Octavia VRS Servicing Prices
Octavia VRS Servicing Prices
Author
Discussion

Stringer

Original Poster:

22 posts

209 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Now then chaps,

I have an '07 Plate Octavia VRS and it's currently in for its first service at Marlborough Motors at Isleworth. I put the car in here against my better judgement as Autocar had had a pretty awful expereince when having their VRS diesel serviced. However, I thought they may have sorted themselves out, plus i needed the convenience of their location as the wife was taking the car in.

Anyway, the long and short is that they want to to charge something like £440 quid including VAT. This, frankly, seems extortionate.

They tried to upsell me a air-con recharge (despite it blowing very cold still)for £103 and new wipers for £55. I did however sucumb to a brake fluid change for £60 although this now appears a waste of time as they are not changing the pads.

Is it me or is this price simply bonkers for a first service on a hot hatch? The basic price of the basic service without VAT is £314. It's a fricking Skoda for God's sake!

I also wanted some feedback on the prices you guys have paid for this service on either this car or other TFSI engined VW Group cars like the Leon FR or Golf GTI. All comments welcome.

Silver940

3,967 posts

258 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Is it a diesel? Excuse for charging an arm and a leg for oil, long life servicing adds to that.

How many miles has it done?

Air con recharge - don't bother unless it's no longer blowing cold ( Mine works on my golf after 165k and no recharge) Unless you have done a stinking number of miles in 2 years the brake fluid would be fine!

Wipers are expensive if they are those flappy aero things, but much cheaper on ebay and take 2 seconds to fit.

That's a shocking price for a service, try a different dealer or an independant, I think as long as they use genuine parts the warranty is still OK ( Check on that)

Stringer

Original Poster:

22 posts

209 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
The car is a petrol, with the same engine as the Golf GTI, Leon FR, Scirroco etc etc.

Stringer

Original Poster:

22 posts

209 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Sorry, I also forgot to mention it has done 18,500 miles.

Dr G

15,990 posts

273 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
First longlife service on these we charge £149.99 for - so yes, they're bending you over!

Brake fluid service is scheduled every 2 years, you could probably save 10 or 15 quid off that price.

Silver940

3,967 posts

258 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
They are taking the piss with the brake fluid change and air con recharge! I wouldn't bother with wipers until the end of September unless they are really bad, summer kills them. ( Vw wanted to swap my Mum's last time it went it to the dealer, they were 2 weeks old! )

Speak to the service manager about it and take it elsewhere in future.


Stringer

Original Poster:

22 posts

209 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
I just called them as a fresh customer and asked for the price of the same service. They said £220. I said my car was already in and I'd been quoted £440 yesterday, including the fluid change. They are getting back to me...

Thanks for your help guys.

Silver940

3,967 posts

258 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Dr G said:
Brake fluid service is scheduled every 2 years, you could probably save 10 or 15 quid off that price.
But does it actually need it? Personally I don't do it that often probably every 4 years.

Silver940

3,967 posts

258 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
Stringer said:
I just called them as a fresh customer and asked for the price of the same service. They said £220. I said my car was already in and I'd been quoted £440 yesterday, including the fluid change. They are getting back to me...

Thanks for your help guys.
Let us know the outcome!

VAG1

784 posts

220 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
£55 for wipers?! Mine cost half that price and I cant imagine them being much different. When I buy them the box has all the VAG group badges. I got my brake fluid done for £49, that's there standard price, could have got them down even more if I tried.

Stringer

Original Poster:

22 posts

209 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
They have said that the guy I was speaking to yesterday was some young guy who was just helping out. The error came about because he had just read from 'the job sheet'. Whatever that means. I am not sure how this means that the bill was almost twice the cost of the basic quoted price of the service. So I am now paying £220 plus the £60 for the brake fluid and walking away.

Pretty unbelievable really.

Skoda UK's attitude when i rang them yesterday was hilarious. basically it was 'we give them the training and the tools and then they do what they want'. The whole attitude was 'nothing to do with us'.

The Octavia VRS is probably the best car, in terms of the breadth of its abilities, that I have ever owned (and I've had some nice kit over the years) and up until now it has been troublefree and given a great ownership experience.

When will the OEMs realise that crap dealers ruin our experience of their brands and yet they still choose to exert so little control or influence over them. Just goes to prove that my decison to purchase from Motorpoint (for a 3.5k saving) was the right one.

Targarama

14,789 posts

314 months

Thursday 2nd July 2009
quotequote all
More than a ripoff.

First service on out Golf Gti 2.0T was around £150 at VW main dealer in High Wycobme. That is with 12k miles/2 years.

matchmaker

9,071 posts

231 months

Thursday 2nd July 2009
quotequote all
M4FFU said:
Unless the dealer stamp means something to you, go to one of the highly praised VAG specialists mentioned on the likes of Briskoda, etc.
What he said!

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

281 months

Thursday 2nd July 2009
quotequote all
Well done to you for questioning and getting it at that lower price. It did seem a lot, certainly, for the first service.

What annoys me about fluid change on brakes - and I've had this on pretty much all my cars (especially the sports one) - dealers say "oh yeah, 2 yrs - fluid will need changing". So why on EARTH is it not a part of the service?!?!

Karlos69

900 posts

220 months

Thursday 2nd July 2009
quotequote all
That sounds hideously expensive for a second service, let alone a first service!

Try and find a well regarded independent Skoda/VAG specialist in your area.

Dr G

15,990 posts

273 months

Thursday 2nd July 2009
quotequote all
Tony - same reason people don't quote cambelt changes inclusive of water pump/thermostat etc. Price!

Who me ?

7,455 posts

243 months

Friday 3rd July 2009
quotequote all
matchmaker said:
M4FFU said:
Unless the dealer stamp means something to you, go to one of the highly praised VAG specialists mentioned on the likes of Briskoda, etc.
What he said!
Another of same opinion - Briskoda's got a list of dealers with opinions on them ( and a few blokes in the trade ,who'll give you an opinion of the true cost -and owners who've shopped around most areas )

ipsg.glf

1,590 posts

249 months

Sunday 12th July 2009
quotequote all
Stringer said:
They have said that the guy I was speaking to yesterday was some young guy who was just helping out. The error came about because he had just read from 'the job sheet'. Whatever that means. I am not sure how this means that the bill was almost twice the cost of the basic quoted price of the service. So I am now paying £220 plus the £60 for the brake fluid and walking away.

Pretty unbelievable really.

Skoda UK's attitude when i rang them yesterday was hilarious. basically it was 'we give them the training and the tools and then they do what they want'. The whole attitude was 'nothing to do with us'.

The Octavia VRS is probably the best car, in terms of the breadth of its abilities, that I have ever owned (and I've had some nice kit over the years) and up until now it has been troublefree and given a great ownership experience.

When will the OEMs realise that crap dealers ruin our experience of their brands and yet they still choose to exert so little control or influence over them. Just goes to prove that my decison to purchase from Motorpoint (for a 3.5k saving) was the right one.
I'd be writing to the Dealer Principal and tell him how you cannot understand how they can allow someone who is untrained to be customer-facing and that it has left a very bitter taste in your mouth regarding their professionalism.