A current MAG bitch thread.....

[Geeto67]

Did a search for whiny bitch threads about MAG and didn't see one more recent than 2011 so I figured I would start a new one.

 

Wife insists the Audi go to an Audi dealership. This way the car fax gets updated and she can claim "audi serviced" when it gets put up for sale. Other than a diagnostic screw up in 2013 involving a wheel bearing (which they made right) they have gone out of their way to be accommodating, friendly, and nice. I even met IV Rings there and he was a super guy to talk to in person.

 

So last week I bought my parent's old 2006 3-series (they both bought new cars). Over the weekend it developed a pull to the right and rather than be bothered with lying on my back in the dark in an open parking lot doing suspension work i figured I would just take it to MAG. before going over I took a look under the car and saw that the stock right side upper control arm bushing wasn't in the greatest shape so I had an idea about what the issue was.

 

Get a call this morning: it's the "thrust arm" bushing. needs replacement, recommend both sides. Approx $860. $95 per bushing, 3-4 hours per labor (yeah, right!), and an alignment. Not the worst in the world, def high but at least explainable.

 

Then comes all the other "things" like cabin air filters, and being two months away from the next oil change, and literally a laundry list of things that felt more like a "money grab" than actual preventative maint. Add that in to a service writer who was both kind of cold and not very good at explaining things and I just don't feel like it's good service.

 

The other thing that is rubbing me the wrong way is the "diagnostic fee". Maybe it is because of the earlier screw-up with audi concerning this that I don't usually get charged the fee with work done on the audi, or maybe it's just that it's more than the hourly labor rate ($140) and gets paid whether they work on it or not that is bothering me. I feel like the industry standard is to waive the diagnostic fee if the shop does the repairs (that is what my old BMW dealer in NY did in the late 1990s with my E34s), am I wrong about this? car wasn't showing any engine codes so I don't see why they would need to hook up the computer (but they told me they did anyway).

 

Anyway, thoughts?

 

TL/DR: First world problems: after excellent audi service my experience with MAG BMW feels like they are trying to set my wallet on fire.

[Supplicium]

Ive been taking cars to MAG since 2002. I believe I am only charged a fee when they look at something and do not do the work. Anything outside of regular maintenance has been absolutely super expensive but I feel I get quality work from MAG and dont have to worry about shotty work. Also, MAG has done great warranty work for me in the past even in cases over 50k miles and on a modified car.

[Aaron]

I'd follow the techs, not the dealer. I have a tech I use for anything and everything VAG, and he's at Byers currently.

 

I've been to them all, and had both great and bad experiences at all 3 VW dealers.

 

Most recent being a bad one at MAG, which made me write them off entirely.

 

Like I said above, I'll follow my tech.

[Mojoe]

MAG type cars are going to have the same cost level for service and related charges, as the cars they sell have for a sticker price. From what you wrote, I see nothing different from when I brought my E46 there back in the day. Someone who knows service departments would be far better to comment than me on this. The side factors of European cars took the appeal away from them for me. I see them as disposable income cars, largely due to the maintenance and my inability to do all the work.

 

Sounds like small things are going to cost a lot. Perhaps insist wife take the car for service herself, or trust your judgment.

[El Karacho1647545492]

Tom Hatem Automotive

 

http://www.hatemautomotive.com/

 

I don't know how it is in the Audi world but pretty much everyone in the BMW world is just as happy with recorded indie shop service as they are with dealer-reported service. The OP is the prime example of why.

 

EDIT: My dad always used to take his E36 M3 to Kelly, then MAG, now Hatem. MAG wanted $1000+ to replace OBC, Hatem popped out the broken one out, pointed him to where he could buy one on eBay for $250, and left the wires accessible so he could install it himself.

[verse]

Technicians get paid flat rate. That's what the diagnostic fee is for, for them to get your car, test drive it, verify the pull, put it on a lift, inspect the car fully, write recommendations, get pricing. If they did this for free everyday they wouldn't make a living. The fee should be included if the work is done, if not you only pay for the diag.

[bdhill]

I would not use MAG beyond warranty work...

[Geeto67]

Technicians get paid flat rate. That's what the diagnostic fee is for, for them to get your car, test drive it, verify the pull, put it on a lift, inspect the car fully, write recommendations, get pricing. If they did this for free everyday they wouldn't make a living. The fee should be included if the work is done, if not you only pay for the diag.

 

I have had many friends tell me over the years how tech's get beat on warranty work for the diagnostic portion. Shortcoming of the flat rate system. I agree someone should get paid for their time.

 

And I have no issue with charging me a diagnostic fee if I decided to have the work done elsewhere - they should get paid for their time.

 

My issue, and someone please make an argument here against it, is that MAG wants to charge me the diagnostic cost AND the full book time of the repair in addition to, not included in, if I choose for them to do the work in a non-warranty situation. I feel like this is not the norm, am I wrong?

 

I also feel like this is a pretty clear message that they don't want my business and that good will from one brand does not carry over to the other brands in the same dealership group.

[TTQ B4U]

Tom Hatem Automotive

 

http://www.hatemautomotive.com/

 

I don't know how it is in the Audi world but pretty much everyone in the BMW world is just as happy with recorded indie shop service as they are with dealer-reported service. The OP is the prime example of why.

 

EDIT: My dad always used to take his E36 M3 to Kelly, then MAG, now Hatem. MAG wanted $1000+ to replace OBC, Hatem popped out the broken one out, pointed him to where he could buy one on eBay for $250, and left the wires accessible so he could install it himself.

 

 

I totally forgot about these guys! Haven't been there or worked with them but they are certainly another great option that I'll look into as they are in a decently located area proximity wise to many of us.

 

Thanks!

[Robochan]

am I wrong?

 

yes

[Geeto67]

yes

 

explain

[o0n8]

My issue, and someone please make an argument here against it, is that MAG wants to charge me the diagnostic cost AND the full book time of the repair in addition to, not included in, if I choose for them to do the work. I feel like this is not the norm, am I wrong?

 

Step 1. Call MAG and verify if the diagnostic fee will or won't be waived. You can try bitching about it if they say no and see if the will waive it.

Step 2. Decide where to get car fix.

Step 3. Drive Car again.

[TTQ B4U]

And I have no issue with charging me a diagnostic fee if I decided to have the work done elsewhere - they should get paid for their time.

 

My issue, and someone please make an argument here against it, is that MAG wants to charge me the diagnostic cost AND the full book time of the repair in addition to, not included in, if I choose for them to do the work in a non-warranty situation. I feel like this is not the norm, am I wrong?

 

yes

 

Perhaps things have changed, but most places I've used in the past would put the diagnostic fee towards the repair. I know when I had work done on my Ford at Germain Ford they did. Maybe that was just the service adviser who I knew liked and worked with all the time. I even brought and would bring our Entourage to them for repairs.

 

Is it the "norm" to have a separate diagnostic fee? Don't know myself, but I can say not everyone does it that way.

[Robochan]

explain

 

Not defending MAG but the few shops i have first hand experience with will charge their hourly rate to diagnose a problem. That wont go away if they fix it or not. That being said the shop i use to work for gets a ton of work from mag customers that had the same experience you described.

[Geeto67]

Not defending MAG but the few shops i have first hand experience with will charge their hourly rate to diagnose a problem. That wont go away if they fix it or not. That being said the shop i use to work for gets a ton of work from mag customers that had the same experience you described.

 

Thank you.

 

So this kind of highlights the difference between the dealership and the independent shop. A dealer usually charges book time, an independent shop charges actual time. If the book time on a job is 3 hours and the tech does the job in 1.5 hours the dealer still charges the customer 3 hours (unless the customer complains) and pockets the difference. An independent shop charging actual time is going to charge less overall because even if his diagnostic time is the same, the actual time in the repair is likely to be less.

 

When I was a motorcycle tech it was a joke how far inflated the book time was vs the actual time to do the job. I get it, it's the dealer's profit and incentive for hiring good techs. But it also gives them some wiggle room to absorb things like simple diagnostic. Most service writers also have a small budget to write off some expenses (I think the audi service department can write off a maximum $10K per car) to cover screw ups and such.

 

MAG's hourly rate is $125. Their diagnostic rate is beyond their hourly at around $140. It also feels like they did extra "diagnostics" to justify the cost even when the situation didn't warrant it.

 

I think am going to bitch to them about the diagnostic rate and see what they do. If nothing comes to it then I'll just chalk the $140 up to the value of their customer service and convince my wife we are better off going with someone else in the future for all cars.

[TTQ B4U]

MAG's hourly rate is $125. Their diagnostic rate is beyond their hourly at around $140. .

 

WOW! I won't take my car there for service given I'm modded and don't want flagged but given their rates, I really wouldn't go there. Most shops I've seen are $75-90hr and that's more than enough/fair IMO.

[Robochan]

Most shops I've seen are $75-90hr and that's more than enough/fair IMO.

 

in 2005?

[Aaron]

WOW! I won't take my car there for service given I'm modded and don't want flagged but given their rates, I really wouldn't go there. Most shops I've seen are $75-90hr and that's more than enough/fair IMO.

 

That's very low, and usually what "indy" mechanics charge now.

 

in 2005?

 

agreed.

[Robochan]

Thank you.

 

So this kind of highlights the difference between the dealership and the independent shop. A dealer usually charges book time, an independent shop charges actual time. If the book time on a job is 3 hours and the tech does the job in 1.5 hours the dealer still charges the customer 3 hours (unless the customer complains) and pockets the difference. An independent shop charging actual time is going to charge less overall because even if his diagnostic time is the same, the actual time in the repair is likely to be less.

 

When I was a motorcycle tech it was a joke how far inflated the book time was vs the actual time to do the job. I get it, it's the dealer's profit and incentive for hiring good techs. But it also gives them some wiggle room to absorb things like simple diagnostic. Most service writers also have a small budget to write off some expenses (I think the audi service department can write off a maximum $10K per car) to cover screw ups and such.

 

MAG's hourly rate is $125. Their diagnostic rate is beyond their hourly at around $140. It also feels like they did extra "diagnostics" to justify the cost even when the situation didn't warrant it.

 

I think am going to bitch to them about the diagnostic rate and see what they do. If nothing comes to it then I'll just chalk the $140 up to the value of their customer service and convince my wife we are better off going with someone else in the future for all cars.

 

Anywhere that has flat rate techs will charge book time. Its how the techs make money. independent or not. Their diagnose being more than their hourly seems shady. No real first hand experience with mag. Just opinions based on others.

[jeffro]

I would not use MAG beyond warranty work...

 

yep.

[ImUrOBGYN]

Many places will waive the diagnostic fee if they do the work. I don't think it's an actual rule, though.

 

Also, on the rare occasion I take my car somewhere else, I always find I need to control my natural tendency to not trust a thing they're telling me. This is unfair. You need to have a healthy, open mind so that you're sure they're lying assholes and it's not just you being overly defensive or mistrusting.

 

May not be the case here at all, but it's just a thought. As far as they're pricing goes, they'll charge whatever you're willing to pay.

[Cordell]

Perhaps things have changed, but most places I've used in the past would put the diagnostic fee towards the repair. I know when I had work done on my Ford at Germain Ford they did. Maybe that was just the service adviser who I knew liked and worked with all the time. I even brought and would bring our Entourage to them for repairs.

 

Is it the "norm" to have a separate diagnostic fee? Don't know myself, but I can say not everyone does it that way.

 

As a tech I used to hate this type shit, most GM dealerships charge for both, although they may lead you to beleive different.

 

You weren't dealing with Joe Stanwick by chance were you? He's a genius. Lol

[Cordell]

If you find a shop under $100 hr good luck. Even lash just raised theirs to $95 or so, and they are the cheapest GM shop in town.

[TTQ B4U]

As a tech I used to hate this type shit, most GM dealerships charge for both, although they may lead you to beleive different.

 

You weren't dealing with Joe Stanwick by chance were you? He's a genius. Lol

 

No, Dean Mosier.

[zeitgeist57]

I've taken our Odyssey to Roush Honda for all servicing, because I like the dealership having record of vehicle service history. That being said, I also don't mind it because they show EXACTLY what services will cost, and it's cheaper than me buying RockAuto parts and doing work myself.

 

I'm not saying whether MAG was in the right or not with the diagnosis fee......but if I'm having them do ANY work I'm assuming there will be a "non-relationship-fee" involved, and it's going to make you upset.

 

Go indy.