Does Service Plus still exist?

[Storm]

I've just contacted my local dealer and asked for a service plus quote. I've been told that I've got to get two different quotes, one for a 12 month warranty quote and one for a service quote.

So far I've only had the warranty quote, but that's come in at:

£1056 + £200 inspection fee (to confirm my car is without defects).

What the?! Based on other threads other people seem to have ServicePlus quotes for about £80-£100 per month which is much more reasonable as this covers service AND warranty.

Was this guy talking out of his backside or has ServicePlus been canned?

 

[Storm]

Oh - just to add I've got a 240 CLK A209, which is due to be out of warranty cover (3 years old) in 2 weeks time.

 

[glojo]

As far as Mercedes-Benz UK are concerned ServicePlus still exists

Click

Nip onto the site to read more

Regards
John

 

[Rory]

There has been talk of it changing in early 2008 but the same link is still on the website - give them a call and see what they say.
http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/con...e-MEDIA.tmp/Service_Contracts_ 3-6_011206.pdf


Some dealers will do the inspection free - I assume they get commission if you take out the warranty or Service Contract with them.

 

[crockers]

email..

[email protected]


and ask them for a quote direct....

let us know how you get on

 

[pammy]

If it's a straight move from normal warranty to service plus with no gap then afaik there is no inspection. The inspection only comes in were there is a gap. I certainly had no inspection with Edna!

 

[crockers]

If it's a straight move from normal warranty to service plus with no gap then afaik there is no inspection. The inspection only comes in were there is a gap. I certainly had no inspection with Edna!

Did you move within the original warranty period? With 3 months + to go?

 

[pammy]

Did you move within the original warranty period? With 3 months + to go?

ish - with about a day to go - lol

 

[crockers]

ish - with about a day to go - lol

There you go..........no inspection needed....within the three months there might have been if the car hasnt been serviced recently.....I think..

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

If it's a straight move from normal warranty to service plus with no gap then afaik there is no inspection. The inspection only comes in were there is a gap. I certainly had no inspection with Edna!

My understanding too.

I posted a month or so ago advising that my dealer had received information that Service Plus was separating out into different products in the near future, but no idea as to when.

 

[Storm]

Thanks again for the information everyone. It would appear that the person I initially spoke to was mistaken. Service Plus does exist and does also "act like a warranty" (their exact words). They're calling me back for prices for one and two years cover.

In people's experience, is it beneficial to shop around and call different dealers, or do they all work of the same template?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

They all use the same system, but "bugs" in the system initially meant that the central team were able to offer more competitive prices than dealers.

As you can imagine dealers were miffed, and the bugs supposedly ironed out. Might be worth shopping around.

Remember you can tweak things like expected mileage to fine tune quotes too.

 

[Rory]

In people's experience, is it beneficial to shop around and call different dealers, or do they all work of the same template?

I called my local dealer to discuss servicing in general and they were very keen for me to let them quote for ServicePlus, but their price was just the same as MB directly.
However they did insist that the car would need a check, and that I should bring it down and take out the package while I was there.
I told them it didn't need the check, as it was less than 3 yrs old, and they said they would do it free anyway. In the end I took it out directly with MB as I don't like using the car for short journeys and didn't want the dealer poking around with it un-necessarily.

However, I would assume that if an inspection is necessary, then having it done FOC could be a negotiating point with the dealer.

 

[Rory]

My understanding too.

I posted a month or so ago advising that my dealer had received information that Service Plus was separating out into different products in the near future, but no idea as to when.

I wouldn't be surprised by that - the cost compared to BMW's Service Inclusive packages looks ridiculous, and I'm sure the extra value in MB's ServicePlus is lost on most people (until they have a problem - but thereagain you shouldn't really expect a problem with a "quality" car).

When I first looked at MB I was doing 30K/yr and the 3 yr ServicePlus quote I got (on 5mth old C270CDi, so most of the 3yrs would have been under warranty) was £135/mth. It made me think very hard about whether or not I should get the car.

 

[Subyland]

I took a Service Plus contract back in September for the wife's A Class. I had to have an inspection (1hr labour cost) but since they got their quote wrong by telling me that not VAT is applicable, I got away even lighter...

 

[Storm]

Well I had a callback with the quotes.

Standard service contact: £50/month for 1 yr, 80/month for 2 yrs.
Service plus contract: £101/month for 1 yr, £154/month for 2 yrs.

I'm less than impressed to be honest. The prices for service plus just seem a little excessive compared to some other quotes people have listed on this forum. I would've been happy with around £80ish a month.

I'm also not entirely clear on why prices jump for a 2 year contract. Why should I have to pay 50% more for both years?! I'd be pretty upset anyway if I came to renew a year later and be expected to pay an extra £50, asking me to pay an extra £50 right from the start is just silly IMO.

I mean - why should the basic service contact cost more over two years? The cost of servicing (which is all it covers) shouldn't increase. I couldn't get a straight answer out of the sales rep, has anyone here had a better explanation?

Oh, and she changed what she said earlier after checking with her boss, apparently electrical items aren't covered by service plus.

 

[glojo]

Oh, and she changed what she said earlier after checking with her boss, apparently electrical items aren't covered by service plus.

Hi Storm,
All I will say is taht very recently I had an electricalproblem with my vehicle and ServicePlus paid out without any hesitation. I have no idea what person your talking to but I would respectfully query what your being told with the link that has been provided to you.

The prices appear veryh steep and I cannot comment on their accuracy.

Good luck,
John

 

[Storm]

Thanks glojo,

I've also sent an email to the address provided on the first page. Hopefully I'll get a more favourable response from them. I've only read positive experiences here from people who've got serviceplus contracts, which is good news.

I'll do a bit more digging and see where I stand after working out the true cost (basically adding up the cost of two services and the mot test) I'll decide whether it's worth taking out the serviceplus or putting the money in the bank and using it incase I need to repair my motor.

 

[Rory]

Well I had a callback with the quotes.

Standard service contact: £50/month for 1 yr, 80/month for 2 yrs.
Service plus contract: £101/month for 1 yr, £154/month for 2 yrs.

What mileage have you done now, and what annual mileage are these quotes based on?

 

[glojo]

My view is that these packages offer peace of mind. If the price is excessive and your not happy, then walk away. If you can afford the monthly charge and it gives peace of mind then go for it.

I suppose when they work out the individual pricing they take into account the expected annual mileage, if it is high, then I would expect the price to be adjusted accordingly. With the figures you have quoted it looks like you must be living in your vehicle.

Good luck
Regards
John