V12V Second Service
Discussion
After being really pleased by my first year service costs for my V12V (much lower than expected) I have now been a little surprised by the second service price quoted (higher than anticipated). The service is due in about three weeks time so wondering if anyone else has been through the experience and what opportunities there are for better pricing.
Year 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
Year 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
Edited by WantanewV12V on Monday 31st October 16:34
WantanewV12V said:
After being really pleased by my first year service costs for my V12V (much lower than expected) I have now been a little surprised by the second service price quoted (higher than anticipated). The service is due in about three weeks time so wondering if anyone else has been through the experience and what opportunities there are for better pricing.
Year 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
Have you asked the dealer for a breakdown Vs year one? If they are planning on doing twice as much work and changing out twice as much stuff? Not impossible, year one might be a fluids change, this one might see more hardware being done, plugs or a belt being changed?Year 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
Edited by WantanewV12V on Monday 31st October 16:34
yeti said:
Have you asked the dealer for a breakdown Vs year one? If they are planning on doing twice as much work and changing out twice as much stuff? Not impossible, year one might be a fluids change, this one might see more hardware being done, plugs or a belt being changed?
Not yet - just received email. I have checked the handbook and an additional 70 mins is added to the scheduled operation time. This includes renewing the air cleaner, renewing the pollen filter, renewing wiper blades (which are also included in the first year if necessary), checking tightness of driveshaft bolts, checking condition of underbody protection and wheel arch liners, checking and , if necessary, realigning headlamps, replace vehicle key battery. The labour is included (i.e. within the 70 mins) and, as no major components are replaced, the parts cost should be low. WantanewV12V said:
as no major components are replaced, the parts cost should be low.
Indeed. I think a phone call first thing tomorrow to ask where they get off is job one, and then perhaps looking for your second closest dealer if they don;t make a far better offer! Hope you get it sorted, I wonder of you were on some special deal you hadn't been told about? 70mins labour and few low cost comsumables can't add up to £500 or so even in Aston world.My last service was free, I expect next years to be quite a bit more
Amazingly, spark plugs aren't changed till year 7!!
I had my 2nd service carried out in September. Works Service were dearest (obviously) at £1500, dealer prices were obtained for £1404 and £1130. I said to the cheaper dealer that I'd budgeted for £1000 and could they match this, which they agreed. However, I had preference for another dealer and although their cost was approx £1250, they agreed to match to my budget of £1000 also.
The service was carried out to perfection at the agreed price. Result!
I'm expecting the third year service to be cheaper.
I had my 2nd service carried out in September. Works Service were dearest (obviously) at £1500, dealer prices were obtained for £1404 and £1130. I said to the cheaper dealer that I'd budgeted for £1000 and could they match this, which they agreed. However, I had preference for another dealer and although their cost was approx £1250, they agreed to match to my budget of £1000 also.
The service was carried out to perfection at the agreed price. Result!
I'm expecting the third year service to be cheaper.
Shmee said:
Sounds just like the V8V with 2nd and 4th service being significantly more than 1st and 3rd for whatever reasons.
...
I think if you look at the service spec sheets it tells you a lot Shmee....
I'm sure Rick gave us a break down a few months ago.
Plus, because of the sequential nature of these things, labour and overhead rates tend to be higher the more recent the service is
WantanewV12V said:
After being really pleased by my first year service costs for my V12V (much lower than expected) I have now been a little surprised by the second service price quoted (higher than anticipated). The service is due in about three weeks time so wondering if anyone else has been through the experience and what opportunities there are for better pricing.
Year 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
I bet you can have it done by an main dealer for £850 all in if you try hard enoughYear 1 £652 (which includes approx £200 for oil so service cost is excellent)
Year2 £1258
Both include VAT (2.5% higher this year)
Edited by WantanewV12V on Monday 31st October 16:34
I have started the negotiation process as suggested by a number of you. I will let you know how I get on. As an aside - does anyone address the oil issue by supplying their own or am I being tight by considering it ? My last service suggested 12 (I assume litres)x £13.99 (£167.88) plus VAT (a total therefore of £197.30). With the change in VAT (without a price increase per litre which I am sure is inevitable) that would increase to £201.45 this time. I understand the need for mark up/margin but that seems steep to me. I guess if the overall price had been right I wouldn't of even thought about it ( I never have done before). Thoughts ?
WantanewV12V said:
I have started the negotiation process as suggested by a number of you. I will let you know how I get on. As an aside - does anyone address the oil issue by supplying their own or am I being tight by considering it ? My last service suggested 12 (I assume litres)x £13.99 (£167.88) plus VAT (a total therefore of £197.30). With the change in VAT (without a price increase per litre which I am sure is inevitable) that would increase to £201.45 this time. I understand the need for mark up/margin but that seems steep to me. I guess if the overall price had been right I wouldn't of even thought about it ( I never have done before). Thoughts ?
Interestingly of all the dealerships I spoke to 2 out of 5 wouldn't let me bring my own oil and those 2 including providing their own were the cheapest 2!Mako V12V said:
After haggling, and not wanting an issue with potentially being told I'd bought the wrong oil, it was easier (and felt better) just letting the dealer put their oil in.
well you have the same engine as my DB9 and I supplied my own oil 5L cans of Mobil1 0-40w are £29.90 (ie £6/ltr) at Costco.....my local dealer wanted 19.00 +vat/ltr so I saved about £180 on oil.....now i'm not hard up for £180 but would rather spend it on buying my wife a wonderful dinner at the Michelin stared restaraunt 100 mtr from our home on the Wirral.......than giving it to my local Aston dealer......or you could give the £180 to a charity and claim back £30 from the tax man on your next tax return.....or you could just burn the cash for the hell of it which is about the same as giving it to your main dealer Yes indeed. But if their price is say £1250 and you haggle down to £1000 and then ask if you can bring your own oil, I don't think they'll then turn round and say, okay, the service will be £820. I think they could turn round and say the £1000 is if you bring your own oil??!!
Possibly?
Possibly?
Mako V12V said:
Yes indeed. But if their price is say £1250 and you haggle down to £1000 and then ask if you can bring your own oil, I don't think they'll then turn round and say, okay, the service will be £820. I think they could turn round and say the £1000 is if you bring your own oil??!!
Possibly?
I'd say you might be right! The oil is a rip-off but dealers need to make money too and it's where they make it, they run an expensive business. Perhaps they are being greedy though, I would say any discount they offer would be taking their mark-up off the oil!Possibly?
I'd also wonder if they scrimped on work that would otherwise be done free of charge. When I went to HWM for a bit of window trim under warranty; lifts to and from the station, I came back to a clean car, fluid levels, lights, tyre pressures and wheelnuts and OBD fault code check, all checked and a worksheet to show me. A few bits of trim tightened inside and outside the car, adjusted something on my seats and mirrors and produced some lovely coffee. I didn't ask for any of it, they just did it. If I'd beaten them down on a service and then supplied my own oil as the trump card to stop them making anything out of my custom, I wonder if I'd have the same experience?
'Shall I change that out or leave it?'
'Nah, he's getting a cheap service. Just leave it, sod him'
Even been to a garage..?
Shmee said:
Would the guy doing the work in the service know what deal you would have got it on?
Why not - my imaginary/schizophrenic conversation was between the service manager and the mechanic Only my thinking out loud anyway, maybe they treat everyone the same. Just like in real life.
I just had my year 2 service done at a main dealer - circa £1.1k with dealer supplied oil. They were more than happy for me to supply the oil but given time and logistics, I couldn't sort it out and so went with them on that (although they were very open about the charges etc. so didn't feel particularly ripped off).
But to echo some of the earlier comments, I'm not so sure it was all about the cost. Yes, in these times I'm sure it's possible to negotiate a reduction, but at what "cost". The dealer I use has in the past spent some time with me and my car and been very helpful (e.g. >30 mins sorting a window issue completely F.O.C., which maybe would be covered anyway under warranty but, more importantly, they did it there and then after I only happened to mentioned it)....they also did a whole pile of things in this service which I can't believe are covered by the AM warranty as well as give it a good clean...
But to echo some of the earlier comments, I'm not so sure it was all about the cost. Yes, in these times I'm sure it's possible to negotiate a reduction, but at what "cost". The dealer I use has in the past spent some time with me and my car and been very helpful (e.g. >30 mins sorting a window issue completely F.O.C., which maybe would be covered anyway under warranty but, more importantly, they did it there and then after I only happened to mentioned it)....they also did a whole pile of things in this service which I can't believe are covered by the AM warranty as well as give it a good clean...
yeti said:
Mako V12V said:
Yes indeed. But if their price is say £1250 and you haggle down to £1000 and then ask if you can bring your own oil, I don't think they'll then turn round and say, okay, the service will be £820. I think they could turn round and say the £1000 is if you bring your own oil??!!
Possibly?
I'd say you might be right! The oil is a rip-off but dealers need to make money too and it's where they make it, they run an expensive business. Perhaps they are being greedy though, I would say any discount they offer would be taking their mark-up off the oil!Possibly?
I'd also wonder if they scrimped on work that would otherwise be done free of charge. When I went to HWM for a bit of window trim under warranty; lifts to and from the station, I came back to a clean car, fluid levels, lights, tyre pressures and wheelnuts and OBD fault code check, all checked and a worksheet to show me. A few bits of trim tightened inside and outside the car, adjusted something on my seats and mirrors and produced some lovely coffee. I didn't ask for any of it, they just did it. If I'd beaten them down on a service and then supplied my own oil as the trump card to stop them making anything out of my custom, I wonder if I'd have the same experience?
'Shall I change that out or leave it?'
'Nah, he's getting a cheap service. Just leave it, sod him'
Even been to a garage..?
Their service department is always very busy.....all three of my Astons have been serviced by them and I have never felt my cars have been given a second rate service despite me driving a hard bargain on price
The reality is, if any service department wish to cut corners they will do it if you pay the full price or if you negotiate a better price
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