Hello there all, i am now looking at buying a used vRS Fabia but got thinking.

As an fairly experienced DIY mechanic i.e i have changed oils, filters, brakes, coolant, fuel pumps, adjusted tappets on occasions, bled brakes, replaced fuel lines, brake lines, windows, various panels and bumpers. But i had taken the car to the garage for more complicated things such as cambelt changes, water pump replacements e.t.c

How much would this affect you if i were selling my car without all stamps at the relevant times? Would you be inclined to offer less because of this? Or if you were convinced that i knew what i was talking about, had the box full of relevant receipts showing parts purchased and offered to show you how i done them.

I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that i am able to do this and should i break down (touching wood) i could identify the problem thus helping the recovery guy help me, also i think that everone should when learning to drive be taught how to change some of the above mentioned repairs wether they then choose to carry out DIY repairs or not would then be up to them.

Thanks for reading and any replys

Well most dealers would avoid a car without a book of stamps, and as a private buyer I would to knowing that come resale time I would have a hard time selling or get less for it as a result of incomplete history.

In warranty I'd want dealer stamps, nothing else. I wouldn't barter, I would walk away! After 3 years then dealer or a well-known in independant garage. Getting on for 10 or more years wouldn't bother me as long as it had been done well.

As Babs whilst it is under warranty it would need either main dealer or a reputable independent specialist stamps for me (purely for the warranty).

I would probably ask what you had done and inspect your work, if i thought it was done to a high standard then i would be happy to buy the car.

Anyone can get a stamp made up to look just like a dealers one.

Just because a car has 100% main dealer stamps in it doesn't mean corners have not been cut and things bodged!

i have always carried out all the work req on my cars over the years(been a mechanic for 18yrs)i keep all the reciepts for parts fitted,it has never been a problem come selling time,i agree if the car is under warranty then it should be garage serviced whilst under warranty,as for trusting the person you still have to trust a dealer when they service your car,i worked for a main dealer for 4 years & some things that went on were unbelievable,i know not all dealers are the same but im so glad i will never own a car new enough to be seviced at a dealer!i would rather see a pile a reciepts for parts fitted with dates etc than a service book with just stamps & no other info in it!

I have an arrangement that means my book shows stamps from my local garage and I know exactly what work is done, how it's done and what parts are used. It doesn't invalidate my warranty and I doubt this will be a problem for resale or trade in as the full dealer service history made no difference when I trading in my VRS.

If I was buying a car FDSH wouldn't mean a thing to me over any other SH as long as it's there and it makes sense. That is of course my opinion as I can tell a lot more about a car from looking at it than reading a book.

This is probably a subject that will cause some discussion

Edited 24 April, 200917 yr by Decron

I've done my own services for the last two years, car is now 6 years old and i've owned it from new.

First couple at main dealer, but i felt it was a rip off, work like cambelt since been done at well respected independant, but i feel they still charge too much for work i can do myself easily (plus they dont use genuine parts).

I bought 4 years worth of genuine filters/plugs/sump plugs and washers:) from VagParts, and 20 litres of castrol edge oil from costco (£11 for 3 litres) probably not the cheapest but certainly cheaper than booking it in a garage for the work.

As for re-sale time, if i can keep it for another 2 years...............its virtually worthless now anyway isn't it? Regardless of where its been serviced?

Thanks for the replys, i (obviously) understand the need to get the 1st 3 stamps at the dealer for warranty purposes and like mikey says i will never own a brand new car just cant justify the loss of money and the expensive trips to the dealer to have the 1st 3 services done, so i'll quite happlily let someone else do that for me

Clarey: How long ago was that and roughly how much did you save compared with just buying the parts as and when required?

Thanks

Clarey: How long ago was that and roughly how much did you save compared with just buying the parts as and when required?

Thanks

I only saved on postage really, no discount for buying 4 of everything. Paid around £150 i think, which is similar to one yearly service.

i do all my servicing cambelts etc, i always use genuine parts and keep the invoices. when i come to seel them on i've never had a problem to be honest

I do all my own servicing

I do all my own servicing

when do you find the time?

ok ok! i ws asking for opinions, not people who wanted to show off.

I'd have no qualms about buying a privately maintained car provided the reciepts were kepts religiously and milages and exact details of work done written down in the log book. I buy original parts from a Skoda dealer and get a local mechanic who I get on well with to do the work. I can chat to him and help and I can see things have been done right and get his garage's stamp in my book. Beats paying another £150 for an inspection service to have it done at a dealership and having to put up with their incompetence, slowness, crap courtesy car policy and having a nagging doubt about the work they've done.

As it's still under warranty my vRS is having it's 1st service (while I've owned the car) with the dealer and to be honest I am a bit nervous plus a little annoyed at the cost. Normally all work gets carried out by a mate of mine who is an Audi Technician, gets me genuine parts with discount, does all the dealer stuff like scan for and diagnose faults and can even print me out a proper service sheet all at a fraction of the cost. The only thing I don't get is the stamp in the book.

I'm going to have a big think whether it's worth me keeping the staps up just to help resale. I'm keeping the car for a good few years as I love it and my mate doesn't cut corners and is a total perfectionist. How much realistically will I lose on resale value? Does it justify getting robbed at the stealers? And as Babs says after 10 years it doesn't really matter, a buyer can see that the car has been looked after.

Kai, you could be risking your warranty not using a garage that is VAT registered.

On the resale side, less than 5 years old, I'd be looking for every service from a main dealer for that make (ford, Skoda etc etc). No dealer stamps = no private sale, or no deal in the case of a dealer unless seriously discounted.

As a buyer I'd then know it was done right, to manufacturers standards. I cant know for sure the same of your mate, his mate or that indi that makes you a latte and polishes your shoes whilst you wait being fanned by latina hotties all for £5 a service.

Most decent dealers will demand to see a service book is stamped in this manner, and lower their offer if not upto scratch.

Just my 2p.

IMHO second hand car prices are so low that once the car is over 5 years old a bundle of receipts for the correct parts as opposed to service stamps from an indy will make little difference to value.

As already pointed out you can tell more looking at and driving a car than from a book of stamps that may or may not be genuine. I would however look for all large works such as cambelt etc to have been done at a main dealer or a respected brand specialist indy garage.

Kai, you could be risking your warranty not using a garage that is VAT registered.

As I said the service tomorrow is at the dealers to maintain warranty. I shouldn't do more than 10k beween now and December when the warranty runs out.

IMHO second hand car prices are so low that once the car is over 5 years old a bundle of receipts for the correct parts as opposed to service stamps from an indy will make little difference to value.

As already pointed out you can tell more looking at and driving a car than from a book of stamps that may or may not be genuine. I would however look for all large works such as cambelt etc to have been done at a main dealer or a respected brand specialist indy garage.

Yeah this is what I think. Its going to have all receipts and record of all services and major work done such as cambelt. Besides when I end up selling the car which should be in a good few years as I love it the difference in price between FSSH and servicing done by a friend will be small.

Anyone who thinks dealers do a better job than anyone else is wrong. Yes there are good and bad dealers out there but I've heared some horror stories about dealers cutting corners, not doing work properly and even taking the cars out for a good scumming. At least when my mate is working on my car I see what he's doing and how he does it.

When I first bought my Fabia VRS I took it to the dealer and they charged £150 for changing the oil and although they said they changed the air filter, 6 months later I had a look at it and it was like emptying a vacuum cleaner bag.

They stamped the log book but didn't have a Skoda logo stamp so I could have easily made one up from VistaPrint or something!

I can't prove that Skoda didn't change the filter but it made me think 'what else didn't they do...'

Since then I've spent Just under £150 myself, changing the oil every 5k instead of 10, doing a full coolant flush, changing the brake fluid, oil filter, air filter, wheel centers (corrosion) wing mirror glass (flaking) -generally keeping my car as it did when it rolled out the factory.

I keep the log book up to date and I think the money is better spent keeping it looking brand new, than letting it deteriorate and waxing £150 on a service it may or may not have for a stupid little stamp!

Rant over.

I guess the biggest point is does it save you anything.

If you have 10k service interval, then over 50k miles you will have 5 services. If your mates services cost an average of £125 per service as opposed to £250 per service then you will save 5*£125 so £625. If the difference between a full dealer service history and DIY is a lot more than this then you lose out, if it's less then I guess you don't.

Again, another person who has done all their own servicing on the last 12 cars apart from the current '06 Octy VRs. Agree that if its in warrentee then dealer service only purely to not void the deal.

Aside from that, if you keep good records, keep your recepts then it doesn affect the resale, all my past cars have been mint and sold for more than list price as a result. I have never once had someone come to look at a car to buy from me and not actually buy it!

Thanks again for the views and opinions.

i have always carried out all the work req on my cars over the years(been a mechanic for 18yrs)i keep all the reciepts for parts fitted,it has never been a problem come selling time,i agree if the car is under warranty then it should be garage serviced whilst under warranty,as for trusting the person you still have to trust a dealer when they service your car,i worked for a main dealer for 4 years & some things that went on were unbelievable,i know not all dealers are the same but im so glad i will never own a car new enough to be seviced at a dealer!i would rather see a pile a reciepts for parts fitted with dates etc than a service book with just stamps & no other info in it!

Hello mikey vrs,

I agree with everything you said, and add a dealer/garage stamp does not guarantee the level of service carried out, be it, an 1/2 hour or a full 2 hour service.

Looking at purchase receipt dates, would prove at the very least you purchased those items, and then, not to fit them would have displayed a total waste of money.

Anyone can counterfeit a garage stamp, many do not include a multi-coloured logo.

Looks pretty good on your service book, but not worth a damn really, but some poor sap could be conditioned to heeding it.

Ian. 26/05/2009

i be another that would walk away from a deal if the car wasnt serviced by the main dealer in the first few years. couldnt give a damm on a 10 year old car as long as there was some proof it had the essentials done.