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Main dealer prices, I dunno!

Service time for the BM at the weekend, so off out to get some new sparkyplugs, oil and a filter. Strolled into Halfords and browsed the plugs. The only ones in stock were NGK and were £16 for four and £7 individually(!) as I need 6 of 'em. While mulling whether I should get two or three boxes and end up with two sets, I go to price up the oil filter: £6.95 for Halfords "own".

Hmmm, seems pricey.... Stuff this, I'm off to the dealer.

So I visit the Bavarian Motor Works. It's all glass and metal, very smart, air-conditioned, must cost a forture! It has far more attractive totty to ogle than Halfords and I get to sit down while the nice chap brings me my bits. The damage:

Spark plugs: £2.95 each. Oil filter: £4 (both + VAT)

The plugs are the same NGK ones but BMW branded - there's a moral in here somewhere, but you attractive, intelligent people are ahead of me, I'm sure. This also makes me more than a bit peeved by a small garage that did the last oil service and charged me £9 for a Mahle oil filter.

Reply to
Scott M
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Parts prices can be quite reasonable for older models. How old is your car?

Alec

Reply to
Alec

Admittedly it is 10 years old but they're still using the same plugs in the new models, so even with a 2002 325 they'll be the same price - at least I don't think they'd do any underhand age related antics, t'bloke in t'parts depo didn't ask for an age of mine.

Reply to
Scott M

Same here for Rover bits too.

Oil filter: Cheapest local motor factors =A37 and a shitload of attitude. MG Rover...=A34 and couldn't try harder to please you.

--=20 Conor

If you're not on somebody's shit list, you're not doing anything=20 worthwhile.

Reply to
Conor

Prices obviously vary but most manufacturer's have been forced to price their parts more sensibly. There is a likelihood that the part will be of better quality or fit better too!

Reply to
Alan

In article , Scott M writes

I was in Halfrauds recently for something else and picked up an own- brand oil filter for my Cavalier (£3.50). Outside, in the carpark, I opened the box and decided it was cheap shit which I was not going to fit to my car. Went back in, got a refund and paid the 50p extra for a Champion. The difference in quality was like night and day.

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

There was something on watchdog a while back about the cost of tyres being much less from many (inc BMW) maindealers than at the local fast fit etc.

Reply to
Scott Mills

I've bought tyres at the main Ford dealer in Northern Ireland for the past few years, and they've always been well cheaper than anywhere else. I rang purely out of curoisity originally, and was expecting them to be more expensive. I'm talking a tenner a tyre on average. Rather pleasent surprise since they're 10 mins down the road from work and particularly convenient to use.

G.

Reply to
Gary McClean

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