Dealerships charge for screenwash during a service even if it is full (which mine was). I couldn't be arsed to argue the toss for the sake of a fiver but this has to be legalised fraud in this day and age?

Whatttt. Do they really!?thats ridiculous. I wouldnt have paid for it

There was no need to argue, you ask to have the cost removed or they give you an unopened bottle.

It is £3.79 Plus VAT for VW Windscreen Wash. £4.55

Vote with your feet and never return there to spend again.

 

Better yet, learn to service/fix your own car and avoid the whole bunch of them.

Im quite glad i dont take mine to a dealer for a service or any other things

Do you do your own servicing , maintenance and repairs or have a trusted friend do it?

Iirc the moment a single drop is put in you're charged to the next litre

My dad does everything to mine. Wouldnt let anyone else touch it. Hes been a mechanic for 30+ years

As to main dealers charging for a full litre, any decent Skoda / VWG Dealership gives you the remainder of the bottle which was unused.

 

& with Oil. if it is 3.6 litres, they invoice for 3.6 litres or 3.7,  not for 4 litres.

Much the same with other Units.

Edited 21 May, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

I think this is where im lucky. Ive never paid for oil or anything. I only pay for the parts needed

Sure ANYONE can top up screen wash?!?

I would say £5 if your bottle was bone dry is quite a good deal lol

The thread title has me thinking that the OP must be a fairly young and optimistic person.

 

The notion that things in 2015 and beyond should/will be better than what's gone before...I wish I shared that perspective!

Hold the front page . . .

 

Motor dealers are charlatans!

 

If you don't wear shoes, you'll have no shoes to lose and that's the end of the news.

No idea about 'charlatans',

 but charging for parts or goods not used or services provided is actually just fraud and not any different from a Customer 

walking in and Shop Lifting goods out of the Display in the Showroom.

 

Both commonly known as stealing, taking money under false pretences in the Dealerships case or theft with the Shoplifter.

If you help yourself to £4.55 worth of goods without paying the Retailer will not usually just turn a blind eye.

 

PS.

 VAT Registered Businesses required to keep Warranty Valid.

 

Not only are they charging for a Part / Material they never provided, they collected 20% VAT on it which is on

behalf of HMRC.

So they never had to reorder a Part because it is still in their stock, and they collect VAT from a Customer.

Edited 22 May, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

My Skoda dealer tops up my screen wash and gives me any unused stuff still in the VW bottle. Same with oil. 

<snip>

So they never had to reorder a Part because it is still in their stock, and they collect VAT from a Customer.

And they then hand this on to HMRC when they submit their return . . . your point is?

Point is not only are you paying the Dealership £3.79 for a Bottle of VW / Audi Screen wash ,

you also hand over near 76 pence VAT that might or might not end up in the Public Money that pays to run the country.

 

But since you never actually got the Item they bought wholesale, and they can charge customer after customer for Bottles of Screen Wash 

and the Stock goes down slowly if not all get a Bottle, they charge Retail Price (profit usually, full profit if never actually supplied & VAT in their accounts. That is until they do their VAT Returns.

Stock Taking, Purchasing know full well how much they purchase, how much they sell, how much customers pay,

how much VAT is due to HMRC,   unless Stock Control & Theft from Stores is just not in Control.

Customers paying Retail & VAT and subsidising poor Customer Services & getting ripped off at Some Motor Group.

Adds up, 5-6 days a week, 50 weeks a year.

Edited 22 May, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

my dealer does the same even when they didnt open the bottle but its always there in the footwell

its an expensive bottle but at least i get it, being charged and not having anything to show for it is a bit bad

*Update* Opened my boot tonight and a 3/4 full bottle of screenwash was sitting in one of the pockets. Oh well, at least I have only been slightly ripped off after all....

*Update* Opened my boot tonight and a 3/4 full bottle of screenwash was sitting in one of the pockets. Oh well, at least I have only been slightly ripped off after all....

...and probably already diluted .

Well, Millar, you got a few brikodans going, didn't you?

Indeed he did, but it brought up a valid point.

Look at the Service Invoice, look at the Parts being charged for, and if in doubt ask what was done during the Service if you had not checked before paying what for some is a Days Wages for 1 hour of the Dealership Employees time.

Then paying more than you actually need to because the Reception Desk just put through what the Computer Shows.

I have for years used an excellent local independent garage that is a member of the "Good Garage Scheme". They change the oil and filter, they also always replace the plugs as a matter of course (NKG) - to be honest,I don't know why but they seem to think it is important. If the washer fluid was low (I make sure it is full before a service) they would top it up, likewise the coolant. They collect and return the car to my home which is handy.

 

In my experience the garage I use is significantly cheaper than the various main dealers I have had to to use over the years, simply in order to satisfy the warranty conditions. They are invariably friendly and helpful. I always get to speak to the mechanic who serviced the car rather than some suited receptionist.

 

My point here is that ALL main dealers could learn a lot from studying the practices of such smaller independents. Manufacturers should ruthlessly use the "mystery shopper" technique to validate the approval of their "recommended" dealers.