My first Peugeot service experience - Any views please?

Hi,
I collected my 407 2.0 HDi136 Executive after its first 20,000 mile
service last night & am now sitting looking at the details of the
bill. Total cost incl vat is £229.99

I called the service department this morning to query a couple of
items on the bill but it is closed on Saturdays so in the meantime I
am posting this message for any views prior to me speaking to them on
Monday.


The labour cost of the service was £114.55 + vat.
The parts include:
1 x oil filter @ £8.70,
1 x housg plug SE [whatever that is] @ £0.94,
1 x screen wash @ £1.23
1 x brake cleaner @ £2.95

I've little problem with the a4 items bove but the 2 which make me
uneasy are:
50 x Shell Helix @ £1.15 = £57.50
1 x Mobil Synt S 5w-40 @ £9.78

Now the latter is probably the litre of oil that I found on the
passenger seat & at first foolishly though was a freeby. As it was
neither requested or required by me or offered for sale to me at the
time & is going back for a refund on Monday.

What puzzles me is the Shell Helix item which I assume is for the oil.
As the oil capacity is 5.25 litres I wondered if they had just got the
units confused & that it should be 5 x £11.50?

Still a bit pricey for oil. Costco Warehouse sell Castrol Magnatec
Diesel 10W-40 at about £28 for 8 litres

Any views please?

David

 

My Fraud dealer 'sells' oil in multiples of 100ml at similar prices.

They also apply an 'environmental' charge for disposal of the old oil
and filters etc. I did ask them to give me back the old oil in a can if
I provided it but they said they could not do this!!
I always fill the washer bottle to the brim so they cant fit any
expensive screen wash in. but then I'm a tight git.

The first service on my Cmax was about the same so I guess your bill is
par for the course.

You are not obliged to use a main agent during warranty. Any vat
registered garage who uses manufacturers parts like filters and the
correct grade of oil can stamp the service book and Pug have to honour
warranty claims.

hth

Bob

 

You have well and truey BEEN DONE HAHAHAHAHA You might next time ring
and get them to quote you the prices over the phone before you take it
in to them. (if you use them again,)that work is about 2hrs at max.most
of the time they dont even change the belts or filters unless you have
marked them.check your air filter too seee if it has been replaced?they
do the oil because people check there oil and if it is clean you know
it has been replaced.
hahaahhahaha good luck on monday..

 

Why did they say no to you asking for your old oil back???when we do a
job if the person whats any old bits back we give them to them,

 

Separating your oil from all the other used oil is likely to be a
problem.

 

On Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:58:44 GMT, Bob Minchin

[snip]

That's interesting to know.

I usually use my local family run garage which has maintained all my
cars for the last 20 years & was sorry not to use it this time.

It relies on "word of mouth" recommendations & repeat business from
people like myself. In my experience & that of others that I know it
has been totally reliable. It doesn't expect payment when the car is
collected but instead sends out a bill weeks after the work has been
done. Obviously doesn't have a cash flow problem!

David

 

Thats the way it should be done . you should be able to trust the
customer, if not you send the heavy boys round hahahaha

 

My 407 v6 hdi 20k service cost £159 total at a peugeot main dealer. Another
dealer quoted £190ish.

And yes they managed to squeeze washer fluid in to a full washer bottle and
cleaned the brakes.....

 

On Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:03:51 -0000, "%%stu%%"

[snip]

I wonder if the location makes a difference. My dealer is in north
London

 

I have to remenber this next time i get a pug in for full service ,
charge for washer bottle , and time i have spent having a cup of tea
ahahaha.

 

It is worth checking the warranty if you do this. My 807 (*spit*) had a
three year warranty, which was divided into a two year manufacturer
warranty, then a third year given by the dealer network. To qualify for
the third year dealer network warranty you had to have your car serviced
by them, which I think was designed to get around these rules that allow
you to have your car serviced anywhere.


Matt

 

How do you know this? Yes, they billed you for it, but did they actually do
it? Was the washer bottle more full than when you took it in? If it was full
when you tok it in you should have challenged this, it is one of the
standard fiddles.

 

I had topped up the washer bottle the day before, forgetting I was taking it
in. TBH it wasn't worth the argument. When I had a Proton the dealer used
to leave the fluid bottle on the seat if they couldn't fit it all in, which
is fair.

The peogeot dealers are in the west midlands.

The garage I used is fairly good as if you buy the car from them they give
you a card which gives 10% off labour and parts and insured hire car for £5
a day.

I had bought a car from them previously but not the 407 so I paid full price
for the service but it was still cheaper than the nearer dealer.

They have an attitude that they would rather sell at discount to get repeat
busines rather than extract the max from the punter. (the 407 dealer was
like that!)

 

Hi,
Update


[snip]

Took the litre back to the Peugeot agent and at the service desk
queried the litre of oil being on the passenger seat when I collected
the car after the service & charged on the account. It was carefully
explained to me that this was provided to top up the oil which was
sometimes required. I took off my stupid head & explained that I had
been driving for 42 years and was fully aware about the need to check
oil levels.

It was then explained that the oil was part of the service. I
suggested that the account looked to me as though it was added on as
an extra. The reply was that it was provided so that I did not top up
with "any old oil" I said that I knew from the handbook what oil was
required & the litre supplied did not have any indication on it that
it met the standard set by the hand book and in any case my point had
nothing to do with the quality but why I had been charged for it in
the first place.

The next point was that it was a promotional item & had been
"discounted from the labour costs". I didn't pick up what that meant
at first but the litre was taken off me & I was presented with a new
account where the charge for the litre had been removed & the labour
cost had been bumped up by an equivalent amount resulting in the same
total charge & no refund!! Clearly I still had my stupid head on.

A guy in a white shirt & dark suite appeared & we went through the
conversation again.

After explaining how I was a new Peugeot customer who had chosen to
use my local agent for the first time in the hope that a relationship
might have been established for future years & how if I can expect to
have surprises on my bills he must realise how disappointed I was
bound to be. At this point I got the refund.

He confirmed that any vat registered garage using Peugeot parts could
have carried out the service & preserved the warranty.

The dark suit confirmed that the bulk oil is charged for in 100 ml
amounts.

I pointed out that the cost of the oil in the litre was more than the
equivalent cost of the bulk oil. He said it was much the same - only
£2 more. I pointed out that it was in total £7.50 net more

I mentioned this also. He said the oil they use was above the
recommended standard. Well I suppose he would say that.

I pointed out that the next service would be in 2 years as it is
unlikely that I would be doing 20000 miles before then & that would be
the end of the warranty period so he probably wouldn't be seeing me
again.

David

 

Can you please mention the garages name so that i can keep it in mind,
what they are like also other ppl on this group would like to know ,

 

I recently used a dealer in Coventry for an MOT as the car still had some
Platinum warranty remaining and was pleasantly surprised to find they only
charged £25 for it. However, now the wty has exppired, i'll be going back to
my privaye Pug specialist in Warwick for service

 

My experience was with :
Waters Group
Waters Peugeot
1 Lea Valley Road
Chingford
London
E4 7PX