Frequently we have customers that buy a new car and more often than not they’ll say something like, “Well, this car’s under warranty so we’ll have to get it serviced at the main dealer”. At this point I usually look at them in horror and begin to explain that actually, they don’t have to use the main dealer at all, or pay their extortionate charges!

Thanks to one very significant change in the EEC rules that occurred in 2003 (known as the Block Exemption Regulation, 2002), vehicle manufacturers were forced to open-up the marketplace for servicing and repairs. Here’s a useful link to explain it:
http://www.berr.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page38070.html

As long as the car is serviced to the manufacturers recommended schedule and equivalent quality parts and oils etc. are used, the manufacturers warranty IS NOT affected by having your car serviced elsewhere (i.e. at Swiftest).

Unless you particularly enjoy throwing money away to help pay the huge mortgage on that huge and shiny new showroom that the main dealer has, you can save around 30% of the costs of service and maintenance. Even using genuine manufacturers parts and oils, our service costs are still a lot cheaper. As an example, a standard 2 year service at a Vauxhall dealer for a 1.2 Corsa will cost you around £200.00 and basically consists of an oil and filter change, and a new pollen filter. The same service at Swiftest, using parts bought from the same Vauxhall dealer, and using the special Vauxhall 5W30 Super Synthetic Longlife oil that they insist you use, will cost around £125.00
Now, that’s a whole £75.00 cheaper so no, although we don’t give your car a quick wash and vacuum, you could spend say £10.00 of that saving on a decent car wash and vac, and still have £65.00 less debt on your Mastercard to pay off!

Now, there’s always some people that’ll argue,”Oh, but my car will be worth less when I come to sell it if it doesn’t have a full main-dealer service history” Well, in the case of top-spec executive cars such as an S-Class Mercedes, the trade might value it at £300 less if the service history was by a non-franchised dealer. Now, compare that to how much more than the £300 you’d have spent had you have taken it to Mercedes every year. Every week we hear stories of how a service bill at a main dealer ended-up over £1500, as it ‘needed’ loads of bits replacing. In fact, as a car dealer I am often left speechless by the invoices I see for servicing and repairs at main dealers. In these times of economic turmoil, surely any savings that can be made have to be a bonus?

Anyway, enough ranting for now. Don’t even get me started on how they charge £50.00 labour to change a headlamp bulb……….

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