Service Plan for E Class from Main Dealer?

[E220Newbie]

As my username suggests, Im very much a newbie in the world of Mercedes, and even having a brand new car.

My E220 Mercedes is a '15' plate, so a month or so away from its 1 year anniversary. The Service A due indicator has now come up, so debating whether I am better off taking to a dealer.

Looking online it seems if I do 3 services over 3 years, it works out to £35 a month, i.e. total of £1260.
Technically I guess these services would take place over a 24 month period i.e. May 2016, May 2017, May 2018, but I would continue to pay until May 2019.

Is this amount worth it from the dealer? Im guessing paying individually rather than a service plan would work out the same? (will be ringing around during the week to get various quotes).

I did notice online, there is an option to put a voucher code - anyone know of any sites that might have this available? Thanks

 

[wongl]

If you are within 3 months of your next service, the service plan will have to be paid up in by the last service - i.e. they will increase the monthly payments so that your payment will end at the last service.

On a separate note, I think in your case, going for 3 services is the worse deal as a 3 year plan will cover only 2 A-services and only 1 B-Service. Better to go for the 2 or 4 year plan to get the number of B-Services on your plan.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

How long do you plan on keeping the car?

If four years, personally I'd cough up the money for the A service, then sign up to a 3 year service plan afterwards. Get B-A-B services out of them, two expensive and one cheap, same price

 

[tylerdurden]

Agree. That is what I did.

 

[MSG2004]

I bought a brand new gle a few weeks ago - fixed prices services a couple of weeks ago was 36 quid, looked today 39 quid. I intend to keep car for 5/7 years. Do about 6k mile a year. The ATM is due for oild change 5th year so imo not worth the 470 odd quid.

I'm not sure if Mercedes displays fixed price services for A&B services and am aware re so-called additional item cost.

 

[E220Newbie]

Thanks folks.

I actually didnt think about that the ideal solution should be to get 2 Service B's out of them and an A, rather than 2 Service A's and a B.

So makes sense to either do 2 year or 4 year.... I will get all the prices out of them either as individuals, and diff plans and see what works out best..... Thanks

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

It's fixed, all services include everything that would be needed. Additional items the lot

 

[E220Newbie]

So I just checked online, and Service A is £238. Service B is £392.

Service care plan is £35 for 2 services over 2 years, £52 for 2 services over 3 years, or £35 for 3 services over 3 years.

Here's the newbie part again, but am I missing something in thinking that I am better off just buying the individual services each year? works out much cheaper.... Or is the individual service pretty basic, and the service care plan covers any actual stuff that needs replacing too, so no hidden costs (barring natural wear n tear stuff like tyres, brake pads etc..).

Struggling a bit here to figure out which is the best option - I would be keeping the car for 4 - 5 years i reckon.

 

[geraldrobins]

Every 2 years a brake fluid change is recommended and the B service cost doesn't include this which is about £60. In the 4th year, assuming average mileage, brake fluid change, new air and fuel filter are required, which is an additional £250 approx.
Atm change interval varies but probably at 5years and costs about £350.
All the additional items are included in a service plan, but not in basic A or B services.

 

[st13phil]

If four years, personally I'd cough up the money for the A service, then sign up to a 3 year service plan afterwards. Get B-A-B services out of them, two expensive and one cheap, same price

Afraid it's not. If you take out the service plan after you have the first service done its more expensive.

 

[Rory]

Afraid it's not. If you take out the service plan after you have the first service done its more expensive.

I was going to post that yesterday, but I looked at the quote page and it appeared to be the same price (£35). Maybe they change it when a model is replaced?

 

[Steveatki]

I understood that the service care plan includes all additional items such as fuel filter, air filter, cabin filter, brake fluid change, transmission oil change etc., am I right?

 

[alzieboy]

Took out 4 year service plan on E350cdi Coupe @£29 pm, have not had any extras apart from MOT fee on third A service. Also always had a courtesy car for no extra charge

 

[tonysmb]

I THINK that the service plan rate increases once the car is 12 months old.

It might be possible, if you complete the paperwork with your dealer, to arrange the 1st service and pay that direct, but initiate service plan so that the first service due under the plan is the one due in 2017.

Some dealers/groups do their own plans, which might cost a bit more but might offer additional factors such as free oil top ups, puncture repair etc etc. However, whilst they might prefer you to sign up to theirs, they should process your application for the MB UK one. With the former you are obviously tied to that dealer/group, the MB one is valid at any MB dealer.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Afraid it's not. If you take out the service plan after you have the first service done its more expensive.

Not straight after, that would be a waste of money. Probably three months before the next service or whatever the minimum period is, that's what I did with mine

 

[E220Newbie]

Thanks folks...

So I think I am getting more confused with this whole concept - Based on a few threads and speaking to few other people, I was of the understanding that a service care plan, does take care of those few extras that you would pay more for if I just paid for individual services each time. For example, one person posted above, the brake fluid change I would pay extra for.

However, after speaking to 2 different Mercedes dealers, they both confirmed that there is NO difference in me paying individual services year on year, against a service care plan. It is the exact same service, and whatever extras are paid for in for example a £500 Service B, are the same, if Service B was within my 3 year plan (at £35 a month for example).
They advised, the only benefit the service care plan does is just allows you to budget and pay on a monthly basis, and avoids any increases to service prices due to inflation in 1 - 2 years time.

If this is the case, it makes me think isnt it just better just paying separately as you go along.

Unless I am doing my numbers wrong here on the website, Service A: £236, Service B: £392, Service C: £236 (this is based on me putting in my actual reg number, and changing the mileages around to get Service B price).
So individually, thats cost of £864, whereas 3 year service plan inc A - B - A, works out at £1260.

Have I missed something here? Why would I pay an extra £400 over 3 years?

(Strangely, the above are the website prices, but the dealers were quoting me over £500 for just a Service B)

Confused!!!

 

[st13phil]

Have I missed something here? Why would I pay an extra £400 over 3 years?

(Strangely, the above are the website prices, but the dealers were quoting me over £500 for just a Service B)

They don't make it easy, do they?

Yes, you have missed something. The prices you're getting for Service A and Service B are just for the basic service operations. The mandatory additional items that are age / mileage dependent are not included in those prices. That's why the dealer quoted more than £500 for a B Service - they factored in the typical additional items for a 2-year old car such as Brake Fluid change and probably the Cabin Filter too (depends upon model).

For some cars in the range the Service Plan is marginal in terms of cost benefit over PAYG servicing, but for most it represents a worthwhile cost saving.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I'm guessing your A Service will also be £236 Phil?

Ant.

 

[E220Newbie]

Thanks St13phil...... I think thats starting to make sense now, because the online Service B price around £392 just says check brake fluid, whereas I guess the Merc rep on phone quoted like u say around £500 factoring that into account.

Strange why they arent being explicit over what I see on their internet vs what they are saying on the phone to spell it out for newbies like me. Them saying its all exactly the same doesnt help.

So guess this puts me back to the original conundrum then......

PAYG, 2 year plan, 3 year plan, or pay for 1st year, and then a 3 year plan which sounded like the best option to me. However few of you mentioned that perhaps it doenst work like that, and if I PAYG for my first year, then the prices are hiked if i do service plan after that?

 

[st13phil]

So guess this puts me back to the original conundrum then......

If you want to see what additional items are included on an age / mileage basis, take a look at the Electronic Service Sheet. Play with both the registration date and mileage to see what gets thrown up as additional items in the "Service Operations" listing. The extra items are things like:

Service 10 - Every 31,000 miles/3 years (With CODE 413 - Panoramic glass roof with top sliding roof)

Panoramic sliding roof: Clean and lubricate guide mechanism​

Also, having just checked the Service Care quotation tool, Rory is right that on an E220 the cost of the plan is the same whether you take it out before or after the car is 12 months old. Bearing that in mind, it's a no-brainer to start it for the second service onwards and do the first as a PAYG.