Very many people drive imported European cars and they keep wondering whether they should stick with dealerships to service or repair their cars or they should put their trust in independent repair shops. This article discusses three reasons why it would be better to opt for an independent shop.

Lower Monetary Cost

Car dealerships selling European cars have higher overheads such as paying franchise fees for the manufacturers they represent. These higher overheads are normally passed on to customers in the form of higher fees for services like car service and repairs. It is therefore better (for your pocket) to service your European car at an independent shop instead of taking it to the European car dealership.

Hassle-Free Access

Many dealerships require customers to call in and make an appointment before they can take their car to be serviced or repaired. This is a turn-off to some people when they wish to access the service bay at short notice, for instance after getting an unexpected day off work.

This is where independent shops come in handy; one can drive in at any time they feel like, as long as the shop is open. The service technicians will be glad to attend to clients without the formality of making an appointment. The fact that many of these independent shops are close to many clients makes them all the more attractive when compared to driving "across town" to reach the European car service franchise holder who is given a wide area (such as a city) to serve.

More Options for Parts

Dealerships will only sell you OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts because the car maker stipulates that they should sell those parts at the dealership. The independent shop is not hamstrung by such restrictions and will give you a variety of aftermarket parts that may be as good as the OEM parts. Besides, the independent shop is more willing to repair, rather replace parts when compared to the dealership. This gives you more options to choose from depending on your budget or interests. This liberty to choose what is done to your car makes independent shops a better option than dealerships.

Most independent shops employ technicians who are trained by European car manufacturers so you should have no fears about taking your European car to an independent shop like ALS Automotive. The discussion above shows that you have a lot to benefit from that switch.