Dealer Question
 

Yesterday I went to my local main dealer to have an estimate done for a cosmetic repair job. Long story ....

Anyway the rather distrustful looking service adviser wanted to bill me for a technicians time spent examining what needed to be done.

Is this normal ?? To be billed for an estimate ? I've honestly never heard of anything like it before.

+1:dunno:

Dealer
 

I know times are tough but thats a hard way to "EARN" your business. If its cosmetic at least you have many more options available to you to get the work done.

This is normal IF you do not get the work done at that time... The techs are paid 100% on book time/work time. So if a tech spent all day putting up estimates on cars that left without getting any work done he would have spent all day working for FREE? Can't work that way, I couldn't to afford to work!

Wow, what a tough system to work in.

Incidentally this isn't the first time I've been to this particular dealer for an estimate and I've never been asked to pay for it before.

What is the cosmetic repair job and how long did it take to do the estimate?

.

One of the interior trim panels (or cards as I believe they're called) needs replacing with a new one due to some scratches and tearing on the leather. That's it.

Very unusual system,indeed!If most dealers applied that policy in UK,they would be out of parts/repair business!
Stay away from dealers who want to get paid for an estimate,just ask another dealer or easier ,email the parts dept.They will gladly reply to your email with prices.Alternatively,ask a general car parts place,like GSF PARTS.We get our "other makes" parts from here and they also specialize in BMW parts.
Never had to pay for an estimate!The whole point of an estimated is to have an idea of prices and then choose ,the cheapest.I always ask for 2-3 estimates for a job at different places,imagine if I had to pay for each estimate!Wouldnt make any sense!

Look I HATE dealers in general. They really do try to squeeze the last buck out of you always. The only reason I went to the dealer at all is because the damage was done by someone else and they asked me to get a repair estimate with the intention that they would pay for it. And I only went to that particular dealer because it's the only one within 150 miles of me that opens on a Saturday morning so I don't have to be looking for time off work to go there.

And for our friends in America, fuel is now over USD8.00 per gallon over this side of the Atlantic which is why I'm not willing to drive all day to get an estimate.