After researching the cost for a first service, I put my car into Inchcape ( Hunters of Chester) today (£294 as opposed to £380 for Hatfields in Liverpool).
The customer service was very good but when I collected it I noticed on the bill that I had been charged for Fortron Fuel treatment and Engine flush. Not being aware of the implications I paid up but, on subsequent checking, I find that Fuel Treatment is an injector cleaner (on an engine that has done less than 5000 miles) and Engine Flush is a chemical detergent
designed to flush out deposits (again on an engine with less than 5000 miles).
I am left with the impression that this is a scam to sell unnecessary Australian crap to increase the profits of Landrover dealers. Am I being paranoid or is this normal Landrover policy?

Personally, the time to worry about unnecessary extras in when you've paid more for a service than was reasonable, not after you've grabbed a bargain!

Out of interest, how much of the £294 was the flush etc?

£20 for the engine flush and fuel treatment.
It's not so much the cost, its more the high handed attitude that allows them to decide what to do with my car! This treatment is not described in the LR service description and, frankly, the use of injector cleaner, particularly, on an engine that is not run in is against all engineering principles.

actually the oil flush helps the residual drain out by reducing the adhesion of the old oil & the fuel treatment help reduce or remove small moisture content in the fuel and reduce bacteria ! and does reduce the chance of any valves sticking in the fuel system .

When I had my garage it also used to help with those uneducated motorists who used to accuse us of not changing the oil on a service because it was black by the time they got home ( It was a major battle ) & with a through put of 150+ cars a week I can assure you before we started using oil flush may be 10-20 a week would accuse us of not changing the oil !

You got a bargain !
I was offerred the fuel treatment only when I turned up for my recent Main Dealer Service - at an extra cost of £ 40 !! FL2 HSE Auto Galway Green
Evoque SD4 Auto Blue.
FL1 HSE TD4 Manual Black - Gone.
RR Classic V8 EFI - Gone

Every time my car goes in for a service I always fill the washer bottle to the top but I still get charged for washer fluid. Stornaway grey SE auto with 18" alloys

So you haven't learnt to leave it empty then

Somewhere in the small print will be a schedule of what is done, it probably says " checked and re filled as necessary" most garages have you sign up front on the service sheet, if it isn't read and acted upon you don't have much recourse, unfortunately not many of us read the small print and the moan when we get stung.

But it was not checked and filled as you say because if they checked it would be full.So it is fraud and just like saying that they topped up the brake fluid when that was full or topping up the oil when it does not need it.A lot of people never open the bonnet and trust garages to be honest when obviously they are not. Stornaway grey SE auto with 18" alloys

the dealer service is basically pay up and get a stamp in the book to validate warranty.

you may also get a blast with a jet wash just for good measure

Iain

Must admit the charging for screen fluid has always irked me and it is every dealer for every car, I had it with Nissan and Suzuki. I challenged it once and was told the cost is for going through the motions of checking and if necessary topping up, they could argue that a thimble full is topping up.

I now don't top up a few weeks before a service and purposely check it has been topped up after.

I always tell them not to touch the washer fluid as I use my own stuff, then it doesn't show on invoice. As for the engine flush, I always pay extra to have this, but it is normally about £40. They do leave a ltr of oil as a top up as part of the cost.

Name and shame them. It is the only way an industry that in general seems to be shrined in sharp practice and dishonesty may become customer focused. The money we pay should return a fair service at a fair price.
Lookers Chelmsford are masters of sharp practice, so I travel to Stratstone Hainault where I get a better price, no nasty add ons and a fixed price service with an LR stamp.

Why not use this forum to create a poll of dealers measured by service. Then readers will migrate to the better dealers and hopefully the bad will suffer and raise their game? 2012 GS Converted-
The Best Commercial by Four by Far

No problem with what you say and agree on the 'sharp' practice but perhaps a poll might leave Martin open to some sort of libel

It's different individuals having a rant but polling may not be wise, I honestly don't know.

commando wrote:

Every time my car goes in for a service I always fill the washer bottle to the top but I still get charged for washer fluid.

Ditto * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

Wizking has the right idea..tell them what you want, if you "buy" a service and the schedule includes washer fluid were necessary that is your bad luck if charged for it.

Businesses are out to make money, capitalism dictates that, you have to be shrewd and as clever if you want to beat them at their own game, or simply ask them not to top it up.

No, we are not having a poll, it would need both for and against votes and will prove nothing at the end of the day as people with a bad experience shout more than those with a good one, so the results will be skewed.