How much longer can this go on?

[Andyvon]

Last year Practical Classics Magazine descibed the massive increase in car servicing and parts pricing as the "institutionalised extortion of the British motorist" by the industry and the British government. It reported that since British motor manufacturing has disappeared but two million people are employed in the motor trade, revenue must now come from parts and service.

I walked into Eurocarparts today and had to wait while a customer at the counter was being served, although I didn't take much notice of what he wanted. After a minute the man turned to me and held up a single headlight bulb in a small fitting saying "Guess how much?" I said "£5 for my car but......well...£20" (thinking that was too much). The man said "You're £80 out!" The headlight bulb was £100! Apparently, it's a new gas filled bulb. It was for his daughter's car so he left it saying he'd have to talk to her before paying that.

My neighbour was recently charged £410 for a basic service on her Ka and my brother £500 to change the oil in his Audi gearbox. Surely this has gone past the point of being reasonable? People are just being completely ripped off now.

[Kayless]

shop round mate, there's an entire xenon kit on ebay for most cars for a bullseye. If you go to the main stream expect extortion. You can get almost anything a lot cheaper if you shop round.

I just had a big service on a 7 series Beamer for £295, if you are stupid enough to pay £410 for a Ka service there will always be plenty of suppliers.

You can change the oil in a gearbox yourself for the cost of the oil, even paying full price for the oil it's only £50. Even Kwck fit will do that for £100 who did your brother's, Harrods?

You cannot be ripped off without your consent. The motoring world is full of sharks preying on the ever more clueless. Yes it's taking the p155 but that will happen until motorists wise up.

[Andyvon]

Hi Kayless,

It wasn't my headlight bulb but a previous customer's. Halogen bulbs for my 1984 car are £5 each (I usually put a couple in my pockets when I poke round the breakers!) My brother's Audi A4 is so designed that there's very little he can do himself. He tried to change the gear oil but he said there's no drain plug! They do it with a special pump. He can't change bulbs either as the rear clusters have a special access procedure and changing the headlight bulbs entails dismantling either the turbo or the fuel injection systems.

People do get ripped off without their consent. The mechanic at my local garage pointed to a C4 Picasso in the bay earlier this year and told me he was charging £1500 for changing the timing belt and head gasket. When I winced he said "It's a woman and they'll pay prices like that". I won't even mention KwikFit (except they charged me £29 for tracking and I noticed afterwards the adjusters were still covered in dirt! They'd never even touched the track rods!)

[Kayless]

Sorry, dismantle a turbo to change the bulbs, PMSL, I'm going to need a link on that one! OK the Audi is probably a main dealer price but you ca halve that going else where but even without a drain plug and all the pump gubbins it's not a big job.

You are correct though there are a load of rip off merchants out there who do pray on women. Surely though women are not that clueless are they?

[EDDIE51]

Kayless, I remember an artical (not on AB) about a new Renault , you had to remove and refit a front wing to change a headlamp bulb, cost quoted as around £500. The bulbs are supposed to last 30 years so they are not designed to be changed during the life of the car.

[chas2008]

take 20% vat off, the garage industry doesnt earn that out of the cost..that makes the KA service £341.00+ vat, need to know what the 'basic' service was to be able to defend the garage...
Gas discharge/Xenon bulbs have always been £80-£120.00 as original fit but as said they very rarley if ever go wrong, put this into context with a complete xenon headlamp at £400- £1,000 where as a standard headlamp £100-£250 with standard H4/H7 bulbs (obviously this depends greatly on the vehicle) .

[Andyvon]

Hi Chas.

Obviously the bulb had failed on this chap's daughter's car and £100 is still a lot for a bulb - especially when halogens are so cheap and simple. Maybe that's why there are so many one-eyed cars around now. Why does the motoring industry keep changing a winning design? They seem to change simple, efficient and cheap parts and procedures with new items that cost a lot of money.

The woman with the Ka had what she called a 'basic service' which just seemed to be a change of oil and filters. I asked if the service included anything else but she said no.

Obviously, the industry and the government don't make any money when cars are simple to service and repair.

[TWR]

Andvon, It does not matter what you bye someone will try to rip you off, as said look around, people always complain AFTER, you ask first think about it then either pay or look elsewhere, every garage is after trade & prices vary. with respect to some women they have not got a clue regards the costs of a service, it only takes a min to ASK, THINK, either pay or go else where, do people listen? I'll let you answer that.

[chas2008]

Andyvon,
working on your theory we would all be still driving around in MK1 escorts,Capris,Cortinas,Marina,Avenger,Vivas,
Minis,
etc..No halogen bulbs,no electronics...