Main dealer predictability

[Eddy77]

Morning. So this isn’t the usual ‘main dealer X is terrible’ thread.

But it beautifully illustrates all that is wrong with them.

My Audi needs its annual service. I take it to the main dealer as it is still under warranty so I like to avoid any question of warranty claim rejections due to non dealer servicing.

To start with the service. Fixed cost is £550 which is high but typical main dealer. That’s not my gripe.

The car needs new front tyres. I have always just gone to my local tyre shop and got them fitted there but with lockdown I figured I’d ask Audi to quote as it could be done with the service. I mean. How expensive could they be?

Car is running AO fitment P Zeros so I ask for a quote. £700 fitted for both!!!!!!!!

I call my local tyre shop. £360 for the exact same product fully fitted.

I know dealers need to make a profit but come on.....does anyone ever pay these prices? It’s just such a pi55 take.

I know we like to dealer bash on here but with good reason when prices are so out of kilter. Crazy.

 

[whitenemesis]

Does the dealer actually fit tyres, or do they farm out ?

 

[W1ghty]

Will Audi match the Tyre shop price to save you driving around ?

 

[sgregory124]

Will Audi match the Tyre shop price to save you driving around ?

My past experience with Nottingham Audi is they absolutely will match prices within (I think) an 8 mile radius and with a hard copy quote from the competitor tyre shop.

 

[T5R+]

One of may MB favourites..............

Buy my oil in 20l at the local dealers parts counter and pay about £70ish..........so call it £4/litre. Between parts and the workshop is a glass screen. Parts guy knows me and with a smile said " if those magic fairies pour it, we book it out at £25+VAT/litre".

Typically go through approx 35l/year. This about £900+ on solely oil saving. Appreciate that I have to get my hands dirty but still enjoy doing my own basic maintenance tasks.

Do believe that dealers should make a living and it is fair to charge.

On the subject of tyres - never seen a MB Tech fit a tyre but do see the major tyre firms on site carrying out work Exactly same applies to "alloy wheel repair man" and also "dent" specialists. There is absolutely nothing stopping customers calling these service providers directly.

 

[MrGreedy]

I wouldn't mind paying a small premium for tyres as the dealers because if the alloys got damaged, I would expect a better chance of it being corrected.


However, over £300 extra is a little too steep

 

[markjay]

My past experience with Nottingham Audi is they absolutely will match prices within (I think) an 8 mile radius and with a hard copy quote from the competitor tyre shop.

Fair enough, but by the time you have driven to the tyre shop to get a written quote, you might as well just let them do it there and then.... if they have the tyre in stock.

 

[bob6600]

What service is due? Is it just an oil service or an inspection service? Either way, ask for a discount. They will also match a written quote from a garage using genuine parts within 15 miles.

£550 is expensive. I had my S8 serviced (10L of oil) at Audi and I got them down to £220 for an oil service last year. Looking to book mine in again and online it shows £305 for oil service and £530 for an inspection service which includes pollen filter. I have no intention of paying those prices so will call them for a better price.

As for tyres, I was collecting my car a couple of years ago and I overheard a service advisor talking to a customer. The car was an A3 or A4 with say 17 or 18" tyres (can't remember). The customer was advised two required replacing and they were in stock and circa £230 per tyre! I was even more shocked when the customer said 'well seeing as I'm here, just fit them'! So yes they do fit their own tyres (well my local does) and for the convenience some do buy them at over double they would pay elsewhere

 

[sgregory124]

Fair enough, but by the time you have driven to the tyre shop to get a written quote, you might as well just let them do it there and then.... if they have the tyre in stock.

Yep and I was guilty of letting them do that on more than one occasion since at the time, my preferred tyre shop was 40 miles in the other direction and I was too lazy to go there instead. Didn't work out well for me buying 2 (or sometimes 4) 20-inch tyres lol

 

[Teego]

Fair enough, but by the time you have driven to the tyre shop to get a written quote, you might as well just let them do it there and then.... if they have the tyre in stock.

I think you can get an online quote from most national tyre companies.

 

[MrGreedy]

I think you can get an online quote from most national tyre companies.

The cynic in me wonders hence the requirement for a hard copy quote.....?

Surely a dealer wouldn't insist on such trivial technicalities to reject a price match.

 

[Farmer boy]

Whenever I put my car into the dealers for a service I always check my tyre condition before the car goes in. If the tyres are getting worn to a stage that they would need replacing within the next couple of months I spend about 20-30 minutes online to get a price so pre armed for the dealers call re replacement of tyres. When they say they need replacing I say I have priced them and give them the fitted price and ask if they can match it. The dealer generally says they have to do some ringing around and will get back to me. So far my dealings with both MB and BMW dealerships are that they come back with a fitted price that is £5-£10 more than my best quotes so they get the job. A smaller profit is a profit so they would be daft to turn away work.

 

[Tuercas viejas]

Guys
Being inth' trade so to speak, you need to be aware of trends on both sides of the pond, or should I state "LaGoon".
Read this:-

Dealers gain big in replacement-tire sales

Franchised dealerships have achieved a record share of the replacement tire market, aided by service-lane technology that promotes sales of new tires and alignments. Experts predict dealers' market share will nearly double in coming years.

www.autonews.com

Tuercas viejas

 

[Eddy77]

Appreciate I could try and get them to price match but I can’t be bothered and frankly I don’t want to give them any more of my cash as they have been awful to date fixing warranty issues. So have booked in to have tyres done at local national tyres who ended up offering free home fitting on driveway so that’s even easier.

 

[Farmer boy]

Fitted on the drive does away with a lot of running around. and if the overall price is good why not.
Dealers will price match when asked but you may still need to haggle. I expect dealers pick up a lot of high mark up work from those who don’t quibble about the cost.
One of the things I find hard to take is the “rear brake pads down to 6mm” when they do the free safety check. So what they are saying is 50% worn in the last 50k of usage. What they imply is urgent attention needed. Less than an hour on the ramp, pads and discs @ £200 retail but an estimate at £400 “to get you sorted sir”.

 

[John]

I see high dealer prices on consumables as no different to high renewal quotes on any other things you buy on repeat like car insurance, breakdown etc.

You pay handsomely for convenience.

If it didn't bother me to drop £340 in the Op's example, for what would otherwise be the cost of phoning a service who could replace them on my drive, I'd be fine with it.

I've also sat in my local MB dealership overheard quoted prices for things and sometimes they are incredible but people still go ahead, in my mind surprisingly.

Your money, your choice.

 

[MrGreedy]

I think there are a surprisng amount of people who when faced with the decision we are talking about, are so reluctant to argue/confront/whatever, that they agree out of fear of embarassment for the risk of causing a scene. I know people like this.

 

[Rory]

I very nearly got caught out when my car needed its first set of rear tyres - dealer noted it on service and insisted they'd be competitive so I let him give me the price.

Price was there or thereabouts and I was just saying "OK, go ahead" when it occured to me to ask "is that for the pair?" The price was each!

 

[Nat]

Appreciate I could try and get them to price match but I can’t be bothered and frankly I don’t want to give them any more of my cash as they have been awful to date fixing warranty issues. So have booked in to have tyres done at local national tyres who ended up offering free home fitting on driveway so that’s even easier.

Try Carl at Roadwheel Fleet next time you need some as he can do some good prices.

 

[Eddy77]

I know roadwheel well. Good guys. I use them for my merc although on this occasion I used national tyres for the Audi. But been a roadwheel customer for many years!