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MaseratiForumMaserati Cars3200GT, 4200 Coupe/Spyder, GranSport To main dealer or not main dealer....Service

To main dealer or not main dealer....Service

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31/1/2007 9:48:27  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		I picked up my 04 4200 yesterday and it needs its 18,000 mile service. I was going to get it done at Strastone Ferrari main dealer in Manchester; they have quoted £1350 for the 18,000 mile service and the mot which is due in March this year.

Have spoken to a few people and thought about it, is it actually worth going to them?

Autosheild were talking around £400 + vat for the service (Mot would be extra I am sure) plus they have a very good guy who can sort the parking ding and the alloy wheel that needs a refurb at a good price.

http://www.millbrookecars.com/main.htm in Sheffield quotes £695 for the 18,000 mile service on their site. I spoke to them yesterday and they have really good feedback from club members, the mechanics that work on the cars are maranello trained (They worked at Grey Paul Nottingham for 15 years + apparently)

So the question is it worth paying twice as much to take the car to the Ferrari main dealer. Autosheild are Maranello approved for servicing (So it wont affect the limited warranty that is left) I would have thought Millbrooke will be as well. You still get a decent stamp in the book....

At the rate these things fall in value, is the main dealer stamp going to be worth and extra £700 in 2 years when I sell the car for £23,000 ? I dont think it will. I am sure they will do at least as good a job if not better which is of course the main consideration.

What do people think? In the past I have never really been impressed with main dealers to be honest. I am thinking that £700 would be much better off going in the repair fund, it will almost pay for a new clutch for example at Millbrooke (£995 they were saying they charged for their last clutch replacement on a 4200 cc - minimum full day job apparently.) 

I have no problem at all going to Millbrooke, my sister lives in Sheffield and I dont see enough of here anyway. Autosheild are less than 6 miles from where I live.

< Message edited by alera -- 31/1/2007 10:15:49 >
31/1/2007 10:33:55  

Posts: 542
Since: 22/7/2006
Status: offline 		The eternal conundrum.
What did you look for when buying a specailist expensive Italian sports car? High on my list was main dealer history.
Where will I it take it now that i am paying? Specialist for any real work, but will still consider main dealer for the vital stamp.

In essence there is no 'real value' add to main dealer stamps in terms of service or expertise. Both can be good/bad/indifferent.
It will make your car easier to sell to a conquest buyer (that is someone new to maserati)

_____________________________

rob
alfa 166 3.0V6 Gone
Alfa 166 3.0 V6 Sportomatic
911 3.2 cab
3200GT assetto corsa 40/75
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." — Joe Louis.
31/1/2007 10:43:53  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		Maybe yes, but will it make a difference when the car is 5 years old at the sort of money they will be going for ? The car will still have full service history, low miles etc. It wouldnt put me off buying it to be honest, I guess some people dont look at it like that, I would never walk away from a decent motor at a good price due to one stamp from a recognised specialist vs main dealer personally.

For a new car less than three years old yes I see your point but for a 5 year old specialist motor like this at around £20,000, I am not so sure.

At the end of the day its about quality of service, whats good for the car and then what is best in terms of minimising loss......These things drop like a bomb personally I dont think it makes a difference to resale on a 5 year old car. At the end of the day they are approved service centres ?

The other issue is that we will prrobably only keep it for 2 years and it will only do around 3000 miles a year. It will only just be due its next service when we come to sell it, with a car like this I would probably get it serviced every year though regardless of mileage (But not with a main dealer) better to get it checked over and the fluid replaced etc, less likely to have major problems with it....

< Message edited by alera -- 31/1/2007 10:52:33 >
31/1/2007 12:55:52  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 21/1/2006
Status: offline 		I've used both main dealer and specialist in the Manchester area for my 3200GT. Main dealer very expensive and they always seem to want your car for several days whereas someone like Autoshield react promptly and charge a reasonable price. The latter are well respected within the maserati Club so I don't worry too much over the power of the dealer stamp. I suspect that if more people used respected and long established specialists, main dealers would have to start rethinking the quality and price of their servicing charges and not just concentrate on selling the cars - which, after all, is all they are really only interested in.
My advice for what's it's worth is use a convenient specialist - if not satisfied then think main dealer - not the other way round. 
31/1/2007 13:43:26  

Posts: 1155
Since: 12/1/2007
Region: Chepstow
Status: offline 		I think it depends on age. If yours in under manufac warrenty then its main dealer but a 3200 thats 7 years old then a good specialist is probably the way to go. I've just got a 3200 and as long as the service history had dealer stamps for the first 3 years then a good specialist then I was happy....
1/2/2007 8:07:55  

Posts: 175
Since: 6/7/2006
Status: offline 		Indies for breakdowns etc and specialist `approved` for stamps in the book is my choice. But, with yours an 04 and only 18,000 miles, still with some warranty dunno - its a 50 / 50 call.
Specialist / quality - full documented history would not put me off a car and IMO should not affect the values - but they do . Prospective buyers always bring it up, usually to get you down a bit because they want the car!!  
One owners got to go to the specialist first, might as well be you and given another topical thread at the moment - let us know where you send it!
1/2/2007 8:15:56  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		I think I am probably going to take it to the maindealer on tha basis there are a couple of minor points I want looking at under warranty.

The indie approved route is fine for the servicing but the car still has to go to the main dealer for warranty claims so it might as well go there so it has two stamps from Stratstone main dealer for the first 3 years of it life.

If they find anything however it will be going to an indie, for clutch, breaks etc.....Moving forward I will get it serviced every year by an approved independant.

I am loving the car its absolutey fantastic. Really glad I went for the CC, there certainly is no issue with the latter models, well not on the one I have bought anyway.
1/2/2007 8:19:37  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		Having said that I just rang up the main dealer to book it in and there was no one available to deal with my call in the service department.....

This is the second time its happened with Stratstone. A Ferrari main dealer and they dont have enough staff to book in a car for a £1300 service. Man I know the car would be better at that place in Sheffield......

......I just got through to them, you have to provide your own insurance cover on the courtesy car and insurer has to fax through a cover note ! And they couldnt tell me the car so I have to ring back tommorow to get the details and then go through all the hastle of sorting it out with my insurer.

This is a Ferrari dealer charging £1300 for a routine service ! They tried to tell me the insurance cover is too much for them to offer it themselves ! Its not too much for BMW or Audi ! This is what I mean absolutely shocking, didnt like the the sound of the girl on reception or the service guy either really getting the main dealer bad vibes already.....

< Message edited by alera -- 1/2/2007 8:33:38 >
1/2/2007 8:54:23  

Posts: 1112
Since: 11/5/2005
Region: Thames Valley
Status: offline 		Stuff em, just take it to an indie, I've never had a good word tosay about any main dealer agent!

_____________________________

Rich
Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate
BMW 335d MSport Touring
Maserati Ghibli "Taylor/Hawksworth Trofeo edition"
1/2/2007 12:08:12  
 

Posts: 15
Since: 21/1/2006
Status: offline 		As I said before, most main dealers are just not interested in servicing cars - it's all latte machines and gloss - the advantage of a specialist is that you can get to know them and they get to know your car - you build a relationship - main dealers do not seem to want that for some reason. Let us know how you get on! Good luck!
1/2/2007 13:54:45  

Posts: 1112
Since: 11/5/2005
Region: Thames Valley
Status: offline 		"main dealers do not seem to want that for some reason"

It's simple, there is no glory or gloss in servicing, dealers see it as a necessary evil so they can get on with the business of selling cars.  If there didn't do it, Maserati UK or VW GB or whoever the manufacturer is would not let them keep the franchise.
A specialist is only there to service; they live off the repeat custom and so should treat customers accordingly.

_____________________________

Rich
Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate
BMW 335d MSport Touring
Maserati Ghibli "Taylor/Hawksworth Trofeo edition"
1/2/2007 14:08:01  

Posts: 903
Since: 31/10/2006
Region: Salisbury
Status: offline 		I disagree - there's a healthy margin in servicing nearly new cars that need b-all doing and are easy to take apart and put back together, how much do most dealers charge for an "interim" (read : oil change) service?

But....

No courtesy car on a £1,300 service??? > Guffaw! 

Didn't know there were "approved" independents ....

Alera, glad you're loving it, if you're going to sell it in a few years and have a consistent record with the same specialist by then, I reckon it will be just as appealing as an extra main dealer stamp.

My 2 cents ;o)
1/2/2007 15:19:02  

Posts: 1112
Since: 11/5/2005
Region: Thames Valley
Status: offline 		Well that is it isn't.  If someone does not want to do a job, you price yourself out of the picture and if people are stupid enough to pay it all the better!
Standard practise in most lines of work.

Since the EU laws came in about garages not invalidating the warranty as long as the follow the guidelines it should have opened up the market.

_____________________________

Rich
Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate
BMW 335d MSport Touring
Maserati Ghibli "Taylor/Hawksworth Trofeo edition"
2/2/2007 6:12:34  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		Well I just called them back as they requested to get the details of the courtesy car so I can put it on my insurance; again there was no one available in the service department to take my call.

That’s 5 times I have rung them and only managed to get through twice.

At the moment this is probably the worst main dealer I have ever dealt with and I have not ever taken the car in yet! In effect I feel a bit blackmailed into using them as they supplied the car and did the first service so for the sake of appearances on resale I have to begrudgingly admit it looks better to have the services done by the supplying dealer.....

They are DEFINATELY not getting any of the routine maintenance work (Clutch, brakes etc)

< Message edited by alera -- 2/2/2007 6:13:33 >
2/2/2007 7:13:19  

Posts: 777
Since: 20/9/2006
Region: Sheffield
Status: offline 		They do sound worst than most, I have also had similar trouble with main dealers with my previous cars, with the exception of Hatfield's Jaguar who were very good. I do think like you 1 more stamp from a main dealer would be ideal
2/2/2007 7:36:44  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		Really angry, rang up my insurer to get their vehicle on cover they basically need to run through a full quote on the courtesy car before they will put it on cover, value of vehicle, complete vehicle details (doors, alarm etc etc etc)

The dealer only gave me basic details ie bmw 320 se diesel. They also didnt give me their return fax number when I called so I had to trawl the internet for it. The whole thing has degenerated into a complete farse. I would be lying if I said I didnt see this comming.

5 calls to the dealer 10 minutes on the phone to my insurer, to try and get it sorted  I would have to ring the dealer back to try and get all the details required (But there is never anyone available in service so a couple of calls I would think at least) ring back the insurer.......Before you know it you have wasted half a day before the car has even gone in.

I just cant use them on general principal. So annoyed......If I want to use them I will have to drive it there then walk a mile or so to the tram to get home then get a lift or the tram back to pick it up.

I know this must seem petty but what a load os hastle ! £1300 service at a Ferrari main dealer. BARGAIN ! Its not even the money but if you are going to charge premium prices you have to offer premium service....

< Message edited by alera -- 2/2/2007 7:47:57 >
2/2/2007 7:46:47  

Posts: 777
Since: 20/9/2006
Region: Sheffield
Status: offline 		I don't understand this insurance problem, every time i have taken a car to be serviced/repair, the garage just need to see your driving license to loan a car. Is it just them or is this normal for a Ferrari dealer??
2/2/2007 7:53:19  

Posts: 441
Since: 22/1/2007
Status: offline 		Thats what I said to them ! With bmw you take your license and pay £10 to be put on their cover or you can put it on your cover (But none of this faxing of cover notes business, you sign something to say you have it covered)

I hope its not normal for Ferrari dealers as it seems a load of hastle to me. Like I said if Audi, BMW etc etc cover their courtesy cars why cant a Ferrari dealer ? My wife said it just seems very cheap on their part.......

I want it to have the service stamps from the dealer that sold the car new so I guess I will have to get someone to drop me off / pick me up or get the tram. I hope what I have seen so far isnt reflected in how they handle my car. I am going to think on it over the weekend......

< Message edited by alera -- 2/2/2007 7:55:31 >
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