Supplying own parts for service

blackiebest · 21-01-2009 03:49PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

What manufacturer has made this clutch under licence for your Subara, because to me, £131 sounds a little "too cheap" for this product. Also, when you went into Top Part, what make was the clutch they offered to supply you with for 287 Euro???

Also, I think that as you have offered to, that you should post up evidence of the prices you are providing here, because to be honest, it is not possible at the moment to see if you are comparing like to like here. So my questions are:

Where exactly is the clutch you have acquired for £131 coming from and what brand product is it?

What brand product is the Top Part clutch you have been quoted 287 Euro for...

Most importantly, do you not think that you should go back to Subara and ask them for an explanation with regard to the quote for €675.00 for these parts??? Because you seem to be egging everyone else here to take up arms, so maybe you should be leading from the front on this particular issue instead of being a hurler on the ditch.

Darragh, I just read this post now. I hope my previously posted links have cleared up your doubts if not your tone.

Can you answer my previously asked questions and please accept that I am not looking for a fight, nor to have a go at anything other than what is obviously wrong in your industry. I am not looking for anyone to take up arms, I am trying to highlight what I see as wrong and wonder as to how anyone, anywhere could attempt to justify the differences. Look at the exhaust kit for the VW. For £191 I got delivered to me the entire system, manifolds etc etc with a haynes manual thrown in. Top Part wanted €300 for the silencer only!

I have better things to be doing than sourcing parts which should be sourced by your industry at these prices. If you were doing what I do then the parts part of your invoice would be far easier on the pocket of your customer.

I have dropped the axe and respectfully ask you to clarify, if the 306euro was best trade, included vat, comment on HT price and exhaust.

I agree that another thread might be worthwhile comparing like for like prices. I think you should concede it is unreasonable to think I am stupid for wanting to supply these parts at these prices to my mechanic especially as I am not trying to take a single penny off his balance sheet, the opposite is the case, I would be happy to increase his profits if he marked up the parts with a bigger margin so long as he purchased them 100/200% cheaper

Darragh, to answer your question re Top Part clutch manufacturer, I dont know but if its important I will find out?

Darragh29 · 21-01-2009 04:16PM

blackiebest wrote: »

I have dropped the axe...

As have I...

blackiebest wrote: »

...And ask you to clarify, if the 306euro was best trade, included vat...

The price of 306 Euro is retail price including VAT. I would expect to get a discount of around 25% on that... As for the exhaust parts, I'm going to have a look at these and see what the story is there and get back to you later on those...

blackiebest wrote: »

I agree that another thread might be worthwhile comparing like for like prices. I think you should concede it is unreasonable to think I am stupid for wanting to supply these parts at these prices to my mechanic especially as I am not trying to take a single penny off his balance sheet, the opposite is the case, I would be happy to increase his profits if he marked up the parts with a bigger margin so long as he purchased them 100/200% cheaper

If it was as simple as you think it would be to allow customers supply their own parts, I'd be all for it. If it could be accommodated in the context of running a professional and efficient business operation, I don't see why it couldn't be done. The problem is that in my experience, once you allow this to happen, you won't always have high quality parts being bought by the customer. In addition to the quality of the parts being open to question, you'll often have the wrong parts being bought, which is hugely disruptive to a garage operation, as you have a car stuck on a lift, which if correct parts have to be ordered from the internet again from the UK, you are looking at what could be a car stuck on a lift for up to a week, with parts being sent back for credit and the correct parts being issued from the UK again.

It also tends to be the thin edge of the wedge in terms of people asking you to depart from your business model. What I've found is that if you allow a customer to supply parts, they'll usually ask you to do better on the labour charge, and it is usually the first of a string of stupid and loss making requests you'll have to entertain, because you've already given them the message that you'll have whatever they are having, in relation to where the parts are coming from.

blackiebest · 21-01-2009 05:32PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

As have I...

The price of 306 Euro is retail price including VAT. I would expect to get a discount of around 25% on that... As for the exhaust parts, I'm going to have a look at these and see what the story is there and get back to you later on those...

If it was as simple as you think it would be to allow customers supply their own parts, I'd be all for it. If it could be accommodated in the context of running a professional and efficient business operation, I don't see why it couldn't be done. The problem is that in my experience, once you allow this to happen, you won't always have high quality parts being bought by the customer. In addition to the quality of the parts being open to question, you'll often have the wrong parts being bought, which is hugely disruptive to a garage operation, as you have a car stuck on a lift, which if correct parts have to be ordered from the internet again from the UK, you are looking at what could be a car stuck on a lift for up to a week, with parts being sent back for credit and the correct parts being issued from the UK again.

It also tends to be the thin edge of the wedge in terms of people asking you to depart from your business model. What I've found is that if you allow a customer to supply parts, they'll usually ask you to do better on the labour charge, and it is usually the first of a string of stupid and loss making requests you'll have to entertain, because you've already given them the message that you'll have whatever they are having, in relation to where the parts are coming from.

I agree with almost all of the above post;) and hope you see why I feel justified in wanting to buing the quality parts to the mechanic I use. I have stated I have had no issue with hourly rates or mark up on trade price for parts, only price paid for the parts in the first place. I am particular about quality and correctness in terms of part numbers etc and have had to educate myself as to how to ID part numbers I require. I think your generalisation of how a customer like me, who wants to pay fair price to all, would be the thin edge of a slippery slope to doom is wrong. i should not be the one involved in this discussion, it should be the professionals in your industry and you should no accept what your supplier is charging you. I do believe most people can wait, and I dont think it is ten days, In my experience it is 2/3 days and I am in a rural west of Ireland town! But fcuk it we should be able to go and buy or order parts at decent prices in this country. I hate feeling shafted and every time I have left a veichle (I have 4:o) into a mechanic, over the last number of years I have always felt like a complete eejit paying extrodinary prices for what rarely felt like a good job and never felt like value for money. It is for these reasons that I undertake to self teach myself and do the job myself, then it feels great, know the job is done right etc. But I am trying to run another company and do not have the time. If it was not winter and freezing, I would take the Subaru on myself, and slowly do the best job possible, however time and weather dictate this is not possible and the only thing I want to get is a job well done at a FAIR price.

So lets start the comparison thread, I have some great experience in how to find the parts and look forward to partcipating in the challenge:D

Subaru will be done tomorrow and I do not have the time to stay with mechanic so please GOD he does not fcuk it up:)

w123 · 21-01-2009 05:51PM

And now it's time for a group hug.

I must say that I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this topic.

Some points.

In most businesses the mark-up on items supplied goes towards the cost of supplying that item - time to order, store costs, finance costs etc. this is what the mark up pays for.

In the motor trade a lot of these costs do not apply as the customer has to pay the full price when they collect the car and indeed the garage will get credit from their supplier - but they do still have to go to the bother of getting the parts and why should that be free?

In my view most people don't trust garages because they have either been burned - unlikely - or heard anecdotal evidence of others that have been burnt. Regular features in our wonderful media tell of this, what they don't say is that the majority of people have no such horror stories. The modern car is a testement to the advances in engineering over the last 30 years - they are driven longer and faster and yet require less routine maintenance.

Another reason in my view that garages aren't trusted is that for the majority mechanics are like magicians - they can conjour up a problem and for a price make it disappear. With the customer who, rarely understands what happens under the bonnet as mystified as the kids at a majic show.

The solution - as in other EU countries - Germany for one I believe - before a license to drive is issued, ensure that the driver understands the fundamentals of how the internal combustion engine and all of it's ancillary parts works.

I love getting my hands dirty - I have asked when I have had the time can I observe a mechanic - never been allowed - but not been too disappointed. They spent the time learning their trade, and I'd only get in the way.

Darragh, I'd be very interested in your new venture, getting to attempt a job with a mechanic on standby and a full set of workshop tools at my disposal would be an ideal situation.

Blackie, I think that you're dead right in ordering the parts that you can make such substantial savings on - but bear in mind as you said yourself the owner of the garage was a friend - that is why you are allowed to watch/help/hinder. If I had asked I would not have been allowed.

It's not rocket science, but it is a business and that business is repairing/servicing cars not education.

I'm glad that you've made up though.

CPG · 21-01-2009 06:54PM

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

As I've said before on this forum, would you bring your own steak to a restaurant and ask them to cook it ?? any decent garage should refuse to use customer supplied parts in case of liability problems due to part failure.

Not a fair comparison, OK if we a talking about main dealers, perhaps. However independant garages can and do service cars with rubbish parts. What I do is bring along my own bits and bobs for the service or repair, and when I do book the car in I get asked "are you supplying your parts" My garage only stocks plugs filters, oil etc, And they are also quite happy for me to bring along my own oil.

Darragh29 · 21-01-2009 06:54PM

w123 wrote: »

In the motor trade a lot of these costs do not apply as the customer has to pay the full price when they collect the car and indeed the garage will get credit from their supplier - but they do still have to go to the bother of getting the parts and why should that be free?

This is another issue major issue for indy garages, is people looking for credit. This happens a lot more often than you would think, and if you do not provide it, you risk losing a valued customer or being seen to be acting unreasonably, and if you do provide it, you can be sure that your time is taken up chasing your own money.

w123 wrote: »

Another reason in my view that garages aren't trusted is that for the majority mechanics are like magicians - they can conjour up a problem and for a price make it disappear. With the customer who, rarely understands what happens under the bonnet as mystified as the kids at a majic show.

I don't agree with this as a philosophy. I think your mechanic should be as open and forthcoming as can be possible, but some people are just cynical to the core because they've spent too much time being indoctrinated by bar fly idiots down at the local. I have a policy of ALWAYS showing customers their old parts and offering these to the customer if they want to take them away to show a brother or someone who is a mechanic who can explain what they do, etc.

To be honest, dealing with the public is just hard work, especially in relation to their car. It's not like serving Joe Public at Eurospar, where you you go to the checkout and you pay for your goods and it's thank you and have a nice day. It is very common for someone to bring a car into a garage thinking one thing is wrong with it, only to be told after some investigation, that something completely different is actually the cause of the problem.

If the problem is less costly to resolve that you originally thought, say for example if you thought the clutch was gone and you were expecting an estimate of 550 Euro to sort it out and it just turns out that the clutch cable is gone and you get out of it for 100 Euro, of course you are delighted. I have on many occasions given customers this news and they look at me as if I have ten heads like they are saying, "hang on, where's the catch here, you're not supposed to say that!"... I can recall one case of a guy who wasn't my customer who drove an Audi TT but was recommended to me by someone who was my customer. This Audi driver had to get his car recovered to a garage after the pedal went to the floor at the traffic lights. The recovery truck brought the car to some unknown garage and a quote was quickly done up for 1,200 Euro to replace the clutch. This driver called his mate who was my customer and my customer rang me and I said it sounded unusual that the clutch would just fail like that without warning on an Audi TT as they have a hydraulic clutch, so there was no possibility of a clutch cable snapping. The car was put back up on the truck and brought down to me and it turned out the problem was the clutch pedal (a small bit of metal broke off the pedal), and the whole thing was sorted out for around 150 Euro including new pedal assembly and associated clip and spacers from Audi.

Now on the other hand if I'm replacing a clutch and have to ring a customer to tell them that a crankshaft oil seal is gone and the clutch fork needs to be replaced, and the cost of resolving this issue has now gone up by 140 Euro, it is automatically assumed that I'm trying to put a saddle on that customer and I'm the biggest c*nt in town!

This is what you are dealing with day in and day out and unfortunately when you are dealing with misplaced cynicism, it makes the job unbearable at times. If you are in an authorised dealership, you are insulated from all of this as a mechanic, but if you are in an indy garage, well often you have to wear more than one hat.

w123 · 21-01-2009 08:16PM

My point about magicians being - the general public buys a car to get from a to b - have no understanding about what may or may not go wrong - and are as clueles about what the mechanic says and does to rectify the problem as kids at a magic show - I hear you and wouldn't want to be dealing with the general public day in day out telling them that the car they thought was runnibg fine needs a new bearing somewhere or some other part that generally doesn't go, but then again sometimes does. I think that people have the atitude that if it's newish and clean there is no need for any expensive work to be done.

Alicano · 21-01-2009 08:21PM

Very educational thread!
I'l start by saying i know nothing important about cars etc.
2 Quick questions though (only asking as theres alot of experience in here).
1) took my bmw to indy garage for routine service.no issue with job-fine.paid 343euro for it.did i get burned?.doesnt matter as its done,just curious?
2) Got a printed invoice and sticker in windscreen but no stamp in my service book.should he have stamped it or is he not allowed to?

Apols if these are dumbass questions but as i said..i was givin looks not mechanics macho man knowledge!:)

Darragh29 · 21-01-2009 08:48PM

w123 wrote: »

My point about magicians being - the general public buys a car to get from a to b - have no understanding about what may or may not go wrong - and are as clueles about what the mechanic says and does to rectify the problem as kids at a magic show - I hear you and wouldn't want to be dealing with the general public day in day out telling them that the car they thought was runnibg fine needs a new bearing somewhere or some other part that generally doesn't go, but then again sometimes does. I think that people have the atitude that if it's newish and clean there is no need for any expensive work to be done.

That's the problem. People think 04/05 cars are still "newish". I honestly don't know any mechanics that deliberately set out to break something on a car for the purposes of generating work for themselves, or of any mechanics that try to set out that something is out of order when it isn't. Any mechanics I know in indy garages, are generally happy to get to the end of the day without any unresolved or messy issues hanging over their heads, like a car that has come in that won't start or something with a problem that cannot be identified, or something that was done last week and is back this week for the same problem.

I'd love to know where this deeply rooted cynicism started out from, because mechanic's I know just want to do work, get paid, for as little hassle as possible.

Alicano wrote: »

Very educational thread!
I'l start by saying i know nothing important about cars etc.
2 Quick questions though (only asking as theres alot of experience in here).
1) took my bmw to indy garage for routine service.no issue with job-fine.paid 343euro for it.did i get burned?.doesnt matter as its done,just curious?
2) Got a printed invoice and sticker in windscreen but no stamp in my service book.should he have stamped it or is he not allowed to?

Apols if these are dumbass questions but as i said..i was givin looks not mechanics macho man knowledge!:)

Well it depends exactly on what he did that formed the basis for charging you 343 Euro??? What exactly is on his invoice???

BavarianCare · 22-01-2009 05:52AM

Hello all,

I'm butting in here and I don't remember half the posts in the thread but there are a few things I'd like to say...

(Maybe I'm remembering the posts incorrectly but I'll give it a shot).

1. Oil Service (only) in 20 mins?!?!?! Total crap - to fully warm the oil the car has to be driven in 95%+ of cases. Before it's even on the hoist it's 10-20 mins gone...

2. "Full" service including air filter in 20 mins?!?!?!?! Rubbish again - it depends on the car.. Try an Air Filter change on an E53 3.0d (and that's only one example)

3. Workshop equipment and tools for €40k - rubbish again if you're doing it properly... Treble that figure and you might be close (for 1 brand)

4. Parts vs Liability - any workshop/indy etc. is perfectly entitled to use his own supplied parts. If the customer doesn't like it, go elsewhere...

5. A customer watching????? To ensure it's done correctly???? Let him do it himself and not darken the door again. Better off having no work for a year than that crap. If they know that much - let them at it themselves (and some do know - but let them do it)

6. And I repeat - you cannot even do a basic service in 20 mins - yes! you can change the oil and filter... Not properly though...

7. A full service including Oil, Air & Fuel for €199 incl. VAT. Rubbish also. An E60 530d uses over €90 in LL04 oil alone... The oil filter (OE=€26), the Air Filter (OE=43), the Fuel Filter (OE=49), the Microfilters (OE=€52) and so on... (And take 25% off that if you wish.. still doesn't add up) Fcuk it, take 50% off it, unless a new calculator has been invented then it's still crap...

8. Software updates?!?!

9. Suspension checks?

10. Calliper in 10 mins?! Yes, can be done - but not if you include lifting the car, taking off the wheel and nevermind bleeding/flushing the hydraulic system

11. Seized calliper for "2 days" doesn't mean disks are required - rubbish. Unless you don't do it correctly...

I'm just fed up now so I'll leave it.

And for the sake of peace I'll leave out a full Dealer Level diagnostic that takes 20 mins on its own... (when there are no problems to diag)

Some amount of rubbish on this thread..

Waiting to be slated
E.

PS: A retail customer of mine highlighted this thread and asked me to post yesterday. He has a BMW and he would not allow a "20 min" Oil Change or accept a €199 "full" service.

PPS: Rubbish posts - most of it.

PPPS: Yes, parts prices vary, hugely but the garages get caught too...

Darragh29 · 22-01-2009 07:13AM

BMWcare wrote: »

Hello all,

I'm butting in here and I don't remember half the posts in the thread but there are a few things I'd like to say...

(Maybe I'm remembering the posts incorrectly but I'll give it a shot).

1. Oil Service (only) in 20 mins?!?!?! Total crap - to fully warm the oil the car has to be driven in 95%+ of cases. Before it's even on the hoist it's 10-20 mins gone...

2. "Full" service including air filter in 20 mins?!?!?!?! Rubbish again - it depends on the car.. Try an Air Filter change on an E53 3.0d (and that's only one example)

3. Workshop equipment and tools for €40k - rubbish again if you're doing it properly... Treble that figure and you might be close (for 1 brand)

4. Parts vs Liability - any workshop/indy etc. is perfectly entitled to use his own supplied parts. If the customer doesn't like it, go elsewhere...

5. A customer watching????? To ensure it's done correctly???? Let him do it himself and not darken the door again. Better off having no work for a year than that crap. If they know that much - let them at it themselves (and some do know - but let them do it)

6. And I repeat - you cannot even do a basic service in 20 mins - yes! you can change the oil and filter... Not properly though...

7. A full service including Oil, Air & Fuel for €199 incl. VAT. Rubbish also. An E60 530d uses over €90 in LL04 oil alone... The oil filter (OE=€26), the Air Filter (OE=43), the Fuel Filter (OE=49), the Microfilters (OE=€52) and so on... (And take 25% off that if you wish.. still doesn't add up) Fcuk it, take 50% off it, unless a new calculator has been invented then it's still crap...

8. Software updates?!?!

9. Suspension checks?

10. Calliper in 10 mins?! Yes, can be done - but not if you include lifting the car, taking off the wheel and nevermind bleeding/flushing the hydraulic system

11. Seized calliper for "2 days" doesn't mean disks are required - rubbish. Unless you don't do it correctly...

I'm just fed up now so I'll leave it.

And for the sake of peace I'll leave out a full Dealer Level diagnostic that takes 20 mins on its own... (when there are no problems to diag)

Some amount of rubbish on this thread..

Waiting to be slated
E.

PS: A retail customer of mine highlighted this thread and asked me to post yesterday. He has a BMW and he would not allow a "20 min" Oil Change or accept a €199 "full" service.

PPS: Rubbish posts - most of it.

PPPS: Yes, parts prices vary, hugely but the garages get caught too...

Yawn. Grand, we get the message, you have a BMW, you can go back to bed now. :rolleyes: This is the reason I don't like BMW's.

Darragh29 · 22-01-2009 07:20AM

BMWcare wrote: »

PS: A retail customer of mine highlighted this thread and asked me to post yesterday and he would not allow a "20 min" Oil Change or accept a €199 "full" service. He has a BMW...

Surprise surprise...

BavarianCare · 22-01-2009 02:44PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

Yawn. Grand, we get the message, you have a BMW, you can go back to bed now. This is the reason I don't like BMW's.

Hi Darragh,
Apologies if I got up your nose but if you look at what I posted I'm mainly agreeing with you.

Your issue about the example I give being a BMW is a red herring. You basically state that you need 2 hours for a full service. I agree. Possibly more.

Someone said that you can have an Air Filter fitted in 20 mins (not you), this is true with some models but not all.. As I said, try an E53 3.0d or an E90 320d...

If you provide a set price of €199 for a "full service" then you will make money on a 1.25 Zetec Fiesta or such like... However, you will not even break even on the E60 example I gave.

As you were slightly rude to me I shall return the compliment:
Maybe you don't like BMWs because you are not used to them or unable to service them properly... At the price you quote it's impossible for you to do so..

Kind Regards,

PS: I agree with you 110% regarding running costs of a business that have to be met. I also agree on the thin wedge by allowing customers to supply parts. However, it is crazy that the retail price of a part, e.g. a Mercedes AIRmatic strut is effectively 50% cheaper for the exact same item in the North. This is a combination of many factors and 15% vs 21.5% VAT does not help... Something will give!

Drummerboy08 · 22-01-2009 02:55PM

This is interesting.

We just got an invoice in for a Major Service on a 08 Passat 1.9TDi.

They replaced the oil, air and fuel filter, Changed the oil, pollen filter, changed the plugs, topped up all the coolant levels.

The brakes, suspension, exhaust system, tyres and steering were all checked for wear also.

The car was run through a VAG dianostic machine.

It was also checked for updates.

They charged us two hours labour.

The total cost came to €273.87 including labour and VAT.

Now i would consider this to be a resonable cost for a major service. It also shows to me, that it would be impossible to carry out that service in twenty minutes as claimed earlier. I'd be doubtful it could be done in an hour even.

BavarianCare · 22-01-2009 03:09PM

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

This is interesting.

We just got an invoice in for a Major Service on a 08 Passat 1.9TDi.

They replaced the oil, air and fuel filter, Changed the oil, pollen filter, changed the plugs, topped up all the coolant levels.

The brakes, suspension, exhaust system, tyres and steering were all checked for wear also.

The car was run through a VAG dianostic machine.

It was also checked for updates.

They charged us two hours labour.

The total cost came to €273.87 including labour and VAT.

Now i would consider this to be a resonable cost for a major service. It also shows to me, that it would be impossible to carry out that service in twenty minutes as claimed earlier. I'd be doubtful it could be done in an hour even.

It sounds very reasonable. What was itemised on the invoice? Plugs - on a TDi?
Would love to see a copy of the invoice..

Kind Regards,
Eddie.

Drummerboy08 · 22-01-2009 03:15PM

Sorry my bad - i presumed it was a Tdi as thats mostly what we would sell.

Its actually a 1.6 Variant.

I didnt think it was too bad either.

Carry out major service €120.00
Castrol SLX 5W-30 €13.39 x5 €66.95
Filters €17.15
Filters €26.06
Enviromental charge €9.95
Windscreen wash €1.18

There is no mention of the sparks in the itemised section, but they are mentioned in work carried out. Unless they have included them in the service charge, i dunno.

Still, it works out OK.

LoveDucati2 · 24-01-2009 02:24PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

The price of 306 Euro is retail price including VAT. I would expect to get a discount of around 25% on that.

I cannot believe that you would pocket €77 euro for ordering a part and then have the audacity to charge mulitple labour hours on top of this.

This is profiteering, its just wrong.

Darragh29 · 24-01-2009 05:23PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

I cannot believe that you would pocket €77 euro for ordering a part and then have the audacity to charge mulitple labour hours on top of this.

This is profiteering, its just wrong.

It's called running a business operation and being in a position to pay your overheads as they fall due. Wherever you work, the same is happening, unless you are working for Vincent De Paul or a some other charity, something is bought for X, sold for Y.

Healyc · 24-01-2009 05:27PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

I cannot believe that you would pocket €77 euro for ordering a part and then have the audacity to charge mulitple labour hours on top of this.

This is profiteering, its just wrong.

Darragh29 wrote: »

It's called running a business operation and being in a position to pay your overheads as they fall due. Wherever you work, the same is happening, unless you are working for Vincent De Paul or a some other charity, something is bought for X, sold for Y.

Are these two still at it :P

Darragh29 · 24-01-2009 05:33PM

Healyc wrote: »

Are these two still at it :P

I've never heard of a more wooden headed business argument in my life. The reason garages make a profit on parts is because it is necessary. If you want to have a go at someone who is profit gouging, you ought to start with high marque main dealers who are paying some lad BELOW MINIMUM WAGE, on the basis that he is an apprentice, which could be as low as 5-6 Euro/hr, and charging this out at 150-160 Euro an hour...

Healyc · 24-01-2009 05:36PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

I've never heard of a more wooden headed business argument in my life. The reason garages make a profit on parts is because it is necessary. If you want to have a go at someone who is profit gouging, you ought to start with high marque main dealers who are paying some lad BELOW MINIMUM WAGE, on the basis that he is an apprentice, which could be as low as 5-6 Euro/hr, and charging this out at 150-160 Euro an hour...

Totally Agree!

Darragh29 · 24-01-2009 05:42PM

Healyc wrote: »

Totally Agree!

What gets to me about all of this is that these high end dealers are brainwashing the public with messages like, "only we have the diagnostic computer and the properly trained staff and the back up from the distributor to service and maintain your car, stay away from Indy garages, they are dangerous"....

And the reality is that your car is most likely being serviced by a lad who is a first or second year apprentice and probably couldn't even turn on a diagnostic computer.

These same dealers are also talking out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to UK/NI imports. They are basically asking the public to stop buying UK/NI imports, unless of course it is being bought through an SIMI registered dealership.

The industry needs to deal with these types of obvious double standards before the public will start doing business with it again and it is regrettable that this discussion has not even begun yet within the industry, no thanks to the SIMI...

LoveDucati2 · 24-01-2009 05:47PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

What gets to me about all of this is that these high end dealers are brainwashing the public with messages like, "only we have the diagnostic computer and the properly trained staff and the back up from the distributor to service and maintain your car, stay away from Indy garages, they are dangerous"....

And the reality is that your car is most likely being serviced by a lad who is a first or second year apprentice and probably couldn't even turn on a diagnostic computer.

These same dealers are also talking out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to UK/NI imports. They are basically asking the public to stop buying UK/NI imports, unless of course it is being bought through an SIMI registered dealership.

The industry needs to deal with these types of obvious double standards before the public will start doing business with it again and it is regrettable that this discussion has not even begun yet within the industry, no thanks to the SIMI...

Exactly, I agree completely with you on this point.

Darragh29 · 24-01-2009 06:31PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

Exactly, I agree completely with you on this point.

So you call a 1st year mechanic without even a leaving cert, a "fully trained technician"???

LoveDucati2 · 24-01-2009 06:45PM

Darragh29 wrote: »

So you call a 1st year mechanic without even a leaving cert, a "fully trained technician"???

Jesus you are still fighting, even when I agree with you

Owen · 24-01-2009 07:01PM

LoveDucati2 wrote: »

I personally think profiteering on parts should be illegal

Hold on a minute ... just in case EVERYONE hasn't heard this. Loveducati2 has been screaming since he joined boards that garages buying parts at one price, and selling at another are acting illegally, and profiteering. He's an accountant, and he's been telling us as gospel that this is really illegal, and he knows it is. And now ... (Cue fanfare)

He personally thinks that's illegal, and has no legal basis to make the claim whatsoever. Slander's a great thing.

Darragh29 · 24-01-2009 07:04PM

Hopefully a chubb lock will also appear here imminently...

Owen · 24-01-2009 07:06PM

Agreed Darragh!

Supplying own parts for service

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