Where to take your beloved Merc for servicing? Anywhere, but definitley not Colins F

[Vlad]

I think what this does demonstrate is that by jumping in feet first, and without having a clear mechanical understanding, that you risk the reputation of somebody's business that has taken years to build up and can be severely dented by a single posting.....all I can say is that its been great that people have continued to question the information being provided and that eventually the truth has come out.

 

[Rory]

Nonsense. In this case, someone felt hard done by but was later proved to be charged correctly.

Sorry if I've missed that, but where it is proved the OP was charged correctly?

You're saying that because of that, everyone else should be denied the chance to comment on bad service? I don't think so.

As for dignifying a thread by replying, is this the royal family we're talking about? If an aggrieved party disagrees, then let them do so. I would rather hear their point of view than imagine their dignity

It apparently takes 2.8hrs + filing and bleeding (an hour?? - we don't know) to change the rad, so what was going on for the other, say, 4.5hrs?

Perhaps what's gone wrong here, is that the scope of the work required wasn't properly and fully described to the OP when he paid the bill?

 

[jaymanek]

Although i agree with Vlad, the point is that this is a forum, members should be able to vent frustrations without prejudice... if they turn out to be unfair then that member should accept that, but had it not have been for this post the member may well not have seen both sides of the arguments.

i dont think we should shoot 03E500 down here, he has come on here for some help and betweeen all the b*tchy posts he has got that... hopefully it will help him to approach the garage with a more balanced view...

we have all been there, its a natural reaction to think a garage has ripped you off, especially if you are naieve to the complexities some jobs can involve..

we have a garage and i sit here listening to my dad explain invoices and charges all day long, some customers understand, some dont, some will complain and complain before finally understandaing why we have charged them what we have.
The garage business is not easy and is very difficult to keep 100% satisfied customers.
believe it or not, someday Ian Walker and Olly may even have the odd disgruntled client and they may go off and shout the odds... the damage will be done and there wont be much anyone can do about it... its just how the industry works..

 

[Dieselman]

I presume Bryanthemercman is Colins workshop manager .... called Bryan

Clocked that but thanks for the confirmation.

 

[Dieselman]

Sorry if I've missed that, but where it is proved the OP was charged correctly?

It apparently takes 2.8hrs + filing and bleeding (an hour?? - we don't know) to change the rad, so what was going on for the other, say, 4.5hrs?

Perhaps what's gone wrong here, is that the scope of the work required wasn't properly and fully described to the OP when he paid the bill?

Just my summary of events as described so far.

Diagnose fault
Replace Rad
Replace ATF hoses
refil water system
Refil ATF, possibly incorporating complete change of ATF.

I can't be bothered to check the exact times but replace rad 2.8 hrs, replace pipes, 1.5 hrs.
Bleeding water system say 1hr. ATF change 1hr, leaves 1.7 hrs for diagnosis and sundries like test drive.
Any of these jobs could be a bit longer so it doesn't seem too far out at all.

 

[Rory]

leaves 1.7 hrs for diagnosis and sundries like test drive.

To be honest, that just reads like you're padding it out to fill the time available.

Without the garage posting the details we only have one side of the story. What's frustrating is that the garage has alluded that there's more to this than the OP revelaed, but then they haven't given any details - all they've shown is work that would take less than half the 8.5hrs.

When I was at college I worked in a garage in an affulent suburb and they used to charge people according to what the garage thought they could afford - it was kind of Robin Hood thing, but I bet the rich people didn't realise they were paying to run the poor people's cars!

I wonder if the garage sees an E500 with a desperate owner and thinks it's Christmas?

 

[Dieselman]

It stipulates earlier that the rad change is 2.8 hrs + filling and bleeding. Have you done that on one of these cars, it can take ages.
Then there is the corroded ATF pipes at 1.6 hrs. That makes 4.2 hrs already

So your less than half of the time isn't really an accurate estimate unless you expact no diagnosis or filling and testing of systems once the parts are fitted.

I take it you would be happy to collect the car and the garage say 'We've fitted a new radiator and ATF pipes but not filled or tested the systems or car'.

All I can see is a 1.7 hr window for doing that.

 

[Rory]

I take it you would be happy to collect the car and the garage say 'We've fitted a new radiator and ATF pipes but not filled or tested the systems or car'.

No, but omitting to mention that is bound to make the customer feel unhappy - few people would realise how involved and costly those processes are.

Imagine if the OP had booked it into the MB dealer he mentions, who quoted 2.4hrs for the rad and 1.6 for the pipes, only to be unexpectedly handed a bill for an extra 2 hrs or so. He's have rightly wondered why that, and the cost of the coolant and ATF, wasn't included in the original quote

When Bryanthemercman posted why didn't he take the opportunity to list off all the stuff that you did, instead of focusing on the rad change? It's easy to see how the OP feels ripped off if he was only told the rad & pipes had been changed.

 

[Howard]

I wonder if the garage sees an E500 with a desperate owner and thinks it's Christmas?

TBH , Colin and the team see nicer cars than that , 55's for example ...

I have to be careful here , because Colin is an aquaintance ( not a great pal , but i know him and respect him just the same ) ...

I just can't beleive that they would stitch the guy up , i'm sorry .... there has to be a reason for the bill .

Colin is on holiday for a couple of weeks at the moment , i'm sure he will reply when he gets back , i did email him the link , which is presumably why Bryan has replied because he is collecting Colins mail.

The company has been built on the back of good service and pleased customers, they aren't a 'fly by night' venture.

 

[Rory]

I just can't beleive that they would stitch the guy up , i'm sorry .... there has to be a reason for the bill .

I'm sure you're right. It just sounds to me like it just hasn't been explained properly - understandable when even the MB dealer failed to include the time to refill and bleed the coolant and ATF. Or perhaps the OP didn't listen.

 

[big x]

Refil ATF, possibly incorporating complete change of ATF.

ATF change 1hr,

Eh ? The invoice makes no mention of an ATF change, it's just been topped up with 1 litre which takes no more time than it's taken for me to write this post !
If it was my car I would change the transmission oil including dropping the pan and replacing the filter as a matter of urgency due to possible contamination.

adam