A while back I took my wifes Xantia for an MOT test, it failed and they carried out repairs,I got a bill for £280 which I queried. I got nowhere so paid up and left, I then wrote to Alain Favey the MD at Slough. He passed it to Ian Arnold who told me that "the charges levied for specific repairs, are determined by the time allocated by Citroen UK for each seperate repair operation.If a technician can complete this repair in a shorter time than the operation allows, then this will go towards a productivity bonus, if however, he exceeds the time allocation, then his productivity would be adversly affected."
I took the quoted hourly rate and used that to work out the times involved.
1. replace front indicator bulb + replace a number plate bulb £ 5.90 = 7mins - bear this in mind when you read the next one....
2. replace 3" long copper tube strapped to bonnet hinge to stop windscreen washer pipe getting trapped ( it had gone before and I put a bit of rubber tube in place which fell off during the test..... ) £3.50 for pipe £ 29.50 labour = 34mins
3. replace fuel flap locking motor ( which decided to sieze up for the test even though I filled up two nights previously ? ) £ 88.50 = 102minutes
4. replace front flexi brake pipe £ 59.00 = 68 minutes.
I have put two points to Citroen so far..
The company Piccaso I had serviced there shed it's underneath plastic engine cover on the motorway when driving home from the service ( replaced free by dealer but could have caused a pile up on the M60 ! ), the Xantia shed the rear wheel arch cover ( removed to replace fuel flap motor ). This points to technician rushing jobs to get his bonus.
The times allocated are badly estimated.
I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't stayed for the test, I normally would have come back later and said oh well 4hrs labour ok then, but in fact I was there 2.5hrs and 1hr of that was the MOT test !
I'm on my third letter and doubt they'll back down but I thought you should know how they rip you off................
Pete
main dealer labour charges rip off
Moderator: RichardW
I tried dismissing it as 'one of those things' but it just keeps niggling at me. I knew right from the start I was daft taking it there but lulled into it by their perceived good service with the company car, free air freshners, car washed, polite staff, half price MOT offer, never again...........
I am calm though
Pete
I am calm though
Pete
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Stuart McB
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- x 1
Sorry to say but I think that there are plenty of garages throught out the country like this. They have a couple of words for blokes or ladies like us one is SUCKER only used behind closed doors the other is VALUED CUSTOMER used to your face when you start asking questions.
I'm with you keep on pestering for a response [:D]. If no joy go back and demad to see the boss but make sure theres plenty of folk about to hear you [:(!].
I'm with you keep on pestering for a response [:D]. If no joy go back and demad to see the boss but make sure theres plenty of folk about to hear you [:(!].
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Panjandrum
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I got the Citdealer to cut the hourly rate and/or the hours charged - once. Mind you that was after I'd yelled at them on paper about having let my car out with the tyre pressures 20% low. It was beautifully clean though [:D]
I wonder what they charge if two separate repairs done at the same visit need the same bits of work for access? Well, no I don't... Maybe writing letters makes you feel better
I wonder what they charge if two separate repairs done at the same visit need the same bits of work for access? Well, no I don't... Maybe writing letters makes you feel better
Needed to have my cambelt changed last year.2 local specalists £190 & £210.Citroen main dealer(for a laugh)£365 inc vat.Rang local Peugeot main dealer,£145 inc vat.All quoted 4 hrs labour.
Very friendly,good customer care,unlike the Citroen main dealer.
Peugeot labour less than half price of Citroen.Work that 1 out.Same engines etc....
Very friendly,good customer care,unlike the Citroen main dealer.
Peugeot labour less than half price of Citroen.Work that 1 out.Same engines etc....
I work for a main dealer (not Citroen) and that is the way we charge the customer but we do not rush the jobs. the times given are worked out by head office, they do the job them selfs then work out the time taken.
sometimes the time given for a job is not enough so takes longer than said time.
We are given 0.7 of an hour for front break pads but if we do discs aswell we put 0.2 on top for each side so we take into account what has to be done on one job which is the same for another if done at the same time.
I am not saying we are perfect but we are a lot better than some main dealers.
sometimes the time given for a job is not enough so takes longer than said time.
We are given 0.7 of an hour for front break pads but if we do discs aswell we put 0.2 on top for each side so we take into account what has to be done on one job which is the same for another if done at the same time.
I am not saying we are perfect but we are a lot better than some main dealers.
The worst I had was a year or 2 ago. The cooling hose that runs from the engine block to the bulkhead/heater matrix split and whilst I identified that I also discovered that the fuel rtn pipe was also leaking. the heater hose was a main dealer part only which i had fitted at a main dealer also cause I couldn't find a mechanic who would touch the job. Cost me £350 for 2 bloody hoses to be replaced!! Now that stung!
Way to go Pete.Unfortunately, happy (or just satisfactory) outcomes are few and far between. You did the right thing to pursue it.
Out of interest, did you use the threat of naming and shaming on the forum as leverage? The one huge benefit the Internet has had is allow people with similar experiences to gather in one (virtual) place, compare notes and act in unison. I particularly like these review sites where people who have bought an item or service tell their tale and when it's a sad one they tell it in all it's glory. It would seem logical that if the URL of the damning review was used as part of your case then the perpetrator in question would be more likely to capitulate. The most poignant of these, I think, is to be found here:
http://www.arnoldsucks.com/
Ouch ! This has got to be immensely damaging to his business and the more popular and ubiquitous the internet becomes, the more this is going to happen.
In my view the internet has completed an exercise that 'investigative' TV programmes failed to do. Sure, the programmes with their undercover cameras and stooges showed garages for what they're worth by having an 'expert' from a respected organisation doctor the cars and then watch the garages attempt to fix it. But nothing ever happened on a global scale to stop the widescale deceipt and robbery. I think the internet has solved or is well on the way to solving this problem.
Naming and Shaming works ! I look forward to a revolution in the Car Trade (he said optimistically).
cheers
norrie[8D]
Out of interest, did you use the threat of naming and shaming on the forum as leverage? The one huge benefit the Internet has had is allow people with similar experiences to gather in one (virtual) place, compare notes and act in unison. I particularly like these review sites where people who have bought an item or service tell their tale and when it's a sad one they tell it in all it's glory. It would seem logical that if the URL of the damning review was used as part of your case then the perpetrator in question would be more likely to capitulate. The most poignant of these, I think, is to be found here:
http://www.arnoldsucks.com/
Ouch ! This has got to be immensely damaging to his business and the more popular and ubiquitous the internet becomes, the more this is going to happen.
In my view the internet has completed an exercise that 'investigative' TV programmes failed to do. Sure, the programmes with their undercover cameras and stooges showed garages for what they're worth by having an 'expert' from a respected organisation doctor the cars and then watch the garages attempt to fix it. But nothing ever happened on a global scale to stop the widescale deceipt and robbery. I think the internet has solved or is well on the way to solving this problem.
Naming and Shaming works ! I look forward to a revolution in the Car Trade (he said optimistically).
cheers
norrie[8D]
Noz, I didn't mention the forum but did threaten with local press and trading standards. I also suspect that the local manager may have checked his service records for my name as it'll show 3 cars that I've taken there in the past year, my wifes , my company car and a colleague's company car. What he won't know is that both company Citroens are being replaced this year and neither of us have chosen Citroens , plus, unless something ecu related happens I won't be taking my wifes Xantia back either.
Pete
Pete
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franciscomurat
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I took my car to a citroen main dealer some time ago and actually told them what the problem was,when i got the bill they put 2 hours extra labour on for investigating fault,when i questioned it they said the mechanic discovered the fault and they acted on his advice,i argued that it was me that told them so they gratiously gave me a £20 discount for good wil but still claimed it was they who detected it,i was out of pocket £60 i don't go there anymore but hundreds of people still do so do they care if they have lost my business...i doubt it.
I had an interesting variation on this many years back with a Vauxhaul garage. My water pump was leaking and I took the car in for it to be fixed and serviced at the same time. They charged me approx (and I forget the actual numbers now) £120 for removing/replacing the water pump and £80 for changing the timing belt as part of the service. Well guess what, you have to remove the timing belt to get the water pump off, so I got charged twice !!! I didn't realise this until I got home and studied the bill. I complained to the garage the next day, but as usual nothing came of it.