For those that missed the story a study by the Automobile Aftermarket Industry Association found on average Dealerships charge 34% more than Independants, costing customers 11 Billion a year more, like I said, I thought it would be more.
Everyone has a boat payment. The dealer just has more management thus more boat payments than your local shop.
Please define 34%. Assuming it is for repairs and you don’t say if it is, is it per hour, per routine maintenance job, for difficult repairs, for easy repairs, for parts, for body work? Are dealers always more expensive or are there instances where they are more efficient than independents? Can independents specialize in one particular brand and have more fellow mechanics with a variety of experience levels to consult with who can also get in contact with the factory for intractable problems and have faster access to service bulletins as dealer mechanics can? Without context this 34% number is meaningless.
Can you say that the Automobile Aftermarket Industry Association is completely objective with their conclusion or would they possibly have an agenda? Is there a similar car dealer association and what do they say about this?
Heres the link to the story
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091226/ap_on_bi_ge/us_independent_mechanics