Dickies16V wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:33 am
What makes you think a car that has been serviced at an OPC has been any better maintained and looked after than a car serviced at a good indie. You do not need to be Porsche trained to change an oil filter! You have been sucked in by the hype. Granted, you must use original parts but frankly I don't buy this OPC servicing is better, and much prefer to use a smaller garage where I'll get some decent personal service. I do not need to pay £200+ per hour for someone to change a filter. As for recalls, you are notified of urgent matters via DVLA and can also log onto a website to check if any smaller matters are outstanding. You do not need regular OPC servicing to find out what needs doing or get it done for free.
Members on here are telling me of £850 for a minor service consisting of a couple of filters, oil change and brake fluid change. I find this quite horrifying. That's daylight robbery and I simply wont be party to it! Servicing outside OPC does not invalidate the new car warranty although OPC's don't like you knowing that. I will self insure after three years as such a policy has saved me thousands over the years. How to you think warranty companies make their money?
Each to their own of course, but I do know that a fool and their money are easily parted!
I absolutely agree that the pricing, for what they do, is robbery. But at least for the first 4 years, or even 6 if you can manage to stretch the service intervals to 2yrs each, so 6yrs is the cheaper minor again then its worthwhile for the ease of sale. After that i'd be using a good independent which is what i did with my Boxster.
The price was one factor, the other was me being able to see into the service bays and watching the techs at work ; saw far too many underbody trays being dropped from 4-5' when they released the last few fasteners, alloys being left to fall to the floor onto their rear faces rather than being placed sympathetically to avoid damage. Not how I treat a car, and I don;t expect someone i'm paying £150+/hr to do so either. Unfortunately all main dealers, irrespective of brand, are the same when it comes to pricing - buy oil in 200l barrels for peanuts, yet charge each litre at top up bottle rates or more. Nice money earners - helps pay for the swanky coffee machines, window cleaners and the plants in the showrooms though. Brake fluid changes are probably their best margin - £15 of fluid, 30 minutes work, £165 please sir