I can hear the economy flowing away even as I type.

The centre panel illumination on my Vauxhall Zafira had gone out.

It's not too much of a problem but at night I couldn't see the rear de-mis6t screen switch.

So I spoke to a main dealer to be told that the entire console had to be removed to change the lamps (Note that - lamp'S' plural!).

It would take an hour or so and then there was the cost of the bulbs, VAT and then checking it worked (You mean turning the lights on and off then?) and that it would cost around £50.

As it was only the rotary heater, fan and aircon switches and 3 push switches which were out I decided that it wasn't worth paying that much.

Then being employed lifelong as an electronics engineer I went and I checked on the Vauxhall owners group on line and found that it was actually as easy as this.....

Pull the fan control knob off (centre one of the 3 on the console) and that reveals the bulb (Note bulb singular!) . Pull it out with a pair of needle-nose pliers or tweezers, fit the new bulb the same way and refit the control knob.

The bulb was 50p and it took less than 5 minutes.

As a fully paid up cynic I am prepared to bet a pound to a pinch of pig poop that this is EXACTLY how the dealer would have done it but still charged me for 1 hour's labour.

I don't mind paying people to do work for me but I do mind paying them for well over the time they have actually taken to do it.

I'd have paid £15 for them to do it which is still more than many people earn for an hours hard graft but £50 is just taking the metaphorical wee-wee.

I can hear the economy swirling ever louder as it disappears down the financial plughole.

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