The dealership service warranty myth that could be costing you dearly

Many car owners are still unaware that they can take their new vehicle to get serviced at an independent garage, even if it is still under the dealership warranty.

This means that thousands of people who own cars less than three years old are paying a lot more than they should to have their cars serviced.

Since 2003, EU competition law has stopped car manufacturers from forcing owners to only use them for servicing and repair work.

This should have stopped the big manufacturers from abusing their market position. But often, dealers still warn buyers that their warranty will be void if they use another garage for their servicing. This is incorrect and in some cases is illegal.

If your vehicle is under warranty (new warranties usually last for three years) then it can still be serviced at an independent garage like Duffy Motors, without invalidating the conditions of the dealership warranty.

As long as the service is carried out to the manufacturers specifications, using approved parts and techniques, then the vehicle’s warranty will remain valid.

Along with other good independent garages (find one close to you by using the Good Garage Scheme), Duffy Motors works within all the main manufacturer service specifications. And we have never had any issues with manufacturers refusing to honour the warranty on a vehicle after we have worked on it.

We will only use parts and fluids approved by your vehicles manufacturer, and we will update your service record is in line with the industry standard and can stand up to dealership scrutiny.

Five big reasons to go to your independent garage instead of a dealership

Better price

The biggest reason to choose an independent garage over a dealer service is because you get a better price. One of the major reasons that many of our new car warranty customers choose Duffy Motors is because they know we offer a much better price than most of the dealers in the area.

How much these customers save depends on the type and specification of their vehicle. On high performance cars like Audis, Mercedes and BMWs we can generally offer a discount of 30-40% of what a local dealership would charge.

For smaller cars the discounts are lower, but still significant. On a Ford KA, for example, we estimate that we are 20% cheaper than the local dealers.

Some of our feedback on the Good Garage Scheme

Better service

Good service is important to our customers. We put a lot of effort into our customer relationships, and we live and die by the loyalty of our clients.

You shouldn’t take our word for it though. We have over 400 independent reviews on the Good Garage Scheme website, and a 99+% positive feedback score.

Some of our feedback on the Good Garage Scheme

More convenient locations

Independent garages like Duffy Motors are more likely to be in a convenient location for their customers. Unlike dealers, that often choose to locate in cheaper premises on the very outskirts of towns and cities, independent garages choose to set up in more convenient locations where their customers can see them and get to them easily.

Some of our feedback on the Good Garage Scheme

At Duffy Motors, we are very proud of our Manchester city centre location. We are close to major transport routes, and popular business districts like Spinningfields.  Located in the shadow of the Beetham Tower, we are also close to Deansgate rail and tram stations so it is easy for our customers to drop their vehicles off on the way to the office and collect them at the end of the working day.

Support local businesses

Using independent garages is also a fantastic way of supporting local businesses. A lot of the main dealers hold lucrative contracts with some of the world’s largest motor manufacturers. Independent garages are still family-owned and often have deep routes within their communities.

Duffy Motors has been established for over 50 years. We initially had a site in Salford before moving into the city centre in the 1980s. We wholeheartedly believe in supporting local businesses and the local economy.

Honest advice

Dealerships and some of the bigger garages are renowned for offering bad advice and trying to upsell wherever possible. Customer relationships don’t mean as much to them and they don’t think much about trying to squeeze a few hundred extra pounds out of a deal.

At Duffy Motors, we subscribe to a different model. We always try to offer the best advice wherever possible. Whether its advice on what oil to use for your vehicle, or how to change a tyre – we are always happy to help.

We have even had loyal customers phone up for suggestions on what car to buy next.

Some of our feedback on the Good Garage Scheme

Some of our feedback on the Good Garage Scheme