A mild rant at dealers...

**Penfold101** · 24th October 2008, 19:27

Ok, so after deciding I was keepingmy car for the forseeable future, due to it being worth pennies in any trade-in, I realised it needed a few bits doing to keep it running sweet...

The main one was the cambelt, and to make my life easier, I jsut gave it to the dealers, Perry's in Preston. They serviced it last year, and my dad had used them in the past. I was quoted 240 squid to change it, including the tensioners etc...

Purely because it's another failure point, I asked for the water pump to be changed as well as it's driven by the cambelt. After dropping it in yesterday morning at 8, I had a call a few hours later telling me they didn't actually have any water pumps in stock, but they'd have one there this morning. I agreed to leave it there overnight and they phoned me at lunchtime today to tell me it was ready.

I arrived and was given the bill....

£440

Now I'm no expert, but even I know that a water pump, even changin it, doesn't add 200 quid to a bill. I immediately questioned it, and the bloke looked at it, added it up again on the computer and came up with 370. This made more sense to me, and he said he had no idea why it had come up so high the first time. The price for the kit and pump changing was 2.8 hours, plus the parts cost.

the parts were 140 ish plus VAT, but for the piece of mind and the ease of just giving it to the garage I don't have a problem with it. And no if it goes snap then I can ask Vauxhall for a new engine...

Next job - front brakes. But do I upgrade to 314.........

**ditchp** · 24th October 2008, 19:39

cheeky sod's were no doubt just trying in on again.........and yes 314 is the way to go

**stevedee** · 24th October 2008, 19:53

yea he was quite irate when i met him today , werent you penfold lol
but the wheels look ace now , well impressed
cheers again

**Penfold101** · 24th October 2008, 19:54

No worries mate - will wash my car tommorrow and take some pics...

Good to meet you, brightened up my day...

**stevedee** · 24th October 2008, 20:04

yea ditto m8t , fun to talk to someone interested in cars cos the wife certainly aint lol

**merikiito** · 24th October 2008, 20:11

They are still adding £130 to the bill just for doing the water pump, seems a lot considering they already have the cambelt off etc

**Penfold101** · 24th October 2008, 20:15

I think it's then got VAT added on top of it...

**BigP** · 25th October 2008, 10:52

Sounds like they just added the two seperate jobs together for the invoice rather than pricing the water pump with consideration that they were doing the cambelt anyway.

Glad you got it sorted.

**Penfold101** · 25th October 2008, 13:23

That's what I checked for as they did it to my sister at a different stealer's before, luckily my dad got involved and told them they didn't need to take off her new rear brake drums after they'd fitted them to change the bearings...

**shadyone** · 25th October 2008, 13:32

Got my 1.8 going in for the belt and pump on the 3rd nov and as you say its worth shopping around, York Ward Rowlatt Wellingborough quotes £309, but W Grose Northampton will do it all in for £250, thats the belt kit, pump, antifreeze and vat. Needless to say its going to Grose.