main dealer service ?? worth it or not?

[beaucostil]

hi all,,, got 02 E240 auto,,full main dealer history currently 61,000miles,,its due B service in 3000mls & just been studying previous A/B service bills,,the last B service cost £440 ,, other than oil at £79,a few bulbs £6,aircon treatment£20,2 filters £34 the rest of the money is basically labour £234(all plus vat)
my question is at 6yrs & current market value of approx £6500/£7000 would it be better to spend less money on more service parts at an independent?
ps,, can anyone explain why castrol engine oil cost £47.60 at the A service but £79 at the B,,both at same dealer
andy

 

[penfold]

This is a personal choice really.For me a good independant is best every time.Mine charges only £60 per hour labour & uses only genuine Mercedes-Benz parts.Official dealers charge as much as £125 an hour! He has 20 Yrs Mercedes-Benz experience, so seems as capable as the stealers.You also get a more personal touch than would otherwise be the case.

 

[Dieselman]

Mine charges only £60 per hour labour

Only.......

 

[columb]

My MB (of Exeter) is running promotion: they will match ANY PRICE!
I would go to Merc just because of stamp. (just paid 505 for B service for my W203).

You can go to any garage, make them to give you a quote (using only GENUINE Merc parts) and voilà!
My garage charges 17 quid for an hour so 60 seems to be quite expensive
It is local garage and I have discount (for workers). It is NOT Merc garage, but bloke knows what is doing!

Cheers
Chris

 

[splang]

I personally wouldn't go to main dealer on the car you mention in your first post - I don't think you will see the return on it. A good specialist would perhaps be a more sensible bet - unless you can get a price match as listed above of course..
Of course, there is the moblio (sp?) issue...

 

[c240yaz]

I personally wouldn't go to main dealer on the car you mention in your first post - I don't think you will see the return on it. A good specialist would perhaps be a more sensible bet - unless you can get a price match as listed above of course..
Of course, there is the moblio (sp?) issue...

I agree

 

[c240yaz]

My MB (of Exeter) is running promotion: they will match ANY PRICE!
I would go to Merc just because of stamp. (just paid 505 for B service for my W203).

You can go to any garage, make them to give you a quote (using only GENUINE Merc parts) and voilà!
My garage charges 17 quid for an hour so 60 seems to be quite expensive
It is local garage and I have discount (for workers). It is NOT Merc garage, but bloke knows what is doing!

Cheers
Chris

and thats all that matters

 

[c240yaz]

Only.......

Exactly, £60 per hour, almost as bad as dealers.

 

[c240yaz]

My MB (of Exeter) is running promotion: they will match ANY PRICE!
I would go to Merc just because of stamp. (just paid 505 for B service for my W203).

You can go to any garage, make them to give you a quote (using only GENUINE Merc parts) and voilà!
My garage charges 17 quid for an hour so 60 seems to be quite expensive
It is local garage and I have discount (for workers). It is NOT Merc garage, but bloke knows what is doing!

Cheers
Chris

agree fully

 

[c240yaz]

This is a personal choice really.For me a good independant is best every time.Mine charges only £60 per hour labour & uses only genuine Mercedes-Benz parts.Official dealers charge as much as £125 an hour! He has 20 Yrs Mercedes-Benz experience, so seems as capable as the stealers.You also get a more personal touch than would otherwise be the case.

£60 is rather a little too much for an indie ??

 

[Denise]

£60 an hour for labour?!!!

a local indie who had previously worked for MB for a good 15 years charges just £25/hour and he does a damn good jon an all!

bear in mind most indies dont have overheads like MB, pay VAT, or are registered as a business and perhaps MAYBE claiming state benefits etc etc and £60/hour seems a lot of money!

i suppose you get what you pay for and if you are happy paying £60 then thats all that matters personally i wouldnt pay above £30/hour especially with all the hard times ahead that are being blasted day in day out by the media.

 

[c240yaz]

£60 an hour for labour?!!!

a local indie who had previously worked for MB for a good 15 years charges just £25/hour and he does a damn good jon an all!

bear in mind most indies dont have overheads like MB, pay VAT, or are registered as a business and perhaps MAYBE claiming state benefits etc etc and £60/hour seems a lot of money!

i suppose you get what you pay for and if you are happy paying £60 then thats all that matters personally i wouldnt pay above £30/hour especially with all the hard times ahead that are being blasted day in day out by the media.

£25 per hour is good. Stay with him.

 

[punjabi]

Simply put, main 'Dealer-Stealer' service is NEVER worth it for the Customer. It is geared to profit MB and MB alone! Value for money is POOR!

 

[Dieselman]

bear in mind most indies dont have overheads like MB, pay VAT, or are registered as a business and perhaps MAYBE claiming state benefits etc etc and £60/hour seems a lot of money!

That is a very sweeping statement.

We are talking Independent outlets, not somone working on the side..

All garages will be Vat registered due to the amount of parts and cosumables and their turnover and any Ltd company has to be registered.

 

[Dieselman]

Simply put, main 'Dealer-Stealer' service is NEVER worth it for the Customer. It is geared to profit MB and MB alone! Value for money is POOR!

Other than selling parts how does MB make any money from service work?

 

[Ian B Walker]

There are 2 indies in Lancs, me and S & R in Formby (as far as I know). My rates are £40 per hour (no vat) his are £45 per hour plus vat. S & R are good (foot shooting excersize I know). We both have a passion for Mercedes.

 

[columb]

There are 2 indies in Lancs, me and S & R in Formby (as far as I know). My rates are £40 per hour (no vat) his are £45 per hour plus vat. S & R are good (foot shooting excersize I know). We both have a passion for Mercedes.

I hate prices WITHOUT VAT!!! Why quote prices without vat to NON-business customers????


£47 and £52.88. Doesn't look as good as £40 and £45 but that what's most people would pay.

Cheers
Chris

ps. I'm not having go at you - nothing personal

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I hate prices WITHOUT VAT!!! Why quote prices without vat to NON-business customers????


£47 and £52.88. Doesn't look as good as £40 and £45 but that what's most people would pay.

Maybe Ian was suggesting that he is not VAT registered, but the other specialist in Lancashire is VAT registered, and therefore obliged to add VAT to their labour rates??

 

[columb]

Maybe Ian was suggesting that he is not VAT registered, but the other specialist in Lancashire is VAT registered, and therefore obliged to add VAT to their labour rates??

Possible.

Cheers
Chris

 

[Ian B Walker]

Maybe Ian was suggesting that he is not VAT registered, but the other specialist in Lancashire is VAT registered, and therefore obliged to add VAT to their labour rates??

exactly, thanks.