MB Dealer service rates - please post here

[richard]

Hi

In an attempt to reduce service and parts costs for us all, I suggest we all post the rates and whether we receive extra discount on parts etc for the MB dealers around the UK (and lets add Ireland and France/Netherlands/etc with ports that go to the UK)

Can I suggest this format

Dealer/Branch
Date of the invoice
Normal Labour Rate INC vat
Discounted Labour Rate if you got discount (inc VAT)
Parts discount
Why you got the discount (for instance, car is older 3 years so MB London does 20% of labour and 10% off parts)

I will dig out my last invoice from MB dealer when I get home

R

 

[BarryS]

Hi Richard,
The hourly rate is quite amazingly high particularly if you look at London dealers. However it's usually not shown on the invoice as far as I could see - I have specifically asked before now to find out the cost. It can pay to get a service in a lower priced area, and that comes to buying cars too. My 6-month old CLK was £1k cheaper to purchase from dealer in Cambridge than Thames Valley (both our areas) so well worth a few hours drive.
Barry

 

[Flash]

Around London/surrounding outskirts MB Passenger car Labour rates are fixed @£90 plus VAT on cars that are less than 4 years old. However, the fixed cost of servicing i.e. A/B Service may be less at certain Stealerships that are still franchised by £30/40 I have found from experience.

Even the Commercial Stealerships within London are a rip off now as they charge £105 Labour per hour (inclusive of VAT).

 

[calum]

£1k cheaper to purchase from dealer in Cambridge than Thames Valley (both our areas) so well worth a few hours drive.
Barry

amusing: I moved from Twyford to Cambridge and bought my W211, although not for that reason

 

[Doodle]

Tony Purslow in Guildford off 10% stock parts and labour discount for vehicles over 4 years old. For cars over 6 years, that increases to 40% discount on the labour, dropping to £54ph +vat.

Hence, last years major service, with all filters changed and an MoT, came to a little over £300.

 

[DITTRICH]

RemService
Building 37 Corpus A
Leningradski Prospect
Moscow

Labour rate USD30 per hour including taxation (£15.95)

Les

 

[219]

Worth also including MB specialists who give good service - even if not part of the 'official' dealer network.

 

[Subyland]

Although I have not used a MB dealer recently I enquired about their rate 2 months ago.

Robinsons Bury St Edmunds
£92+vat per hour normal rate
£70+vat and 10% on parts for cars over 5 years old

I also rang the others Robinsons branches (Norwich, Kings Lynn and Cambridge). None of them give any discount on older cars.

 

[dava]

My mate just had his Audi TT 225 (golf 1.8 turbo engine) serviced at the Audi main dealers B service, wait for it, £625.00!!!!!!
Break down of bill
Oil £80 for 4 ltrs
Oil Filter £70 yes the paper one!!!!!
4 Plugs £12 each
Total parts £225 there was a wiper and a air filter and brake fluid.
Labour and vat was the difference.
He dropped it of at 15.00 and picked it up at 17.30 then picked himself up.

 

[ckember]

It would appear that the older the car the cheaper the service costs. Surely it should be the same or more.

In my line of work, we charge the same rate based on a 15 year old peice of kit or a two year old one.

Also the parts cost goes up as the older parts become obsolute. Surely as an incentive to purchase newer cars the servicing should be cheaper. Especially as these days they only use a computer.

I had a problem with my fuel pump recently and the garage took two days to find a cracked pump case, because star said there was nothing wrong, even though the fuel was spraying out. by the way the breakdown report also told them this but they didn't tell the tech

 

[Subyland]

The reason for the different prices is that after 3 years, when the warranty has expired, most customers prefer to go and have their car serviced at a local independant whose prices are cheaper. By giving some discount the dealers expect to retain some of this business.

 

[Will]

^^Yep, and reliable, well-serviced older cars are also a good advert for the Marque?

Today's older Mercedes-model owner could be a potential new customer also?

 

[Ian B Walker]

124works (new company ) £30 per hour and spare parts at cost. Forum member get 10% discount.

 

[GRAV888]

Brabus Kent still have a set of plugs fitted for any E-class on the board at £55.
Anyone with an E55, get there quick before they change it.
Last time I did mine, the plugs alone cost me £96 trade

 

[BTB 500]

Tony Purslow in Guildford off 10% stock parts and labour discount for vehicles over 4 years old. For cars over 6 years, that increases to 40% discount on the labour, dropping to £54ph +vat.

AFAIK this applies at all Tony Purslow M-B dealerships, i.e. Basingstoke & Hindhead too.

 

[Doodle]

Duh! Dunno what made me write Guildford....I meant Basingstoke in the first place!

 

[SimonsMerc]

Mercedes Park Royal, labour rates quoted on the phone yesterday - £115 per hour plus VAT. They want to charge one hour minimum to investigate my air conditioning, which seems to have stopped working after the rust repair they performed recently. Yes, that's right, they want a billable hour from me before they'll tell me whether or not they agree to pay for the repair. And no, that hour would not be refunded.

I actually thought they could be trying it on with the £115+vat, but I phoned back half an hour later to ask for their labour rates, spoke to someone else and got told £115+vat/hour.

*sigh*.

-simon

 

[grober]

Cross post information

The topic of Mercedes labour rates occurred in another thread in last couple of days. This may not be obvious from the thread title. I would particularly refer you to DC_insiders posts in which he/she ? casts a lot of light on why Mercedes charge so much for their servicing. The phrase that explains it all evidently is " Aftersales Absorption Ratio of 100% " see http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=26620&page=2

 

[BTB 500]

Tony Purslow in Guildford off 10% stock parts and labour discount for vehicles over 4 years old. For cars over 6 years, that increases to 40% discount on the labour, dropping to £54ph +vat.

Hence, last years major service, with all filters changed and an MoT, came to a little over £300.

I got the latest newsletter from Tony Purslow yesterday

In addition, all vehicles over six years old will receive an MOT test when required at no cost.

:bannana:

Says the Guildford dealership will be moving to new premises early next year, too.

 

[bobmedley]

Just had a quote for 2 hrs to retro fit Comand from Mercedes Benz in Leipzig, and their hourly rate is 90 euro/hr - that's £62.

Almost worth driving there

Slightly closer, Mercedes Benz of Stoke charge £93 plus VAT