Recent service history
Unfortunately, some garages give the motor trade a bad name by not treating their customers fairly.
One of our customers had recently changed his ageing Mercedes C-class for a similar but younger vehicle with less mileage. After a hunt around, he bought a 2007 model from a private owner. The vehicle came with plenty of service history, including receipts for work done, and the service book was nicely stamped up. According to the owner, the vehicle had been serviced prior to the sale, and this seemed to be a genuine effort to ensure the vehicle was passed on in a good condition.
After the purchase, our customer asked us to check it over. The vehicle looked to be in good general condition and we noted that the service book was ticked in all the appropriate boxes, one of which noted that a new air filter had been fitted only eight days prior to the sale. However, removing the air filter housing for a quick check, we could safely say that the filter had not been replaced for some time.
This was good for us because the new owner then requested a full service to ensure all points were covered. It is was bad for the trade, though, having been let down by one of its members!