Main dealer servicing (Audi)

[BE57 TOY]

I always seem to get massively varying quotes for servicing from Audi so it always pays off to shop around for quotes.

Why do Audi let dealers have such free choice on what to charge? Surely it only damages the brand?

What would you expect to pay for the following:

Oil and filter
Pollen filter
Spark plugs

£338 seems a bit on the steep side when it was £150 for oil and filter previously.

NB. The car is under warranty so can't do it myself / go to an indie.

[graeme4130]

Depends which Audi you have?
8x spark plugs was £180 from memory when mine was in

[AlLondon]

BE57 TOY said:

NB. The car is under warranty so can't do it myself / go to an indie.

Your warranty will be intact if you go to a vat registered indie and they use genuine parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_Exemption_Regul...

[rash_decision]

BE57 TOY said:

I always seem to get massively varying quotes for servicing from Audi so it always pays off to shop around for quotes.

Why do Audi let dealers have such free choice on what to charge? Surely it only damages the brand?

What would you expect to pay for the following:

Oil and filter
Pollen filter
Spark plugs

£338 seems a bit on the steep side when it was £150 for oil and filter previously.

NB. The car is under warranty so can't do it myself / go to an indie.

You can go to an indie if your car is under warranty. New block exemption ruling changed this years ago.

I'm sure as long as the garage is VAT registered and use genuine parts then it's fine.

[xreyuk]

As above.

I went to an Indie who charged me £220 for oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and pollen filter. SEAT wanted £270.

£220 is still a rip off in my eyes, but at least it's cheaper than the stealers, and keeps my warranty intact.

Interestingly enough, my most recent oil + oil filter was only £87 from a main dealer, which confused the hell out of me.

[Chicane-UK]

rash_decision said:

You can go to an indie if your car is under warranty. New block exemption ruling changed this years ago.

I'm sure as long as the garage is VAT registered and use genuine parts then it's fine.

Yep - can use an indie but I think they have to use Audi parts to qualify for you keeping your warranty... no problem if they just deal with TPS to get the bits!

Where are you based? I can reccommend a good VW / Audi specialist in Kidderminster..

[AJB]

BE57 TOY said:

Why do Audi let dealers have such free choice on what to charge? Surely it only damages the brand?

Trouble is, if Audi fixed the price it'd probably be fixed at the most expensive current price, if not more. At least this way dealers can charge less if they want, and there's some competition between them, and between them and indies.

BE57 TOY said:

What would you expect to pay for the following:

Oil and filter
Pollen filter
Spark plugs

£338 seems a bit on the steep side when it was £150 for oil and filter previously.

I'd have thought buying plugs and pollen filter would cost at least as much as oil & oil filter if not more, and would take at least as long to do, so slightly over double doesn't seem unreasonable as a relative price.

Agree it's worth shopping around though.

[whispjoe]

xreyuk said:

As above.

I went to an Indie who charged me £220 for oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and pollen filter. SEAT wanted £270.

£220 is still a rip off in my eyes, but at least it's cheaper than the stealers, and keeps my warranty intact.

Interestingly enough, my most recent oil + oil filter was only £87 from a main dealer, which confused the hell out of me.

I work for a VW dealership and have just paid a customer £800 less for their car at 3 years old because it had indi service history rather than main dealer. It wasn't because the servicing was any different but because when trying to sell it on again buyers are hung up on proper service history.

[xreyuk]

whispjoe said:

I work for a VW dealership and have just paid a customer £800 less for their car at 3 years old because it had indi service history rather than main dealer. It wasn't because the servicing was any different but because when trying to sell it on again buyers are hung up on proper service history.

I have every receipt for everything that's been done to the car, but I'm planning on running this car until it's worth nothing anyway

I never understood why some buyers think have a full dealer service history is better than an indy service with every receipt.

[sebhaque]

The last service receipt for my old TT was £794 at an Audi garage - it was a major service and they'd just changed a brake switch as well!

(handily they hadn't changed the opposing one, which shortly went bananas and locked that brake on when pulling away).

[NelsonR32]

Erm, Audi do actually have a fixed price service plan for 4 cylinder vehicles. In some cases they actually loose money when fitting pads and discs to TT's, S3's and some A4's.

http://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/servicing-with-a...


I would think twice about taking it to Fred in a shed if it's under 5 years old as you can kiss any goodwill from the brand goodbye should something major go wrong.

[Ari]

xreyuk said:

I never understood why some buyers think have a full dealer service history is better than an indy service with every receipt.

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

[Ari]

NelsonR32 said:

I would think twice about taking it to Fred in a shed if it's under 5 years old as you can kiss any goodwill from the brand goodbye should something major go wrong.

Quite.

[Crafty_]

Ari said:

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

You'd like to think that wouldn't you.

Fitters/Service technicians are often on performance bonuses, the more work they get through, the more they get paid. Suits the dealer too as its more money through the door because of increased volume. One dealer I know of expects 120% efficiency, more if you want bonus.

Edited by Crafty_ on Monday 3rd December 23:10

[Chicane-UK]

NelsonR32 said:

Erm, Audi do actually have a fixed price service plan for 4 cylinder vehicles. In some cases they actually loose money when fitting pads and discs to TT's, S3's and some A4's.

http://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/servicing-with-a...


I would think twice about taking it to Fred in a shed if it's under 5 years old as you can kiss any goodwill from the brand goodbye should something major go wrong.

You're obliged to say that because you work for Audi though

[Ari]

Crafty_ said:

Ari said:

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

You'd like to think that wouldn't you.

Fitters/Service technicians are often on performance bonuses, the more work they get through, the more they get paid. Suits the dealer too as its more money through the door because of increased volume. One dealer I know of expects 120% efficiency, more if you want bonus.

And that affects proper oil and parts being used how..?

[elvismiggell]

Crafty_ said:

Ari said:

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

You'd like to think that wouldn't you.

Fitters/Service technicians are often on performance bonuses, the more work they get through, the more they get paid. Suits the dealer too as its more money through the door because of increased volume. One dealer I know of expects 120% efficiency, more if you want bonus.

Edited by Crafty_ on Monday 3rd December 23:10

Or, you know, just plain forget to connect something like one of the spark plugs?

(That being said, I've also had some good dealer experiences as well.)

[Dracoro]

whispjoe said:

I work for a VW dealership and have just paid a customer £800 less for their car at 3 years old because it had indi service history rather than main dealer. It wasn't because the servicing was any different but because when trying to sell it on again buyers are hung up on proper service history.

How hard do you try to dispell the myth of them being less well maintained?

Out of interest, did you put the trade in on h forecourt at at least £800 less than other equivalent models?

That aside, I suspect that buyers FROM win dealers do want it all MD history. For those buying privately/used car dealer/etc. the margin will a lot smaller.

[Deva Link]

BE57 TOY said:

Why do Audi let dealers have such free choice on what to charge? Surely it only damages the brand?

How odd. You think there should be a cartel?

xreyuk said:

Interestingly enough, my most recent oil + oil filter was only £87 from a main dealer, which confused the hell out of me.

My daughter's Golf has the 3yr £300 service contract. After the first service, the dealer gave me a copy of the invoice they send to VW - £68 inc parts, labour and VAT.

Ari said:

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

There's a story somewhere on these forums of a guy who took his Passat to a VW dealer and they sent it to a local fast-fit place to do the service.

[Crafty_]

Ari said:

Crafty_ said:

Ari said:

Because you can be reassured that it's been done with proper oil and parts, and no corners cut.

You'd like to think that wouldn't you.

Fitters/Service technicians are often on performance bonuses, the more work they get through, the more they get paid. Suits the dealer too as its more money through the door because of increased volume. One dealer I know of expects 120% efficiency, more if you want bonus.

And that affects proper oil and parts being used how..?

"and no corners cut.."