Dealer Pricing.

[developer]

As part of my B Service today, the health check tells me that my front and rear pads are 65% and 60% worn, respectively.

Cost of new pads (fitted) - yes, pads, not discs?

£504.28 front
£397.47 rear .

Now I know the dealer has a big window, but I didn't think it was to see people coming.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Goodness me!!! I'm guessing you said "Thanks, but no thanks!" ?

It'd be interesting to price up the pads from MB parts or genuine AMG pads on the Internet.

Are you obliged to have the work done at a MB dealer for any reason?

Ant.

 

[developer]

I like to keep the car in the dealer network while it's under warranty, but for pads I take it to my local indie (and have a short break away with the cost difference) .

 

[st13phil]

As part of my B Service today, the health check tells me that my front and rear pads are 65% and 60% worn, respectively.

At my E63's A Service in January, my front and rear pads were noted as 70% worn (front) and 75% worn (rear).

In all honesty, although the Main Dealer priced up the job, they advised to drive it until the pad wear warning lamp came on unless I was planning some monster tour in Continental Europe or taking it on a track. 10k miles later and the pads still have a good deal of meat left on them (I do keep an eye on the wear), so I wouldn't rush to change yours.

Oh, and even at an Indie the pads aren't cheap: budget for around £300 at the front and £200+ at the rear. And wait until you see the Main Dealer price for the composite front discs

 

[SmartMAC]

I always price at an indie and ask MB to match. They always come within 10% of the indie price so they get my business and I get the work done at the same time as a service or a MOT (half price too).

Like my mum says, if you don't ask, you don't get.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Like my mum says, if you don't ask, you don't get. ��

My mum used to say "Son, remember these three words and you'll never be poor,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 'Stick Em Up!'

Ant

 

[bob6600]

Quick search shows MB price is around £210-£240 for the fronts and £100-£130 for the rears

Just shows how much labour is charged!

 

[flat6buster]

At my E63's A Service in January, my front and rear pads were noted as 70% worn (front) and 75% worn (rear).

In all honesty, although the Main Dealer priced up the job, they advised to drive it until the pad wear warning lamp came on unless I was planning some monster tour in Continental Europe or taking it on a track. 10k miles later and the pads still have a good deal of meat left on them (I do keep an eye on the wear), so I wouldn't rush to change yours.

I was told in May at 27000 miles i needed new rear discs. I'm now at 36000 miles and still no wear light.

Just think if you are a multiple dealership owning company how much extra you invoice if all your customers change brakes at 60 to 75% wear......just an idle thought, I'm sure it's not a revenue raising thing, I am certain they only have your safety in mind.

 

[Rory]

Obviously they want to extract as much money out of every customer as possible - it's a business, often part of a public company, and their first duty is to their shareholders, not their customers.

Obviously if the pads are 70% worn you'll think they're taking the mick, but on the other hand, customers complain if the pad wear warning appears between services and they have to make an unscheduled visit to the dealership.

On pricing, my dealer initially quoted me a bonkers price, so I got a price from a local indie. By chance I looked at MyService and the price there was near as dammit the same as the indie. When I challenged the dealer they said they don't use MyService for the pricing - which is rubbish, every dealer sets their own price, it's not the same across the board.

 

[Dryce]

Obviously they want to extract as much money out of every customer as possible - it's a business, often part of a public company, and their first duty is to their shareholders, not their customers.

I have wondered if they have actually done the math regarding servicing and figure that the high margins for customers coming to them pretty much by default during the 3 year warranty period pretty much makes the price sensitive ones they lose to the indys immaterial.

(They still get the parts business from the indys who keep to original parts and materials - so continue to get something back regardless).

The three indys I know in our locale seem to be well regarded and busy enough - and they're not always that cheap. (My feeling is that their regulars trust them more than the dealer - which is I guess another issue at work behind the scenes).

 

[st13phil]

Quick search shows MB price is around £210-£240 for the fronts and £100-£130 for the rears

Just shows how much labour is charged!

The labour quoted was 1.8 hours for each axle. At MB Main Dealer rates that's lots of dosh...

 

[st13phil]

...but on the other hand, customers complain if the pad wear warning appears between services and they have to make an unscheduled visit to the dealership.

I suspect that there's a good deal of truth in that.

For someone like me who drives around 250 miles a week and lives relatively close to a couple of dealers it's unlikely to be a problem, but for someone who has to do long trips and / or lives some distance from a dealer it may be pretty inconvenient.

In some cases, dealers are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.