Is this daylight robbery from a dealer?

[stu220]

So, my car is going in for its 60k mile service in a couple of weeks time. I have asked for the tyres to be swapped front to back and was informed that it would cost me 30 minutes labour. I asked why as surely at the main service the wheels would be off.

 

Apparently this dealer never takes the wheels off the car!!!!!! Brake pads, suspension etc are checked with wheels on. So if my car had been serviced there from new the wheels would never have been off.

 

Previously I have used Beadles in Maidstone (5 services) and they have never charged at the 20 or 40 service as wheels were off.

 

Canterbury dealer may not ever see my car again thanks to their attitude.

[kidology]

Seems strange to never take wheels off, if it bothers you do it yourself not a big job.

[john999boy]

No brake pads in 60k miles! That's very good.

However they may have replaced them using keyhole surgery?

[blackspaven]

Mine had its first set of rear pads changed last year in september at just over 60k, don't think the fronts have been done yet, but might be wrong, bad memory.

[smileonimpact]

I would switch dealer, as the skoda fixed price service includes

"Remove wheels and check brakes"

Their words, not mine.

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/servicing

Edited 7 February, 2015 by smileonimpact

[stu220]

I fully intend to change dealers even though it will mean a big drive to do so.

[Guest]

Whenever a service is near tyre swapping time; summer to cold weather and vice versa, both the Skoda dealerships I've used have done it as part of the service.

Obviously, I'm not aware of all the facts, but I would get him to put in writing why they are charging you extra labour during a major service and then use this as evidence when you submit your letter of complaint to SUK and ask them why one of their dealers is not obeying their servicing regime.

You could also submit it to your local trading standards, as they are charging you for something they didn't do, remove the wheels.

I did this with National Tyres when they tried to charge me £70 to swap my tyres over. This price included charges for replacement valves and tyre disposal. Trading Standards only gave them a warning as I had not paid to have the tyre swap carried out.

Fin

[stu220]

This dealer gave me very poor service when I took my last car there back in 2011 for its first service. I was only person waiting at 0800 to hand car over and left waiting for 15 mins while they chatted and had coffee. They had the car all day as I was at work and all the were doing was 10k miles first service. I was informed it was done at 1400 and I turned up at 1700 to pick it up. Found it unwashed. Oil over engine cover and again left waiting while staff chatted.

 

I will be phoning Beadles at Maidstone on Monday and I will put up with my 40 miles each way.

 

So Motorline of Canterbury, no money from me and I will not be buying my new car from you.

[mdk1]

Might be worth a call to Motorline Medway, ( Sherlodge ) as they are very good I have found and just off J4 M2 so slightly nearer, speak to Russell.

[Cyberstaff]

No brake pads in 60k miles! That's very good.

However they may have replaced them using keyhole surgery?

I'm on 63k with original pads and discs all around!

[FLAPPERJACK7]

When you have your car serviced the dealer prints of a maintenence list. They should give you this maintenance list or you can ask for it. This maintenance list is set by Skoda not the dealer. The dealer must obey the maintenance list. Now if you have this list read it. You will never find one that states remove the wheels to check the brakes. Skoda can write anything they want on their website but until they change their maintenance list the dealer is not breaking the rules set down.

[Richf]

Changed my pads at 75k in the Superb but they would've seen 100k I reckon

[silver1011]

Write a quick email to Skoda UK and ask them why one of their franchised dealers isn't following the Skoda servicing regime.

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us

 

Either Skoda need to enforce it or remove this particular point off their website...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/servicing

[Lewwy]

With a car on a ramp (most likely a 2 poster), if it takes a decent mechanic 30mins using a windy gun to remove and swap over the wheels he needs his ar$e kicking.

 

10mins work tops. They should be doing this as a matter of goodwill and to keep your custom.

 

How the hell can you correctly check everything during a service without talking the weeks off? Joke.

[stu220]

When i questioned them on charging for such a small job an the fact that a car could go for years without having wheels removed (excepting tyre change) the attitude from the other end of the line was astounding. Apparently they are not bothered if customers state they are going to go elsewhere. 

[Guest]

That attitude is quite common. I more or less got told it was up to me if I went back to my dealer or not after having the cambelt and water pump replaced and they were caught on my cameras using a brush to clean my car BEFORE work was carried out, even though I have ALWAYS told them not to, the technician drove through a red light on the test drive, thrashed the backside of the car on the test drive, went into my boot on at least two occasions for no logical reason. Oh, and they didn't get round to telling me the car was ready until 19 hours after the work was finished.

And one final Oh. The water pump failed two days after they installed it.

The Retail Principal took my complaint so seriously, he got someone to pp it.

Fin

[brad1.8T]

No brake pads in 60k miles! That's very good.

However they may have replaced them using keyhole surgery?

I've done 150,000km (90,000miles?) and the original pads are only at 50%.  It's got me blowed how some people wear them out so quickly

[Aspman]

They'll be lucky if the wheels come off now. If you don't remove alloys every so often and put a bit of slip on the faces they can bond.

[mannyo]

My old MK2 Octavia was sold at 99K miles and was still on the original disks and pads, still had life in them as well. I bought the car at just a few months old, so knew its full history.

[brad1.8T]

They'll be lucky if the wheels come off now. If you don't remove alloys every so often and put a bit of slip on the faces they can bond.

By 60k miles the wheels would have come off for new tyres by now - unless he's an exceptionally smooth driver.

 

If the car is on a hoist it is quite easy to check the suspension & the brakes without removing the wheels.  Torch & a hand mirror looks after the inner pads.  outer pads & disc condition are easily seen through the wheel.

 

Despite all that, they shouldn't charge for rotating the wheels.  It's simply gouging the customer.

[andyduggs]

Write a quick email to Skoda UK and ask them why one of their franchised dealers isn't following the Skoda servicing regime.

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us

 

Either Skoda need to enforce it or remove this particular point off their website...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/servicing

 

As usual there's T&C's attached to these deals, I questioned when I had mine serviced and it cost more than the "standard pricing"

Also from http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/servicing  - * For ŠKODA vehicles 3 years (from first MOT) up to 10 years old. Fixed price servicing is available to customers at participating ŠKODA retailers only

[Aspman]

By 60k miles the wheels would have come off for new tyres by now - unless he's an exceptionally smooth driver.

 

If the car is on a hoist it is quite easy to check the suspension & the brakes without removing the wheels.  Torch & a hand mirror looks after the inner pads.  outer pads & disc condition are easily seen through the wheel.

 

Despite all that, they shouldn't charge for rotating the wheels.  It's simply gouging the customer.

 

 

Doesn't always take that long, mine were well stuck on when the back disks were due at ~60k. I guess they'd been on a year.

[mikey vrs]

When my octavia went in for its 4 yearly major service (it had a service plan on it when i bought it & wanted to keep the warranty) at 3 years old i was amazed that they said they dont remove the wheels,they even replaced the brake fluid with them on (they said they did but i wasnt convinced the fluid had been changed but thats another story)....this is why i do all my own servicing & repairs,at a major service wheels should be removed & brake pads stripped & carriers cleaned & pads copper slipped & refitted(my pads were siezed in the carriers) & a bit of copper slip applied to the wheels were they meet the hubs.

[FLAPPERJACK7]

When my octavia went in for its 4 yearly major service (it had a service plan on it when i bought it & wanted to keep the warranty) at 3 years old i was amazed that they said they dont remove the wheels,they even replaced the brake fluid with them on (they said they did but i wasnt convinced the fluid had been changed but thats another story)....this is why i do all my own servicing & repairs,at a major service wheels should be removed & brake pads stripped & carriers cleaned & pads copper slipped & refitted(my pads were siezed in the carriers) & a bit of copper slip applied to the wheels were they meet the hubs.

And that's brilliant. But could you imagine how much it would cost if the dealer done that.

[silver1011]

As usual there's T&C's attached to these deals, I questioned when I had mine serviced and it cost more than the "standard pricing"

Also from http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/servicing  - * For ŠKODA vehicles 3 years (from first MOT) up to 10 years old. Fixed price servicing is available to customers at participating ŠKODA retailers only

 

Agreed, some dealers play by the rules, some will compete for your business.

 

Shop around would be my advice. My local dealer (Pulman Skoda in Durham) was more than happy to honor Skoda's national pricing policy on my car when it was less than 3 years old.

 

It is too late to complain after the work is done and you are stood waiting for the keys.

 

Get the quote confirmed over the phone when the car is booked in. Re-confirm the price when you drop the keys off. It should all be detailed on the job card that you sign before walking away.

 

Most Skoda dealers will price match or negotiate if you are prepared to ask, at least in my experience.