Don’t Be Afraid To Shop Around

May 5, 2023

The blog this week is based around not being afraid to shop around to get the best price for your Volvo or Toyota Servicing and Repairs. We know that when money’s short and the cost of living is really squeezing us that it really can be tempting to skip servicing your Volvo or Toyota or to put off doing things until the service is actually due. However, you really do run a high risk of having more expensive repair costs further down the line. It is much better to shop around and get some quotes for the work that needs doing Read on to find out more:

The first thing you should do is check your Volvo or Toyota service manual to see what service is due next. Call 3 garages local to you to get your
quotes. Then follow our tips for getting the work done at a fair price:

If there is a repair to be done, say from an MOT failure, ask the garage for a detailed breakdown and costing of all the work required so you can see how they arrived at the total cost. Make sure they include all parts, costing and VAT. That way you can make sure the other garages are quoting like for like. Ensure that you are working from a quotation and not an estimated cost as there can sometimes be a big difference. Hourly rates and cost of oil can vary drastically between garages and dealerships.
Check that the garage will carry out your Volvo or Toyota service following the manufacturer’s procedures, and use original parts or those of ‘equivalent quality’. You can often find that a main dealer could charge as much as £100+ for an oil change whereas an independent garage could charge as little as £30 – so massive savings in your annual car maintenance and servicing can be had just from switching from a main dealer to a reputable local
independent garage.
If you prefer to stick to your regular garage, a cheaper quote from elsewhere may persuade them to give you a price reduction. Remember if you don’t ask you don’t get! Many Independent garages will be flexible when trying to keep their customer happy.
Other things that are often useful are things like free courtesy cars or free collection and drop off (from home or work)– these can be invaluable if you need to go to work or do the school run and being without a car for the day whilst yours is in the garage really can disrupt your schedule. Check with the garages you are getting quotes from that this is available. Some garages can charge from £15-£30 per day for the use of a courtesy car and £5 to £10 for drop off and collection services – there are plenty of garages that offer these services completely Free of Charge – like ACC UK Ltd of Farnborough, Hampshire. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.