Servicing Costs

[powerdesal]

Possibly a strange question but........

Does anyone know the servicing costs in France for a Citroen Xsara Picasso ?

We have a choice, get it serviced in UK ( where it is at the moment ) or get it serviced in France when it comes here next week. I have no idea if it's an 'interim service' or a 'full service' because it's based on the computer saying it will need a service in 'x' miles / kms.

[NickP]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Possibly a strange question but........ Does anyone know the servicing costs in France for a Citroen Xsara Picasso ? We have a choice, get it serviced in UK ( where it is at the moment ) or get it serviced in France when it comes here next week. I have no idea if it's an 'interim service' or a 'full service' because it's based on the computer saying it will need a service in 'x' miles / kms.[/quote]

 

 My Brother in Law had his Citroen serviced at a local Citroen garage near us while visiting here,  the labour charge per hour was around €55 per hour, which didn't surprised me as a local Mercedes dealer charges us the same. In the Surrey we used to pay about £110 per hour. Also It's my opinion that French garages do what they say they will do, unlike the sharks in England who will pad the bill out with unnecessary bits and pieces.

[sid]

My car is well past the warranty limit so I have it serviced at the local village garage where he charges 31,50€ per hour HT for labour. Not only are the costs very reasonable but it's just a 5 minute walk back home when I've dropped the car off. I think most garages are familiar with the French marques (mine is a Renault). A small service (oil and filters) costs around 160€ TTC  ... the oil and parts (and TVA) are quite expensive here. He's never short of customers though.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="sid"]My car is well past the warranty limit so I have it serviced at the local village garage where he charges 31,50€ per hour HT for labour. Not only are the costs very reasonable but it's just a 5 minute walk back home when I've dropped the car off. I think most garages are familiar with the French marques (mine is a Renault). A small service (oil and filters) costs around 160€ TTC  ... the oil and parts (and TVA) are quite expensive here. He's never short of customers though.[/quote]

 

That's interesting.

 

Citroen in UK are offering a service, presumably a 'small' service at a discounted price of GBP 99, which is circa Euro 125.

 

It looks as if the UK price is ahead at the moment.

[sid]

With the increased service intervals (mine is 30,000 kms or 2 years, whichever comes first) there is a desire, for me anyway, to have an intermediate oil change. This is the "small service" and I have the filters changed too. In fact it's what a lot of garages do anyway in their normal service and charge more for it.

As with most things "motoring" it'll be cheaper in UK and the competitive nature of business there drives the prices down.

[powerdesal]

What planet are Citroen Main Dealer On ( in Uk ) ?

SWMBO has just been quoted GBP 16 to change a brake light bulb !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mac]

FWIW I think it's worth while making 'friends' with a small independent local garage. We had one in the UK that did all our servicing and was great. When we moved over here we asked around and had very good reports (from French and English) of a small local garage who also sells a few cars. Our exhaust went(oldish car) and we thought it would cost quite a lot but Christophe had a good look and said it could be welded. Lent us a car and did the repair overnight-no charge. When we wanted a French car to replace the UK one we bought on from him and had excellent service.

[powerdesal]

I totally agree, Citroen were told ''no thanks''. SWMBO has gone to the local independent who does our Daughters car ( with Daughter in tow ) and he will sort things out.

[Jay]

[quote user="powerdesal"]What planet are Citroen Main Dealer On ( in Uk ) ?

SWMBO has just been quoted GBP 16 to change a brake light bulb !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

A service for our C1 here in France included 3 spark plugs at 40€ + VAT. I questioned the price (blew up actually) as I could buy Bosch plugs at less than 4€ each including VAT. Citroen's response was that they are "special" Citroen plugs, gold plated I suspect!

[PaulT]

[quote user="Jay"][quote user="powerdesal"]What planet are Citroen Main Dealer On ( in Uk ) ? SWMBO has just been quoted GBP 16 to change a brake light bulb !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

A service for our C1 here in France included 3 spark plugs at 40€ + VAT. I questioned the price (blew up actually) as I could buy Bosch plugs at less than 4€ each including VAT. Citroen's response was that they are "special" Citroen plugs, gold plated I suspect!
[/quote]

Well, the dealer in the UK lives on Planet Platinum.

As for the cost of Citroen spark plugs I can always remember being in a Ford dealers parts department when a mechanic came from the workshop and said to the part guy 'I did not use these plugs on the car can I swap them for plugs for another model.

I assumed from that that the persons car that was being serviced did not require plugs but would be charged for plugs that would be used on the mechanics car or one of his private jobs!

Paul

[powerdesal]

A sequel to the servicing story:-

SWMBO took her Citroen Xsara Picasso to the main dealer for an interim service because (a) They were offering a heavily discounted price deal and (b) to maintain the 'Main Dealer' stamp in the service record.

The service report stated ' the front discs are heavily corroded ....the car in unsafe to drive...'

After discussion with me she said we would sort out the disc problem ourselves, they then allowed her to drive away after signing a waiver to the effect that she accepted that the car was not safe. She then took the car to a local independent garage who we have used before who clearly told her the discs did not in fact need changing and were perfectly safe !!!!!!!!.

Obviously a couple of points arise from this, were Citroen legally correct in allowing (as they said) an ''unsafe'' car to be driven away and they were obviously somewhat 'amoral' in trying to get a customer to have work done that was not required.

Needless to say we will not be using that particular Citroen dealer again.

I believe that I can't give the name but....It is in Abingdon and starts with the letter 'H'.

[PaulT]

[quote user="powerdesal"]A sequel to the servicing story:- SWMBO took her Citroen Xsara Picasso to the main dealer for an interim service because (a) They were offering a heavily discounted price deal and (b) to maintain the 'Main Dealer' stamp in the service record. The service report stated ' the front discs are heavily corroded ....the car in unsafe to drive...' After discussion with me she said we would sort out the disc problem ourselves, they then allowed her to drive away after signing a waiver to the effect that she accepted that the car was not safe. She then took the car to a local independent garage who we have used before who clearly told her the discs did not in fact need changing and were perfectly safe !!!!!!!!. Obviously a couple of points arise from this, were Citroen legally correct in allowing (as they said) an ''unsafe'' car to be driven away and they were obviously somewhat 'amoral' in trying to get a customer to have work done that was not required. Needless to say we will not be using that particular Citroen dealer again. I believe that I can't give the name but....It is in Abingdon and starts with the letter 'H'.[/quote]

If the car has not been used then the surface of the discs will have some rust on them which will quickly disappear when the car is driven.

Sounds like their service price is a loss leader, i.e. do some jobs that are not required - wonder if it would be the same as my example of the spark plugs - i.e. new ones will not be fitted.

Perhaps a call to Citroen UK headquarters with a complaint.

[powerdesal]

A call to Citroen UK - I don't think so. I think it would be a complete waste of my time and achieve exactly nothing. I can imagine the response:-

''We are sorry you were not happy with our Service, we strive etc etc.......Our mechanics are professionally trained blah blah.....It was their judgement etc etc.

Life is too short for that sort of hassle.

In future we will take our money elsewhere.

[sid]

[quote user="Jay"]
A service for our C1 here in France included 3 spark plugs at 40€ + VAT. I questioned the price (blew up actually) as I could buy Bosch plugs at less than 4€ each including VAT. Citroen's response was that they are "special" Citroen plugs, gold plated I suspect!
[/quote]

Have you ever tried to buy plugs in sets of 3 ? I bet you were charged for 4 !

Every 3 services completed leaves a set leftover for "free"!

There can't anything special about sparkplugs, it's a rip-off.

I needed a single plug for my rotovator and in a hurry I had to buy a set of 4, so I'm well-stocked with plugs for that machine, probably for its foreseeable life!!!!

 

[NickP]

[quote user="powerdesal"]A call to Citroen UK - I don't think so. I think it would be a complete waste of my time and achieve exactly nothing. I can imagine the response:- ''We are sorry you were not happy with our Service, we strive etc etc.......Our mechanics are professionally trained blah blah.....It was their judgement etc etc. Life is too short for that sort of hassle. In future we will take our money elsewhere.[/quote]

Sorry PD, your attitude is why companies get away with bad service, if you don't complain they don't know. Don't leave it to other people, if it's wrong let them know straight away, if necessary write to the chief exec. I am a huge complainer if things I'm entitled to are not right;  but by the same token I tell them if the service is good, communication is everything. No good just complaining on a forum under a pseudonym. Go for it my friend tell 'em.[:)]

[powerdesal]

NickP, I take your point and, in the past, that has been my attitude also, not that it ever got me anywhere.

I do not really think of my posts on this forum as ''complaining under a pseudonym'' but rather as commenting on my experiences to ''virtual friends''.

[chirpy]

cost in limousin per hour labour is about 45euro end of last year.

Why not ring and get cost estimate for std.service in both countries.

[PaulT]

[quote user="powerdesal"]A call to Citroen UK - I don't think so. I think it would be a complete waste of my time and achieve exactly nothing. I can imagine the response:- ''We are sorry you were not happy with our Service, we strive etc etc.......Our mechanics are professionally trained blah blah.....It was their judgement etc etc. Life is too short for that sort of hassle. In future we will take our money elsewhere.[/quote]

Some years back someone I know had a Xantia and at 30,000 miles the cambelt went and of course damaged the engine. It went in to the dealers who supplied it and the owner was expecting to pay for a new engine. The dealer said 'Citroen should pay as cambelts are only inspected after 60,000 miles'. And Citroen did pay for replacing the engine.

Unless things have changed Citroen UK seem fair and reasonable.

Paul

[powerdesal]

OK, OK, I get the message.

 

I will contact Citroen UK and advise them of the situation, I don't necessarily share the upbeat comments but let's see what they say.

 

Anyone got the email address of the CEO ????[:D]