Pros and cons to dealer servicing

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marmite_on_toast

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What would you say are the pros and cons to dealer servicing?

I'm guessing that the cost would be the worst con!?!?!

Just need to get straight in my head, wether to go down the dealer route or use my trusted local garage.


Cheers. :arco:
 
Dealers

+ Normally good totty working there, Decent backup if they damage it, a proper stamp in the book, comfy seats

- On the whole don't seem to know much, can be pricey
 
edition said:
Dealers

+ good totty working there
Click to expand...

This is a big part of the problem in my opinion. Generally all the totty I've encountered are utterly clueless about anything slightly technical, and more interested in their nails than customer service.
 
+ Peace of mind, free brews, mags, they give your car a once over, you can have a butchers at the other models they have in, you end up buying a new keyring...

- Price, but shop around because they vary massively
 
Postive - You get to sit about in Q7's annoying the underworked sales staff
The receptionist at stafford audi wears fishnets :wub:

Negative - Most of the people who work in them have no idea how to fix your car, they just know how to read a fault code on a lap top! They also find things wrong with your car that doesnt need fixing. 5000 miles ago they told me my pads were very low and the discs are badly worn. The light still hasnt come on and the pads look ok! I'm £340 better off as a result!
 
Pro's - stamped book! Thats about it (but not overly important to a lot of people) I have never taken my car to a dealer.

Con's - you come out broke for a job you could have done yourself with a little bit of research. Also, as said, total lack of care for your car or fear of it being damaged.
 
Have to agree with all said.

I've persevered with a dealer for the service book stamp, because by asking around and negotiating, they've actually beaten my local VAG specialists on price each time.

Yes its a nice environment and whilst my car was "just out of warranty" (i.e 4 years old) there was just a hope that with a ful Audi history, Audi might actually contribute more readily to any out of warranty claims....

But - very first time in, my passenger door was damaged. Last time, I asked them to swap the wheels around from front to back - they were obviously put face-down onto the floor or against somehting metal and the spokes are now badly scuffed in places as a result.
At the very least you'd expec tthem to take care of your alloy wheels whilst off the car, especially when they could see they were undamaged to start with....

Oh and I inherited a new ratchet spanner and torx key for my tool kit as it was left on the wiper valence. Heard something sliding from side to side as I drove away and stopped to look. Good job I didn't turn the wipers on or wash the screen as it would have damaged the wiper arm or been dragged across the glass....
 
Its really difficult as I have heard horror stories about virtually every garage around me in Solihull / Birmingham.

I have been taking my car to a private garage for years, only for my Dad to tell me the other day that he took his Polo there and basically made a complete balls up of the service, not turning off service lights etc.
 
one con is they may scrach your car to death or alloys like a couple of guys have had on here after visiting an audi garage i made sure someone went round my car first......manchester audi is great amazing service great people very nice chicks there to .......
 
Go round the car with a sheet pointing out any marks etc with the engineer, get him to sign it and your sorted, could even go as far as getting a smiliar sheet they use when hiring a car.
It works both ways, the car is in your hands.

The scrote in the workshop will deny that he damaged your car everytime. If its on paper that it was unmarked then the garage must take responsibility.


The chick working in Grimsby Audi is young, fit and blonde....
 
Overall it seems to really depend on where you go as to what level of service you get. I know that's an obvious statement and we knew that already I just didn't realise the extent of it.

I went to York Audi for my oil change and not only did they give me a good price (they were confused as to how I'd got it so cheap) they gave the car a once over, adjusted my windscreen washer jets and when I mentioned another problem the desk guy got one of the techs out to talk me through it. Great service.

Bedford Audi are pretty good too. I've had good and bad things from there but mostly good. Although a letter has arrived this week saying "It's been a year since you bought you car from Bedford Audi...." er no, actually I bought it from Brighton!

What we need is some sort of poll which lists all the dealerships and then you just tick recommended or not for the ones you've experienced. You can then use that to pick where you want to go next. I live (right now) in between 3 dealerships and the only thing I had to choose between them was the price.
 
staz1000 said:
What we need is some sort of poll which lists all the dealerships and then you just tick recommended or not for the ones you've experienced.
Click to expand...

Make it so :icon_thumright:
 
pdv40 said:
Make it so :icon_thumright:
Click to expand...

lol thanks!

Well VBulletin doesn't provide that sort of functionality. I have looked at a few sites that allow you to sent up polls but they all only seem to let you ask 1 question.

Review centre would be a good way but car dealerships are split into categories by location rather than brand.

I was hoping someone is pretty good at web design and could host it...
 
Positives are coffee, nice seats.

Negatives are Bad service, Mechanical inaptitude, Poor customer service and not giving a ***** about your car. The last Audi mechanic just got in my car with his working gear on...considering the seats alone are a 2K option I was a bit ****** off. The old guy in the local garage puts a plastic cover on your seats regardless of what he's working on.

Conclusion : Use Starbucks for coffee and nice seats. At least they won't feck you car up!!
 
my car is due a service in 600 miles and im using a VAG specialist called VOTEX in Congleton. They have quoted me £188 INC VAT + PARTS to service my car and do a brake fluid change. Im not bothered about the AUDI stamp on the service book. I know Votex or any other reputable VAG specialist will do an equal if not better job on your car than any Audi dealership for a snip of the cost.
 
staz1000 said:
+ Peace of mind, free brews, mags, they give your car a once over, you can have a butchers at the other models they have in, you end up buying a new keyring...

- Price, but shop around because they vary massively
Click to expand...
That's the best summary I've read (bar the keyring!). This assumes you can wait with the car. I think checking out the other models is one of the biggest pluses really - I haven't got time to visit the showroom that often and it's a great no-hassle excuse.
 
I had all my 6 A3s serviced and maintained by the same dealer and I have never had any problems at all. It the same dealer that I've bought all 7 of my A3s from as well.

I always leave my car with them and generally have a load car for the day, but being retired I often call in and have a look round at the current models, have a coffee and a chat. If I fancy driving one I only have to ask.

If I have any small problem, like not being able to get my radio out easily because of the extra bracket I've got for my TomTom, I just call in and have a word with the Service Manager and he gets one of the technicians to take it out for me.

Personally I think it does depend on how old your car is. If it's within the warranty period which all have mine have been it's better to use a dealer. When mine has been in for service they have several times applied new software releases to the ECU which may be one of the reasons I never had any problems with the DPF on my 170. I have also had the odd Audi recommended modification or item replaced as well.

I don't think most non-dealers would know about these items or be able to carry them out free of charge.

I also get what I consider a good trade-in price because they know the car and can usually ask a liitle more by saying it's a car they sold in the first place and have looked after from new.
 
marmite_on_toast said:
What would you say are the pros and cons to dealer servicing?

I'm guessing that the cost would be the worst con!?!?!

Just need to get straight in my head, wether to go down the dealer route or use my trusted local garage.


Cheers. :arco:
Click to expand...

My advice is to consider using the dealer depending on the job. I get the dealer to do my servicing so I can maintain the dealer stamp, but I only get them to change my oil which I provide for them so I know whats going in and how much it costs. They stamp the book and then I service the stupidly easy parts like the air filter. I had an oil change and haldex service for about £120. Even though I only asked for an Oil change they did do full service checks on the car which seemed good, but ended up in this frustrating thread: http://audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=61515

Point is, it is worth maintaining dealer service history, but by being sensible about what they actually do on your car you can get some of the +ve's without some of the -ve's. Also, standard dealer prices can be high, but everything is negotiable, they want/need your business so haggle them down, I got my last service cheaper than the local specialists!

Repairs are different though; using a specialist can make far more sense. Or even better is doing work yourself if you can, eg brake changes are easier than most home DIY tasks so why pay someone to do it!
 
I use my local Audi dealer. Nice courtesy car, car not washed (I request it not to be washed as I dont trust anyone else to wash it!), friendly and not that expensive for a dealer.

Complete and utter ineptitude is a bit of a sweeping statement, they aren't all like that.
 
Just had my S3's second service at cheshire oaks Audi (old Chester Audi) in thier nice new posh dealership,as usual good service did not wash the car as requested and not a bad price, £243 including brake fluid change. I have had some bad experiences at some dealers though, not all worth the extra money you pay.

Mark
 
Thanks for that peeps, you lot have really helped. I've always used a friend of mine to do the servicing on my old ****** 307 :wtf: and I was a little unsure of what to do with my a3. I guess I'll ring up Audi and get a few prices to see what the score is. Also, I like the idea of going around the car when you drop it off, as last time I took mine to the dealer closest to me (shrewsbury) it came back with a scuff on the rear bumper and it had only been there for an hour :applaus: I know I should have said something, but the mark did buff out.

Cheers for all the advice :arco:
 
Pros: Keeps service history record up.

Cons: Your car will be slowly ruined as each and everytime you take it in, they like to leave 'their mark' on it somewhere (bit like a dog taking a leak!)
 
steve184 said:
Pros: Keeps service history record up.

Cons: Your car will be slowly ruined as each and everytime you take it in, they like to leave 'their mark' on it somewhere (bit like a dog taking a leak!)
Click to expand...

Your obviously using the wrong dealer.
 
PRO`S= YOU GET YOUR BOOK STAMPED!

CON`S= THEY DONT KNOW THEIR **** FROM THEIR ELBOW & THEY DON`T GIVE A F**K ABOUT YOUR CAR.


OTHER THAN THAT THEY ARE VERY GOOD.:blink: (ONLY JOKING)
 
Pros - First three years servicing is free with Audi Corporate Plus program. :yahoo:

Cons - I might not always get a car better than the S3 as a loaner when my car is getting serviced. :nyah:
 
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