Most people will have read all the various threads about dealers closing down due to either the EU Block Exemption rules and/or International Motors wanting each dealer to invest big money in upgrading their facilities to retain their franchise.

Got me thinking - Milton Keynes is the fastest growing 'new City' in the UK with a rapidly expanding young (25-35) population of 220,000 with money to spend - exactly the people who want Subarus.
BUT, two franchises were set up and then went bust (Betts) or pulled out (Deer Leap /Adams) in the space of about 18 months.

SO, International Motors, if your dealers cannot make a viable business here, what chance do you have in keeping a dealer network and, more importantly, your CUSTOMERS ?

I reckon this is the end of Subaru Customer Service as we once knew it in the UK and the start of ever higher costs. More fool IM.

I have decided against a main dealer service for my 12 monthly on my bugeye. I'm taking it to a couple of guys who i've known for 18yrs who run their own garage. I'd rather put money in their pockets than anywhere else. I trust their work and they will fit/replace any genuine parts at the best prices they can find. It's called competitiveness... or is is value for money?

That goes for me to mate. I've used the same garage for 25 years for other peoples m.o.t.s etc, but always used main dealer for my own. Not anymore!!
dave

Is it me or have International Motors got this all'Arse about face'

When Subaru actually used to win Customer Satisfaction awards, owners were generally very happy with the value and personal service that privately owned dealers could offer them. They were less happy with the Corporate face(less?) dealers who charged more and the technicians seemed to be fitters rather than engineers.

My un-informed guess is that within 1 year, the UK dealer network will be a third smaller than it was at the end of 2002. This means larger sales catchment areas & bigger volumes per dealer and higher service costs to offset the investment made to retain the franchise.

To me that equals less choice, worse customer care and higher cost, and self protection from International Motors

Or am I wrong ?

[Edited by Flat 4x4 - 11/17/2003 9:04:19 PM]

there will be a new dealership in m/k called m/k subaru itwill be owned by f stenton the same people who own us but at the minute they have got a lot of things to sort out so it will be a while before it is up and running.
and are you surprised that the network is failing if you dont get your subaru serviced by a main dealer and get it done elsewhere it seems to me that you lot are your own downfall you want a dealership to buy them from but servicing you get done elsewhere which is what makes the dealerships their money, so no money from servicing, no money to make the dealership run, no dealership.

If you have a good local main dealer it's often false economy to use a back street garage (who may be very reliable and trustworthy) but a bit cheaper.

It's hard for a "jack off all trades" garage to have the depth of knowledge, experience and access to the relevant info to look after a specialist car like a scooby. Obviously the "specialist" operation may, but outside of this beware of the non specialist local - you may get what you pay for! There are obviously exceptions but just be very careful with your pride and joy.

The question to be asked is-
Who wants to spend a day having there car seviced at a main dealer.
Since my local dealer closed down I now have to travel 40 mls and probably nearly an hours drive in heavy traffic just for a service or a warranty claim or just to find out what this funny noise is.
Hour there, hour back, 2 hours hanging about in the showroom only to be told, ( we have to order the part ) so thats bu**ered up 2 days.
I have never heard anyone complain about the state of any Subaru showroom and yet many were told to spend 100k to make it look better and sod the customer if you have to close down cos you can't afford it.
Do IM really deserve loyal custom when they treat their dealers and more importantly their customers with such contempt.?

I have been notified of three new dealers over the last couple of weeks [posted in Announcements on the SIDC Website]

That last point of Trev's is the one I was making.

When and if I buy my 6th Subaru I will happily continue to travel the 45 mins each way to freindly, helpful franchised dealer that is privately run and owned. That is unless they've been got at first !

I.M seem to be relying on the product alone to justify a 'big turnover' network. That is a big mistake to make when the competition nowadays consists of some really good alternatives.

Subarus still have some 'Kudos' but so do the performance versions of at least a dozen other brands I can think of now. Some of these have privately owned, value for money, enthusiastic dealers. Long may they stay in business !

Scoobyboy, as you state its from the servicing they make there money...

and thats why people are fed up....

£400 for a cambelt change... ?? even based on the belt costing £100 thats £300 pounds labour,,, and the cheek was they wanted the car for a day.....

the bible allows 1.7 hrs.... based on that the dealer is charging
£176ph inc vat labour


£100 pounds for an oil change???

£102 inc for a cam sensor.. thats a real sophisticated part
a magnetic proximity sensor...


whilst i appreciate you have to make a living there is a difference between making a profit and taking the ****

prehaps if the main dealers reduced there profit margins (shock horror) they might have customers who would want to buy / have servicing done..

My wife has a rover 216 witha honda engine ... the cheapest place to have her cambelt done was the honda main dealer... the cost

£117 all in parts and labour and it was done in 2 hours...

and that included removing engine mounts etc...

mart

You serious about the £400 for a Cambelt change?

Cost me £160..... for an sti5 - what a shame I cant or never have been able to get the car serviced at a main dealer that would charge circa £55 plus Vat an hour - What an excellent decision IM had several years ago saying that UK dealers could'nt service imports - what a bunch of muppets.......................

First they rip you off on the price of the car
Then they rip you off on the servicing
Then they rip you off on the parts prices

and then they normally put a few dints in the car for good measure - having inadvertantly driven about 50 miles for a 'road test'............

I really liked having my car serviced at Deer Leap. There was only John doing the servicing and he did a great job, which was always very thorough. Now I'll have to go to Adams and tak pot luck with the service guys, as I doubt that even if I asked for a certain service engineer to do my car, that I would actually get what I wanted.

F

yup £400

and the cheek was she even offered to do a cam service!!!

whats that i asked "oh we change the oil and filter " how much

£100 ex vat.... i kid ye not..............

main dealer in Hants........ you can work it out..............


i want some trim bits but wont go there as its an eighty mile round trip........

i can see IM going the way of Lancia!!!


Mart

well that dealer is out to rip you off then i agree as that price should include a 15,000 mls service as well

Got new STi8 on Sept 1st. Hit a monkjack deer on Sept 12th. New bumper ordered by local dealer on Sept 13th. Car went it for repair after bumper finally arrived from IM on October 29th.

What if my car had been undrivable??

That'll be a muntjack, deer

was that the silver sti with the damage on the off side?

Had the girlfreinds Sti serviced by a local specialist and ex subaru mechanic, price for cambelt change, full service, oil etc cost was £500 all in. Main dealers take the p*ss almost all the time, and from my experience treat you like ****e.

Mitso dealers learnt, they will service imports no prob.

I will only use main dealers when they treat my with some respect and do the job for a realistic price.

Cos I enjoy driving me Scooby, I actually won't mind travelling a bit to my now nearest dealer (Westaway in Northampton as Oakley Garages closed).

:)

The trek will include some very nice back roads!

:D

well then if you dont use them then dont complain when they all disappear it's that simple

I travel 100mile round trip for servicing, driving past the main dealer in Hampshire on the way!

Ill eat my own faecal matter before those cowboys touch my car again, the extra 85 miles past them is WELL WORTH THE EFFORT in MHO.

One thing to remember here is that NOT all main dealers are bad. Some people may speak very highly of a particular dealer whereas one person may have had a bad experience and therefore decided that dealer is useless without giving them another chance. We're all human, all make mistakes but never purposely p*ss people off. It's your choice where u go, but i think it's a little unfair to tar everybody with the same brush!!!

youve not had your car serviced in Hampshire then I take it...?

its a conclusion drawn from the experiences of 90% of us down here...

i live in south bucks, so where is my nearest good main dealer then - anyone,

Or is there a good supplier of parts who is a non franchise??

Being quite local to mk / aylesbury - I have used all 3 in my time - adams (bought first my99 and had a service, MY02 service), a.betts (just services) and DL (MY02 and a service).

I think they all take the p*** in a huge way - when I had cambelt done on my99 adams wanted 480 for the 45k servce including cambelt.

I opted for the 90 mile round trip to SS and paid substantially less.

Now my MY02 is outside of the 12months I'll be back for my next service at TSL or SS.

T.

Trumble

Don't forget Fenny Compton Subaru near Banbury. I seem to remember my 45k cambelt service costing £327 inc vat in June 2002.

F4 - Ive not tried them yet but probably should have a look at them.

As I work in the opposite direction its easier to go to SS.

T.

Update / comparison
-------------------
Exactly the same sort of problems now seem to be hitting the Skoda network. The best privately run ones seem to be losing / leaving the franchise as VAG UK make demands on premises etc etc. (I.M anyone!)

Perfect example - Forward Motors in Sundon Park Luton have just gone. They were privately owned, had excellent sales, showroom and service facilities plus SUPERB customer service. They also had a good turnover of used and presumably new cars.

The way its going, I'm suprised if many enthusiast owners will remain within the franchised network for servicing once the warranty runs out - as the only choice will be over-priced, under-serviced Corporate monsters before long.

New to England wiht my forester. ANy recommends on Dealers in the hemel hempstead area. After reading about Adams in Aylesbury, not too impressed now. I had some work doen at Sparschatts in Hampshire, but was just the Uk conversions. how is there service? SOmeone referred to SS, is that them?