What is an "upcharge" on an oil change?

[sfloggie]

I know I should have asked,but I was rushing to leave for a long trip!

Recently I changed oil and had then to go full Mobile1 synthetic oil from regular oil. I paid the bill and left without looking at the cost breakdown.

Now I see I was charged $20.99 for a "Mobil1 Full Synthetic Upcharge"! They then changed me for the "Full service oil change, synthetic engine oil, rear differential synthetic oil and rear differential synthetic oil service".

Some of this sounds like double talk, but maybe it is correct. Before I go back and question them, I wondered if they are right. If so please explain.

If I was a fool please note and tell me which was the fool item(s). Thanks for your help and I will take "hit" with humor so I can learn, Jim

 

[dodge man]

They probably have a standard oil they use, and if you want something different, they charge you for it. Kind of an upgrade in their eyes.

 

[sfloggie]

Ok, thank you. I have never been charged an up-charge, so I will ask what their norm is since they asked me if I would like Full Synthetic, but never mentioned Mobile1 or an up-charge.

They are good people that I have used for many years, but they recently changed to a totally new franchise.

Oh, and I do appreciate your Daily Tips.

Jim

 

[schoolsout]

Synthetic oil is a good bit more expensive than regular oil...hence, the upcharge.

 

[dodge man]

If I read your post correctly, you already paid for synthetic oil, but asked for Moblil 1. If you already paid for full synthetic, it seems like 3 or 4 bucks a quart is a big upcharge to me.

 

[Soundguy]

could be quart upcharge.. IE.. standard oil change might be 4 quarts.. and then yours might be 5.5 qts.. etc..

I know the quick change place near me lost me (my wife) as a customer permanently.

I used to let my wife get her oil changed at the texaco place by our house ( 5 mins away ).. last time they 'upgraded her' to the hi milage oil.

normal oil change is 25$.. ok... I let that slide... they are paying for the oil, a filter and having someone put it on and getting rid of the oil for me. I know I can do that same job myself for 15$ for plain walmart oil, and 4$ for the filter.. .. that's 19$.. so i didn't mind the 6$ to pay the service monkey and let them deal with the drainings. this last time, though, the oil change jumped to 65$.. I freaked out when she bough the bill home.. I looked all over to see if they used some kind of synthetic or soemthing. I finally called them.. the maganger de'jour said that was conventional oil, but a high milage type. I explained that in the store you can buy the high milage version of many of the regular oils for only a small premium difference. IE.. 12$ vs 14$ for walmart valvolene is 16$ vs 18$.. etc.. I know there is another brand ont he shelf at wally mart that has a hi milage version.. perhaps penzoil or something? anyway.. on the gallon or 5qt jugs.. it's usually a couple bucks more per JUG.. that's like 50 cents a quart. They charged nearly 2.5X as much at the texaco place.

I told the guy i could do 2 full synthetic name brand oil changes for that price. I even mentioned that my 7.3 diesel using name brand motorcraft oil and 15 qts plus a filter was only 55$.... He mumbled a bit.. had no answer.. I asked him what he wanted to do about that.. he said nothing... so i told him.. that before this.. he had a customer he got 25 bucks from about every 9-10 weeks ( 3000 mile change ).. not satisifed wht that you screwed me for 65$ one time only, and now will never get another dime... I told him I can do a full synthetic oil change on that yukon..with fitler( gm delco name brand fitler ) be done in 15 minutes, pay myself a full hours wage from my engineering job and skate in under his 65$ conventional hi milage oil price... and drop the oil at the collection facility at work for free.. or if I had to.. re bottle it and drop at walmart for free.

he still mumbled.

I think for the next oil change interval, everone should change their own oil, and put a sticking to these oil change places..

 

[schoolsout]

Last time I bought a qt of Mobil 1 full synthetic (Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40), it was 8.99/qt

I was thinking the OP went from a reg oil like Rotella to a full synthetic. Even going from syn blend to full syn would be a pretty good increase.

 

[jonyyuma]

My dealings in Upcharges sounds about the same...the hyundai dealer uses dino oil in Conoco brand. $29.00 for filter, oil, and tire rotation with coupon.The synthetic first up charge is their brand too, Conaco syn....Then the next stage up,is brand specific, as in Mobil one...It was at the $65.00 stage.. I use the mobil one and buy it on sale at TSC for $4.99 a quart and use the Oem filter to keep my 100k warranty..Change it at 7500k per mfr recommendations, they don't carry the mileage higher for synthetic oils??. cost is about $35.00..actually takes less time than sitting at the dealer waiting for the works?

 

[sfloggie]

SoundGuy,
Your comment was almost exactly like my issue.
This was a Texaco Express that I used off and on for years. So I drove in, not noticeing the name was gone.
I did not asked or notice the price for upcharge as I trusted them and was in a hurry. They charged $39 for a regular full service oil service and the norm was slightly over 5qts, $17.99 for 7qts Mobile1 Synthetic and $25 Mobile1 Synthetic Upcharge. I also had the rear differential oil changed with synthetic.
Maybe this is the way business is done, but it seems best or consumer friendly to have a Full Service Regular Oil Pricing and a Full Service Synthetic Oil Pricing plus even a higher mileage pricing for both.
Bottom line really is that I did not ask the pricing.
You guys helped me understand Upcharge for this service and the process as I could not find the answers anywhere.
Thanks, Jim

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. it's my wife's truck, so she didn't ask when she went in.

I told them they lost a customer over it, permanently.. so i hope that extra 30$ they made off me carries them thru the money that they will never make off me again.. considering I live a couple minutes from them, and by using back roads don't even have to hit a roadway outside my community to get to them.. and have 3 vehicles they 'could have' serviced regularly.

oh well.. thats the game of the fast buck..