Free Oil Change?

[Marauderman]

Several comments have been made where some of us new owners are getting a "first oil change free" deal. My dealer didn't mentioned this! Is this a secret we all should inquire about---or maybe it's a local dealers choice--- comments anyone?

[Bigdogjim]

marauderman Hello! Some times you can make a "deal" before you sign. My wife got lifetime oil change on her Highland because they offered it on her other car 2 years ago. As for me I love to go round and round with dealers. I guess it because my Dad was a L&M delaer for over 40 years. It gets in your blood! The old saying goes "don't know what you can get till you ask?"
Big Dog Jim

[JohnnyB]

When I picked up the car 2 weeks ago, my dealer had pre-scheduled me in Jan 2003 for the first oil change - I'm already in the service system to show up.... don't know if it's free though.

[03 Merc]

MarauderMan,

My dealership has the sales rep "schedule" your first oil change for "free" as part of the new car purchase. At that time they walk you around the service department and introduce the Service Manager and assign you a Service Writer... I always get a laugh out of that "Intro and Tour" as I have used the same writer for almost 8 years through 6 cars between my wife and I...

BTW my writer told me the dealers cost on a oil change was less than $9.00 (plus labor) They do oil changes for $19.95 so I have quit messing with it... Plus I get a chance to check out the car while it is on the lift and see if anything looks amiss...

[Macon Marauder]

I didn't ask for it: the salesman told me about it after we'd made the deal.

I thought it was just part of the deal when you buy a new Merc or Linc. It's never come up before when I bought a new Ford, though. Maybe it is a dealer by dealer thing...

[Mikeenh]

A free oil change is a great marketing gimmick. They get you used to coming to the dealer for service. Who knows what they might find wrong with the car when it's on the lift. My last GM had lifetime free state inspections. Once a year on your birth month you need a state sticker for your windshield. When they find something that needs to be fixed to pass, you usually don't go elswhere to do the repairs then come back to the dealer for the sticker. (If your car fails inspection, you MUST return to the same place to PASS inspection)
What better way to keep track of how many miles on your car than to have you come in every 3,000 miles. I see you have xxxxx miles on your car, isn't it about time to trade?
Their free oil change might just get the a new car $ale. Pretty good return on investment :p

[Macon Marauder]

Yeah, Mike - my thoughts exactly. The dealer that I bought my MM from is not "my dealer" - I've never bought from them before or used their service. I'm very comfortable with another Ford dealer closer to home.

I was thinking of taking them up on the freebie, then saying "adios" and using my guys after that. Still not sure, though. It's a 30 minute drive and what if their techs are sloppy?

[gja]

Well. in return for not making my dealer drop the few hundred over what others paid for the Marauder, I made him throw in 3 years of normal maintainence. I figure, let them sweat it for the length of the bumper-to-bumper.

[NYSP618]

My last car (2000 SS), there the GM dealer took real good care of his customers, every 5th oil change free (otherwise $9.95), anytime the car was there overnight, free loaner from Enterprise car rental, free yearly inspections, I could only hope my Ford Dealer will be half as generous. OK, I bought the MM because I got tired of seeing so many SS's.

[Marauderman]

well- looks like I got a lot of nice comments on this and the answer is: see if the dealer is- 1. gonna offer such a deal-one or more or none.
2. willing to strike up a deal after the sale--(which I seriously doubt-right!) as in my case-- nut thanks anyway MM owners---guess I should have been more creative during the "dealing" process----