Audi Advantage - cheaper servicing?

[comdw]

Was ringing round looking for a quote to get my Haldex Oil & Filter service - expecting the main dealer to be more expensive than the local specialist I usually use (who quoted £95).

When Reading Audi finally called me back they reeled off a quote of over £300 with a list of stuff including longlife service, brake fluid and haldex. I asked how much just for the haldex service and they said £50.40!! Could not believe its that cheap - they said its because my car is over 3 years old I qualify for something called "Audi Advantage" (http://www.audiadvantage.co.uk/) which gives cheaper rates. I never heard of this scheme before.

Just checking my records I paid about £120 for the exact same service three years ago!

I've booked it in for next week. Anyone see a catch? Will have to consider using this for more stuff in future.

 

[Aky]

I used to get 20% discount off labour an 5% on parts from VW as a loyalty for buying the car from them

 

[jesters3]

Sounds like the costs for the parts only...proably sting you for an hours labour at £99+VAT! - you sure it is all in?

Thats a good scheme they have setup. To try and prise more money from lost sales. Newbury Audi have the same, just ask and they will give you the 20% off, even so it still comes to £80+VAT per hour; still double what I pay my local VAG specialist!

 

[comdw]

I asked them more than once if it included everything labour etc and they said yes. Still its only a verbal thing I guess - better get them to confirm it when I take it in (will be a wasted drive if they go back on this )

 

[marriedblonde]

BMW offer this as well, cheaper servicing on older cars. Stops them loosing out too much to the indi garages.

J.

 

[jonS3]

make sure it's for both haldex oil AND filter

 

[neil.c]

I got sent an advantage membership card through the post.

 

[comdw]

make sure it's for both haldex oil AND filter

I definitely asked them that and whether it included VAT, but I can't remember for sure whether I directly asked them about labour. Well I have to go there anyway to see about my bubbling paintwork so I will make double sure about the price before letting them have it!

Slough Audi quoted £150, so unless Reading have made a mistake they are probably trying to suck me in.

 

[cjhill]

this audi advantage thing only seems to cover about 12 dealers in the country.... why is that?

 

[j4jon]

Its only one group of dealers, not all franchises

 

[AndyMac]

No way on earth you will only pay £50, they will find a host of other charges in there somewhere. £50 doesn't even cover 30minutes labour! I paid more than that for a set of floor mats.
If I were you I'd offer to pay up front when you drop the car off, and I bet they won't let you.

 

[comdw]

Yeh I have a feeling it will be a wasted journey, but I will complain and see if I can at least get it done at same price as the local specialist would have.

 

[S3Steve]

BMW offer this as well, cheaper servicing on older cars. Stops them loosing out too much to the indi garages.

J.

All BMW dealerships do this, where as this offer for Audi's is only offered by Sytner Group dealerships. Interesting they have started doing this as Sytner have been BMW dealers for years, maybe other Audi dealerships should start doing this too.

 

[Essflee]

totally......what's good for one should be good for the rest !

I went into Ipswich Audi yesterday and they hadn't even heard of the Advantage card, i think the lady thought i was pulling her leg.....

They did give it a clean and a hoover tho !!

 

[Perplexer]

I have the Advantage stuff sent through too. But I did get my S3 serviced at what is now Sytner Audi in Notts.

 

[marriedblonde]

BMW offer half price labour on older cars, I guess this is what sytner are doing for audi now?

J.

 

[comdw]

Today was the day. I rang up yesterday to double check the quote and they told me £50 and I made sure it was oil&filter and included labour - they guy said yes that was what was on the computer and that was what I'd pay.

Dropped the car off and the guy who checked it in said "haldex oil change, right?" and I said "oil and filter" and he scribbled down +filter on the job card and said no more.

So of course when I went to pick it up, surprise, surprise, £124 please. Told them what I had been quoted (typically they couldn't bring up the original quote on the computer even though I saw it with my own eyes when I dropped the car off). After alot of faffing around they decided that I had been quoted for just the oil change and showed me two new quotes to confirm it - just the oil £50 and oil & filter £124. They also showed me the original quote given to me over the phone last week with all the other service items and the haldex oil change (filter not mentioned) for £50. I told them it was their mistake and I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for the £50 quote, and after a few more minutes and a talk with his superior they decided to charge me £50 (I actually was expecting more of a fight).

Now I still truly don't know whether they were trying to screw me or made an honest mistake. If the latter then I almost feel guilty for getting it cheap, but if it was the former then I honestly wonder whether the filter really has been done at all - no stamp in the book and the invoice now says just oil change (to get the price back down to £50), so I certainly can't hold them to it.

Overall not a very enjoyable experience and I doubt I'll be going back in a hurry.

 

[Leon]

Now I still truly don't know whether they were trying to screw me or made an honest mistake. If the latter then I almost feel guilty for getting it cheap, but if it was the former then I honestly wonder whether the filter really has been done at all - no stamp in the book and the invoice now says just oil change (to get the price back down to £50), so I certainly can't hold them to it.

Overall not a very enjoyable experience and I doubt I'll be going back in a hurry.

I had mine done last week (at an indi) and the oil&filter parts alone cost £35. Based on 1 hours labour (say £90) their original charge sounds about right. An indi would charge £80 for the same job (labour half the cost of audi of course).

I had to deal with Audi when my car was under warranty and it was NEVER an enjoyable experience. Unlike an Audi franchise who only seem interested in the big spenders buying new cars, a good independent specialist is the better option when it comes to servicing.

 

[jesters3]

Today was the day. I rang up yesterday to double check the quote and they told me £50 and I made sure it was oil&filter and included labour - they guy said yes that was what was on the computer and that was what I'd pay.

Dropped the car off and the guy who checked it in said "haldex oil change, right?" and I said "oil and filter" and he scribbled down +filter on the job card and said no more.

So of course when I went to pick it up, surprise, surprise, £124 please. Told them what I had been quoted (typically they couldn't bring up the original quote on the computer even though I saw it with my own eyes when I dropped the car off). After alot of faffing around they decided that I had been quoted for just the oil change and showed me two new quotes to confirm it - just the oil £50 and oil & filter £124. They also showed me the original quote given to me over the phone last week with all the other service items and the haldex oil change (filter not mentioned) for £50. I told them it was their mistake and I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for the £50 quote, and after a few more minutes and a talk with his superior they decided to charge me £50 (I actually was expecting more of a fight).

Now I still truly don't know whether they were trying to screw me or made an honest mistake. If the latter then I almost feel guilty for getting it cheap, but if it was the former then I honestly wonder whether the filter really has been done at all - no stamp in the book and the invoice now says just oil change (to get the price back down to £50), so I certainly can't hold them to it.

Overall not a very enjoyable experience and I doubt I'll be going back in a hurry.

A. They made the mistake and misquoted you.
B. They tried to make you pay for the mistake.
C. They covered up their tracks.

Quite frankly it is farsical that a main line dealer can do this. However no all dealers are quite like that it is the minoroty that screw it up for the majority. Newbury Audi have always been good and no sh!t from them in the 8 years I've used them; however purely down to cost I now either do the work myself or get Storm in Aldermaston to do the work. I've got to do the haldex soon and from reading about how to do it I will probably give it a bash - thoughI will just doublecheck before I do so.

I'm glad you got it for £50, but it did sound too good to be true. Plus even it it was an 'oil change' it still ain't bad value.

I don't think you would have got a stamp just for a haldex oil change unless it was a full service, plus on your reciept they must have itemised what parts they used? I guess they were covering up their **** up!! O the basis should you feel guilty, don't be; i certainly wouldn't!

 

[jonS3]

make sure it's for both haldex oil AND filter

I knew it wouldn't be, Audi dealers won't pick up the phone for less than an hour's labour...

 

[Nilz]

Typical!!

****** idiots, they are only interested in taking money aint they, i knew they would do that and true to my thoughts and many others, that is exactly what they did, well done on getting it for £50, call it compensation for your hassle and unnecessary arguing and embarresment caused by questioning their costing.

 

[comdw]

Well I knew it was too good to be true also (hence partly the reason for this thread), but even when I asked them to confirm the quote on the phone saying it sounded too cheap for the work, they still said it would be £50, so they only have themselves to blame really. Feel sorry for others who end up paying more than twice as much as they expect from the quote. Actually, when I was sat there arguing the bill with them, there was someone at the next desk doing exactly the same thing!

The filter is not mentioned on the invoice I got at all now - they changed it into an oil change to get the lower price. I only mentioned about a stamp because the last haldex service I had they did stamp the book, not fussed about it though.

 

[S3 Rav]

i think fair play to you. its all their own fault and none of yours. however i would have still asked for the reciept of all the work you had done to prove you had it done. its not your fault they screwed up. your service history shouldnt suffer from their mistakes