Any reason to go to main dealer for service?

minikin

Have an old octavia 1.4 petrol, have in the past used main dealer and the likes of atlas for servicing.

Atlas: €139
Elf oil & filter change
4 Spark plugs
Air filter
15 point inspection
Engine service
light reset

Skoda dealer €240
"We change your oil, pollen, air and fuel filters, change your oil using fully synthetic oil, replace spark plugs, check diagnostics and a full health check, checking your brakes, pads, tyres, suspension etc."

Is it just the case that the dealer includes items that atlas charges extra for, giving a similar price, or is it just that the main dealer is more expensive for the same thing?

Sorry if this has been asked a lot before but money is tighter than it used to be so want good value.

_Kaiser_

I'd imagine for an older/lower value car it may not make much of a difference but for something newer or high value that you're considering selling in the near-medium future, a "full dealer history" may make the difference?

From what I can see on the Atlas site they say they use OEM parts and it's done to warranty specifications so I'd imagine that'd be alright on a service book? Could be wrong though.


With regard to Atlas.. how do you find them? There's a 99 Passat I know of that needs an oil change/service and has a small oil leak that needs looking at..

mickdw

Oil, filter, plugs & air filter at 139 is a reasonable price.

I dont see any point in going to the main dealer with your car for a normal service.

VW dealers are offering basic servicing reasonably cheap now but at €99 for the basic service plus cost of plugs & air filter, they wont compete with the atlas price of €139.

minikin

minikin wrote: »

Have an old octavia 1.4 petrol, have in the past used main dealer and the likes of atlas for servicing.

Atlas: €139
Elf oil & filter change
4 Spark plugs
Air filter
15 point inspection
Engine service
light reset

Skoda dealer €240
"We change your oil, pollen, air and fuel filters, change your oil using fully synthetic oil, replace spark plugs, check diagnostics and a full health check, checking your brakes, pads, tyres, suspension etc."

...........
..

Ask Atlas for a quote including the pollen and fuel filter if they are due, then you are comparing like with like.

_Kaiser_

mickdw wrote: »

VW dealers are offering basic servicing reasonably cheap now but at €99 for the basic service plus cost of plugs & air filter, they wont compete with the atlas price of €139.

Not all of them.. I got a quote for a standard service from a VW dealer yesterday at €239!! :eek:

Didn't expect much different from this particular dealer mind, but was still a bit shocked

minikin

Thanks for the responses with apologies - just saw the 'main dealer v indy' thread after I posted!

Both of the skoda dealers I used to use went bust so I tried atlas - found them reasonable for an exhaust replacement a few years ago so I booked in with them for a clutch job and full service last year, they didn't touch the clutch but went ahead with the service and afterwards the lights didn't work. Went elsewhere to get clutch done. Might have been unlucky on the day though.

Where are you based OP? I had a full service d

Clondalkin, work in balbriggan though.

EPM

minikin wrote: »

Have an old octavia 1.4 petrol, have in the past used main dealer and the likes of atlas for servicing.

Atlas: €139
Elf oil & filter change
4 Spark plugs
Air filter
15 point inspection
Engine service
light reset

Skoda dealer €240
"We change your oil, pollen, air and fuel filters, change your oil using fully synthetic oil, replace spark plugs, check diagnostics and a full health check, checking your brakes, pads, tyres, suspension etc."

Is it just the case that the dealer includes items that atlas charges extra for, giving a similar price, or is it just that the main dealer is more expensive for the same thing?

Sorry if this has been asked a lot before but money is tighter than it used to be so want good value.

Where are you based OP? I had a full service done at a main dealer last month for less than that with extras.

Oil and filter
Fuel filter
Air filter
Pollen filter
Software update and diagnostics

Plus I asked for headlight alignment and a brake fluid change and still had change from €230.

Suppose shop around, a poster here works for Atlas afaik and has helped a few people out.

AndrewBond

Car should be serviced by its condition, not by the list of parts included in service. Your air filter might be still clean - why change it? Your spark plugs might have been changed on the last service some 15 000 km ago - they'll definitely be OK, why pay for the new ones? At the same time your pollen filter might be blocked, brake fluid and coolant never changed and brake pads on the way out - and these are not included in your cheaper quote.
Do basic service first and ask for the full inspection (99 euro is a target figure to pay for that, considering there will be right oil for your car not just the cheapest noname stuff from a 200 litre barrel), then compare quotes for what you'll need beyond basic service

Nissan doctor

The reason for those generic prices that both independent and main dealers use is simply that the majority of people have no idea what their car needs, what its had done before and they don't have a service history so its the easiest way for the average motorist to compare prices.

If a car comes in with no history then you have to cover all the basics then advise the customer of what other items are due for the age/miles.

If the car has a service record then it can get/be priced for the exact service it is due.

HappyHouseWife

Skoda dealer in Ballymount doing great deal on service and health check and they've slashed their parts prices too, definitely worth a call. We do all our own servicing on our Skoda's but we returned to buying all our parts from main dealer because they've become as cheap (and in most cases cheaper) than any motor factors or "ahem" online suppliers around.

HappyHouseWife

HappyHouseWife wrote: »

...........

That seems a great price for a dealer oil service.
How's himself keeping these days

AndrewBond

Nissan doctor wrote: »

The reason for those generic prices that both independent and main dealers use is simply that the majority of people have no idea what their car needs, what its had done before and they don't have a service history so its the easiest way for the average motorist to compare prices.

If a car comes in with no history then you have to cover all the basics then advise the customer of what other items are due for the age/miles.

If the car has a service record then it can get/be priced for the exact service it is due.

I see what you mean. The thing is by some tradition oil change + air filter + spark plugs considered to be "basics" and "full service done". It might be so in times of Escorts Mk 1 and VW Beetle, but now there are spark plugs that lasts for 100 000 km and costs fortune to replace and air filters that lasts up to 60 000 km (and again it depends on actual conditions of use). At the same time pollen filters, brake fluid chage and brake disks considered to be some sort of optional "luxury" and half of the cars are driving around with those parts well beyond their service limits. By the way all of them affects safety of driving.
It is hopeless to change customers habits though

HappyHouseWife

RoverJames wrote: »

That seems a great price for a dealer oil service.
How's himself keeping these days

All good in the 'hood James.

Nissan doctor

AndrewBond wrote: »

I see what you mean. The thing is by some tradition oil change + air filter + spark plugs considered to be "basics" and "full service done". It might be so in times of Escorts Mk 1 and VW Beetle, but now there are spark plugs that lasts for 100 000 km and costs fortune to replace and air filters that lasts up to 60 000 km (and again it depends on actual conditions of use). At the same time pollen filters, brake fluid chage and brake disks considered to be some sort of optional "luxury" and half of the cars are driving around with those parts well beyond their service limits. By the way all of them affects safety of driving.
It is hopeless to change customers habits though

I agree. What we do is, say for a 1.4 as above for €139, if the car is due an oil/filter change as normal, but not due spark plugs or airfilter then a brake fluid change and pollen filter, if due, would be substituted for those.

But in reality, unless someone privides you with the year and mileage and a history of what has been done before then you can't give an accurate price for servicing so you have to start with the basics for a fixed price and then inform the customer of what additional items are due according to the manufacturer for their miles/age.