The truth about capped price servicing and the consumer rights and pro and cons of capped price servicing is often questioned and debated. Power Curve Performance as an aftermarket or independent mechanical workshop are members of the AAAA or the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association. The association work towards creating fair and open competition in the service and repair of vehicles. In total their purpose is to create you the consumer a fair choise of who you choose to maintain, repair and service your vehicle. There is a huge amount of benifit to the AAAA however this is a vital roll they play for Power Curve Performance as a mechanic and aftermarket parts installer as well as you the owner of a vehilce.
Capped price servicing
AAAA and mechanics like power curve performance put the choice back in your hands in the fashion of how your vehicle is mechanically serviced. In one of the AAAA latest articles to its mechanical service-based clients, they outlined for us the professionals in the trade the difference between what we deem as a service and a capped-price service.
Capped price servicing or CPS is a routine maintenance program set out by the vehicle supplier that offers new car owners a fixed price or capped-price on some of their servicing requirements.
Capped price servicing has been a recent sales tactic to entice a client to purchase a new car, limiting the price they expect to pay for their upcoming vehicle services. For most new car owners the common misconception is they are receiving value for money by entering into this agreement. The most important thing to do as with any document you sign or agree to is to read the conditions involved with CPS.
Many new vehicles have the CPS built into the price of the new vehicle purchase price and if often open to change at the manufactures discression. Often CPS do not cover critical or log book service items that are specified to keep your vehicle warranty. To meet these needs for your vehicles long term life and for your warranty. These items often need to be addressed at high additional cost despite their essential purpose for your vehicle to last longer than the dealerships warranty.
Questions to ask your dealership prior to entering a capped-price service schedule.
- Is this price actually capped for the life of the car, or will these prices increase over time?
- Does the capped-price service include a full safety check inline with that of a mechanic such as Power Curve Performance or is this an additional charge.
- Will the capped-price service meet my warranty requirements or are there other costs and services involved to maintain a logbook service or warranty of my vehicle? If so what is the cost of this?
- If the capped price service is inbuilt into the purchase price of the vehicle if you choose not to use the CPS can this be discounted from the sale price?
- Does the capped price service include all lubricants, parts and repairs required for the vehicle or are these supplied at an inflated price?
- How long are you locked into the dealer only service option with capped price servicing program, and are there any penalties if you miss a scheduled service?
Power curve and capped price servicing
Power curve service clients have grown since the introduction of capped price servicing. Our world is getting busier by the day. The reliability of our vehicle is extremely important. Stamping your foot at child pick up at 3pm as you have 3 appointments after is not uncommon. The fact you do not have time to be broken down on the side of the road is a bigger issue than ever. Now that many of our vehicle service clients have experienced capped price servicing and experienced the fall out of it. These service clients have reverted to our style of honest, upfront maintenance and vehicle service style. Power curve vehicle services are different to most. We are not the cheapest however our client’s vehicles when they follow our recommendations and maintenance schedule, last longer, drive better and save them money and make them money on resale.
Capped price service experience
Recently the story and experience of clients and people we speak with in relation to dealership capped price servicing have become a copy-paste story. The client has purchased a new vehicle and based on what they have been sold believe it is best to take the car back to the dealership for the best value and experience service. The actual experience has been met by a team of salespeople looking to meet their sales targets to receive their bonus. Capped price service covers little more than an oil change and new oil filter that is pushed out to 15th km. As the vehicle gets older the car goes downhill quickly. The sales target grows, the parts become more and more expensive, the customer service is non-existence and as the car starts to deteriorate and lose its reliability the cars salesman floats at the five-year mark ready to replace your under-maintained vehicle as you really do need a new one.
Not only that you find you dropped your car off for a $300 service and picked it up with a $990 bill. A bill you were not notified or warned of and items you do not understand you need. Things start to go wrong and you find you are not covered by warranty and the price is more than your previous mechanic would change, and you have no maintenance schedule to follwo.
Power curve vehicle service difference
Power Curve are clients are long term. our services are not the cheapest but they are economical given the client receives long term outlook on their car as well as honest feedback. The aim as we said apart from happy clients, safe cars on the road keeping my children and your children safe. Our sales goal is retention and our service managers are not paid bonuses based on upselling. Our mechanics and service managers are trained to maintain and give honest feedback and value to our clients. Our team are part of the Power Curve family and relationships are professionally formed with our clients so we stand by our client’s maintenance and our brand and values. We find our clients find their vehicles reliable, long term and they trust us as their service provider. While capped price servicing looks like a saving, it actually can be more of an expense than you will initially think. Read between the lines and investigate more when you are looking at capped-price service options.
Before you move down the line of capped-price service make sure you are well informed and know the details prior to entering the agreement.