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Hampshire services? |
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e3steve |
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Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
Has anyone ever used Freeborn Citroën, in Southampton, for any C6 work? | ||
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Julian |
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Joined: Jun 28 2013
Member No: #1346
Location: Hampshire |
I used their Winchester outlet for servicing on my C5 and they were expensive. I go to Salisbury Nick Holloway (used to be foreman at Penton Citroen) Holloway Motors Ltd. t/a Freeborn Motor Services (nothing to do with Freeborns although the original owner, Paddy Freeborn is related to them). Unit 3 Stephenson Road Churchfields Industrial Estate Salisbury Wilts. SP2 7NP Tel : 01722 421 166 and there is also Belbins Garage Unit 4 Belbins Business Park Cupernham Lane Romsey Hants. SO51 7JF Tel: 01794 516999 Fax: 01794 830100 |
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e3steve |
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Joined: Jan 21 2013
Member No: #1163
Location: Warsash, Hants & Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
Thank you Julian. Sorry for the delay; I didn't see your response, and the email notification thread tracking doesn't work for some inexplicable reason...... I knew Paddy, back in the eighties, when Freeborn were in the backstreets of Shirley (So'ton -- not Warwickshire!). I bought the entire interior from Paddy's CX Prestige, when it got totalled, and nailed it into my Pallas. Freeborn did some work for me on the Pallas, including new front discs, bearings & pads. That part of the bill racked up to £800, which is why I wondered if Mick is still kicking Citroën customers in the nuts...... My late cousin, from Lymington, had a series of BX GTis; he always dealt with Paddy; he too found Mick to be über-mercenary! I was just interested if the Southampton operation actually have a factory-trained C6 tech. Knowing what I do of Mick Freeborn -- he & Paddy dissolved their business partnership many years ago, I was told(?) -- it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't "wing it" and bs C6 owners into thinking that they're up there with the more reputable Citroën dealers. I've been buying my parts from YeomansCitroen in Fareham at the moment. |
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C6Dave |
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Member No: #1
Location: Northumberland |
e3steve wrote ... Thank you Julian. Sorry for the delay; I didn't see your response, and the email notification thread tracking doesn't work for some inexplicable reason...... For some reason, some mail servers are rejecting the e mails from site so I have changed the address a couple of times to try and resolve it..... |
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Julian |
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Joined: Jun 28 2013
Member No: #1346
Location: Hampshire |
I was told recently that Freeborns in Winchester charge £90 to hook Lexia up to read fault codes - and we are not talking about a total charge of £90 but £90 each time they take a reading - so £90 for the initial reading - clear fault codes - road test then another £90 for the post-road test reading. Not sure whether this is true but I have heard the same of another official dealer and the same for Peugeot dealers so maybe that is PSA's approved pricing structure. | ||
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C6Dave |
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Member No: #1
Location: Northumberland |
Julian, most dealers are effectively independent franchises (apart from a few Citroen owned) so decide on their own labour rates depending on where in the country they are. Some charge by the hour, some by the half hour. So there are wide variations across the country which is also why not all will carry out the 'fixed price' offers as their rates are higher than Citroen's subsidy making it 'uneconomic' in their eyes to work at those fixed rates..... If a diagnostic is carried out, repairs made, then you shouldn't be charged again for another to check everything is OK. You will find that in general, the smaller 'family' owned dealerships offer better service and value than the big chains. |
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Julian |
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Joined: Jun 28 2013
Member No: #1346
Location: Hampshire |
As I wrote above, I am not sure whether this is apocryphal or not - but I have heard the same story about multiple charges for Lexia readings being made by some dealers from three separate sources. |
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