Went in to Shields today to discuss my imminent MOT and to find out more about the Alligiance "Value Service".

So, I ask the service lady if there's any way of telling how close my car is to its next service. It's done nearly 12,000 miles since it was last done, so I suspect it's close and would like an oil change anyway.

The answer I got was "Oh yes, it displays the mileage to the next service when you turn the ignition on".

"really?" says I, "can you show me that, as I must miss it every time I turn the key!".

So we go to the car, turn the key and as expected, it doesn't show a dicky bird!

"Ah, yes, it only appears when you're within 1,000 miles of the service". Hmm, not quite what you said the first time.

I then ask which service my car will be due. After much "research", it's decided it will be an Inspection 1. Not sure how they figured that one out, but I went with it.

The quote for the Inspection 1 (with 25% discount) was £504!! The best bit was that £163 of that was for the oil!
When I pointed this out, the first reply was that they didn't use the same oil in the Value Service!!!!!! WTF???
A swift engagement of reverse and they then tell me it IS the same oil, but it's heavily discounted!

Having looked at the list of items on the Inspection 1 as opposed to the Value Service, there was no way the almost £400 difference could be justified.

It got better when I suggested that a lot of the items on the Inspection 1 would be done by the MOT. such as "inspecting the brake pipes for corrosion". "Oh no, they don't check them" she tells me. "So they don't check brake pipes and other parts for corrosion as part of the MOT", I ask. "Oh, of couse they do" was the reply!

Needless to say, the car is going for it's Value Service and MOT on Friday.

If only people weren't so anal about main dealer stamps, I wouldn't go near these people with someone elses barge pole!!! Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey

Last edited by alanm_3 on 18th Feb 2013 8:49pm. Edited 1 time in total

I wonder how much it would cost to make a stamp that looks exactly like a dealer stamp

A very good friend of mine (who died a few years ago, lack of proper medical care in a "first world" country called the Netherlands hot the African bandits he used to laugh about) was famous for his trips through North and Central Africa. His "position" on paperwork was, "if it has enough stamps, you can get anywhere". He carried an impressive stamp making kit on these trips and had very few issues (other than his car breaking down from time to time, he used "older" Nissan Patrols because "the bandits don't like them that much, they prefer the Toyota Landcruiser" he used to say). MY 2010 5.0 SC Galway green and sand interior!!
Have the Faultmate MSV2 Extreme to be tinkering with the settings etc. !!

you can get stamps of ebay for about a tenner..  ... - .- -.




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Alan your out of warranty so just get an Indy to do it. much better service IMO and the stamp is worth about the same TBH. As long as garage is VAT reg'd they should be doing the job right anyway.

Only time it makes a difference to a certain extent is within warranty age and if its needed. Beyond that an Indy and interval oil changes are the best bet. FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

That's my gut feel too, but for the price differential, I figured the main dealer stamp would help retain some value. Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey

Just get a good indy as long as its stamped most people will be happy. I also keep all sevice invoices in owners manual so when I sell new buyer has all info. I can get an insp 1 service for 220 euro and insp 2 using all genuine lubs and parts for 280 euro. Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

I serviced my Volvo xc90 at main stealers at considerable cost,
Just to keep up the stamps.

Once it passed 65k miles and I realised its px was £6k, the thought of dropping £500 was annoying .
Found an Indy "Swedish motor services". They gave me all old consumables back to me to prove they
Had changed filters etc

Said to me the air filter was choked , and oil filter hadn't been changed in years !! He knew by make of it.
Car drove the best it ever had in 4 years !

I had been robbed the previous year.  Alcohol and eBay is never a good mix

2006 4.2 Supercharged, Java Black

Just get a good indy as long as its stamped most people will be happy. I also keep all sevice invoices in owners manual so when I sell new buyer has all info. I can get an insp 1 service for 220 euro and insp 2 using all genuine lubs and parts for 280 euro. Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

alanm_3 wrote:

Needless to say, the car is going for it's Value Service and MOT on Friday.

Will it pass without any work though?

IMHO we do a much better job than most "don't give a tosh" main dealers... Every job is important to me and all are performed with the same care... All if not most of my customers appreciate the thorough way we work...


Craig

I got stung by a main dealer (not land rover) years ago.... I used to do all my own maintenance on that car, and I would mark all the filters with the date and milage at change, to remind myself when I did it last. One year I was mega busy, so I thought sod it, and sent the car to a main dealer for a full service. 6 months later, I had my head in the engine bay and realised to my annoyance the oil filter had my marking on from before the main dealer service, and upon checking the receipt, on what they charged me for, I realised I had been ripped off for the oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, and probably he stuff I could not confirm such as oil. I got an apology from the dealer, a refund with a lame explanation that the trainee must have missed those items, plus an offer of a 50% discount on the next service. Needless to say I never took them up on the offer.....

If I use a new garage, I do still mark parts with a paint pen and check that they have been changed.......

i always write the current mileage on a post-it and place that in a very prominent position, just to let the mechanics 'know'... ... - .- -.




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I mark the bits i can but tend not to bother as i service my own full stop anyway.

If its going to a garage for bodywork I take a picture of the mileage as it goes in and the fuel level as i've seen some in the past leave cars idling for hours in the open workshops while they listen to its radio and all.

Also take out the BT module as it stops them using the radio as well now  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Nothing worse than getting it back after a service, stereo on radio one, seats all moved around and the litres of fuel gone.

My car has full LR service history, religiously serviced from new. Imagine my surprise when I recently changed the air filter to see the date stamp was 15/2004. Ie when it was built! I went through the receipts and I had paid for them over the years. Strangely the breather filter was 2010. Do the mechanics have side lines flogging the surplus parts on ebay or are they doing it intentionally taking the view, how many RR drivers will take the engine cover off to check. 2012 4.4TDV8 VSE
2004 TD6 132k miles- SOLD
1995 Land Rover Defender 110 Tithonus Ex Military
1995 Land Rover Discovery 3.9i V8 manual

Having worked in a garage, I've seen the parts that fitters/mechanics decide not to fit piled up next to thier toolboxes...