skoda dealer or private or specialist servicing?

[gaz1234]

On a skedaddle yeti 1.4 2011 petrol with 17k on clock.
The dealer is offering 370 for 2 services minor and major and two mots.
Would you go for this or not?
Thanks

[silentbrown]

That's a saving of £100 on their usual fixed-price rates, which seem pretty competitive anyway.

Make sure to ask if brake fluid change is included if required...

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintena...

[Dr G]

Yup, those packages are silly cheap.

Unless you're going to a tin shed with GSF parts you'll struggle to see it any cheaper.

[Sheepshanks]

silentbrown said:

That's a saving of £100 on their usual fixed-price rates, which seem pretty competitive anyway.

Make sure to ask if brake fluid change is included if required...

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintena...

Odd how that page lists brake fluid as an extra cost option on the minor service, yet it's not mentioned on the major.

Had that row with a SEAT dealer - they wouldn't do the brake fluid change on their year 4 & 5 service package. They insisted it's a customer option, not a scheduled service item!

Replaced that car with a VW and VW themselves said it wasn't included on the initial 3yr service deal. The dealer said it would be done but there was no mention of it on the post-service paperwork, so the service wrote "brake fluid changed" on the invoice! I'm pretty sure that's the extent of it being changed. They also charged for the MOT and apparently the first one is supposed to be free.

Hate VAG and servicing - makes my Mercedes dealer seem transparent.

[Sheepshanks]

Dr G said:

Yup, those packages are silly cheap.

Unless you're going to a tin shed with GSF parts you'll struggle to see it any cheaper.

I don't know - the minor service is an oil and filter change. VW sent an invoice for £68 to VW UK for our Golf's 1st service.

Major service adds plugs, air and pollen filter. But could be easily done for £200. The snag is the indie's know the dealer pricing so pitch theirs just a little below.


I think where all the VAG companies miss a trick is on breakdown cover - on our Merc, Honda and Mitsubishi the Assisstance package gets renewed with every service, so using the dealer is a no-brainer. Even for UK use that's a significant benefit - if you take the car abroad it's massive.

[Dr G]

Add up the costs that are actually involved as well as the dirty P word and it's incredibly difficult to make money on servicing.

TT has in the past eloquently detailed the process on here and whilst yes, you can get a pot of oil and a filter on ebay for 50 quid no, you cannot make a sustainable business from that.

Service prices are so cut throat these days that dealers rely on the additional work to make any money. The main dealers run routine servicing as a loss leader and the independents are forced to charge less than this.

[cuprabob]

Sheepshanks said:

I think where all the VAG companies miss a trick is on breakdown cover - on our Merc, Honda and Mitsubishi the Assisstance package gets renewed with every service, so using the dealer is a no-brainer. Even for UK use that's a significant benefit - if you take the car abroad it's massive.

SEAT does this if you book online for one year

http://www.seat.co.uk/content/uk/brand/en/services...

[Sheepshanks]

cuprabob said:

SEAT does this if you book online for one year

http://www.seat.co.uk/content/uk/brand/en/services...

Interesting, thanks. The SEAT we had came with 5yrs breakdown cover (which it sadly needed). It never occurred to me that the VW wouldn't have at least 3yrs so I was most dismayed to find it was only one year.