Dealerships 'mislead' customers

MOTORISTS are being misled about where they can have their car serviced, according to a survey out today.

Some franchised dealers are incorrectly telling car owners their warranties would be invalidated if they had vehicles serviced outside the main dealer network.

BMW dealers came out worst in a 'mystery shopper' investigation of main dealers by What Car? magazine.

Seven out of 20 BMW dealers questioned said cars would have to be serviced by a franchised dealer if the warranty was to be valid, while four BMW dealers said the warranty might be invalidated.

Citroen alo performed poorly with six dealers claiming a warranty would be invalidated if done independently, and Ford, where five gave this wrong information.

Conversely, just one of 20 Toyota dealers said a warranty would be invalidated if an independent dealer carried out a service.

In all, 200 dealers covering 10 main companies were surveyed, with 36 saying an independent service would definitely invalidate a warranty, 43 saying the warranty might be invalidated and 121 saying, correctly, that a car could be serviced anywhere.

What Car? editor David Motton said: 'We were shocked that so many dealers are pulling the wool over motorists' eyes.

'Car owners are free to shop around for servicing and should ask a number of main dealers and independent garages to quote for service work. Using a non-franchised dealer will not invalidate your warranty.'

Duncan McClure Fisher, managing director of Warranty Direct, said: 'Franchised dealers are fully aware that the average consumer has a limited understanding of his or her rights when it comes to servicing a warranty.

'As a result, they play on the car owner's fears. The argument that independent garages from outside the network will provide substandard work simply doesn't wash.'

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