Reply With QuoteI would say that if it is under 3 - 5 years old people will want AD. Over that I would actually almost prefer a well known indie to have been looking after it TBH.
Dear all, I would appreciate your thoughts as to whether having my Volvo XC90 serviced by a "non-AD" will have any impact on resale value.
The non-AD is good and knows his Volvos (he serviced my Volvo convertible for years - it had such little value left in it, I wasn't concerned about an unofficial service). However, my XC90 is only a couple of years old and I imagine that I will want to replace it in a year or 2, i.e. it will still be worth a decent amount of money; which I don't want to prejudice for the sake of saving a few quid on servicing.
The difference in service cost between the AD and non-AD is about £150 - worth saving if there is no value impact.
I would say that if it is under 3 - 5 years old people will want AD. Over that I would actually almost prefer a well known indie to have been looking after it TBH.
Me, personally, as long as the service book has stamps in it and the parts used were quality parts, I would still buy the vehicle.
I'm not sure about what, if any effect it would have on re-sale value but here in Canada, getting stamps in the service book is very rare :? so buying a used vehicle is a bit of a gamble as getting the service history is difficult - hence, bought my Jetta through VW with the VW warranty on it - cost that little bit more, but worth it for the peace of mind.
Not a lot of help I know, but just my thoughts on the matter :)
I'd rather a car was serviced by a well-know, clued-up specialist than a dealer, they are more likely to give it more attention and take greater care with the servicing.
I've had all my cars for the past 15 or so years serviced by an indie and haven't noticed any effect on the resale or trade in value of any of them. The indie always used genuine manufacturers parts and stamped the service manual with his own stamp.
My latest car, (a BMW 5 series), didn't even come with a service manual and the price was the price was the price, no discount for no service history, (though in truth it came with all the service receipts and was always serviced at a main dealer and they have the full history on their system).
I have continued with main dealer service whilst it is under warranty, but as soon as the warranty ends it'll be with an indie.
HTH
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
For the few pounds that could be saved I would still go with the franchised dealer for two reasons. I have heard of franchised dealers declining to take cars of their own marque back in part-exchange. Also if, after the manufacturer's warranty has expired, something goes wrong somethimes the manufacturer will contibute to the cost of repair/replacement as a gesture of goodwill. If there is even one non-franchised service stamp you can forget it.
The above only tends to apply to cars less than 5 years of age though.
If genuine parts are used, legally Volvo have to honour the warranty. I think you'll save more than it'll cost you, and in reality has little or no impact on the used value.
Agree on the age comments - up to a few years old better (for resale) if all AD, after that it doesn't matter as long as it's been done correctly and records kept. End of the day as long as the fluids and filters get regular changes there's not a lot else to worry about unless a part goes bang.
One thing to note is a lot of manufacturers have very good deals on fixed price AD servicing for older cars, usually from about 4 years old onwards, half price or less.
According to Honest John in the Daily Telegraph AD is the way to go if your car is within warranty. If after three or four years something major breaks that should not have done and you'd like a contribution from the manufacturer, they won't consider it unless it's been AD-serviced.
Some Merc owners can correct this impression if it's wrong: that Mercedes won't pay out on their ten-year paint warranty unless it's been inspected by an AD at the specified intervals.
Hmmm
Check both prices you may be surprised how little difference
What is vital is not just genuine parts but oil choice if you have a diesel with a DPF "diesel particulate filter" you must use recommended oil some non main dealer put anything in and this leads to DPF failures mega bucks and manufacturers are now lab testing sump contents before making a decision
Good quality fully synthetic of the correct grade can be £30 more but worth it
Also your main dealer will put reg number through recall / rework system and do whilst in for service
If its main dealer serviced the manufacturer will not contibute for out of warranty claims
unless dealer serviced as others state
However having your car serviced by a VAT registered competent independant using genuine parts and correct oils will not invalidate your warranty
What does devalue is still having the service reminder lights on
A close relative who has been in the motor trade since he left school 10 years ago and who is now a fleet sales manager for a prestigious British brand told me a while back that service history makes no difference to the "book price" which is what all dealers use.
Dealers "sometimes" use the lack of a service history to try and reduce the price they allow in part exchange or, going the other way, "sometimes" use the fact that a vehicle has a good service history to try and increase the selling price.
I'd stick to AD until the car's out of warranty and then take it to a independent
I'd echo the comment made above about checking the prices / work done first before rushing to an indy.
My local Audi AD does fixed price servicing on all Audi over 3 years old (i.e. out of warrenty) at a substantial discount to what they normally charge - this puts them cheaper than the local Audi specialist for comparative work, plus they pick the car up and provide a loan car too which the indy doesn't.
What I find annoying though is that whilst my car was under warrenty I had to pay considerably more for the same service than I do now :evil:
+1.Originally Posted by BluePurpleRed
Dealer stamps would be more important to me, and some people would not know a good independent anyway, which would negate the value of their stamp.
It depends a lot on the car/market - to an enthusiast a specialist will be appreciated/held in higher esteem than the main delaer but for a regular car/buyer then I would say they would value main dealer both due to the perceived quality of the service + the simplicity of warranty claims. I keep my cars main dealer serviced up to 5-6 years old by which time chances of any goodwill contributions have gone, but anything non-service related (eg replace brakes, AC etc. etc. I have done at a specialist so this way keeps main dealer stamps at least possible cost to me. Servicing at a good indies cost much the same as main dealer anyway is the other jobs their labour rates clock up on. You could always provide your own oil if it takes a lot as that is a big contributor to cost, just have them tell you which oil they use so you buy the same one.
HI
In my experience, a dealer would rather the car had a main dealer service history, as it is a positive selling point when coming to pitch the car to a prospective new owner, but a non-franchised specialist stamp is not a negative, as manufacturers are not allowed, any longer, to insist that, for the car to qualify for one of their "approved car" warranties, the history has to all be with that franchise. If you arg going to use a Non Franchised specialist, it is a good plan to retain all invoices etc for work carried out so that who ever you are selling the car to can see exactly what has ben done. With Main Dealer histories, their service dept ars generally helpful confirming the nature of work they have carried out, the details often being centrally stored by the manufacturer. e.g my wife has just bought a 1 year old mazda mx5 and there doesn't seem to be a service book, all details held by Mazda GB. No doubt tracking down histories stored like this in 10 years time will be a pain...
A set of stamps in a Service Book doesn't mean that the car has had any servicing done, sadly, so it is a good plan to have back-up documentation any way. Pretty much, every other service on nmodern cars is an oil change so this is easily done by a local specialist, but it's a good plan to have the more comprehensive services done by a Main Dealer while the car is under warranty as it makes the claiims easier to authorise, I feel.
T
Correct! Mercs tend to be on the road for quite some years and the AD want a part of it, even after so many years. Having said that: local car dealers overhere in my town have started a combined action against indies: for cars over 10 y/o., there's a special price: 10 y/o = 10% off the labour costs, 11 y/o = 11% off. Up to 40 y/o = 40% off. It generated a lot of work! According to the ADs, long running old(er) cars are: Volvo, Merc., BMW, Saab, Toyota, NIssan, followed by VW and Opel.Some Merc owners can correct this impression if it's wrong: that Mercedes won't pay out on their ten-year paint warranty unless it's been inspected by an AD at the specified intervals.
Menno
I've had AD's overfill the oil, tell me that the pads need replacing (when they didn't), fit parts incorrectly and cause oil leaks and other faults that weren't there before the service. As soon as the warranty expires, my local garage or myself for the servicing. I've just been quoted £130 for an intermediate service which involves an oil and filter change and a visual check. Total rip off! The last one I had done took 20 minutes from start to finish (including a pressure wash and leather down). :shock:
Must admit I always tell them not to wash the car - seen cloths dropped and just picked up & used without rinsing so you end up with a new scratch finish and picked up 1 car (convertible) went to leave and noticed the rear footwells full of water. When I complained I was told that the seals must be worn as they should keep out the force of the pressure washer. Suffice to say that became a free service and I've never been back.
Agree with most - AD within warranty and indie after (more for the trust rather than price).
Alasdair
Yes it does make a difference IMHO - certainly on prestige cars up to around 6 or 7 years old.
For the sake of saving £150 the Volvo stamp in the book would look better to any potential buyer.
I work for Audi and it constantly amazes me when folk come in with a reasonably new prestige car that have had it serviced by a back street garage/specialist for the sake of saving £100 or so. They are then surprised at the lower value.
Would they feel the same if the Audi I was presenting to them on the forecourt didn't have full Audi service history ????
Si
Having had bad experience at a main dealer in the past (wrong oil in a "performance" diesel for starters), I'd go with someone I trusted to do the work rather than specifically an AD or independent.
That said, rightly or wrongly, the perception of a car with full main dealer history from new is better than one that's been serviced by a non main dealer, and the updates are typically done for free.
As for getting the car washed when it's in for a service, I much prefer doing that myself - a dropped sponge or cloth goes in the bin in my book...
What p*sses me off, is the fact that even at the AD's workshop a young kid (apprentice if you like) services my car and that I have to pay the full bill. That kid earns next to nothing per hour and labour costs are sky high. Why? Because I have to pay for that hugely expensive AD showroom, a megalomanic's dream. I'm not paying for skilled labour, I'm paying the overhead costs.
Menno
Another Volvo owner here, and I've kept to the main dealer so far. They do know how to charge though.
I know with our C30 there was a problem with the ABS/Stability Control module, but once you kept to Volvo dealers for your servicing it was replaced on the house.
Mine was done last year, would have been the bones of a thousand euro if paying myself.
Once it goes 5 years old I'll probably just use a decent indy garage.
Many thanks for all the thoughtful comments and advice.
Based on what I've read and my car being a 59 reg, I will swallow the extra £100 and go with a main dealer for service.
could be a good idea to ask for a free map update as a sweetener, if you have the sat nav RTI installed the 3D version they should have the updates ready, traded the old 58 plate V70 se lux in and just took delivery of my 61 plate S40 pocket rocket T5 and this is included in the service cost for 3 years should be 2 years but i through in a few deal breakers :D also ask them about a service plan, if any work needs doing then send it to the independent for the work that will save you £££££ :D
we have a good Indy for the Merc we have and cash is king :wink:
V
wot he said
I would only check the book for stamps, not look to see who they were done by.
If your indie will use good quality parts and oil then no problem but don't forget the good oil.
My wife had a VW Touran that she got serviced on the cheap at a big but independant garage. No more than 2 days later the turbo was seized and I have no doubt it was the cheap oil used.
I have a 54 Golf, and when I bought it (2 years ago) it had a full dealer history. I elected to go with a local independent though as I know through friends they do good work. May have impacted my resale value slightly by 'breaking the chain', but I am happy for the money saved and convinience.
Yep, only worth the AD stamp while it is in warranty, otherwise I'd save my cash and go independent.
I'd go for AD for first three years/warranty period, then a good indie thereafter. We used to have Audis, and did it this way, although my local AD latterly introduced a similar discount scheme to that mentioned by an earlier poster, however my indie was just down the road so the courtesy car angle was less convenient. I've also got an XC90 at the moment, and took out the 3 year free service option for £300 when I bought it last year, which has proven very handy.
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