couldn't agree more.
One garage charged me £8 for the nastiest filter I?ve ever seen, even though the labour was cheap. Egg in his face, 'cos I never when back. Whereas my current VW specialist has obviously seen sense. All of the parts seem to be the same as what the trade charge (like euro car parts etc) and even the oil is about as cheap as you can get it for, so there is no point in supplying my own.
Their money is made through good honest trade, and as people know they are not getting ripped off, they return time and time again.
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And you work for? A main dealer! Thanks for the advice!
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