The Scrap Merchant

In general, I don't feel ripped off by Sainsbury's. If so I'd use Tesco. Or ASDA, etc.

Because my BMW main dealer is a c**t who takes great pleasure in ripping off his customers by not doing work charged for on a service and adding on unnecessary work. Every time. All at only 120 quid an hour. Of course many punters are happy with this since their firm is paying and they get a free cup of coffee from a pretty receptionist. But not in my case. And I know a *little* more about servicing than the average punter. Oh - and rather more than Cooper Wimbledon, it would seem.

I'm *certain* you're honest and competent, Andy. If only it were so generally in the motor trade. But any survey you read shows this *not* to be the case. And does mine, or that of my friends. It really is about time something was done. The garage trade is a national disgrace.

Funny you should mention that. Had to go shopping in tesco yesterday evening, and while trying not to die of boredom I looked at the car stuff. I don't usually look at it because I get fluids oils and stuff by the case/drum as I need it. But I knew I was going to have to get more brake fluid soon, so I had a look, and their DOT 4 was 51p for 500ml!

That's less than half the price Maccess charge me by the case. And Tesco get that kind of Stuff from Maccess I know, because I've been involved in carrying it. So I bought all 6 bottles they had on the shelf :-))

Steve

The message from "shazzbat" contains these words:

Yet they sell Maccess buckets (they even call them that) for 1.49 while a rather better bucket is 99p in B&Q. Most odd.

I wasn't even implying a 'rip-off' here. Even when customers are happy with our service, and see we are offering a good price, they still demand a better price.

That's why I say, why not ask your supermarket for a discount? You're happy with them, but can't they do better on the price of that weekly shop?

In which case you have a genuine reason for complaint. Have you mentioned to BMW Uk that they are not working to their minimum standards?

Indeed. Perhaps that's where we differ with Honda, we only see one or two fleet users a day - out of 20-25 jobs.

Indeed, I agree, but I get aggravated when main dealers are singled out. The *whole* trade needs sorting.

It's not the man on the front counter, or in the workshop, that makes the difference though, they are the same wherever you go, and generally want a good job done themselves. Do you really believe that I (and my peers) actually want to confront an upset customer from shoddy work or rip-off prices.

The problem is in upper management and finance control, there is not enough insight from above into what the problems are.

Simple...go somewhere else.

So why do you still go there then?

That probably works for most people, bar the mongs who buy Bristols. ;-)

It's a dirty s***ty job. It deserves a fair return. If they could buy the £20 headlamps new from Ford they wouldn't need the scrappy.

-- Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

Hmmm, I think your collection is safe enough ;-)

And we see it as the engineer that actually does the job gets a tenner if he is lucky, the manager sat on his ass gets twelve, so that is £38 for lighting and heating the place for an hour! I want my radiator replaced not a new ruddy car ffs

As for, we have to invest in equipment, well the engineer supplies his own tools usually on credit from Snap On.

The lift has been paid for three hundred times over by the stupid punters paying £60 or more an hour labour, not to mention the ridiculous profit from selling the car in the first place

Garage new car £22k online import £17k otr Met at the airport and keys, documents handed over within the hour no free cup of coffee though

All we need to crack now is the warranty work Have it done by us at extortionate rates for a second rate job, or have it done by a caring knowledgable local engineer (who knows if it is crap no one will come back) for sixty percent less

Hey there is a business opportunity, offer quality service for sixty percent less do not rip customers off with uneccessary work "we replaced the tyres guv but your shocks are gone" Brake replacement guaranteed for life Err full new system pipes, master and slave cylinders, pads, cables etc £600 guaranteed for life "as long as you own the car" "Only tenpounds a month for five years" lol

What we need is an HONEST JOHN that warranties will recognise, who can make a fantastic living charging realistic prices

In news: snipped-for-privacy@pipex.net, Stuart Gray scribed for want of a better word:

Nothing wrong at all in making a buck that's what life is all about, but out and out theft is illegal in most societies

Charging someone £30 to take away scrap then selling it on for £700 is basically theft or at least immoral

My last MOT scrapper was taken away for £30 then next day was on the front street outside the scrappy for sale with full MOT for £425 they must have worked all night to get it up to standard bless them, complete with three weeks road fund licence :-D

our labour rate is £40.00 an hour & its not just for the heating & lighting , there are other expenses to be taken into account, rates, insurance ( public liability, vehicle, buildings, contents ), waste disposal, work overalls to be cleaned, general up-keep of the workshop, 24 hour alarm monitoring system ( redcare & the like ) as required by most insurance companys these days the list is endless.

but some of the more specialist equipment is well out of the reach of technicians in monetary value, hence the company has to invest in it, diagnostic, presses, pullers, welding equipment ect ect

the " stupid punters " as you call them have a choice at the end of the day, they pay or they choose not to pay, simple really.

we have Honest Johns charging realistic prices out there but as for making a fantastic living from the motor trade, im afraid not !

Obviously you know f*ck all about the business side of the motor trade, or any other trade come to that. You have no idea of running costs and overheads at all.

I do, because my bonus gets paid on bottom line every month, and I know what the gross turnover is to start with.

So that's why the import market is still such a roaring trade then?

Huh?

You also have no idea of what your warranty is for then. Or, you have just found out why imports are cheaper.

I think you'll find that's the 'kwik-fit' brigade actually.

LOL.

So what you want is to by a car for nothing, maintain it for nothing, have it built so well that it doesn't ever go wrong or wear out - all for no profit to the manufacturers or suppliers.

That's the sound of you hitting the real world with your head.

So many people are quick to slag off the charges for the *wrong* reasons. What the f*ck do you think garages are there for - for your convenience? Get real, they are a business, and there to make a profit, period.

How much profit is enough though? Shell make £1.4m *profit* an hour. Your average garage might turn that over in 6 months (turnover, not profit). Most new cars are worth 3% margin to a dealer, so the profits from the after sales have to reinforce the low profits on the car sales.

The running costs of a dealership are high, and the profit margins are actually pretty low. Nearly all of the money made in aftersales is used to pay the costs of running the site - wages, heating, council tax, environmental costs, maintenance, etc. Anything made from selling the cars is usually the profit the entire garage makes. This is called the 'Absorbtion' theory. See, it's so well known a process it has a name.

Of course, we could just give away all that profit, and kindly give it to the customers. But even a complete imbecile can see that isn't the way to run a business.

When you can show facts and figures that prove car dealerships are making an unreasonable level of profit, then stand on your little soap box and I'll listen. Until then, f*ck off.

If, however, you expect to get good value for your £60 then I agree, of course you have every right to demand that.

In news:dhkhpn$2ml$ snipped-for-privacy@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk, reg scribed for want of a better word:

I work with electronics, I can not do my job without an ocilloscope, however I do the job and do not charge every client an extra £20 an hour for the use of my ocilloscope, If I do not have one I do not get the job

Dozens of Firemen, Policemen etc are ex mechanic/technician they do work to an excellent quality far better than you would get at a dealers, as if they do not do quality work then you do not go back, unlike a dealers, the quality is usually carp and you pay when you go back They too have the equipment, but do not charge you for the use of it, if they do not use it they do not get the work simple really Overheads well they have bought and paid for a garage and well, possibly a lift too, they do better quality work they have to or they would not get custom, they too are insured, heating is an option to them Unfortunately they can not do work under warranty and clear another £500 from the manufacturer along with the theft from the ordinary punter Most dealers make their money from the multi companies who bang the new car in for servicing and it is on the bill with VAT relief and expences, then along comes poor Joe Stupid who has no option, For the first three years

If Kerbside motors can supply and fit brake pads for £20 then Mr Dealer at £80 plus VAT is a scumbag free cup of coffee whilst you wait or not

As for waiting it is a joke, I put my company car in for a full service, and four weeks before I booked it in and said I need a new off side front screen wiper, a rear nearside brake light and an interior head light replaced

I sat and waited two hours whilst they carried it out.(Free coffee and local paper to read) Only to be given a print out, Full service, Requires new off side front screen wiper, rear nearside brake light and interior bulb. Please book in for this at your earliest convenience I had had to take the morning off work for this carp

I could not use Kerbside Motors as he can not bill the company, If I had paid Kerbside Motors the job would have been carried out at £60 cash Only the company prefer to pay some dealer £189 initially then two weeks later (the earliest date available) another £70 to replace two lamps and a wiper blade, Whilst I lose two mornings pay Utter tosh and the sooner the Government can legistate the better, run the dealers out of town, though it will not happen whilst companies can play tax games and honest workers can not make a living

The message from "Domestos" contains these words:

Oh god, not /more/ rules.

Yes - they simply passed a copy of my letter back to the service manager of my branch for action. No hint of an apology or any follow up. I was subsequently offered a refund of the costs of the parts incorrectly replaced, but this never happened. On querying why, I was told it would be deducted off my next service bill. Which ain't going to be with them under any circumstances.

My impression was that BMW UK are used to this sort of letter and simply ignore them in the main. Perhaps if their sales started slipping - like M-B - they'd be forced into a re-think on the standards of their dealers. I've used four, and three were poor. The decent one was unfortunately in Aberdeen. ;-)

Convenience. They'll pick up the car from work and return it the same day. The next nearest one won't - it's outside their 'area'.

It depends on all sorts of things. They have overheads. Not each and every car will have all its parts sold on, and it will cost them to dispose of some of the rest - like tyres etc.

There is no theft.

Is it f*ck.

Oh I get it...you're pissed off because someone with more knowledge than you decided it was worth repairing and selling on.