Unreasonable dealer charges.

Originally Posted by G

It's the trainee/apprentices at maindealers that worry me. Paying top wack for a 16 year old chav to playing around with your bike.

Hey, they're not all 16 year old chavs

Originally Posted by Dave20046

watch out - holdup's about!


*t'was only a joke but I'm still hiding*

Haha, nah dont worry, im apprentice parts advisor so your safe

How ever we do have an apprentice mechanic hence my comment above

Originally Posted by Holdup

I knew that



Its been a long week...

Ha, i know the feeling

Lozzo, if you don't think you need to take every available opportunity to market your business in this economic environment then you've generated a seriously alternative business plan. Starting a new business in this environment without strong prospects is akin to gambling.

Kudos to Spannerman -- I'm only taking my bike into him next week because of what I've read on here. There are half a dozen other independents and dealers conveniently located nearby, but by spending time on this forum Stewart has gained a new customer.

Argument aside, and back on topic, I challenge any dealer to add to the bill:

"And here's what we didn't charge you for... Please tell your friends."

10 quid for sundries vs a new customer perhaps?

G'night fellas, don't stay up too late... nobody wins an argument... yadda yadda... *yawn*

This thread is quite entertaining tbh, killed a good portion of the last hour reading this.

For what its worth Lozzo, to me as an outsider, judging by your last post you now appear to be slating independents by taking the stance that qualifications matter and that independents typically aren't skilled...that's how your post comes across.

Originally Posted by ceeshaw

Lozzo, if you don't think you need to take every available opportunity to market your business in this economic environment then you've generated a seriously alternative business plan. Starting a new business in this environment without strong prospects is akin to gambling.

I have no problem with people advertising their businesses, but only where it is not specifically barred, like on this forum. Spannerman drums up business and by his own admission that's all he's on this forum to do with permission to do it subtley. That's not entirely my issue, it's the way he slags off every main dealer that gets my back up - it's most unsubtle.

Earlier in this thread I posted a couple of instances of my own main dealer bad experiences so I do know it does happen, but I don't tar all dealers with the same brush, the same as I don't tar all independents with the same brush.

I still maintain that the vast majority of main dealers are in the good camp.

Originally Posted by TazDaz

This thread is quite entertaining tbh, killed a good portion of the last hour reading this.

For what its worth Lozzo, to me as an outsider, judging by your last post you now appear to be slating independents by taking the stance that qualifications matter and that independents typically aren't skilled...that's how your post comes across.

It wasn't meant to, but I'd be interested to know how many people would trust someone to strip their brakes and rebuild them if they knew they weren't properly trained to do so.

I've said before that independents have their place in the trade and I won't knowingly slag them wholesale, I was just reiterating that virtually every dealership mechanic is fully qualified or a supervised apprentice attending college as well as working on the tools. You also pay dealer prices because skilled men demand and deserve skilled men's wages.

Originally Posted by G

It's the trainee/apprentices at maindealers that worry me. Paying top wack for a 16 year old chav to playing around with your bike.

We just sacked our chav apprentice. We have a clued up new one who's just completed Level 2 starting next week.

I'll have to reply to things as I find them otherwise with the length of this thread I'll get completely lost, so apologies if this is the first of a few posts.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

but it would be nice for those who've had good work from main dealers to post occasionally. Everyone knows there are more good main dealerships out there than there are bad ones, but they don't get any mention

This does happen where a main dealer provides good service. Search the SV Ecosse section for "Saltire"

Originally Posted by Lozzo

It wasn't meant to, but I'd be interested to know how many people would trust someone to strip their brakes and rebuild them if they knew they weren't properly trained to do so.

Well personally, if I'd read off 50-100 people about a mechanics knowledgable/reliable/fair services that they had recently experienced, I'd be more likely to go than to someone just cos they have a qualification.

Experience for me is more important than the degree someone has hung on the wall.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by thulfi

Well personally, if I'd read off 50-100 people about a mechanics knowledgable/reliable/fair services that they had recently experienced, I'd be more likely to go than to someone just cos they have a qualification.

Experience for me is more important than the degree someone has hung on the wall.

Given a level playing field (as in no previous experience of either) a brand trained mechanic and an independent, I'd probably go for the dealer unless I was skint, I don't use either myself and have a few I'd recomend depending on the work needed doing.

Cheers Mark.