Hi,

 

I took my Superb to a local independent for a full service and dsg oil change as the main dealer is 15 miles away.

 

I asked for an estimate, was told about £350. The final bill is £460.

 

My question is, on the itemised bill the parts are charged at what the garage paid, by the looks of the high price, including vat.

Then the vat is added again by the garage itself.

 

Is this normal practice? Am i being naive?

My previous cars have always been done at a friends garage, but as he cant access the skoda service portal I used a different garage this time.

All seems very expensive to me……..?

I was quoted £200 just for the DSG service... so Doesn't seem too bad to me.

 

This year it was a minor service, DSG service, brake fluid change and MOT for me and I almost fainted at the 580 bill at the indie that I use 

Compared to a Skoda Main Dealer it is a bargain.

 

So they would be if on Fixed Service & Maintenance Pricing.

£185 Oil & Inspection Service.

£60 Extended Scope.

£215 DSG Oil Change.

£45 Air Filter

£35 Pollen Filter

£70 Diesel Filter.                         ? Was the Brake Fluid change due, or have they tested the brake fluid?  £65 @ Skoda.

 

£ 610 at least.       

 

Then they offer, Oil Flush, AC Service £140, or AC Cleanse £30,

& tell you the disc are 80% worn some places.

Spark Plugs are £100 plus.           BRAKE CHECK IS FREE. So what is the EXTENDED SCOPE CRAP?

 

 

Edited 13 August, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

Extended scope = bigger hammer

Thanks for the replies.

 

Puts my mind at rest.

 

Guess I'll buy my own parts another time so at least i dont pay vat on parts that have already had vat applied.

All seems reasonable, the only thing that I dont like is the aftermarket DSG oil... Carlube is a cheap brand and just looking on ebay you can get the oil for £9 a litre so £100 for 6 litres... well you do the math.

 

Like others have said you pay £215 for the DSG service alone at the main agent, and the service would be another £3/400 so not the worst price ive seen.

Not the cheapest but not the dearest either. If job done well it is reasonable

On 13/08/2021 at 12:47, Shugmo said:

Hi,

 

I took my Superb to a local independent for a full service and dsg oil change as the main dealer is 15 miles away.

 

I asked for an estimate, was told about £350. The final bill is £460.

 

My question is, on the itemised bill the parts are charged at what the garage paid, by the looks of the high price, including vat.

Then the vat is added again by the garage itself.

 

Is this normal practice? Am i being naive?

My previous cars have always been done at a friends garage, but as he cant access the skoda service portal I used a different garage this time.

 

Just reading this oldish thread but wanted to throw in a comment regarding the dealer putting a parts price that includes VAT, then charging you VAT on top.

 

The garage won't pay VAT on what they buy. The customer pays VAT at the end. Sales tax is only ever collected once.

 

They may be BS'ing their prices, but as a trade purchaser they won't have paid VAT to whichever wholesaler they buy their parts from, be it Euro Car Parts or someone else.

Edited 24 October, 20214 yr by Gax

17 minutes ago, Gax said:

 

Just reading this oldish thread but wanted to throw in a comment regarding the dealer putting a parts price that includes VAT, then charging you VAT on top.

 

The garage won't pay VAT on what they buy. The customer pays VAT at the end. Sales tax is only ever collected once.

 

They may be BS'ing their prices, but as a trade purchaser they won't have paid VAT to whichever wholesaler they buy their parts from, be it Euro Car Parts or someone else.

.

The garage do pay VAT on what they buy.

 

The difference is that - as a VAT registered concern - they can and will reclaim it.

 

BTDT

 

.

For a while between working in garages and sometime during i worked in kitchens.

 

When HMRC was investigating dodgy places they looked at the orders like Sweet Corn, Frozen Peas etc.

They were legit usually from suppliers.

It was easy to see if you calculate portions served by declared meals sold if there might be poor management, theft or a business at it.

Stuff like Meat, Game, Seafoods, etc arriving at the back door, no questions asked and more meals sold or events done and not declared, tax paid.

 

Point being, 

Sump Plugs used gives an idea of how many Oil & Filter Services are actually done.  But some suck out oil and do not change plugs.

Where a same price is charged but for some reason parts not used then they are putting it as more Labour to charge VAT on as the VAT is not on parts not supplied.

It does not require longer to not look at stuff and to not replace stuff.   All kidology. 

 

 

The Issue was the Major Services at Fixed Prices like when they were £279 then £299.

 

FIxed Major Service @ 2 Years,  Oil, Filter, Sump Plug even if no sump plug changed, Pollen Filter Maybe & maybe a Screen Wash Top up maybe not, Service £279.

Fixed Major Service @ 4 Years.  Oil, Filter, Sump Plug, Air Filter maybe, Pollen Filter Maybe,  Spark Plugs or Fuel Filter Maybe & Service. £279.

 

The first was a rip off, and the 2nd if all done was a damn bargain, and if not a rip off.  When paying fixed price and a Tech decided something was not to some flexible / BS Schedule you might not get stuff.

 

Prices are on 2 Litre or under cars.  A Citigo or 3 cylinder car getting 2.8 litre oil and 3 plugs was charged the same as one getting 4.7 litres and 4 plugs.

Good for some and a P!55 take against other that are driving smaller vehicles and maybe on tighter budgets.

They still want a Dealership Service though and should not be getting ripped off to subsidize others or help dealerships fill their pockets.

 

 

A Garage that charges for Screen Wash not used as the car arrived with it full, and that does not hand over the bottle of screen wash is taking the Cost pf Screen Wash and the VAT from the Customers and is sitting with the Screen Wash they fraudulently charged for on the shelf and also the VAT they took off the customer.

 

Now it should be you get what you want and what you pay for and it is not a case of paying your money and getting less parts.

Or even getting parts changed that you do not want like a Member has a thread in the General Automotive Chat Section concerning LOOKERS and a 2 year service plan and extras charged for with permission asked,   Spark Plugs Replaced.

Edited 24 October, 20214 yr by roottoot

£45 for a pollen filter, part is £10 and it is a five minute job!

On 24/10/2021 at 16:43, Steviedakota said:

£45 for a pollen filter, part is £10 and it is a five minute job!

hi ste...i paid £140 for 2 services when i bought my superb on a 20 plate last year and my first service will be in about 6 weeks, then after the last one next year i am going to do them myself the superb is a piece of **** to do servicing on, i changed my pollen filter in the summer took all of 3 minutes and cost £6 from the local motor factors

So that is £35 for a Pollen Filter & £45 for an Air Filter.

Money for old rope just the same.   Includes disposal of the Old ones,

unlike about 9 years back when Skoda Main Dealers were trying it on with charging for Environmentally friendly disposal of Oil & Filters when servicing cars.

 you could  do a diy service, then you'd would  know it was done right, plus you'd  save a few quid, but more importantly you'd know it was done right

then knock up an invoice/receipt from A&A autos with vat registered no etc ,

in the event of a warranty claim do you think they'd check ?,  for a big warranty claim maybe they would, but smaller warranty claims, dealers probably would just repair, they're getting paid off skoda anyway.

 

just a thought, if you could find a garage that recently stopped trading,  knock up an invoice for a service from them, how could skoda prove the service  was'nt done, if garage no longer in business,  just make sure you do the service correctly and use genuine parts .

You might as well knock up City and Guild certificate or NVQ,s that you are a qualified Motor Mechanic or technician if committing  fraud by production Vat registered invoice / receipts.  

Edited 27 October, 20214 yr by roottoot

21 minutes ago, roottoot said:

You might as well knock up City and Guild certificate or NVQ,s that you are a qualified Motor Mechanic or technician if committing  fraud by production Vat registered invoice / receipts.  

you have a point

4 hours ago, roottoot said:

You might as well knock up City and Guild certificate or NVQ,s that you are a qualified Motor Mechanic or technician if committing  fraud by production Vat registered invoice / receipts.  

As an assessor for NVQ level 4 quals in construction and gaining a level 3 NVQ equivalent  in bricklaying and stone masonry many many  years ago, any fraudulent claims soon get found out mainly by the lack of ability/knowledge.

 

 

As a member of the human race with some brain cells still i was not suggesting doing that.

 

Skills in the Motor Industry & Car Engineering sector with those trained to whatever level seem to take longer before lack of ability or laziness are discovered.

whats the biggest fraud though

someone knocking up a fake invoice/ receipt or a garage that charges a customer for work/parts they never used or done

sometimes ya gotta just play them at there own game  😎

You have to be as bare-faced & as hard necked as they are.

 

I have borrowed a demonstrator before now and refused to return it until they shorted out the Mot failure and show me the part they said it needed at the Free Service & MOT that had the parts replaced the year before when they had failed it before selling the car.

 

I have borrowed a demonstrator and refused to return it until the Deposit & Interest was in my Account after the Dealership had failed to order a car and played me on for months and months past the time it was supposed to arrive.

 

With some playing them at their own game is picking up something in the dealership and saying you are trying to rob me for the price of windscreen wash you never actually supplied and cheating the HMRC as well.

 

If they say they will call the police tell them to do just that and explain what you have done trying to take money by false pretences.

 

You find that Scottish Dealerships and the ones that do this deception / fraud as a common practice will reconsider the invoice. 

Edited 27 October, 20214 yr by roottoot

i think garages probably get away with more with company/fleet cars,  although it happens with private owners as well if you let them away with it.

it's  just easier for them with fleet stuff as  question rarely get asked,  almost like a blank chequebook.

 

my service is due soon which is already paid for but i want the job doing probably i am in liverpool but i dont mind traveling an hour to get a top job by experienced tecs, alex lawrie which is around the corner gets a fair bit of stick from people....i was looking at mitchells chester...any help would be sound.

On 26/10/2021 at 23:20, 310golfr said:

 you could  do a diy service, then you'd would  know it was done right, plus you'd  save a few quid, but more importantly you'd know it was done right

then knock up an invoice/receipt from A&A autos with vat registered no etc ,

in the event of a warranty claim do you think they'd check ?,  for a big warranty claim maybe they would, but smaller warranty claims, dealers probably would just repair, they're getting paid off skoda anyway.

 

just a thought, if you could find a garage that recently stopped trading,  knock up an invoice for a service from them, how could skoda prove the service  was'nt done, if garage no longer in business,  just make sure you do the service correctly and use genuine parts .

Honestly a stupid thing to suggest.... 

So because youre scared someone wont do the work or what they say they will do, your solution is to do the exact same thing....

 

Its not playing them at their own game, if you cant trust the place you take your car, take it somewhere else.,