Servicing costs?

[Buckman]

I phoned the dealership from whom we had bought our caravan to book it in for its 4th service later in the year. I asked the price of the complete service for the Buccaneer and was told £250.
Having been caught out previously I asked if the amount included parts required for the service and the answer was parts for the service were not included.
Next question was about what parts are generally required for a service at which point the person became very evasive and would not answer my question even when pressed.
For all I know they could hit us with a £100 bill for shot nuts or bolts. On previous caravans as the shot nuts or bolts were part of the service they were included in the service price and not an extra.
Time to shop around!

 

[Thingy]

Mine was £200 on the drive, or £185 if I took the caravan to their work shop. Was worth the extra £15. I doubt anyone would give a price including parts due not only to the cost of caravan parts but of course not knowing which ones would be needed. The one shot nuts were included in the price.

 

[otherclive]

Mine were included and from experience they seem to be the only replaceable parts under the services. Anything else they find they ring me or I give them pre approval up to a set amount. IE £50 max and they show me what have been replaced. Car service workshop do the same.

 

[RogerL]

I phoned the dealership from whom we had bought our caravan to book it in for its 4th service later in the year. I asked the price of the complete service for the Buccaneer and was told £250.
Having been caught out previously I asked if the amount included parts required for the service and the answer was parts for the service were not included.
Next question was about what parts are generally required for a service at which point the person became very evasive and would not answer my question even when pressed.
For all I know they could hit us with a £100 bill for shot nuts or bolts. On previous caravans as the shot nuts or bolts were part of the service they were included in the service price and not an extra.
Time to shop around!

Charging extra for one-shot wheel nuts is just a rip-off - it's not like they don't know how many are needed for a caravan, ie 2 for single axle and 4 for twin axle.

The only extras should be for parts not routinely changed in the service as they can't predict if they'll be necessary - but they should seek specific approval BEFORE changing parts.

Consumers have long complained about malpractice in the car industry but that pales in insignificance against the caravan industry.

 

[Buckman]

They caught us out last year as I phoned in about May 2020 to book the caravan in for its 3rd service. At the time they quoted me £250 same as previous year for the service. However on collection after service there was a charge of about £35 added for parts which was for the shot nuts or bolts.
I queried this and they would not budge even after pointing out their service charge on a flyer. I asked them how would they service the caravan if I refused the parts. I was told that it was then my problem for not having the caravan serviced correctly!

 

[Buckman]

Just to add last years extra servicing costs;

Oil, grease and brake cleaner £8
CO2 Alarm test £3
32mm Alko flange £18

So over and above the £250 and additional £29. I cannot understand the CO2 alarm test? Not the £29 but the principle! What is the point in getting a quote as a consumer when VAT and extras that are part of the service are not included?

 

[otherclive]

Just to add last years extra servicing costs;

Oil, grease and brake cleaner £8
CO2 Alarm test £3
32mm Alko flange £18

So over and above the £250 and additional £29. I cannot understand the CO2 alarm test? Not the £29 but the principle! What is the point in getting a quote as a consumer when VAT and extras that are part of the service are not included?

The smoke alarm test £3 is difficult to justify. Often our detectors will be out of the caravan fir home storage anyway. It only needs a press as you walk by. Or did they mean the CO carbon monoxide detector test. My service engineer squibs a small amount of CO in its direction.


https://www.mytoolshed.co.uk/arctic...tester-spray-520ml?utm_source=google_shopping

 

[Jcloughie]

Just to add last years extra servicing costs;

Oil, grease and brake cleaner £8
CO2 Alarm test £3
32mm Alko flange £18

So over and above the £250 and additional £29. I cannot understand the CO2 alarm test? Not the £29 but the principle! What is the point in getting a quote as a consumer when VAT and extras that are part of the service are not included?

Just don’t givethem your service, the more people who accept this the more they will do it.

My engineer is really good and charges in the method RogerL suggested. He comes from Charlton Kings, so about equal distance between us both, so may be able to do yours. Fully qualified.

Let me know if you want his number.

John

 

[Jcloughie]

The smoke alarm test £3 is difficult to justify. Often our detectors will be out of the caravan fir home storage anyway. It only needs a press as you walk by. Or did they mean the CO carbon monoxide detector test. My service engineer squibs a small amount of CO in its direction.


https://www.mytoolshed.co.uk/arctic...tester-spray-520ml?utm_source=google_shopping

Both alarms are part of the AWS check sheet, so therefore should be included. IMHO.

Both mine get tested without extra charge.

Remember the days when car servicing had extras like white grease and washer bottle top up’s. It’s taking the Mickey.



John

 

[Buckman]

The smoke alarm test £3 is difficult to justify. Often our detectors will be out of the caravan fir home storage anyway. It only needs a press as you walk by. Or did they mean the CO carbon monoxide detector test. My service engineer squibs a small amount of CO in its direction.


https://www.mytoolshed.co.uk/arctic...tester-spray-520ml?utm_source=google_shopping

They definitely have it done as a CO2 test. Also on the actual service sheet it is mentioned that both smoke and Carbon Dioxide alarms were tested. I have never been able to find the C)2 alarm!
I wonder how many other people are just accepting the charge and paying up as like us we were none the wiser at the time.

We have now located an AWS technician local to us that will do the complete service including service parts for £210, Now 2 x 10 mile round trips instead of 2 x 180 mile round trips. So a huge saving!

 

[Jcloughie]

They definitely have it done as a CO2 test. Also on the actual service sheet it is mentioned that both smoke and Carbon Dioxide alarms were tested. I have never been able to find the C)2 alarm!
I wonder how many other people are just accepting the charge and paying up as like us we were none the wiser at the time.

We have now located an AWS technician local to us that will do the complete service including service parts for £210, Now 2 x 10 mile round trips instead of 2 x 180 mile round trips. So a huge saving!

Result. 😁,

Thats a good price, mine is £200 for a single axle, but mine comes to me.

John

 

[otherclive]

Charging extra for one-shot wheel nuts is just a rip-off - it's not like they don't know how many are needed for a caravan, ie 2 for single axle and 4 for twin axle.

The only extras should be for parts not routinely changed in the service as they can't predict if they'll be necessary - but they should seek specific approval BEFORE changing parts.

Consumers have long complained about malpractice in the car industry but that pales in insignificance against the caravan industry.

Surely they are going to be paid for anyway whether inclusive in the overall service charge or charged separately. As are the other consumables. It’s not really a big deal and seeking clarification beforehand should answer any queries. My Kia dealership don’t change pollen filters by mileage or date. If it requires changing they ask. To which I would reply “ No thank you”. Have they then spotted a cunning way to increase profits? I don’t know and quite honestly having them 10 minutes walk away is a bigger advantage to us than scouting around to save a few pounds. One way or another wheel nuts have to be changed.

 

[otherclive]

They definitely have it done as a CO2 test. Also on the actual service sheet it is mentioned that both smoke and Carbon Dioxide alarms were tested. I have never been able to find the C)2 alarm!
I wonder how many other people are just accepting the charge and paying up as like us we were none the wiser at the time.

We have now located an AWS technician local to us that will do the complete service including service parts for £210, Now 2 x 10 mile round trips instead of 2 x 180 mile round trips. So a huge saving!

You don’t have a carbon dioxide alarm. It should be a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm.

 

[otherclive]

They definitely have it done as a CO2 test. Also on the actual service sheet it is mentioned that both smoke and Carbon Dioxide alarms were tested. I have never been able to find the C)2 alarm!
I wonder how many other people are just accepting the charge and paying up as like us we were none the wiser at the time.

We have now located an AWS technician local to us that will do the complete service including service parts for £210, Now 2 x 10 mile round trips instead of 2 x 180 mile round trips. So a huge saving!

That’s a good saving, presumably the local man has much lower overheads than does a dealership. But the biggest saving is your fuel and time.

 

[Buckman]

Surely they are going to be paid for anyway whether inclusive in the overall service charge or charged separately. As are the other consumables. It’s not really a big deal and seeking clarification beforehand should answer any queries. My Kia dealership don’t change pollen filters by mileage or date. If it requires changing they ask. To which I would reply “ No thank you”. Have they then spotted a cunning way to increase profits? I don’t know and quite honestly having them 10 minutes walk away is a bigger advantage to us than scouting around to save a few pounds. One way or another wheel nuts have to be changed.

I agree, but the previous 2 services the price was inclusive so I had no reason to believe that they would add on extras for stuff that did not exist i.e. C)2 alarm.
Also between the time I booked the 3rd service early in 2020 and the actual date in Oct the workshop management staff had changed.
If we had been told that the service charge was £279, there would not have been a confrontation and this thread would not exist.

 

[Buckman]

You don’t have a carbon dioxide alarm. It should be a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm.

The dealer thinks we have a CO2 alarm as they were able to test it. I have never been able to find this mystical CO2 alarm.

 

[otherclive]

I agree, but the previous 2 services the price was inclusive so I had no reason to believe that they would add on extras for stuff that did not exist i.e. C)2 alarm.
Also between the time I booked the 3rd service early in 2020 and the actual date in Oct the workshop management staff had changed.
If we had been told that the service charge was £279, there would not have been a confrontation and this thread would not exist.

Agree. They were probably looking to recoup some of the lockdown losses. But it’s now their loss of business.

 

[RogerL]

Surely they are going to be paid for anyway whether inclusive in the overall service charge or charged separately.

Yes of course they have to be paid for - but these aren't optional costs so should be included in the quoted service charge.

 

[Raywood]

We have had our caravans serviced by several different workshops over the years and never been charged extra for anything in the normal service routine. I suspect the answer is because we can although we pay £250 all in for ours. At the end of the day it is the final cost that counts, but without a price for the parts you cannot be sure what it is.

 

[Hutch]

We have a smoke alarm and a Carbon Monoxide alarm, NOT a CO2.
Our mobile AWS engineer will carry out the service at our storage site, for £200, this year as I have only done 350 miles since the last service, I asked him to just do a habitation service, so he done everything except the brakes for £170. And stamped the service record accordingly.

 

[Beachball]

it does not matter how many miles we do in a season we still pay for the caravan to be service and damp check £150 and parts are extra and the service book is stamped up .

 

[Beachball]

We also have carbon monoxide alarm and a smoke alarm in our caravan

 

[Buckman]

We have a smoke alarm and a Carbon Monoxide alarm, NOT a CO2.
Our mobile AWS engineer will carry out the service at our storage site, for £200, this year as I have only done 350 miles since the last service, I asked him to just do a habitation service, so he done everything except the brakes for £170. And stamped the service record accordingly.

Unfortunately if the caravan is still in the 6 year warranty doing just the habitation check may not be acceptable. Did they also do a damp check?

 

[Hutch]

Unfortunately if the caravan is still in the 6 year warranty doing just the habitation check may not be acceptable. Did they also do a damp check?

Yes everything was carried out except the brakes, caravan is well out of warranty a 2013, Damp check with maximum of 12% in the rear shower area, every where else is 8's to 10's