Charge for a courtesy car when new car in for warrantee work

Charge for a courtesy car when new car in for warrantee work

Author
Discussion

Benengo

Original Poster:

647 posts

202 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
The boot on SWMBO’s Kodiaq (less than 12 months old) is refusing to unlock, so she’s taking it into Skoda to get it looked at. They say they’ll need it for the whole day as it is the second time it’s been in for this fault and the first time it was no “no fault found”.

Apparently they have just told her that if she wants a courtesy car for the day we need to pay for it. Does this sound right? We’ve never owned a new car before so have never had to get warrantee work done!

Toyoda

1,557 posts

99 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
If they're charging for it, then clearly that's their policy and asking the internet won't change that. The correct answer is to read the terms and conditions of your warranty contract and see what it says about courtesy cars.


Nickbrapp

5,277 posts

129 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
A bit shot of them to charge for it, most offer it but won’t charge but normally a waiting list. Gone are the days where they gave you a top spec model to make you think about upgrading

I had to wait 3 weeks to get my leon in for a replacement light to have a CC, then when I did it was a Ibiza.


DSLiverpool

14,670 posts

201 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Did you buy the car from the servicing dealer? if yes then thats poor but if not why should they look after you beyond the basics.

Monkeylegend

26,226 posts

230 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Is it an insurance excess charge?

Mercedes introduced this a few years ago at my dealer, £10 for the day to reduce the excess from £2000 to nil in the event of an accident.

A while after that they introduced a 27p per mile fuel charge. They were finding people driving courtesy cars 2/300 miles or so in a day, bringing them back with virtually no fuel and filthy dirty inside and out.

It seems some people like to abuse any privilege they get.

99dndd

2,079 posts

88 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
I bought my last car pre-reg and have always had to pay for a hire car when in for servicing or warranty work.

Last time I got a Ssangyong Tivoli.

IanCress

4,409 posts

165 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Had our Kuga serviced at Ford earlier this month. Courtesy car was free, although it was only an old shape Fiesta.

p1stonhead

25,489 posts

166 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Is it an insurance excess charge?

Mercedes introduced this a few years ago at my dealer, £10 for the day to reduce the excess from £2000 to nil in the event of an accident.
BMW do this too (£15 per day) but in the three times I have been given a car to date, no one actually bothered to collect any money for it.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
It's dealer specific - my 4 series has been back to the supplying dealer twice - first time they gave me a 7 series (the brand new car was 1 day into my ownership when it went into limp mode due to a faulty crankshaft sensor), the second time a 5 series (my 440 had squeaky brakes - turns out a brake pad had cracked). No charge either time. Same for previous cars when in for routine services.

Twig62

746 posts

95 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
If it was going into the supplying dealership then I would expect a free courtesy car. If they hadn't sold me the car then I would accept that they may charge me.

E36GUY

5,906 posts

217 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
p1stonhead said:
BMW do this too (£15 per day) but in the three times I have been given a car to date, no one actually bothered to collect any money for it.
Same at Mercedes for some reason

V10 SPM

562 posts

250 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
There is a difference between taking your car in for a routine service and taking it in for a fault under warranty though. The latter deserves some goodwill such as a loan car.

p1stonhead

25,489 posts

166 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
BMW have always given me one for a service and as said, never charged me the excess fee. And my car is a ten year old 3 series!

Last time I got a 66 plate 335d (although I appreciate the upselling angle they were presumably doing).

mcflurry

9,079 posts

252 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
With my old Toyota the dealership would offer a lift (and back again) and charge around £100 for an A service.
My local Nissan dealer offer a "courtesy car" and a years RAC cover, but charge £209 for their A service..


Philv8s

545 posts

123 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Had mine in for warranty work at BMW dealers which lasted for several months with a free courtesy car (Mini Cooper) for the full duration.

Wooda80

1,743 posts

74 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all


As it stands, pending investigation, the fault COULD be either a manufacturing fault ( warranted ) or pilot error or damage / vandalism / sabotage etc ( not warranted ). If the cause turns out not to be covered by warranty then the dealer will need somewhere to book the courtesy car charge.

You may find that if the cause of the fault on your wife's car turns out to be a warranty issue then the loan car fee will be waived and the cost added to the warranty claim.

Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
It's taking the mick somewhat to charge for a courtesy car when booking in for warranty work.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Completely normal in most of Europe, and catching on now in the UK it seems.
merc wont give you a 'free' car for servicing unless you have their prepay servicing plan ..

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Lexus don't charge for courtesy car during recall work. Not sure how that works with warranty work.







Edited by Prof Prolapse on Friday 19th January 12:57

boz1

422 posts

177 months

Friday 19th January 2018
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
It seems some people like to abuse any privilege they get.
It's not a "privilege" - it's called service. If I'd paid £'00,000 for a car from a main dealer, I would expect it to work. If it's having a repair under warranty, that means something has broken relatively early in its life. That's poor and a free courtesy car is the minimum I would expect.