Main dealer or Independent dealer for a service?

[RavG99]

Hi Guys

My car is due a service very soon and I was wondering what people thought on who should service the car.

I've always gone main dealer with every car I've had but it's not cheap. And alot of people say a good independent dealer would be just as good but cheaper too.

My main concern in dealership stamps in the logbook. Does this still matter when selling the car and potential buyers in the future.

Would love some advice and information guys as had alot of help already from the London Roccos already

Thanks again

Rav G

[metaljay]

Main dealer, it's difficult to quantify the loss from not having a full stamped log book...

[TheHungryHipo]

Personally I've found main dealers to lie about what work they've carried out. On two separate occasions with a VW dealer and with the old BMW dealer I found that they were saying they had replaced parts that they didn't touch. e.g. oil filter was ticked off on the service book, but was actually never changed... coils were ticked, also never changed.
My opinion is find a recommended honest mechanic... usually a lot cheaper as well and they do a much better job. My experiences have taught me never to trust main dealers.

[jackhay]

Last couple of cars I sold - one last year, one last month - the buyer was not interested in whether the stamps were 'main dealer'. Both buyers were much more interested that I had all the recent service receipts so they could see what had been done. I don't think I would have got any higher price if I had had main dealer stamps. These were an Alfa and an Audi, where you might have thought it would matter. It didn't.

[Cuprabob]

Whether it be a reputable indie or a VW dealer I don't believe it makes much difference to resale value as long as you can demonstrate OEM parts were used and the work was done. There are good and bad indies just as there are good and bad dealer. It's important you take it tosomeone you trust, whether theybe indie or dealer.

Where full dealer service history does matter though is goodwill from VW out of warranty. No chance of getting it without FVWSH.

[drfez]

I think if its classed as a 'performance car' I'd go for main dealer. Only reason I say this is that when sold my 350z they made a big deal of having proper, recognised dealerships looking after it and said they'd look for this is a high spec performance car but don't think anyone would be too fussed with a polo or something

[RavG99]

I'm sooo stuck. I like independent dealers due to price but I'm a stamp freak with every car I've had. I just don't know what to choose cos the car really needs a service.

I read the thread a see few people say independent and then I sway that as and then few people say main so I sway that way. I'm soo confuseddd

[Phil]

I go independent as I have someone i trust to do my work - although i love their cars, I can't say i've heard great things about the how they deal with service and other work as mentioned tend to bend the truth.. The last two cars I've sold have had full service history but not the VW stamp and it's not seemed to trouble the buyer

[RavG99]

Looks like I've made my mind up. Going to go for independent as I've had issues with my local main dealer and makes me not trust any of them.

[dunbruin]

My previous car was a mk4 golf. I had it serviced at the main dealer for the duration of the warranty then took it to an independent place that was recommended to me. When I picked it up the guy asked if I noticed anything interesting about the service history. Anyway, it turns out that the signature on the past 4 services was his! He'd worked at the dealers and then set up on his own. I used him for the rest of the time I owned the car and was always satisfied. As spoon as the warranty on the roc is over I'll be taking it to him.

[soshe]

I worked for many years in franchised VW dealerships.

We had some brilliant mechanics.

EVERY one of them eventually got sick of the "ve do it zis vay!" mentality, and left to start their own business's - servicing VWs......

So find an ex VW techie - and take your car there - they will do a BETTER job than your "official" dealer.

They've had the training - but don't do the bullshit......

[Fifer]

Apologies for bumping an old thread, but I'm facing the same dilemma. The warranty on my 'roc expired four days ago (sailed through the first MOT btw, no advisories) and my service indicator tells me I need a service in 700 miles. It's done 48,000 miles and when I got the last service done on the service plan at 30,000, I had it switched to long life. Haven't checked the service book, but I'm guessing long life services are all majors (?), so the fixed price service from my main dealer is £299 compared with £160 from the independent we use to service my wife's car (and who we trust). They use genuine parts and guarantee to follow makers schedule.

As I intend to keep the car for another couple of years (at least) and she'll have around 80,000 on the clock at least when I sell, I'm not convinced that the dealer history will make a massive difference vs. a few independent stamps at that time, but I have a slight concern about closing off the option of goodwill repairs out of warranty. Does anyone have any insight into how likely goodwill is from VW with a dealer history? Has anyone needed anything major on a BT 'roc and had VW help? Any views on any of the above are more than welcome.

[Sciroccofella]

Hi fifer

I work as a vehicle buyer for evans halshaw and stratstone motors. Pretty much I buy used cars in a similar way to we buy any car etc.

When someone comes in to sell one of the main things I must find out is how comprehensive their service history is. I take a not of the number of services, and how many of these services have been done at a main dealer vs independent garages. Let me tell you that the only thing that affects the value of the vehicle is how many services (with stamps) it has had, but it DOES NOT matter that they are main dealer or not.

As long as a service book is stamped at least once a year no one should complain if it was done privately or not.

When selling a car like the roc privately, as opposed to wbac or similar, some picky people may prefer it to have been done at a main dealer. But they quality of a service is very often the same or better at an independent garage. Just because a dealership sells a car doesn't mean the mechanics are any better at working on them.

Hope this helps


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[Irvysan]

If your concerned about main dealer vs indie read this : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_E ... Regulation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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