Valvoline Instant Oil Change Pricing???!!!

[stchman]

I used to work at Valvoline Instant Oil Change in the 90s when I was in college.

I recently went to their store and saw their prices.

Conventional Motor Oil $41.99
Synthetic Blend Motor Oil $56.99
Synthetic Motor Oil $74.99

$33 more for synthetic oil vs. convention oil, absolutely ABSURD.

Their oil change is for 5 quarts. Just to put it into perspective a 5 quart jug of Valvoline conventional oil is $14.97 at Walmart while a 5 quart jug of Valvoline SynPower is $22.97. My math says that is an $8 difference.

You know darn well they are using the same filter, so $25 extra is why?

People on here wonder WHY synthetic is a negative word to the general public.

 

[mclasser]

Most quick lube places have absurdly high menu prices. You end up paying $42+taxes & fees for VWB and some high school kid to strip out your oil pan by using an impact gun.

 

[stchman]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Most quick lube places have absurdly high menu prices. You end up paying $42+taxes & fees for VWB and some high school kid to strip out your oil pan by using an impact gun.


Really, I have been changing the oil for YEARS on my own vehicles and never stripped out a drain plug.

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

They're only gonna keep going up. IffyLube has 79.99 and 99.99 for their synthetics. Why anyone pays these prices, I'll never know.

 

[turtlevette]

The conventional is in 55 gal drums and probably cost about 75 cents a quart.

When you ask for synthetic they get out the individual quart bottles.

 

[HTSS_TR]

When you calculate quick lube's part cost you should use every day price of quart bottle at retail stores such as O-Reilly, Pep Boys ...

5 quarts synthetic at $9.99/qt is about $50 plus $5 oil filter plus $20 labor is $75.

DIY is another story, some buy oil and filter on sale and with rebate(s) can be as little as $2-3/qt or less, plus $4-5 filter the total part cost is less than $25 for 5 quarts synthetic.

 

[raytseng]

yea, the right math to do is the MSRP for quarts which is $7 to $9/qt
versus about .50/quart" for the bulk.

When i go to an oil change place and bring my own oil, they only give me a -$3 off for 6qts of my own oil. That is how much they value the bulk if you want to analyze the pricing.
So you're basically paying mostly for the service and convenience not the materials.



Otherwise, you can make the same complaints. Restaurant pricing is whack why does a softdrink cost $2. it costs 35cents/can at costco. Beef patty, bun lettuce etc= $1 worth of materials why is it $7.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Do you value not having to jack your automobile, possibly damaging the frame or underbody components- as well as no real possibility of anyone getting hurt, outside of burns.


They must keep the lights on, probably pay for an air compressor to air up your tires and pay a living wage for someone to have a look under the hood and under the body.

Would you rather ship it to China to save 20%?

 

[maximus]

Inflation and overhead. It costs ALOT of money to have a shop open. Payroll, tax, insurance, rent, utilities, supplies, oil, filters, EQUIPMENT, etc..


With synthetic, the idea is they're going to see you less often, so you pay a premium for the convenience.

It's funny noone complains about spending $22.95 on a steak and baked potato at Texas Roadhouse. You could certainly cook a steak at home much cheaper.

 

[raytseng]

Originally Posted By: maximus

With synthetic, the idea is they're going to see you less often, so you pay a premium for the convenience.


Agree with you in general, but not for this statement. Everything is marked up sure, but the price is all for convenience but they aren't doing math where they're gaming extra profit because they think they will see you less.

You can bring in your own syn oil. They don't say, whoa whoa, you're bringing in synthetic, so we got to add on a surcharge cause we aren't going to see you and it'll be $79. They still charge you the conv price for the same labor minus a couple bucks.

 

[DeepFriar]

Originally Posted By: stchman
I used to work at Valvoline Instant Oil Change in the 90s when I was in college.

I recently went to their store and saw their prices.

Conventional Motor Oil $41.99
Synthetic Blend Motor Oil $56.99
Synthetic Motor Oil $74.99

$33 more for synthetic oil vs. convention oil, absolutely ABSURD.



Start a relationship with an independent oil shop, maybe one associated with a car wash. I have one that will do the change with my oil and filter for $14.50.

 

[AlienBug]

Originally Posted By: turtlevette
The conventional is in 55 gal drums and probably cost about 75 cents a quart.

When you ask for synthetic they get out the individual quart bottles.



When I ran a brake and muffler shop in the 1990s, our oil was bulk from a 200 gallon drum and it really wasn't any cheaper than what you would pay in stores.

Remember, WalMart or Autozone can afford to have quarts of oil as a loss leader. The oil delivery company, not so much.

 

[hattaresguy]

The insurance and environmental costs for these places must be pretty high.

You can't compare DIY to professional. DIY doesn't play by the same rules.

My dealer charges $34.95 to change the oil in my truck, and they are losing money on every oil change at that price. They are simply buying customer traffic and up sell opportunities.

 

[AlienBug]

Originally Posted By: raytseng

So you're basically paying mostly for the service and convenience not the materials.



Otherwise, you can make the same complaints. Restaurant pricing is whack why does a softdrink cost $2. it costs 35cents/can at costco. Beef patty, bun lettuce etc= $1 worth of materials why is it $7.


Yup. It takes a half gallon of gas to mow my lawn. I gladly pay $40/week not to have to get sweaty and covered with dust and grass clippings on my day off. I gladly pay more for a beer in a bar surrounded by flatscreen TVs and PPV sporting events.

For some reason, everyone thinks auto maintenance and repair shops are ripping them off if they try to make a few bucks.

 

[Bigdaddyeasy]

You would be amazed at how many people don't know how to change their oil.
I think it ridiculous to take a car to the shop to change a fuel pump or starter or alternator etc but if a guy doesn't know how it makes sense

They charge it because they can.

 

[Tdbo]

Only time that I go to a Valvoline IOC is when they send me the $19.99 conventional coupon(and I use that on the Wife's van.)
I can go to the Honda dealer that I frequent and get a Syn Blend OC for $24.99. Why go to VIOC for $57. plus fees that would put tab over $60?

 

[Nickdfresh]

I used to work for them in the 90's as well after they bought out the shop I worked for. I too was shocked by the prices when I thought of just having them do a winter change with MaxLife. I just waited for a decent day and did it myself.

Many of the shops have shuttered or sold out to local shops here and they've cut their hours to basically 9-5 M-Sat. They made us work on Sundays! I think dealerships have become much more competitive in the last 15 years or so and has hit the quick lube market quite a bit...

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: AlienBug
Originally Posted By: raytseng

So you're basically paying mostly for the service and convenience not the materials.



Otherwise, you can make the same complaints. Restaurant pricing is whack why does a softdrink cost $2. it costs 35cents/can at costco. Beef patty, bun lettuce etc= $1 worth of materials why is it $7.


Yup. It takes a half gallon of gas to mow my lawn. I gladly pay $40/week not to have to get sweaty and covered with dust and grass clippings on my day off. I gladly pay more for a beer in a bar surrounded by flatscreen TVs and PPV sporting events.

For some reason, everyone thinks auto maintenance and repair shops are ripping them off if they try to make a few bucks.


IDK, I can do it myself quicker than they can...

 

[AlienBug]

Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
Originally Posted By: AlienBug
Originally Posted By: raytseng

So you're basically paying mostly for the service and convenience not the materials.



Otherwise, you can make the same complaints. Restaurant pricing is whack why does a softdrink cost $2. it costs 35cents/can at costco. Beef patty, bun lettuce etc= $1 worth of materials why is it $7.


Yup. It takes a half gallon of gas to mow my lawn. I gladly pay $40/week not to have to get sweaty and covered with dust and grass clippings on my day off. I gladly pay more for a beer in a bar surrounded by flatscreen TVs and PPV sporting events.

For some reason, everyone thinks auto maintenance and repair shops are ripping them off if they try to make a few bucks.


IDK, I can do it myself quicker than they can...


So can I. That's not the point. Not everyone wants to. Some people consider an hour of their Saturday to be worth more than $74.99. The point is auto shops get held to a ridiculous standard of pricing. Any time a shop owner tries to make money, a chorus of BITOGERs decry the ripoff artist. I mean, seriously, the shop cost on a $75 synthetic oil change is probably right around $30. After paying the employee, disposal fees etc. he's maybe making $5 on the job.

 

[spk2000]

They also have to charge prices for the failures of not putting on a filter or drain plug back in. When they have to replace engines due to mistakes that is a major expense. I know several people this has happened to.