So much for the free MOT ...

[C240Sport97]

following on from this: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/69326-half-price-mot-etc.html

my car went into MB Stratford for a free MOT today.

It failed. Apparently, n/s rear parking brake not working much or at all.

I authorised further investigation at a max cost of £114. Amazingly, the bill was £114!

They reported that brake drum and brake shoes knackered.

To fix, they said the following needs to be replaced:

1. discs .. agreed since the brake drum is part of the disc, and my discs are quite lipped anyway

2. pads .. not agreed since the pads are still virtually new since they were fitted only about 9k miles. MB Stratford being ultra cautious (since pads bedded into old discs) or maybe just trying sell more parts? You decide. I know what I think.

3. brake shoes .. agreed.

Cost:
Before 3plus discount: £772
After 3 plus discount: £626
That's including 3.8 hours labour!!!

I told them I was scrapping the car.

Will get Steve in Maidstone to deal with this.

The car also got a "free" health check (I was not told about this). They said the following needed doing:

1. new lower front suspension arms -- bushes knackered. Cheaper to replace arms instead of bushes. Steve says this is true.
3plus cost: £1251 (including a full realignment) .. bargain, NOT!
Labour 5.8 hours

2. new rear exhaust box -- one of the brackets holding it on to chassis broken.
3plus cost: £507. Another bargain, NOT!
Labour 1.5 hours

3. new propshaft coupling
3plus cost £213
Labour 1.1 hours -- seems reasonable. This is the only item which is vaguely honest.

All prices include parts and VAT.

From a free MOT, I was facing a bill of about £2700 .. more than the car is worth. Bonkers.

Moral of the story:
No such thing as a free lunch.

Practical tips:
Avoid MB Stratford.
Find an independent.

 

[Dieselman]

Moral of the story:
No such thing as a free lunch.

How come. Did they charge you for more than the original MOT and brake investigation.? If not the advice has been for free.

 

[C240Sport97]

How come. Did they charge you for more than the original MOT and brake investigation.? If not the advice has been for free.

I did not get charged for the failed MOT. I got charged £114 investigation, which I am OK with.

It's the rest of the adventurous pricing which I find offensive.

 

[Meldrew2]

Moral of the story:
No such thing as a free lunch.

I went to a trade day at a caravan exhibition in North Wales last month.

Lunch was indeed free - a rather nice Hog Roast.

Then I got charged £2 for a cup of coffee



.

 

[Phil Thomas]

following on from this: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/69326-half-price-mot-etc.html

my car went into MB Stratford for a free MOT today.

It failed. Apparently, n/s rear parking brake not working much or at all.

I authorised further investigation at a max cost of £114. Amazingly, the bill was £114!

They reported that brake drum and brake shoes knackered.

To fix, they said the following needs to be replaced:

1. discs .. agreed since the brake drum is part of the disc, and my discs are quite lipped anyway

2. pads .. not agreed since the pads are still virtually new since they were fitted only about 9k miles. MB Stratford being ultra cautious (since pads bedded into old discs) or maybe just trying sell more parts? You decide. I know what I think.

3. brake shoes .. agreed.

Cost:
Before 3plus discount: £772
After 3 plus discount: £626
That's including 3.8 hours labour!!!

I told them I was scrapping the car.

Will get Steve in Maidstone to deal with this.

The car also got a "free" health check (I was not told about this). They said the following needed doing:

1. new lower front suspension arms -- bushes knackered. Cheaper to replace arms instead of bushes. Steve says this is true.
3plus cost: £1251 (including a full realignment) .. bargain, NOT!
Labour 5.8 hours

2. new rear exhaust box -- one of the brackets holding it on to chassis broken.
3plus cost: £507. Another bargain, NOT!
Labour 1.5 hours

3. new propshaft coupling
3plus cost £213
Labour 1.1 hours -- seems reasonable. This is the only item which is vaguely honest.

All prices include parts and VAT.

From a free MOT, I was facing a bill of about £2700 .. more than the car is worth. Bonkers.

Moral of the story:
No such thing as a free lunch.

Practical tips:
Avoid MB Stratford.
Find an independent.

I don't use this offer for that reason. I pay a local small garage for the MoT. They do jobs like the exhaust bracket with a welder! They do wishbones too at much smaller labour cost, but use MB parts, unless I insist otherwise. It is much nearer too, so that saves time and expense.

 

[Phil Thomas]

I went to a trade day at a caravan exhibition in North Wales last month.

Lunch was indeed free - a rather nice Hog Roast.

Then I got charged £2 for a cup of coffee



.

Still a bargain?

 

[C240Sport97]

I forgot to mention that MB Stratford kept saying I needed to get the parking brake problem solved without delay as the car no longer had a valid MOT (after the test failure) despite the current test certificate being valid until 19 June 09. The benefits of the new computerised system apparently.

Brief research on the MOT section of gov.uk wbesite did not confirm whether MB Stratford was correct. The MOT failure form talks about getting the failure fixed before the validity of the current test certificate expires, but nothing else. There is nothing that I can find which says what MB Stratford says.

Anyone know for sure?

I am using the Boxster until I can the car to Steve anyway.

 

[renault12ts]

That would suggest that if you were to take your car in for a service 6 months before the MOT was due and they found the same problem with the brake they'd fail you?

 

[GrahamC230K]

I didn't find a satisfactory answer to that Shaun, although I stopped looking after reading one of Carrotchimper's posts on PH saying it was OK. It seems to be surprising unlcear.

I didn't look too hard as I was not sure I wanted to know at the time, if you follow me. I was happy the failure sheet was unlcear enough it could be interpretted as ok to drive. As it turned out I made a short trip to fetch the part, a subsequent trip with said new parts in boot (shows willing eh) and then my next trips were to the garage for fitting and back for the MOT.

 

[buccal]

Shame Sean, i used them recently and thought they were very good.

However, on two previous occasions they were very dubious.

I thought they had sorted themselves out.

 

[jaymanek]

your car has a valid MOT until june but then if your brake is not working then may not be in a road worthy condition and so makes it illegal...

 

[w124coupe]

My original post was for the "half price MOT" offer that includes a Star check for fault codes and all pending software updates (if you car needs any).

My point was that getting codes read normally costs £50 and software updates only come with main dealer servicing - hence an opportunity to get both AND an MOT for less than the normal cost of an MOT.

You seem to have gone for a different offer? Free MOT but no Star/software check (or at least if they did, no faults/updates found?).

Your chosen dealer has given you a shopping list of things you might like to get done - which you can now discuss with your indie and decide, with the benefit of TWO opinions, if you want to address or ignore.

The failed parking brake is a solid MOT failure, would have come up at any MOT station and so needs fixing.

Why did you let them take you for £114 for (presumably one hour) "investigation" when that same hour would have been better spent in stripping to actually fix the brake (either there or at an indie)?

(I wouldn't put pads that had worn to match a ridged disc onto a new disc by the way - false economy - both will wear very quickly until they align).

Summary:

You had your free MOT (did you check up-front what the re-test charge policy is for free MOTs?).

The £114 was, in my opinion, your choice and not a good one...

You have a (free) list of wear and tear issues to be checked by second opinion and either repaired or accepted/understood/monitored going forward.

 

[C240Sport97]

your car has a valid MOT until june but then if your brake is not working then may not be in a road worthy condition and so makes it illegal...

my brakes are fine, it's the parking brake.

the more I think about it, the more relaxed I am

 

[C240Sport97]

My original post was for the "half price MOT" offer that includes a Star check for fault codes and all pending software updates (if you car needs any).

My point was that getting codes read normally costs £50 and software updates only come with main dealer servicing - hence an opportunity to get both AND an MOT for less than the normal cost of an MOT.

You seem to have gone for a different offer? Free MOT but no Star/software check (or at least if they did, no faults/updates found?).

Your chosen dealer has given you a shopping list of things you might like to get done - which you can now discuss with your indie and decide, with the benefit of TWO opinions, if you want to address or ignore.

The failed parking brake is a solid MOT failure, would have come up at any MOT station and so needs fixing.

Why did you let them take you for £114 for (presumably one hour) "investigation" when that same hour would have been better spent in stripping to actually fix the brake (either there or at an indie)?

(I wouldn't put pads that had worn to match a ridged disc onto a new disc by the way - false economy - both will wear very quickly until they align).

Summary:

You had your free MOT (did you check up-front what the re-test charge policy is for free MOTs?).

The £114 was, in my opinion, your choice and not a good one...

You have a (free) list of wear and tear issues to be checked by second opinion and either repaired or accepted/understood/monitored going forward.

My complain is not about the £114 or the free MOT, it is the extortionate pricing.

 

[w124coupe]

My complain is not about the £114 or the free MOT, it's is the extortionate pricing.

All dealer pricing is just a start point in the negotiation - I'm sure if you actually wanted some of it done a much more sensible price could be negotiated - each of your quotes has the same 1/2 hour for prepping the car on the ramp for a start.

I use Merc Worcester for routine service as my S211 still gets regular software updates etc (and just had a goodwill SBC pump FOC)- we always have some good banter when they call with the "extras" - some I let them do after serious labour trimming, others I don't.

(a working parking brake is necessary for the car to be passed as roadworthy by the way - regardless of whether its an auto with a P transmission lock - sound like its either not been maintained and stuck "on" or someone has driven off with it applied - not much else wears the parking brake).

 

[C240Sport97]

All dealer pricing is just a start point in the negotiation -

agree with this.

but the basic point is that they are trying it on, really trying it on.

if I was completely ignorant of MB mechanics and prices, I would negotiate say 25% off, and still have paid far far too much.

 

[C240Sport97]

I use Merc Worcester for routine service as my S211 still gets regular software updates etc (and just had a goodwill SBC pump FOC)- we always have some good banter when they call with the "extras" - some I let them do after serious labour trimming, others I don't.

my car is far too old to be able to get any form of software updates ...

 

[Kinky]

I'm always sceptical about these 'offers'. You can be rest assured that they'll find things wrong which racks up the price.

I'd always suggest a council MOT centre. They're there mainly to do MOTs for council vehicles, but do public stuff too. They've nothing to gain by 'failing' you.

K

 

[BTB 500]

Well my 12 year old R129 has never failed a free MOT at M-B Guildford. In fact it's never even had an advisory. And the MOT comes up in July, service in September.

 

[Smiley]

have you actually checked that there is a real problem with the parking brake? Have you noticed any degradation? My experience of MB main dealers and their list of faults would tell me to investigate a bit further.