I got an oil and filter change from a small independent mechanic yesterday.
3.5 litres oil - 12.25
Filter £4.87
30 mins labour - £15.00
VAT - £5.62
Total - £37.74
In the shiny glass and chrome dealership a mile up the road it would cost about £20.
I am quite happy, and have no complaints. This small guy struck me as decent and competent. But I am curious as to why the dealer is so much cheaper.
The only clue is that the guy asked me if I had the oil and filter or if I wanted him to supply them.
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The main dealer is doing at a loss to get you in.
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The main dealer is doing at a loss to get you in.
agreed ..........a loss oily leader and look at the state of those discs.............................sir
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a spooky coincidence that I logged on specifically to ask a question about oil change reasonable cost....
I just had our focus tdi half yearly oil/filter change. I took to a small independent that I have used a few times now but still not entirely convinced... if you know what I mean.
the cost for parts (oil and filter presumably) came to £18 plus £25 labour. add on VAT and the bill was just over £50. This sounds quite steep. I did ask the mechanic to conduct a cursory visual inspection which he said he did and verdict was ok. but even with this extra 'service' was I charged over the odds?
These guys are experienced, skilled trademen and are entitled to charge a reasonable fee for their time and I'm prepared to pay a premium for service and honesty. I was not pushed to concede to extra service and they did what they said they would..... but I'm still not entirely convinced.
BTW what should I expect to pay for cambelt change on old Focus tdi?
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I am just about to drop my Accord off a my local independent to have a cam belt change. Cost is ~ £200 (he normally over estimates and then reduces on final bill by about 10%), I rang the local Honda dealer, their price was £200 as well - still going to the independent as I trust him more then I do any dealer!!!! He was however £10 cheaper for the aircon recharge/service I am getting done at the same time.
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If Dealer charges £20, difficult to see how he covers his costs unless he is using rock bottom price oil or has superfast mechanics charged at the same rate.
The independent's price seems reasonable, so if the dealer really does charge £20 all in, then use him, but it sounds like a mistake by someone in service dept - maybe they just checked the price of the oil. If it is genuine, maybe an offer to lure in additional customers to get servicing business.
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For my car's cambelt change, Hyundai dealer quoted £140 where as most independents quoted between £150 and £200.
Finally I had it done from an independent for £125.
In many cases, dealer costs are quite reasonable. Probably they realized that if not, people will go elsewhere.
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I get my 1.6 Bora's oil and filter changes done for £20 at National (used to be £15); it takes about 30 minutes and is done very competently (I watch it from start to finish) at the Ormskirk outlet.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Chain of garages offers Full Service inc oil, filter & plugs for £80 (4cyl under 2 ltr) - spoke to a chap that I know who works there and he said nobody gets their car back with a bill under £200 - they will always find something - pads, disks, brake fluid change,wipers etc etc. The £80 is merely the first line on the invoice
My local independent charges me a fair price and I trust his view of what is needed / not needed.
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£20 for an oil change in a main dealer is clearly ridiculous - let's face it, on most cars the routine annual service is little more than an oil change, and the charge varies from £100 - £250 depending on the make of car.
I can only imagine it's the 'fast fit' arm the dealer (many dealerships have them now) and the mandatory safety check will of course reveal that you need new pads and disks (probably all round).
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There is nothing to say that you have to go along with everything the dealer says re extra work. They're not allowed to do anything that you don't give the go-ahead for first.
I must admit though that good independents seem to be a million times more honest when it comes to these things. My usual back-street place makes a point of charging as little as possible -- even to the point of giving you the option to bodge something for £20 rather than a new part for £100 etc (exhausts, that kind of thing). Usually I go with the proper job option but it's nice to know that the guy is prepared to spend ten minutes with you explaining exactly what's wrong and how he proposes to fix it, with no obligation.
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Absolutely jase1. The decent mechanic is characterised by honest discourse. If they tell you it's all in hand and you shouldn't worry your pretty little head about anything but finding the money, leave immediately and never go back. You need a good cattle manure detector the first time you have dealings with any garage.
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>>difficult to see how he covers his costs unless he is using rock bottom price oil or has superfast mechanics charged at the same rate.>>
If you are referring to my posting about National, it's a nationwide chain and advertises regularly in national newspapers.
The oil (semi-synthetic at this price and £25 for fully synthetic) is Duckhams; I'm also given the balance of the 5l maximum oil included in the price (my car uses four-and-a-half litres including filter) for topping up purposes (not that it has ever need topping up, as it doesn't use oil!)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Stuartli,
I'm interested in getting National to do an oil & filter change on my Tappetty Rover 414, 1999, 45k miles. I've been advised to use a fully synthetic oil which may quieten the hydraulic tappets which are noisy when cold.
£25 sunds a good deal but how do they get the old oil out, do they remove the sump plug & drain it or do they use a suction pump to pump it out?
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With my two last bangers I've used National for oil/filter changes.
It's up on the ramp, full and thorough drain through the sump. Very pleased, however they do an all round check on tyres/brakes to try and get more work out of the visit. Also a very useful check, mind, but up to you to take or leave their recommendations.
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My memory as well from when our office hacks were thus serviced. They even torqued up the sump nut for goodness sake !
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Hmm...I was forced to go to National to get 2 tyres on daughter's SEAT which is on a VAG maint contract.
Let's just say I wasn't filled with a great desire to go back there anytime soon. I wouldn't have thought it possible to take an hour to change 2 tyres, and they even managed to use 1 short and 1 long valve.
Luckily her car has steel wheels - the manager chatted away telling me they got very good rates on having alloys refurbed as they sent a lot!
They used a torque wrench on the nuts, but it just clicked as all they were doing was making sure the air driver had tightened them.
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£20?
If I was running a garage business (I run something else) I'm sure £20 quid wouldn't get an appointment with my receptionist.
How do you think a business can run on a 'job' size of of twenty quid? The cost of any intervention for a 'glass & chrome' establishment must be much more- it's hardly worth the cost of the invoice. Proper businesses have proper overheads - fixed overheads - the rent on the printer used produce a bill is probably more than £20 quid a week.
The dealer/franchise was probably just quoting a knock-down labour only rate - & for what reason I couldn't speculate on. The independent quoted price is also surprising - obviously the parts prices sweeten the knock-down labour rate - you got a baragain!!
Actaully, why on earth am I spending my own time on this...my labour rates are several times - this response should cost you £60.
Debit card or bank transfer only, thanks.
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loss leader to get you in for a full service?
£200 for a 2 year Mondeo 2L petrol in brake fluid change( done 19K), just paid up but did not grin
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I had my sri and then mondeo done on national oil changes at £15-£20(as per advert ) for years at Poole....no problems, they never once pointed out any other jobs to be done..
1 year they queried why a diesel oil filter was fitted to the petrol mondeo only for me to remind them they did the last oil change.apart from that no issues
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>>It's up on the ramp, full and thorough drain through the sump.>>
Same here.
However the Ormskirk outlet's staff have never made any attempt to try and land additional work.
After oil and filter change is done and dusted, I go and pay the bill whilst the car is being parked on the forecourt.
But I know where I will go when I do need new tyres or other fast fit items...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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