luxembourg

I left my car last week for the 60K km service check-up + oil change. Nothing special. I dropped the car at the usual dealership (Arnold Kontz in Luxembourg) in the early morning to pick it up after work around 5:30PM. I did not pay too much attention to the invoice details when I picked-up the car back as it was already late, dark, cold, raining, and there was a long line of clients waiting to pick up their cars after work and pay invoices
(strange enough, there is only one cash-register where you come up saying your name / licence plate to pick up the car key, receive and pay the invoice on the spot).
So, having spent already enough time in line, I paid right away and drove off.

Only at home a bit surprisingly I noticed on my invoice a "TEST DRIVE" charged into total for about 16 EUR (with TAX).
And that got me thinking: why do they test-drive the car left off for the ususal service?
And if it is necessary (I don't know - perhaps it is?) why do they charge a client for driving his car while he is away?

I find it a bit strange, but perhaps it is just me, and this being just a "normal" thing they are supposed to do at 60.000km?
It's nothing, just few euros, 2 big Guinnesses in a pub... yet just wondering, and I would appreciate your feedback if you find any similar "positions" on your invoices sometimes...???

Take a look at this voice ("facture") below and tell me what do you think?

Facture_BMW_13_11_2007.pdf

MacSid

Never seen this as an item in any of my invoices, and I too think it's a ridiculous item for a service invoice. If I hand a car into service, I expect them to make a test drive or two to ensure my complaints are sorted out, and I expect that test drive to be part of the service, not an add-on. If I were in your position, I'd be back in there asking the SA what the heck this is all about. Admittedly, as you say, it's not a great amount of money, but I would still push the issue.

Heelsonwheels

IMO, that's ridiculous. Part of "service" includes an appropriate test drive if needed.
The dealer once tried to charge me $95 US to remove a stone from a rotor/backing plate causing a squeak in the brakes with the car under warantee. I challenged them on it and they instantly adjusted it.

narvselius

Shouldn't they charge you for leaving your car to service too? I mean, without customers they would probably have a much easier life!

To your question about test drive I think this is a standard feature in all services where the garage really want to deliver a car oin a good nick back to the customer, so I think the test drive in itself is a good thing. But why should they charge you... I assume they didn't fill in petrol/diesel in your car before the test drive...?

artc

A Test Drive is defo a standard item when servicing a car to make sure everything is OK, but charging for it is crazy. They have an hourly labour cost after all... why isn't it part of that?

MY pet hate is getting charged about ?5 for a washer bottle refill! I always drop my car in for a service with the windscreen washer bottle full, and if they charge me for a refill, then how many other items on the invoice have they not done......
I am not normally a conspiracy theorist, but this really gets to me

hillokone

I just had my car (60000km) serviced at local BMW dealer. The service was similar to yours (oil change, oil + air filters, and service check-up), I paid a bit under 200 EUR total. There was no charge of any test drive. I think charging extra for that is weird and it should be included in service check-up (Fahrzeug-Check).

igor

I am here for years and always by Kontz and have never come across anything like that before I bet their explanation would be that they now split
all the procedrues for more transparancy. Earlier this would have been inlcuded in the cost elsewhere

rsyed

here in austria, they charge you 30 eur as part of the service dealings, i guess the test drive falls under that..