A DRIVER has slammed car dealers for acting like “cartels”, after he was allegedly charged more than £500 for a simple oil change.
Alex Quinlan, 62, accused companies of “profiteering” after receiving the shocking bill for work done on his hybrid Porsche Cayenne.
NumbleFinsAlex Quinlan claims he paid ten times the average rate for an oil change, based on research by Nimble Fins[/caption]
Alex, from the West Midlands, said he was “appalled” by the charge, claiming he had been asked for £580 to carry out the simple service.
According to data firm NimbleFins, this is over five times the average cost of an oil change in the UK, sitting at £113.
Indeed, he claimed that another garage quoted him just £174 for the same job.
The disgruntled driver said his suspicions were aroused when he allegedly found identical products to those used for the oil change for lower prices elsewhere.
For example, he alleged that he was charged double the price for the type of oil used compared to buying it directly from a major retailer.
Alex told The Express: “I am appalled at the level of profiteering now going on in the market.
“I am sure this is not restricted to Porsche either.
“Dealers were unable to truly justify the cost. It’s a two-hour job.
“The dealers claimed prices had shot up since the oil price had too.
“I think they are quoting so much because it’s a necessary requirement and only an authorised dealer can stamp the book for a full service history.”
He added that, according to his calculations based on the retail price of the products used, he had been charged a whopping £243 per hour for labour.
He now says that he has been put off owning a hybrid and will be opting for an EV next time he buys.
Erin Yurday, CEO of NimbleFins, said: “This is quite the markup by Porsche and it’s not exactly clear why they are charging so much.
“Just because Porsches are expensive cars, it doesn’t mean their owners can afford, or deserve, to be ripped off.”
Porsche declined to comment.
How to avoid being ripped off for an oil change
Car expert Erin Wright helpfully made a TikTok video concerning this very subject last year, sharing her tips to avoid rip off oil changes.
She explained that a major issue in accurate pricing is that most drivers don’t know the going rate for common maintenance work.
Thankfully, you can use a number of websites to check the prices in your local area as well as the national average.
Nimble Fins collects all sorts of data along these lines, but you can also find information on the websites of major garage chains like Halfords.
Some even have features where you can narrow it down to branches in your local area to get a good picture of the best deals near you.
Erin said: “You can put in the make and model of your car and the location you’re going to and then choose the service you want.
“It will tell you at that location exactly how much you should be paying.”