Servicing: Dealer or Indy

[proser]

My E320Cdi is due a B service shortly, at 184000 miles, so I decided to ring my local indy and Mb dealer:

Indy - £320
Dealer - £310 (this was ~£400 but they have just introduced fixed price servicing)

Indy charges £70/hour
Dealer - forgot to ask, but I do get 30% discount on labour and 10% on parts (along with some other perks) as they gave me one of their gold discount cards.


Which would you choose ???

 

[vijilants]

Dealer ....unless the indie is going to do a lot more in the way of service than the dealer. Also the dealer will give your car a free valet, and possibly collect and deliver free of charge.

If the dealership points out that additional work is required, then you take it to the indy and get him to do the additional work depending again on price comparison.

 

[wemorgan]

Indy for me.

On the whole, nicer people to deal with and more worthy of receiving my money

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Whichever you believe will do the best job, and that will be different depending upon where you are in the country and therefore which dealer and which indy.

For me - here - I would choose the dealer, but that's because my area isn't welll served by MB-specialist indies.

 

[verytalldave]

As Bobby Dazzler.
Whichever gives the best service in your area. Cost is so similar, its not a factor, so its just down to quality of service.
Both are good prices for a B service.
I would try to find out EXACTLY what each will do for the quoted prices.
For example, see whether either include change of auto fluid. And what grade of oil will be used and whether power steering fluid change is included.
These things, if excluded, can add substantially to the final bill.

 

[Adam230K]

I'd go dealer, or maybe ask the indy to lower the price a little and present to him the quote given to you by the MB dealer.