Main dealer health check

[chrisdean]

Did you not get the free snow removal brush thrown in?

 

[Simon_M]

Sometimes you get a free kit of screen wash, de-icer and a scraper.

Last one I had, within 3 days I had the low oil warning message on the dash.

S

 

[MWCLS]

Sometimes you get a free kit of screen wash, de-icer and a scraper.

Last one I had, within 3 days I had the low oil warning message on the dash.

S

They delivered one of those sets to my door last year after the car was serviced late January.. I was quite surprised they would be bothered, I'd be none the wiser!

** Windscreen frost protection cover also.

 

[BlackC55]

A bit of an unfair and sweeping statement. Simply tarring all main dealers with the same (unsubstantiated) brush isn't impressive. There are good main dealers but then possibly some that might resort to that sort of trick. In the same way as there are good indies and possibly some that etc.

I used to work in MBmain dealers. I know exactly how it works.

The technician gets 0.5 hours to check a car over. It takes that long too. It's in his interests and very much encouraged to generate work from the inspection. The more "work" they find the more they get paid. Every single dealer does it.

Do you have any idea how much a tech gets paid per hour? It's not much. The extra work they find allows them to pay their bills.

 

[Charles Morgan]

My neighbour had a health check on his Volvo at the main dealers who found £2000 of work needing doing. For a second opinion he took the car to the local Bosch garage up the road who decided a bush would need replacing soon, the rest really could wait a year or two.

Result, no more using of main dealer by him. If they'd found £500 worth of work he wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I've seen "Free Health Check" listed on the receipt when I've had the car serviced at the main dealer, but I've only ever taken a car in specifically for a health check on one occasion.

It was a health check weekend event, there was plenty of food and drinks, and barely any customers, but it took ages - something like 2.5 hours.

At the end we received a printed report, including STAR, and told the car was in good health. There didn't appear to be any pressure to have work done.

They even sent us on our way with two vouchers for the valet I use, so based on that experience it was well worth it.

However, I suspect that's not a typical experience.

 

[def90cars]

Shock! Horror!

Dealers use marketing to generate business..... how dare they!!

For those who don't like dealers... please stay away and lets us real customers enjoy them in peace... more space to park too.

 

[DSB SL AMG]

I fundamentally agree with most of above...however when it comes to a stealer selling a car having had a full MB 'health check' many reports on the forums of subsequent MB indies finding lots of valid faults that should have been detected and fixed...so it seems imho stealers (not all but most) only look for problems when its suits them to support revenue streams...

 

[lxi]

I used to work in MBmain dealers. I know exactly how it works.

The technician gets 0.5 hours to check a car over. It takes that long too. It's in his interests and very much encouraged to generate work from the inspection. The more "work" they find the more they get paid. Every single dealer does it.

Do you have any idea how much a tech gets paid per hour? It's not much. The extra work they find allows them to pay their bills.

Olly - you have an excellent reputation that has taken you years of hard work to earn - I respect that.

However I think your earlier comment was beneath you. As you worked for a main dealer, you'll also know the constraints they have imposed, eg replace rather than repair. That's bad for the customer, but with a new part they know it will last, whereas with some repairs, nobody can be that sure and the last thing a dealer (any) needs is bad feedback.

My best illustration is from some years ago. I had a BMW 750iL. The alternator was iffy. I couldn't afford main dealer prices, so took it to a specialist indie in Leeds. The car was with them for 2 days getting something replaced on the alternator - the time was apparently due to there being very limited access. Two months later, it failed again - indie didn't want to know - said it would be something else not related to the alternator.

I took it to the main dealer in Leeds. Their diagnostics still said alternator. To my surprise (pleasant) they quoted a price for a replacement alternator that was much less than I had expected. They then replaced it in an hour. Total bill was about £50 more than I had paid the indie.

They had me over a barrel - they didn't take advantage.

I've had MB for about 8 of the last 10 years. I use MB Harrogate. I get free MOTs. I get free health checks. I get discounted parts and labour. There is no financial point in me going anywhere else. I have never had even a vague try on.

Most "main dealers" are franchised. They have to make a profit or they disappear. They have huge overheads to maintain the franchise, so they have to charge accordingly, but global applications of the term "stealers" and assumptions that anything that's offered as a courtesy service is simply a way to fleece the punters for something they didn't need isn't fair.

As before, some will try it on - main dealer or indie - but they are in the minority with many other specialist service providers (plumbers, heating engineers, decorators - the list of those that provide services that are beyond the wit of most to DIY is endless).

A way too long post, but I wanted to get across the view from this end - "Every single dealer does it" is simply incorrect.

Good luck with your business

 

[Gareth Kent]

Had the ML checked. Only issue was a faulty speed sensor which was replaced for free as its a known issue with them that stops abs and stability control. Apart from that all good. Even balanced my front wheels for free.

 

[Gareth Kent]

Thanks for comments. The main dealer I used was in Tonbridge and the service manager is a good guy whom I have dealt with for a few years so trust. For some jobs I will continue to use them but for others the prices they quote are just unrealistic. I think it's very much down to the individual dealership and person there that you deal with.

 

[RetiredSlider]

Have now taken both my Mercedes to Mercedes Benz Oxford to have a 'Free Health Check'.

My CLS55 on my I had been round the car myself, put it up on a ramp and had a pretty good idea what the situation was with it. They found everything I knew about + a couple of things that were spurious (water ingress into the rear light) and quoted me on a set of control arm bushes that they said were 'looking cracked and worn'
They didn't try to scare me, they didn't pressure me into any work. It was a simple 'Here's your report sir & here are the prices to fix the small issue we found but nothing is urgent - hope you enjoyed your coffee'

They also did a health check on our E270CDI while it was in for a transmission fault the other day. I haven't yet been round it to take a look to see if what they said was an issue - is actually an issue.

 

[BlackC55]

Olly - you have an excellent reputation that has taken you years of hard work to earn - I respect that. However I think your earlier comment was beneath you. As you worked for a main dealer, you'll also know the constraints they have imposed, eg replace rather than repair. That's bad for the customer, but with a new part they know it will last, whereas with some repairs, nobody can be that sure and the last thing a dealer (any) needs is bad feedback. My best illustration is from some years ago. I had a BMW 750iL. The alternator was iffy. I couldn't afford main dealer prices, so took it to a specialist indie in Leeds. The car was with them for 2 days getting something replaced on the alternator - the time was apparently due to there being very limited access. Two months later, it failed again - indie didn't want to know - said it would be something else not related to the alternator. I took it to the main dealer in Leeds. Their diagnostics still said alternator. To my surprise (pleasant) they quoted a price for a replacement alternator that was much less than I had expected. They then replaced it in an hour. Total bill was about £50 more than I had paid the indie. They had me over a barrel - they didn't take advantage. I've had MB for about 8 of the last 10 years. I use MB Harrogate. I get free MOTs. I get free health checks. I get discounted parts and labour. There is no financial point in me going anywhere else. I have never had even a vague try on. Most "main dealers" are franchised. They have to make a profit or they disappear. They have huge overheads to maintain the franchise, so they have to charge accordingly, but global applications of the term "stealers" and assumptions that anything that's offered as a courtesy service is simply a way to fleece the punters for something they didn't need isn't fair. As before, some will try it on - main dealer or indie - but they are in the minority with many other specialist service providers (plumbers, heating engineers, decorators - the list of those that provide services that are beyond the wit of most to DIY is endless). A way too long post, but I wanted to get across the view from this end - "Every single dealer does it" is simply incorrect. Good luck with your business

I'm not sure what you mean by "beneath you". I'm not being ****y just interested in your comment.