Servicing requirement with MB Agility finance agreement ?

[CHF]

Could anyone confirm that cars financed with MB Agility MUST be serviced by a Mercedes dealer only ? Paperwork says it must be an official MB workshop ... So is there any difference ? I thought that the dealer servicing monopoly was abolished some time ago ...

Thanks !

 

[CHF]

Also... Does £436 for a C service + brake fluid + fuel filter + air filter seem reasonable to get the job done at an MB dealer ?

 

[Rory]

There are a few official workshops left - they were the old MB dealers who were canned when MB UK had a big re-org a few years ago. Vikings in Canturbury, for example. I think there's only a handful of them left now though.

The price is about right. Whereabouts are you? Inchcape dealers seem price competitive and will match indie pricing. The dealers do try and do you over if the car is still in warranty, but your car must be older than that?

 

[CHF]

There are a few official workshops left - they were the old MB dealers who were canned when MB UK had a big re-org a few years ago. Vikings in Canturbury, for example. I think there's only a handful of them left now though.

The price is about right. Whereabouts are you? Inchcape dealers seem price competitive and will match indie pricing. The dealers do try and do you over if the car is still in warranty, but your car must be older than that?

Thanks for the info, price mentioned was from inchape coventry and you are right about the car age, will be 5 year old in December. Fixed servicing pricing from MB seems to refer to A or B service nowadays while the assyst plus indicate a A to H service so difficult to find out what is really required without relying to much on what an MB dealer quotes you !

 

[Rory]

No-one actually knows what the letters mean! These days MB just has A & B services which are basically the same thing (glorified oil changes). Other things, like air filter, brake fluid etc are additioal items are done on a time/mileage basis as required.

You can put your car's details in here and see what's required: Mercedes-Benz ESS

 

[ucr]

official MB workshop = Mercedes-Benz dealer

 

[fuzzer]

If youre going to hand the car back make sure its serviced at a main dealer for your own sake and don't cut corners!

Mercedes finance are notorious when it comes to charges when returning cars. Ever little thing will be scrutinised.

 

[Rory]

official MB workshop = Mercedes-Benz dealer

Like I said above, there are a few (very few, I think now) that are just workshops ie, from the MB site search page:
"Vikings Canterbury Mercedes-Benz Official Workshop Canterbury (Aftersales only)"

 

[markjay]

There used to an official MB-owned service centre only (i.e. no cars sales - new or used) in Malvern Road W9 for some years, MB them moved them to West Hampstead, and eventually closed them down altogether in 2009.

The nearest service centre is now the MB dealership in Temple Fortune some 5 miles away.

I guess the fact that MB closed down the West London service centre suggests that servicing alone isn't profitable enough without the car sale business. This may explain why they are so hard to find.

 

[davidjpowell]

There used to an official MB-owned service centre only (i.e. no cars sales - new or used) in Malvern Road W9 for some years, MB them moved them to West Hampstead, and eventually closed them down altogether in 2009.

The nearest service centre is now the MB dealership in Temple Fortune some 5 miles away.

I guess the fact that MB closed down the West London service centre suggests that servicing alone isn't profitable enough without the car sale business. This may explain why they are so hard to find.

Isn't the line when you are buying a car that there is no money in sales these days, and it's the workshop propping it all up!

 

[markjay]

Isn't the line when you are buying a car that there is no money in sales these days, and it's the workshop propping it all up!

I think this refers to new car sales, while second hand car sales is apparently profitable.

Incidentally, I read in Ingear that spare parts sales account for 5% of manufacturers' turnover and 50% of their overall profit. But perhaps it is more profitable for MB to just sell the parts and let others (garages - franchises and indie) do the hard work of fitting them?

 

[CHF]

I still wonder how they get away with the absence of competition and how they can force to have your car serviced by dealership only .... I thought that there was a ruling saying that as long as it as serviced by the manufacturer recommendations it was as good as ?

 

[ucr]

You would have signed a contact to agree to have the car serviced by a MB dealer when on lease to you

 

[Rory]

I still wonder how they get away with the absence of competition and how they can force to have your car serviced by dealership only .... I thought that there was a ruling saying that as long as it as serviced by the manufacturer recommendations it was as good as ?

It's not your car.