Main dealer service cost

[olivabih77]

If you r close to ProAlfa, Chris could do it for reasonable price oil change. ProAlfa is qualified and can give you stamp as they did to my car.

Plus 9/10 you're better going to a specialist like that because they know more than dealers. They also have those lesser spotted people know as mechanics, dealers have fitters. The difference is one fixes stuff and the other fits stuff.

Agree but ProAlfa could do both fix and fit

[Will22]

If you r close to ProAlfa, Chris could do it for reasonable price oil change. ProAlfa is qualified and can give you stamp as they did to my car.

Plus 9/10 you're better going to a specialist like that because they know more than dealers. They also have those lesser spotted people know as mechanics, dealers have fitters. The difference is one fixes stuff and the other fits stuff.

Agree but ProAlfa could do both fix and fit

I think you missed my point. Dealers more often than not only have fitters that can fit parts but they don't have the skills of a specialist to find what the problem may be. A specialist can do both and personally I would pick a well respected specialist over a dealer for any work unless they can't provide warranty work. I pass about 8 dealers on my way to have work don't on my VW

[olivabih77]

I understand your point and agree. I wouldn't go to dealer for my car at the moment as they overcharge and they don't do their job well sometimes. Being in ProAlfa with the specialist i find quit annoying that dealer would charge you twice where specialist wouldn't and they do their job.

[888dee]

just bought my first brand new car from Arnold Shark and declined their off of a service plan as I fully intend to take it to the local indy....

as an aside, I know a guy who works for the Vauxhall dealer who charge a frankly ridiculous £100/hour +vat and he is the only vauxhall trained tech in the workshop at the age of 21, I have no reason to believe the Fiat/Abarth dealer will be any different.

I am utterly confident the local indy will do a better job for less money.

[Will22]

just bought my first brand new car from Arnold Shark and declined their off of a service plan as I fully intend to take it to the local indy....

as an aside, I know a guy who works for the Vauxhall dealer who charge a frankly ridiculous £100/hour +vat and he is the only vauxhall trained tech in the workshop at the age of 21, I have no reason to believe the Fiat/Abarth dealer will be any different.

I am utterly confident the local indy will do a better job for less money.

I brought my 156GTA when I had it 10 years ago to the local Alfa/Fiat dealer to have a small coolant leak looked at and they quoted me £650 to fix it. Found a local Alfa specialist to me and dropped the car in for them to look at it and I went around the corner to a cafe to get a fry up. Was half way eating it when I got a call to say the car was fixed. They charged £30 I think it was for the fix, flush and refill of the system.

Went back to the Alfa dealer and asked if they could do the job for less, bartered with them for a bit and got them down to £400 at which point I told them what the problem was, how much it was to fix and asked them if they had the number for the local trading standards. The face of the service manager was priceless.

[usualdog]

Collecting new 180 Comp tomorrow. Turned down Sturgess Leicester's kind offer of service contract. As a mature driver (elderly!), I've been ripped off so many times with Alfas + Fiat Coupe over the years I think anyone who has their car serviced at a main dealer needs their head examining! Back in the day the main dealer service bills on the 156 twin spark weren't dis-similiar to a mates 348 Ferrari!! Eventually discovered Intaservices in Leicester and didn't look back.

[Vanquish]

Hi

Phoned the dealer today to cancel service and when the lady asked why I was cancelling I said itwas because of the quote of £175 for an oil service she then said that the oil service was £149 and could not understand how I was quoted £175.  I am really disappointed in them and this type of sharp practice is damaging to the brand,

[buckwits]

How can anyone justify more than £100 for an oil service? The way I see it your local garage depends on good service and reasonable prices to survive, whereas the main dealer makes money on car sales as well as ripping off people who think a main dealer stamp in the book is worth more, but hey its your money, spend as much as you like!