Enjoyed Your Cuppa? – That’ll be £100 Please!

Kwik-Fit believes it may have stumbled upon Britain’s most expensive cup of tea – and it reports that the few watery sips one receives costs even more than afternoon tea at the Ritz. This claim has been made following a mystery shopping exercise conducted by the fast-fit chain, and it says results show the nation’s costliest brew is served by….your main car dealership.

The mystery shopping exercise was instigated to probe main dealer servicing costs, and Kwik-Fit says that, while motorists might be aware they’ll pay a premium to have their car serviced at a main dealer, they perhaps have little inkling as to just how much extra the bill may come to. The company offers the example of a 2002 registered VW Golf 1.6S – its owner will pay an average of £125 more for a main dealer service than at their local Kwik-Fit. An owner of a Renault Mégane Dynamique owner would pay a hefty £138 more – on average.

The nationwide chain promises service schedules providing the same level of safety and care as that of a main dealer, and Kwik-Fit even claims that, compared with what it offers, mystery shoppers concluded that a main dealer service often provides little more than a free cup of tea, vacuum and carwash as extra. Kwik-Fit warns that car owners could well be forking out over £100 for a cup of tea at their main dealer.

David White, Kwik-Fit’s customer service director, commented: “Motorists we’ve spoken to want great service at an affordable price, and Kwik-Fit has spent time listening to and reflecting these demands. But many dealerships continue to charge high prices to their customers….the main dealer price for servicing a nine year old Golf is around