Service rip off

Trout bum

Trout bum

Free Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Posts
567
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584
Location
Ayr
Funster No
45,007
MH
Adria Matrix M670SL
Exp
2006
Booked motorhome in for 3rd year service and a habitation check was quoted £240 for service went to pick up van and total was £700.26 p totally shocked when I queried the service charge I was told by receptionist that it was correct as Fiat Proffesional stipulate that every 2 year service must be a full one including changing brake fluid despite the mileage , I replied I don't duspute that but it's a 3 year old van and was in for its 3. Year service , if you had checked the service book which I placed on the drivers seat you would have seen the 2 year service stamped up ? anyway to get van back money was paid , then got home and recieved a call from the sales manager ( not the service manager ?) who stated they only service what is asked for I repeated it was booked in for 3 year service but you undertook a 2 year full one and charged me £440 why ? Still waiting on an answer he told me he was out of office until next Tuesday he would look into it and call me back , honestly gutted with this company what's there to look into they got it totally wrong stay clear of them .
 
Don't understand why you took it in for a service at 3 years when only due every two years.
Take ours to an independent £120 for light service £240 for a full service. Always wait until 2 years before first service then it's out of warranty. Never have hab services just the damp check to keep the warranty.
 
That is shocking service I would be fuming

Did you pay on credit card if so can they help you have you got the £240 quote in writting

Which dealer was it you used
 
The 1st service for most of the later model Fiat based motorhomes is 2 years or 30,000 miles depending on what happens time or mileage first and the Fiat Professional price for this service is over £500.00 - you then tell him / her that its too expensive and then its normally reduced to about £420.00. You then get another 2 years or another 30,000 miles before it needs servicing again.

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I like to get oil and filter changed and warranty states yearly service and if it's the case that it's every two years why didn't they say that , there supposed to be Fiat Proffesional franchise , it was BC motorhomes in Ayr thought I would give local place my service turned out to be a bad move .
 
I have a 2017 Bailey on a Peugeot, Peugeot direct confirmed the Boxer is deemed a commercial vehicle and as such only requires servicing every 2 years to maintain the warranty cant remember the mileage they said but think it was round about 30000 as previously mentioned for the Fiat. Dealers should know this but its surprising how often it slips their mind as it did for our local Peugeot main dealership when I initially booked it in for a service after 1 year, it was lucky I checked direct with Peugeot before the work was done and managed to cancel it.

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I've never changed brake fluid in my life :eek: allegedly it absorbs moisture and degrades. My Seat Arosa is 16 this year and the brakes are perfect. Was Ann's from new in 2003.

Services are a lot about making money for the dealerships. :rolleyes:
 
Receptionist was quick to tell me that Fiat stipulates brake fluid must be replaced at 2 year service despite mileage ?? Hence the hefty bill they changed all the filters as well woopeee
 
Richard and Ann said:
I've never changed brake fluid in my life :eek: allegedly it absorbs moisture and degrades. My Seat Arosa is 16 this year and the brakes are perfect. Was Ann's from new in 2003.

Services are a lot about making money for the dealerships. :rolleyes:
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The engine coolant has never been changed in 16 years either. The only things Done have been engine oil & filter. And cam belt about err... 8 years ago? :)
 
Trout bum said:
Receptionist was quick to tell me that Fiat stipulates brake fluid must be replaced at 2 year service despite mileage ?? Hence the hefty bill they changed all the filters as well woopeee
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We have ours serviced at North East Truck and Van, a Fiat Professional and Iveco commercial dealer. At two years old I asked if the brake fluid should be changed and their reply was “we’ll test it and change it if necessary”. It’ll be going again in July for it’s five year service, wonder if they’ll change it this time.
The last service and mot came to around £280, including a new fuel filter. Hab service £160 at local caravan workshop.
 
Richard and Ann said:
I've never changed brake fluid in my life :eek: allegedly it absorbs moisture and degrades. My Seat Arosa is 16 this year and the brakes are perfect. Was Ann's from new in 2003.

Services are a lot about making money for the dealerships. :rolleyes:
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Brake fluid does need changing I own a garage and a lot of manufacturers schedules say every 2 years but we tell customers we check it 1st it should be changed if the boiling point is 155 degrees or less new fluid is over 200 degrees we advise if less than 165 to change it as it will not make the next service we charge £45 inc vat to replace brake fluid inc flushing through

If you have not changed yours for 16 years I would not want you behind me on a hot day if I had to stop quickly

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Lanerboy said:
Brake fluid does need changing I own a garage and a lot of manufacturers schedules say every 2 years but we tell customers we check it 1st it should be changed if the boiling point is 155 degrees or less new fluid is over 200 degrees we advise if less than 165 to change it as it will not make the next service we charge £45 inc vat to replace brake fluid inc flushing through

If you have not changed yours for 16 years I would not want you behind me on a hot day if I had to stop quickly
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I would be gobsmacked if a little 50bhp Arosas break fluid temperature ever rose above 50°c... maybe on a racetrack... (n) no not even then :ROFLMAO:

I suppose manufacturers have to cover themselves in this culture of litigation.
 
It doesn't matter a sh1t what the manual said. Your verbal agreement was what counts.

The Fiat manual could say that you have to offer your first child as a sacrifice.
 
Yorick said:
It doesn't matter a sh1t what the manual said. Your verbal agreement was what counts.

The Fiat manual could say that you have to offer your first child as a sacrifice.
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A verbal agreement isn’t worth the paper it isn’t written on.

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I suspect that the receptionist thought you had a 2-year old vehicle and when you left it told the workshop that and they've just done a 2-year full service on it without checking the actual age of the vehicle. Perhaps the receptionists was living in the past ... some people still think it's 2018 you know! :rolleyes:

Regardless you booked it in for a 3-year service and as you say the service book was stamped at 2-years so I don't know how they can claim they didn't know it only needed part-service rather than a full one.
 
Mine is booked in for a low miles service just before the 2 year Fiat warranty expires. Should cost @£230. They agreed it won't need the scheduled big 2 year service. That will be postponed to the 3rd year to coincide with the MOT.

I'm also asking the service manager to make sure that the workshop checks if there are any problems that need fixing under warranty.
 
Lanerboy said:
Sorry but that is not the answer we all have a duty to keep our vehicles in a road worthy condition I'm afraid your brakes do not meet that criteria I hope you never need them in an emergency
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Surely the mot woukd pick up??
 
Theonlysue said:
Surely the mot woukd pick up??
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No you are not allowed to remove anything on an mot so you cannot remove brake fluid reservoir cap and test the fluid as it's not part of an mot only way to check it is a machine which measures the boiling point of the fluid if it's old and knackered you risk brake fade if stopping hard

Regards op did they change your fluid if so ask why, did they tell you it's viscosity we put the readings we take on the service job card then ring the customer before we change it to get authorisation
 
Being in the garage game for 12yrs I wud never do extra work on a vehicle without owners consent.or in this case more than double the bill you shud of been informed before any works. You have a case

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Yorick said:
It doesn't matter a sh1t what the manual said. Your verbal agreement was what counts.
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My suggestion is that you do not focus with the dealer on whether this or that service was needed, you just focus on what you contracted for and the price quoted, just as yorick has said. Keep it simple and do not be distracted by noise.

Mick
 
DBK said:
I paid £277 today for a full service at 6 years old including an MOT. The most expensive bit was the fuel filter at £50 plus VAT. Bill Lomas at Ivybridge, Devon.
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I used them some years ago and the were very good then.
 
Richard and Ann said:
I would be gobsmacked if a little 50bhp Arosas break fluid temperature ever rose above 50°c... maybe on a racetrack... (n) no not even then :ROFLMAO:

I suppose manufacturers have to cover themselves in this culture of litigation.
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As has been said by lanerboy your brake fluid is hygroscopic and absorbs some water every year, this will migrate down to your calliper and wheel cylinders in time and cause corrosion and lower The boiling point of the fluid,
Now drive a 3500kg Motorhome fully loaded through the Alps in summer and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the likelihood of massive brake fade or complete loss of brakes could happen,
They don’t spend thousand of pound/Euro’s building in escape lanes on steep hill/ mountains for nothing,
Having worked in the motor trade for fifty years I have seen all sorts come through the work shop, But one thing that makes my blood boil!
Pun not intended, is a complete lack of basic brake maintenance,
Small electronic tool dipped into the brake reservoir will give a read out of the water content, simples and it could save you life or the poor bugger you run into,
 
ivorantony said:
As has been said by lanerboy your brake fluid is hygroscopic and absorbs some water every year, this will migrate down to your calliper and wheel cylinders in time and cause corrosion and lower The boiling point of the fluid,
Now drive a 3500kg Motorhome fully loaded through the Alps in summer and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the likelihood of massive brake fade or complete loss of brakes could happen,
They don’t spend thousand of pound/Euro’s building in escape lanes on steep hill/ mountains for nothing,
Having worked in the motor trade for fifty years I have seen all sorts come through the work shop, But one thing that makes my blood boil!
Pun not intended, is a complete lack of basic brake maintenance,
Small electronic tool dipped into the brake reservoir will give a read out of the water content, simples and it could save you life or the poor bugger you run into,
Click to expand...

Think I'll change the van fluid then, we do drive through the pyrenees (y)
 

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