Mechanic rates?

[Grantovski]

Can anyone tell me the average hourly rate of UK indy Merc garages? I have been quoted £700. For a big service inc AF oil change. I know the C280 W202 V6 has 12 plugs and all the bits n pieces are about £200 to buy before labour. £500. For labour seems rich to me. What would a dealer charge?

 

[wemorgan]

I pay £45-50/hr + VAT in the Midlands.

 

[jupiter2step]

Indys in Nottingham vary from 45-55 plus VAT.

 

[markjay]

Not sure re hourly rate, but a B service from an Indie should cost in the region of £150-200, ATF change around the same. Not sure about the spark plugs, prob £100? £150? So prob around £400-£500 in total from an indie Inc. parts and labour.

But there are other things that potentially need doing such as air and fuel filter change and brake fluid change, which are not part of the B service - so would normally be quoted separately - have these been included in the £700?

 

[GP801]

If I remember correctly PCS in Horndean is about £55 + VAT. (Just to illustrate how expensive it is in the UK main dealer rate near us in Italy is 60-70 euros/hr)

 

[neilrr]

Asking what the average is is pointless. An indy in the S.E. & especially London & surrounds will face overheads far higher than one in a small town in the middle of nowhere. One with courtesy cars, Star diagnostics, cappuccinos & car washing thrown in is going to cost more than a more basic outfit.

If you want to know what they charge, whether it's per hour or per job, just ask them.

 

[ianmc1200]

Its about 50 hr + vat here in northampton - 700 for service seems a tad steep.

 

[ss201]

Asking what the average is is pointless. An indy in the S.E. & especially London & surrounds will face overheads far higher than one in a small town in the middle of nowhere. One with courtesy cars, Star diagnostics, cappuccinos & car washing thrown in is going to cost more than a more basic outfit.

If you want to know what they charge, whether it's per hour or per job, just ask them.

Absolutely!

 

[MOCAŠ]

Just had my SLK serviced at a main dealer. At 8 years old and with 37,000 miles on the clock, the bill came to just over £1000. The ATF change alone accounted for £330+VAT of the total.

 

[BlackC55]

£330+vat for ATF!!!!

I charge £175 including vat.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Bully for you.

 

[BlackC55]

I just can see how it can be that much. I think they have over charged you. The labour is only 1.5 hours.

 

[Matt H]

x2 It's going to vary greatly wherever you are but I'd rather they didn't wash it - don't trust them to do that without putting swirl marks in my paint! My Merc OCD is kicking in again

 

[neilrr]

£330+vat for ATF!!!!

I charge £175 including vat.

Central London rents, rates, labour & all the rest.

A friend of mine paid a well known indy in SW London £200 + VAT for an oil change & MOT on a '91 560SEC last week, which I thought high. She was caught between a rock & a hard place - can't do it herself & to take it out of town would have cost more in time & hassle than it's worth.

 

[GordonTarling]

Labour rates in the main dealers around London are around £120 per hour, sometimes more. Frothy coffee is expensive!

 

[MOCAŠ]

I just can see how it can be that much. I think they have over charged you. The labour is only 1.5 hours.

Apologies if my response was a little terse - I read your post as though it were just saying "should have gone to an indie...".

I was told the ATF change would cost £330 over the phone when booking the car in, and assumed that that would be plus VAT. Having just checked my invoice, it shows the total for the ATF change as £275.58, so the £330 was actually including VAT.

It looks like they've changed the way the invoice is prepared recently, as they don't list the labour and parts charges separately any more - they just show the total charge for each job done.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Central London rents, rates, labour & all the rest.

This was at Hughes of Beaconsfield, which is in Bucks - outside the M25. Not sure what their labour rates are, but I'd presume they're similar to those of other franchised MB dealerships.

 

[neilrr]

Should have gone to an indie.

 

[markjay]

It's not always about price. Many people go to where they get good service, full stop. I believe that both MOCAŠ and I fall in this category, though we each found different satisfactory answers to the same question.

 

[voy2age]

Do it myself. so cost for an A service (this time) was £50 and a afternoons work. sometimes it costs more, if i need brakes etc etc