servicing cost v full service history upon selling - Page 2

GT0132 · 07-07-2011, 02:16 PM

Depending on the car I'm buying I place a high value on a service history. When I bought my FPV I wouldn't have bought it without a full service history from a reputable workshop. I couldn't care less if it had been previously owned by a mechanic who did his own servicing. If there's no recorded service history - no sale!

It's different for a cheaper second car around $10-12k or less in which case I'm not too fussed about sighting a full history provided its been serviced "recently" and is in good condition and in good mechanical order for its age and mileage which you can generally tell by a quick inspection. However I would pay a small premium for a full history everything else being equal.

The person who buys my GT after me will be given a lever arch file full of servicing invoices (done every 6 months , 5,000 kms) , all paperwork on modifications done and any other work carried out and accessories purchased. The way I see it if I want and exepct a full service history so would plenty of others, including the next owner.

PHANTMXR6 · 07-07-2011, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT0132

The person who buys my GT after me will be given a lever arch file full of servicing invoices (done every 6 months , 5,000 kms) , all paperwork on modifications done and any other work carried out and accessories purchased. The way I see it if I want and exepct a full service history so would plenty of others, including the next owner.

There is no difference between a service history being supplied by an owner who is a qualified mechanic, and a workshop that puts a stamp on the paper if you keep all the paperwork and receipts as you have listed.

Why should it be any different for any price bracket?

GT0132 · 07-07-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

There is no difference between a service history being supplied by an owner who is a qualified mechanic, and a workshop that puts a stamp on the paper if you keep all the paperwork and receipts as you have listed.

Why should it be any different for any price bracket?

It's all about perception mate and, to quote another post above, the comfort and feel good factor.

Out of the following scenarios -

1. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, in fact it looks like the car has never had a service !

2. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, owner says he is a mechanic and has done all the servicing himself.

3. car advertised for sale , owner says he is a mechanic who works at XYZ Garage Ltd. XYZ's name and/or logo is stamped in the log book at the proper service intervals.

4. car advertised for sale , the owners occupation is unknown, he bought the car new from ABC Ford Dealership in 19xx and has had the car serviced by them since new (or by some other reputable garage/workshop) as evidenced by the stamps in the log book.

I've ranked those from worst to best . I'd go for the 4th scenario, unless I knew the history of the car or the mechanic.

The state and condition of the cars some of my mechanic mates own/have owned over the years would make your eyes water. Not sugegsting all are like that though . In my 3rd scenario above there is nothing to stop a mechanic from using his employers stamp to stamp a log book to make his car more attractive to a potential purchaser. Seen that happen many times.

prydey · 07-07-2011, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT0132

It's all about perception mate and, to quote another post above, the comfort and feel good factor.

Out of the following scenarios -

1. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, in fact it looks like the car has never had a service !

2. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, owner says he is a mechanic and has done all the servicing himself.

3. car advertised for sale , owner says he is a mechanic who works at XYZ Garage Ltd. XYZ's name and/or logo is stamped in the log book at the proper service intervals.

4. car advertised for sale , the owners occupation is unknown, he bought the car new from ABC Ford Dealership in 19xx and has had the car serviced by them since new (or by some other reputable garage/workshop) as evidenced by the stamps in the log book.

I've ranked those from worst to best . I'd go for the 4th scenario, unless I knew the history of the car or the mechanic.

The state and condition of the cars some of my mechanic mates own/have owned over the years would make your eyes water. Not sugegsting all are like that though . In my 3rd scenario above there is nothing to stop a mechanic from using his employers stamp to stamp a log book to make his car more attractive to a potential purchaser. Seen that happen many times.

this is the way i see it. selling cars is a difficult caper at the moment and anything you do to give the edge over the competition has to be worth it.

when selling cars, 9 times out of 10, you don't know the person coming to look, and they don't know you. in the space of a few minutes you are asking someone to trust you and believe everything you tell them. the fact is, there are many buyers out there who would trust the stamps rather than trust the honesty of the person selling the car. its just the way society is.

PHANTMXR6 · 07-07-2011, 03:30 PM

I keep a copy of my trade paper with my service book.

If and when I sell my car, the prospective buyer can take my word for it, or see the evidence with the book.

A copy of a trade paper is as good as a workshop stamp, if you know the history of the tradesman.

Does it make it any less valuable than one that's been stamped by a dealer? I don't believe so.

Falcon SXR8 · 07-07-2011, 03:36 PM

I don't see the greatness in having a dealer stamped book most cars these days have very long service intervalls too long in my opinion I like to do oil every 5 thousand and filter every 10. I wen't to trade my emaculate xr8 a while ago at a ford dealer and the bloke comes out of the workshop to have a look and says " whats the T badge on the side for " then says he can't give me much beacuse I serviced it myself. So I said why would I pay you guys a huge amount of money every 15 thou ks to service my pride and joy when you don't even know what a tickford is a car you have been selling for 10 years or so.

So I don't trust dealer servicing at all really.

mytgxl · 07-07-2011, 03:57 PM

I`ve got a friend in at work who was taking his commodore in for a service once & I told him to put a mark in a hard to get at place on the filters!
He said what for? I said so you know they are changing them! To his suprise when the car came back from the service, the oil filter was the same one that was sent in with!
So sometimes you cannot even trust a dealer!

OzJavelin · 07-07-2011, 04:41 PM

I've had my '03 SV8 dealer serviced every 10,000km since new. At 190,000km I doubt that service history would mean much to most people as it's just an "old" car now.

Rodge · 07-07-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT0132

It's all about perception mate and, to quote another post above, the comfort and feel good factor.

Out of the following scenarios -

1. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, in fact it looks like the car has never had a service !

2. car advertised for sale , no documented service history presented, owner says he is a mechanic and has done all the servicing himself.

3. car advertised for sale , owner says he is a mechanic who works at XYZ Garage Ltd. XYZ's name and/or logo is stamped in the log book at the proper service intervals.

4. car advertised for sale , the owners occupation is unknown, he bought the car new from ABC Ford Dealership in 19xx and has had the car serviced by them since new (or by some other reputable garage/workshop) as evidenced by the stamps in the log book.

I've ranked those from worst to best . I'd go for the 4th scenario, unless I knew the history of the car or the mechanic.

The state and condition of the cars some of my mechanic mates own/have owned over the years would make your eyes water. Not sugegsting all are like that though . In my 3rd scenario above there is nothing to stop a mechanic from using his employers stamp to stamp a log book to make his car more attractive to a potential purchaser. Seen that happen many times.

I'm really glad this topic has come up, thank you to the Op and I concurr with your point of view.
I was going to get the local mechanic to do the servicing on my new GT-P but when you think about it, four or five stamps from a well known Ford dealership has to be worth more than stamps from Joe Bloggs the local mechanic who nobody but me knows from Adam.

Looking at it from the other point of view I'm more comfortable with a Ford dealers stamp and I'm sure the majority of other buyers would be too.

I reckon the higher value the car is the more important this issue is.
For example if I were of a mind too sell my four year old S Class Mercedes-benz, I reckon if it didn't have four stamps from an authorised M Benz dealer a sale simply wouldn't happen, so I'd go so far to say in high value sale situations its not just a matter of whether the value is affected by not having the service stamps, it could materially affect the saleability of vehicle.

302 XC · 07-07-2011, 06:04 PM

Interesting topic
But i throw a spanner in the works
Do you buy that 2nd hand car with a documented history for "X" amount
OR do you pay the same or maybe a touch more and buy the 2nd hand car with documented history thru a yard that gives a warranty of sorts ???

The car i have now , a 1997 patrol had full documented service history since new (1 owner)
I didnt buy the car for this sole reason , it was bought as it was the best i could find (and boy did we look at alot)
It was that good . it was the only 2nd hand car i never got an independant inspection on before buying

Yes i paid a bit for it , but its original paint, still shinny and like new inside and overall
Even to patch or replace certain parts couldnt result in the same quality

Even a full documented history car doesnt mean itll reap better rewards or be more mechanical than those not fully serviced

GT0132 · 07-07-2011, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

I keep a copy of my trade paper with my service book.

If and when I sell my car, the prospective buyer can take my word for it, or see the evidence with the book.

A copy of a trade paper is as good as a workshop stamp, if you know the history of the tradesman.
Does it make it any less valuable than one that's been stamped by a dealer? I don't believe so.

Exactly !!

I doubt it makes it any more/less valuable - its a bit like swimming pools when trying to sel a property - some place a high value , others don't. I reckon the more special the car the more important history becomes

PHANTMXR6 · 07-07-2011, 06:17 PM

That would be the same for a workshop then as you are never guaranteed to have the same tradesman work on your car every service.

FreddyDUZ747 · 07-07-2011, 06:27 PM

My miss's family owns/operates West Torrens Dyno Centre here in Adelaide.Our cars are serviced their and have a stamp saying its been performed by a tuning place,does this mean the car has been thrashed(loose term)in some/many/if any eyes?Mainly talking about my other halfs car.

Havent thought of it this way before,good thread OP.

Rodge · 07-07-2011, 07:36 PM

I don't think you can beat a stamp from a franchised dealer for the particular marque in question.

Regarding your question, I wouldn't want to buy a car with stamps from a tuning shop, buts that's just one opinion FWIW. Maybe I'm fussy. Its also probably got a lot to do with the age of the vehicle second hand, Near new you'd expect to see franchise dealers stamps, older and lower value it probably doesn't matter quite as much.

Ben73 · 07-07-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

And what makes you think just because there is a stamp in the book that the work has actually been carried out ?.
I am sure there would be many vehicle's out there for sale that have a complete service history going by the book's but in reality may indeed not have, alot like a stolen re-shelled vehicle that comes with a complete service history ?.

Ring the company stamped if you have any doubts. They would be able to confirm it.

snakeoil · 07-07-2011, 08:36 PM

Rodge

You are 100% correct.

With Ford used cars sold under the FORD Banner they must have service history otherwise take a chance elsewhere

xtremerus · 07-07-2011, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodge

I'm really glad this topic has come up, thank you to the Op and I concurr with your point of view.
I was going to get the local mechanic to do the servicing on my new GT-P but when you think about it, four or five stamps from a well known Ford dealership has to be worth more than stamps from Joe Bloggs the local mechanic who nobody but me knows from Adam.

Looking at it from the other point of view I'm more comfortable with a Ford dealers stamp and I'm sure the majority of other buyers would be too.

I reckon the higher value the car is the more important this issue is.
For example if I were of a mind too sell my four year old S Class Mercedes-benz, I reckon if it didn't have four stamps from an authorised M Benz dealer a sale simply wouldn't happen, so I'd go so far to say in high value sale situations its not just a matter of whether the value is affected by not having the service stamps, it could materially affect the saleability of vehicle.

Agree there.
Basic Falcon - dubious value of a dealer stamped logbook
High end Falcon - definite value in the dealer stamped logbook

galaxy xr8 · 08-07-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben73

Ring the company stamped if you have any doubts. They would be able to confirm it.

And offcourse they are going to tell you that they didn't do all the work arn't they, but they stamped the book so they must have.

A family friend at the momment is going through a very hard time right now as of something very similar to this subject, he is a very good and qualified mechanic, he has been a head mechanic at Ford and Toyota dealership's before but deciding to go out on his own.
In trusting another dealer he knew he went in partnership with him, the dealer was buying used car's from auction's and getting him to service them and get RWC and then putting them on the dealer's lot, now they both had a seperate bussiness but running under the dealer's license LMCT.

The mechanic had to close up shop as personal commitment's had struct, the dealer took it upon himself to continue to stamp all the vehicles still comming in and giving them RWC as work that was susposedly carried out by the mechanic (this was actually done by his apprentice).
The mechanic is now facing charges as it is his stamp's that are in the book's once the VCAA (what ever it is) is now pursing the matter, he was told that he should have locked his stamp's away and no one should have had access, rightly so but no one should have been using them aswell, when he trusted the dealership, and he was not in the right state of mine at this stage to even think about work as he was just diagnosed with a serious illness, so thinking about locking his stamp's away was the last thing on his mind.

My friend is now in hot water becuase he made a silly mistake in trusting someone while he was not able to work, and that someone is now still able to practise and own a used car yard.

So what I am trying to say is that just because a book has been stamped, mean's jack in reality.

GT0132 · 08-07-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreddyDUZ747

My miss's family owns/operates West Torrens Dyno Centre here in Adelaide.Our cars are serviced their and have a stamp saying its been performed by a tuning place,does this mean the car has been thrashed(loose term)in some/many/if any eyes?Mainly talking about my other halfs car.

Havent thought of it this way before,good thread OP.

I wouldn't say so....I have my car serviced at Autotech and can back up their stamp with an invoice listing the work carried out. I think they are more thorough and knowledgeable than any Ford Dealership I've used

Rodge · 08-07-2011, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT0132

I wouldn't say so....I have my car serviced at Autotech and can back up their stamp with an invoice listing the work carried out. I think they are more thorough and knowledgeable than any Ford Dealership I've used

All that counts mate is what potential buyers perceive to be the safer option.

naddis01 · 08-07-2011, 03:24 PM

I went and had a look au a couple of cars for a mate while I was at the show this week. The first thing I did in both cars was look at the service history. I didn't care who did it as long as it was done and done by a licenced mechanic. The first car had missed a couple of services and I promptly got out of the car and didn't look at it again. The second one had a good history so I proceeded to check it out further.

I just look that they have been done and by a licenced mechanic, dealer branded or not. There are plenty of cars for sale. Why bother with something with a dodgy history? Would I consider a car with a backyard service history? Probably not. How do I distinguish between someone who knows what they are doing and someone just doing it to rate a buck that uses the cheapest oil they can find or slip something because it will be right until next time?

prydey · 08-07-2011, 03:34 PM

i think once a car gets over a certain age or mileage or price, it becomes less of a concern.

most cars less than 5 years old and under 100000km, and north of $15-20k, i've found most people will prefer to see a full service history. i've found most are prepared to pay a small premium for this.

this thread has shown that the attitude of enthusiasts can be quite different, but like it or not, we are a minority.

PHANTMXR6 · 08-07-2011, 03:42 PM

I seem to be misunderstanding your thought process here.

Your original post was related to a dealer service history.

Does it now not seem to matter if it's a dealer service history, or a service history none the less?

prydey · 08-07-2011, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHANTMXR6

I seem to be misunderstanding your thought process here.

Your original post was related to a dealer service history.

Does it now not seem to matter if it's a dealer service history, or a service history none the less?

if you look at the thread title, it simply says full service history. i mentioned a few times that it was about a stamp in the book, regardless of who does it. it just offers peace of mind to a prospective buyer.

there are many people on here who 'assumed' i meant dealer only, possibly because i mentioned i take my car to a dealer. i have re iterated a couple of times that it wasn't about ford dealers only.

sorry for any confusion, but i'm confidant it wasn't me that caused it.

edit, also, i can often be taken the wrong way due to me rarely using the emoticons, but i rarely have a crack at anyone. i just type words on a page. apologies if anyone gets the wrong idea.

PHANTMXR6 · 08-07-2011, 04:02 PM

No dramas mate. Just the way I interpreted the words on the page in the original post.

GT450 · 08-07-2011, 04:48 PM

If you are getting your car serviced at the dealers because you think the stamp may bring a little more at resale time then you are doing it for completely the wrong reason. Trust and having faith in your mechanic doing the job correctly is far more important. The only people who like dealer stamps are dealers as they make far more out of the car in the workshop than they do when selling new.
GT450

prydey · 08-07-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT450

If you are getting your car serviced at the dealers because you think the stamp may bring a little more at resale time then you are doing it for completely the wrong reason. Trust and having faith in your mechanic doing the job correctly is far more important. The only people who like dealer stamps are dealers as they make far more out of the car in the workshop than they do when selling new.
GT450

i got my last 2 cars serviced by my dealer to keep my warranty intact. i have complete faith in my dealer to do a good job.

my next service on my fg will be due beyond the warranty period, so i'm discussing the merits of keeping a full service history versus reverting back to servicing the car myself.

some people think that a full service history offers peace of mind to a prospective buyer and may be worth a small premium come sale time.

others think the stamp has no meaning and service departments are the scum of the earth (almost it seems).

there are pro's and cons to each way.

my car isn't due for a service for another 10 months or so (i don't do 15000/yr) and i'm not looking at selling before then or even soon after, but part of me can't help but feel it will be beneficial to keep the service history up, esp while its under 100000km.

that is all.

FreddyDUZ747 · 08-07-2011, 06:10 PM

I thought Ford servicing was 6 months or 15,000kms whatever comes first and not how ever many months it takes to get to 15,000kms?

I look at the months between changes as much as the kms between changes when buying.

galaxy xr8 · 08-07-2011, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

i got my last 2 cars serviced by my dealer to keep my warranty intact. i have complete faith in my dealer to do a good job.

my next service on my fg will be due beyond the warranty period, so i'm discussing the merits of keeping a full service history versus reverting back to servicing the car myself.

some people think that a full service history offers peace of mind to a prospective buyer and may be worth a small premium come sale time.

others think the stamp has no meaning and service departments are the scum of the earth (almost it seems).

there are pro's and cons to each way.

my car isn't due for a service for another 10 months or so (i don't do 15000/yr) and i'm not looking at selling before then or even soon after, but part of me can't help but feel it will be beneficial to keep the service history up, esp while its under 100000km.

that is all.

Is that Factory Ford warranty you are refering to ?.

302 XC · 08-07-2011, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naddis01

I went and had a look au a couple of cars for a mate while I was at the show this week. The first thing I did in both cars was look at the service history. I didn't care who did it as long as it was done and done by a licenced mechanic. The first car had missed a couple of services and I promptly got out of the car and didn't look at it again. The second one had a good history so I proceeded to check it out further.

It would be quite interesting to get a thorough inspection on the both at this point
Just because one car has perhaps missed a service or two,that automatically means its a heap of ....

I wonder really if 2 identical make/brand .year cars with the same Ks showing wether or not a dealer on a trade would pay much more for the fully serviced car as opposed to one thats missed a service or two ???
5-10Ks from a cars last service , well anything could go wrong