Pitstop calling door to door

the_syco

Hey all,

Was wondering do Pitstop call door to door offering a yearly service thing? Sounds a bit strange, and never saw them do this before. Is it legit?

My dad got roped into it, its the usual tactic. Really cheap servicing, once you go for the service they will give you a list of things needed that's wrong with the car so if you are not knowledgeable you end up paying a lot more and it becomes a nice little earner for pitstop.

Calling door to door targets the people most likely to fall for it.

jimgoose

Tell them to sod off.

Sam Kade

They must be getting desperate for business.

the_syco

cisk wrote: »

My dad got roped into it, its the usual tactic. Really cheap servicing, once you go for the service they will give you a list of things needed that's wrong with the car so if you are not knowledgeable you end up paying a lot more and it becomes a nice little earner for pitstop.

Calling door to door targets the people most likely to fall for it.

Ah, that makes better sense. Also, they get to see what cars you have, and tell you their most common faults to reel you in. It's actually not a bad con.

bazz26

It's the same thing as these GroupOn or Living Social offers of servicing your car for €55. These are get you in the door offers and then try to sell you other stuff that you may or may not need. It's a common enough practice these days, very doubt many garages would survive just charging €55 for an oil and filter change all day.

Sam Kade

That's the reason I do my own car maintenance I took my car to the garage for it's first service back when I bought it first. For the basic service of changing engine oil filter, air filter and pollen filter I paid €225. I did the same service yesterday myself parts cost €50. Looking at the garage receipt I was charged €43 for the air filter before labour. The local motor factors charged €10 for the same filter. Before someone starts going on about how many overheads they have that was a 400% mark up on the price of that part. 200% mark up on certain parts would be normal but some garages chance it further.

alias no.9

I had one of them call to the door some months back

AP Rep: We can save you €700 on you annual servicing!
me: No you can't
AP Rep: Don't you want to see the figures
me: Don't need to, I'd have to spend more than €700 on servicing in order to save €700, I don't spend that much so jog on

edit: just to add that the only car in the drive at the time was my 13 year old bangernomic Volvo

clogher71

Sam Kade wrote: »

That's the reason I do my own car maintenance I took my car to the garage for it's first service back when I bought it first. For the basic service of changing engine oil filter, air filter and pollen filter I paid €225. I did the same service yesterday myself parts cost €50. Looking at the garage receipt I was charged €43 for the air filter before labour. The local motor factors charged €10 for the same filter. Before someone starts going on about how many overheads they have that was a 400% mark up on the price of that part. 200% mark up on certain parts would be normal but some garages chance it further.

Thats crazy mark up on the air filter, so the garage you got your car serviced at went to the motor factors got the exact brand of air filter you did for €10 and charged you €43 for it, so when I get charged €15 for an oil filter they are buying it for €3/€4 ?

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Id love for one of these lads to knock of my door

Id get some mighty craic out of it and give them their prices for parts with their 50% supplier discount applied

Whats that ? 30euro oil and filter change on my car ? Yes I will take that thanks very much.

But I'll be watching you do it and making sure your using the correct oil and i wont be taking any extras thanks !

Charlie19

I noticed a dozen of their vans parked in the Red Cow hotel car park Tuesday evening, they were probably having some kind of briefing.

ShaunieVW

I always wonder what oil these places use. I bought 5 litres of castrol edge the other day, it cost more than some of these "services".

bazz26

Generic oil and in bulk I'd imagine.

Sam Kade

clogher71 wrote: »

Thats crazy mark up on the air filter, so the garage you got your car serviced at went to the motor factors got the exact brand of air filter you did for €10 and charged you €43 for it, so when I get charged €15 for an oil filter they are buying it for €3/€4 ?

They more than likely got it cheaper than €10 as the motor factors had profit also and the garage have their own stock. Yeah oil filter would be around €6 in motor factors and the garage will charge €15 for it. They don't mark up engine oil and filters too much I suppose it's because people would question it as that is the most common item in a service.

Nino Brown

ShaunieVW wrote: »

I always wonder what oil these places use. I bought 5 litres of castrol edge the other day, it cost more than some of these "services".

Sunflower

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

clogher71

Sam Kade wrote: »

They more than likely got it cheaper than €10 as the motor factors had profit also and the garage have their own stock. Yeah oil filter would be around €6 in motor factors and the garage will charge €15 for it. They don't mark up engine oil and filters too much I suppose it's because people would question it as that is the most common item in a service.

I must be lucky so I never got ripped off like that. A lot of people here say the main dealers rip people , but as you have pointed out the 'indys' are not beyond ripping off people too!

djimi

Sam Kade wrote: »

They more than likely got it cheaper than €10 as the motor factors had profit also and the garage have their own stock. Yeah oil filter would be around €6 in motor factors and the garage will charge €15 for it. They don't mark up engine oil and filters too much I suppose it's because people would question it as that is the most common item in a service.

Was it a main dealer? If so then they will be using OEM parts, which would explain the difference in price between what you got and the likes of a Blueprint filter from the local motor factors. Pretty much the main reason why you avoid dealers when getting a car serviced.

Find an indy that you are happy to use; there are loads of them around. The lad I use gives me a fully itemised invoice after a service and I know exactly what parts/brands he has used and how much I have paid for each. If he handed me an invoice with a €43 air filter on it he would be politely told to take it back and give me back the old one.

clogher71

djimi wrote: »

Was it a main dealer? If so then they will be using OEM parts, which would explain the difference in price between what you got and the likes of a Blueprint filter from the local motor factors. Pretty much the main reason why you avoid dealers when getting a car serviced.

Find an indy that you are happy to use; there are loads of them around. The lad I use gives me a fully itemised invoice after a service and I know exactly what parts/brands he has used and how much I have paid for each. If he handed me an invoice with a €43 air filter on it he would be politely told to take it back and give me back the old one.

It can't be a main dealer because he said it was the exact same filter and the motor factors would not be supplying genuine ones ....anyway even in a main dealer my 1.9 air filter was €17.37 before vat (checked my invoice out of cousority) in a main dealer, they
would not be buying that for €5 or less. So his was €38 before vat.

ironclaw

I don't really see why dealers get the bashing they do. Its just business at the end of the day (And no, I don't work in the motor trade) People realise the shirt they buy for €50, probably cost €2 to make right? Or the steak they pay €30 for, probably all in cost €10 to get to the table. Having past experience in retail is an absolute cash cow if you get it right and I have no objection to any mark up if a consumer is willing to pay it. The consumer is to blame as its simple supply/demand and market tolerance. The usual minimum is twice the cost price and then VAT.

If someone is bothered to go online or YouTube to learn, then all the best to them. If not they are 'taxed' by dealers for their, what really is laziness when you look at it, with their prices. Seems completely fair to me. People have to realise that their are people out there that genuinely have no idea how a car works. None. And for that unwillingness (Or inability to be fair) to learn or ask a mate, they pay for it.

Sam Kade

It was a main dealer. Main dealers do't always fit genuine parts, I normally do my own servicing everything from changing oil to brake pads and discs. My wife reckoned that because the car was new we should go to the main dealer we bought it to get a service history. That first service quickly put an end to that as it was the first time I took any car I owned to the garage for a service. They even charged €10 + vat for sundries :eek:

I had to take it back as the brake discs warped at 40,000 k and it was under warranty he agreed to the fitting the discs but had to charge for the pads as they wear anyway. When I got the bill he also charged €40 + vat for brake fluid that was never changed because the brake fluid filler cap was covered in dust and no sign of it being opened :mad:

nc19

bazz26 wrote: »

Generic oil and in bulk I'd imagine.

You need a better imagination so

morritty

they called to mine a while ago, claiming they would service my car with genuine hyundai parts..........suuuuure they will

coylemj

Had the call today from an Advance Pitstop sales guy, got a clearly well rehearsed sales pitch.

He told me (drum roll....) that they were the only independent service company who could service a car without invalidating the manufacturer warranty. When I (politely) told him that was not correct because of an EU directive throwing it open to competition, he tried to retrospectively water it down but I kept reminding him what he had said.

He said that they only used genuine original manufacturer parts, I said that if I gave my car to any independent service operation, I could make this a condition of the job. Anyway he kept going like a runaway train and so as not to dent his pride I listened to him but I think he knew he was getting nowhere so eventually he went on his merry way.

I have nothing against these people trying to make a living but I always remember going to one of their places and being told that the tread on one or more of my tyres was below the legal limit. When I challenged him to quote the regulations, his face went blank so I said to him 'if you don't know the legal limit, how can you tell me my tyres are below the limit?'. To which of course he had no answer. My attitude is that these places are populated in the main by sales people on commission and it's all about shifting rubber regardless of what you actually need to be street legal or safe. So there is no way in hell I will give them my car to be serviced because I know that in no time at all they will be on the phone telling me I need x y and z parts on top of the cut-price service they used as a carrot to get my business.

And I still cannot believe that there are people dumb enough to fall for the Groupon 'service' for 30-40 euros, talk about lambs to the slaughter!!

ironclaw

You do realise most of these people just sit a day course, have little or no affiliation to the company (Most is contracted work) and probably zero interest in the product they are selling. Whilst I enjoy a good troll, your just wasting your own time. As for every enthusiast, there is 20 more who will hand over the cash. Just politely say No and close the door. Its a fruitless exercise.