Why don't dealerships get the big picture?

[MSke390]

So I dropped my car off yesterday for a oil change and maybe I'm just too literal but these kind of shady antics really bug me not to mention kill any credibility I have in them.

So owners manual lists two maintenance schedules are to be followed; 1 or 2. 1 says that the oil is to be changed every 7,500 miles where schedule 2 is every 5,000 miles. I know why I'm automatically put in schedule 2 but I personally think that I could follow schedule 1.

Anyways, the dealership tells me that my next oil change is in 4,000 miles, the receipt given to me says I had a 3,750 mile oil service and technician put next oil service due in 3,000 miles on windshield sticker.

Ok I get what the economy is like but why do you have to be so shady to milk a little more out of your customers? Am I asking too much for someone to be ethical, honest and fair?

 

[DDDonkey]

I just had the the second oil change in mine, and did it at 3500 miles, the dealer put the next on due in 4k. I don't understand why one dealer told me to go 5k and the next says 4k. The other thing is one deal says semi syn and the other tells me full syn oil in the Mazda. They need to get there stories strait.

 

[MSke390]

Couldn't agree more, I bought car from another dealer who put me in schedule 1 plan telling me that 7500 miles was first oil change and the place I take it now also said syn is recommended. Really annoys me, what's wrong with thus country?

 

[hornsfan10609]

It's capitalism my friend. If you get 3 oil changes a year instead of 5 the dealer is losing a big chunk of change. There is no sense to it, it is all motivated by profit. Not to mention it keeps the economy 'healthy' instead of them changing their business model and adjusting to (all) modern car's 7500 mile recommended oil change interval. Cars don't fail as often as they used to and people spend less on maintenance, the dealers are feeling it and don't want to change their ways so they jack up their prices and prey on lay people that don't read the manual.

The simple fact is: shorter interval means more visits to the shop means more money for the dealer.

 

[tex2670]

It's the same as when the dealer's "30,000 mile service" contains hundreds of $$ more of work than what the manufacturer's recommended service for the same mileage interval says. People subscribed to this forum, or similar other forums, are more savvy and knowledgeable than the average car owner--and the dealer knows it. There's a reason that the dealer keeps doing it--they make way more money by doing this then they will lose by pissing you off and forcing you to go elsewhere. It's well worth it to them, and they will keep doing it until it's no longer worth it.

And THAT is THEIR big picture...

 

[ceric]

You need to know that most dealers make more money from services than new vehicle sale.
In this information age, most buyers are equipped with invoices in their hands. Cut throat margin in new vehicle sale it is.
Maintenance, on the other hand, is a gold mine for them.

They can easily scare most owners into doing many unnecessary maintenance.
Avoid the xxK maintenance programs unless you are so rich that you do not care.

 

[sts7049]

just shows the importance of owners paying attention