Anyone used Serving Stop ?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

DSLiverpool

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
1,556
Location
Wirral
Car
Subaru Outback 3.0Rn
Anna Nitro needs a major service as were selling it immediately after Im not chuffed to be quoted £390

Dodge outlets are not that abundant now days so got a quote from servicing stop of £213, collect and deliver and mini valet

They say warranty not effected and they are too big IMHO to lie about that and they use Dodge parts

Anyone have an input ?

Dodge Service | Dodge Servicing | Dodge Car Service | Dodge Car Servicing
 
INCOMPETENCE TODAY: Review of Servicing Stop Ltd

The Dragons Den thing is a bit naughty - Deborah Meaden didn't actually proceed to invest in the company.

I'd always be dubious about letting some random person drive off in my car. My little village garage will service any car and if it's under warranty they order the parts from the franchise dealership to maintain the warranty.
 
I wondered how the (then) two men validated and quality checked the 600 garages they said they had on board during the DD pitch.

Logic would dictate it's impossible and I wonder how (other than in financially attractive to both party terms) the garages are deemed suitable for the SS scheme?

Therefore, you're entering into a contract with a third party (SS) who are simply not able to guarantee the quality, reliability and performance of their member garages.

Not all cowboy garages tie their horses to the ramp.
 
Googled - cancelled all thought of using - walks away shamefully
 
I used them once.

Just the once.

(Hint!)


.
 
Well now, that would be £356 for a "full service" which represents a saving of "up to 60%" on main dealer prices. Right.

That essentially comes down to lots of "checks" plus oil & filter ("special" oils at extra charge of course) fuel filter and an air filter, quick wash and encounter with a vac. plus collection and delivery. All of this being done by somebody unspecified and arranged through a remote middleman who is really just a booking agent.

Now call me Mr Dubious if you want but somehow that as a general proposition does not fill me with the greatest of confidence.

Nor does this

ASA Adjudication on Servicing Stop Ltd - Advertising Standards Authority
 
Hello

The £170 saving from the dealer to 'another' garage will be hit when you sell it? Are you trading it in or selling private?

There is a dealer in Chester but thats probably where you bought it? How about offer them less? worth a try. Or provide your own oil (from costco)
 
They say warranty not effected and they are too big IMHO to lie about that and they use Dodge parts

Euro law says you can have your car serviced at any independent without invalidating the warranty.

However, they must use the same schedules and parts equal to or better in terms of performance (OEM is not a requirement).

With any inde however, I'd rather they used genuine parts - unless on something that really doesn't matter (bit of trim or something).

I've used an independent before whilst my car was still under warranty and took the car back for the manufacturer to fix something under warranty, after the car had been serviced by an independent.
 

I usually quite like it when a company takes the opportunity to listen to it's customers online and respond in a public forum... question is, will there be further responses, or was that a one-off?
 
I usually quite like it when a company takes the opportunity to listen to it's customers online and respond in a public forum... question is, will there be further responses, or was that a one-off?

+1

Lets see!
 
I usually quite like it when a company takes the opportunity to listen to it's customers online and respond in a public forum... question is, will there be further responses, or was that a one-off?

Me too. The bit I had thought to include had dropped off the post. :eek:

Anyway, here is the errant inclusion. The full service for my car, as quoted by Servicing Stop, is £375. My local MB dealer wants £289 for the same service and my indie did the job for £140.

Misgivings: About us is the bit of the website that should inform the user about the company. The bit about Dragon's den has not been removed, despite the fact that no Dragon invested in the company. This is clue number one and it looks to be calculated to mislead (dishonesty if one does not use weasel wording) and one would reasonably expect it to have been removed.

The terms and conditions require everything to go through the Servicing Stop (SS) organisation. Clause 11 states: Servicing Stop Ltd does not accept any liability for any damage or losses suffered by the Customer from the storage of its vehicle at a Servicing Stop Ltd garage. Any garage that has my car for a service is utterly liable for any damage caused to it while it is on their premises, howsoever caused. SS have stated they are not liable so who is, if a garage employee smokes your favourite mode of transport and damages it while taking it home to have his lunch?

Clause 7 of the SS T&C states: All parts used will adhere to the manufacturers service schedule and warranty and will be of “original equipment” (OE) standard – ensuring all warranties are validated

Does this mean that no pattern parts are used? I would expect that MB parts are used in MB cars. It raises the point that a non-MB garage might be tempted (or constrained through costs) to use pattern parts and claim they are OE standard. Perhaps where an H7 light bulb is supplied, that would be a reasonable claim. in the event of repair work being done, what is going to to be used and passed as OE standard?

Lets look at the B service schedule: It appears to be comprehensive.

First item in MB service schedule is brake test on dynamometer test run. I am guessing that many of the 750 SS garages don't or cannot carry out this part of the service schedule. It is not listed in the specific schedule that SS supplied for my car. What does that do for the block exemption regulation, if the car were to have a brake failure that was not picked up because an MB specified test is not completed as part of the service schedule? I am not trying to debate the rights and wrongs of a dyno test, I am merely pointing out that the legal issues surrounding the omission of a laid down dyno brake test would be onerous.

MB request a change of the dust and combination filters. This does not appear on the car specific schedule from SS. The front axle check is also missing. Tie rod and steering arm check omitted. My point is this: some of the MB specific stuff (as per MB service handbook) is not listed, yet the schedule was supposedly for my car. There is an item that states "extra checks as per manufacture schedule"

The position is that the supplied schedule does not cover the work and the extra checks as per the manufacturer's schedule are not listed. What will the garage do? What can you prove afterwards in the event that you are not satisfied? How does an organisation like SS carry out its checks on the garages which agree to be a part of the scheme? What public evidence is there that any garage within the scheme has met known standards of competence?

My final point is there is an amount of web-based complaining about the service that appears both legitimate and worrying. Many people complain about service they receive and it goes with the turf of supplying a service to some extent. What would concern me is that the garage which carries out the work is protected to an extent by the condition that all complaints must go through SS. The work of SS is that of agent and I cannot see how they will be responsible in law for badly carried out work that results in inconvenience or tragedy.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom