OFFICIAL PORSCHE RIPOFF

Guest · Nov 24, 2006

My car has been serviced since birth at the OPC, formerly known as Glenvargill, in Bearsden. I've looked to keep the full Porsche history intact (maybe not necessary on a car this age!?) but to my horror, I've just been quoted £785 for a full service (including valve adjustment). The last time I had this done it cost be just over £400. The price apparently includes a brake fluid change at £130 which I do myself. Therefore the sevice comes in at £650ish. Does anyone else get an older car serviced there?

968er · Nov 24, 2006

Personally would not go near an OPC with an older car. You are much better to use a Porsche independant who actually understands that car and you will not get ripped off on cost either.

911sse · Nov 24, 2006

Thats riduculous.

OPC should be charging reduced rates on older cars and the parts cost have came down in price also.

If it has to be OPC, then call Aberdeen & Edinburgh to compare.

dave993cars · Nov 24, 2006

Hi Glasgow

I went to Edinburgh OPC (same company I think) for a quote for my yearly service on my 993 C4S, I was told £450.00 to include an antifreeze check, when I pointed out it was air cooled he came back with £114.00 per hour and couldn't tell me how long it would take.
I took my car to Aberdeen OPC and had it serviced with a courtesy car for the day for £250.00

Dave S

John H · Nov 24, 2006

The problem is that last year Porsche UK standardised hourly rates across the UK. Great news for folk in the home counties, where their hourly rate fell, but Scottish dealers, with much lower overheads, were obliged to almost double their rates just to fall in line with Porsche corporate policy. Great eh?

Don't take an older car to them, go to Motortune instead. Better service, fraction of the cost.

chfs911 · Nov 24, 2006

I got my cam belts and tensioner done there on my 968. We agreed a price for the job plus parts.

1 went to pick it up and the bill was £750.

I queried it. £300 quote for labour(about 5 hrs). 10% discount for parts.

But we don't have a £60 an hour labour rate I was told by reception. Speak to the service manager I said.

Anyway got £150 knocked off the bill by sticking to my guns. 2 year warranty on the job too.

For service work you can get a cheaper hourly rate elsewhere! Or do it yourself! Keep receipts for parts bought.

I get my 964 serviced in Europe at half the UK price when on holiday!

968er · Nov 24, 2006

As John said go to Motortune in Shotts. They are only about £40/hour and Peter McAnna who owns it knows what he is doing.

marlin · Nov 24, 2006

Porsche is making to much money, had my car less than a month before they tried taking the pee. Customer services, well how bad can they get, do not respond to emails.

Fantastic product awful service, I have come back to Porsche after 10 ten years hoping things would be better, they are not, in fact I would say bad service and extrem overcharging is the norm.

Small recent example main dealer visit (staff playing football around customers cars) the wife was with me and said are you mad leaving your car here, the answer should have been yes, 5 hours for a tyre replacment and a damaged wheel was the out come.[

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Mark_Bennett · Nov 24, 2006

staff playing football around customers cars

That sounds like something the Dealer Principle should be made aware of.
I would have thought that was akin to a sacking offence! [

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marlin · Nov 24, 2006

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

staff playing football around customers cars

Click to expand...

That sounds like something the Dealer Principle should be made aware of.
I would have thought that was akin to a sacking offence! []

He was and the ball was confiscate I under stand. However do I take my car there after complaining I THINK NOT. My son a 911 turbo owner swears that staff in OPC hate their customers so he now deals with them with this in mind. So remember behind that smile is pure poison [

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911 Turbo LE · Nov 24, 2006

I have just purchased a 1989, 930 Turbo LE with only 13800 miles with full OPC history. Solihull quoted £1000.00 Sutton Coldfield £900.00 has anybody used thease dealers before ?. It does seem a rip off to me but to keep the history in tact and retain your cars value you just have to bite the bullet.

rob911 · Nov 24, 2006

One has to question that on a 20+ year old car is a full service history such a big deal.
Considering over the 20 years, one will have spent nearly £10,000 on servicing (approx £500 per year) and at the most, the value of the car with OPC will be a few £100's at the most.
Old 911's are one of the easiest cars I've ever worked on - always purchase genuine filters etc and keep the receipts and carry out servicing at least once a year - you just won't go wrong honest. Even giving mine a tune after a service proved a waste of time and money - nothing has ever needed adjusted.
In my time of 911 ownership, I've had only one job on the car (corner balance) that I've not been able to carry out myself. The one time I have trusted my car to someone else and its no surprise to say I was ripped off big style. I won't name and shame but the bloke took £300 of me - bit rich considering his inability to even hold a spanner correctly - but its a case of live and learn.
I don't see Porsche ownership as a competition in how much money I can spend on the car.

Mark Elder · Nov 24, 2006

ORIGINAL: 911 Turbo LE

but to keep the history in tact and retain your cars value you just have to bite the bullet.

I'm not convinced. For a 17 year old car I'd pay more if I saw it was maintained by a well know and respected independant rather than someone who's likely to be not much older than the car and trained to follow a tech manual on fairly new cars. Some OPCs do have people who have been around for a long time and did work on the older cars, and I'm sure they are good, but most of of them will not be that experienced.

db@944s.co.uk · Nov 24, 2006

One has to question that on a 20+ year old car is a full service history such a big deal.

I agree. In buying my SC the previous owner maintained the car themselves for 20 years, stating he would not trust anyone else with his car and that the official maintenance schedule was inadequate.

The only records I have for the car is the original OPC history for the first 5 years (55,000 miles) and a bill for £10,000 for an engine & gearbox rebuild from 930 Motorsport (Ninemeister) 6,000 miles ago.

Even though I'm in the trade i've broken all the rules in buying this car. I've learnt that condition and provenance can represent so much more than a pile of A4 invoices - OPC or not.

911 Turbo LE · Nov 24, 2006

I agree, it grieves me to have to pay this price but Ian a friend of mine who ownes Porsche Shop in Halesowen who i asked to service it said "you must have it serviced by a main dealer as is a special car 1 of only 15 RHD cars ever made ".
I am between a rock and a hard place, i expect a high standerd of service and also would like to maintain the Porsche history it should be possible to have both .

John H · Nov 24, 2006

ORIGINAL: db@944s.co.uk
Even though I'm in the trade i've broken all the rules in buying this car. I've learnt that condition and provenance can represent so much more than a pile of A4 invoices - OPC or not.

So true ... the reason I did not buy the car you now own, is that when I looked at it a few years ago the owner had it in bits. It was suspended on large body stands, with the wheels and suspension off, as the owner (an engineer) was servicing them. He flicked the engine on to let me hear it (it caught on the first revolution [

]) and it was obviously a superbly looked after bit of machinery.

Trust your eyes and ears, and don't rely on "full history" as in reality it means no more than a set of overpriced oil changes.

Big Peter at Motortune ... that's the guy you want!

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db@944s.co.uk · Nov 24, 2006

So true ... the reason I did not buy the car you now own, is that when I looked at it a few years ago the owner had it in bits. It was suspended on large body stands, with the wheels and suspension off, as the owner (an engineer) was servicing them. He flicked the engine on to let me hear it (it caught on the first revolution []) and it was obviously a superbly looked after bit of machinery.

The garage in which the car was kept was laid out like an operating theatre. With the car came 6 volumes of genuine workshop bound manuals with every update the factory ever issued.

I just hope I can keep the car in a similar condition without ending up in a debtors jail! [

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Anyone know if there's a night school course on 911 maintenance?

rob911 · Nov 24, 2006

'Anyone know if there's a night school course on 911 maintenance?'

I'm planning to do the valves to my 3.2 Carrera during the xmas holidays, give me a shout and I'll let you see whats involved - it usually takes a couple of hours.

GreigM · Nov 24, 2006

ORIGINAL: 911 Turbo LE

I have just purchased a 1989, 930 Turbo LE with only 13800 miles with full OPC history. Solihull quoted £1000.00 Sutton Coldfield £900.00 has anybody used thease dealers before ?. It does seem a rip off to me but to keep the history in tact and retain your cars value you just have to bite the bullet.

you might have better luck getting an answer to that in one of the other regional sections (you're in Scotland now!)