Courtesy Car/Price Matching?

[A4Ultra]

Hello,

Apologies if this has been asked before. Trying to book in the A4 for an oil change as it's hit 12 months even though I do more miles than fixed regime (15k minimum), thought id get it done as the car is personal and hopefully a long term keeper.

Contrary to past experience, the Audi dealers I've phoned are charging for the use of a courtesy car? Is this normal? It's about £50 when you include the small excess for insurance purposes etc?

Seems a bit excessive since it's only going in for an oil change and MOT and the car will cost the same as the MOT?

Also has anyone any experience in price matching? Trying to get it matched from specialist garages as dealer wanted £200+ for the oil change itself even though vehicle is more than 3 years old?

Many thanks

 

[motty225]

Audi will price match a vat registered garage if the quote lists oem part numbers and are within 10mile range

 

[psychopomp1]

Contrary to past experience, the Audi dealers I've phoned are charging for the use of a courtesy car? Is this normal? It's about £50 when you include the small excess for insurance purposes etc?

WHAAAAAT?! In my 12 years of using Highland Audi, they have NEVER charged me for a courtesy car, even when the car has gone in for warranty repairs , ie even I'm not paying them a penny for anything. Their only requirement is that I bring the courtesy car back with the same amount of fuel as they gave me, which is fair do's.

 

[monkeyhanger]

It's becoming a thing. I've predominantly had VWs rather than Audis over the last 20 years and courtesy cars were always free, whether it be for servicing or warranty work. Then about 3 years ago, the local Lookers set of dealerships around Newcastle started charging around £17 a day for insurance plus a £5 admin fee per day, but the car was classified as "free" - obviously ********!

With that in mind and with having had far better service at Pulmans VW in Sunderland and Durham (and Lookers have damaged my car twice in their care), I'll go there even though Lookers are in my doorstep. Their courtesy cars are free.

Lookers has the local monopoly on Audi though, and I'm not sure whether charging for courtesy cars has migrated to their Audi garages. As I work from home 4 days a week, I do have the option of probably not needing a courtesy car.

 

[liveseytowers]

I've got my car booked in for its first service and a re-call next month and was offered a free courtesy car. They did say its normally £20 but they waved the cost this time for whatever reason. I thought the service was going to be £480 but it was £386 in the end, so i didn't bother trying to price match. I know that they do price match though, as previously said in this thread, as long as the quote has genuine parts and is within 10 miles radius they'll match it. I guess the difficulty is that how would your independent garage know exactly what Audi are replacing at the first service to make it like for like?

If its just an oil change, i don't think i'd bother taking it to Audi only the services. Or i'd consider the service pack that gives you 2 oil changes and your next service.

 

[A4Ultra]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Audi not willing to budge on the cost of a courtesy car unfortunately. Got a quote with the part numbers etc to price match but the dealer wasn't even willing to match this, instead they offered to do both MOT and service for £190 (which isn't bad, but they're trying to back out of the price match now for some reason).

With regards to courtesy car, I was just wondering whether the cost is a COVID related thing. Many thanks though

 

[motty225]

Why not just take it somewhere else? I got audi down today from £560 to £349 on my s4 for a service and inspection, then need your business remember that, even warrenty is claimed back off audi headquarters

 

[cuke2u]

The charge I have had over the past year haven’t been for the courtesy vehicle at all but for additional insurance. There might be confusion about this it seems..

 

[monkeyhanger]

The charge I have had over the past year haven’t been for the courtesy vehicle at all but for additional insurance. There might be confusion about this it seems..

Even that's a new thing in my experience, and only with certain dealerships. They should have a cover all persons policy on their courtesy cars and perhaps only pay a premium if they're under 25 (higher risk). If you're over 25 and they want you to pay £20+ a day to borrow one of their cars, there's no courtesy in it, they're charging for a rental.

If your car is in for warranty rather than servicing, that car should be free to borrow - it's not your fault that your car has a fault.

 

[psychopomp1]

Given others' experience, I wonder if Highland Audi is the only dealer left which levies no kind of charge for a courtesy vehicle? lol

 

[A4Ultra]

Interesting. I often commute between Aberdeen and Devon/Cornwall so when in Aberdeen the courtesy car is normally free but you just have to book in advance a couple of weeks.

Here in the south west though (where I am for at least the next few weeks), most of the nearby dealers are part of the Marshall Audi group so I think they are charging what they like as a result since there is nowhere else to go.
To give you guys an idea, the vehicle is on LL servicing and isn't 4 years old yet so had the major service done last year meaning only an oil change is required (even that I don't need due to my higher mileage). But when I called one dealer they wouldn't let me just book in for an oil change service, instead they were forcing me to have another major service. Not the best lot to deal with!

 

[cuke2u]

Even that's a new thing in my experience, and only with certain dealerships. They should have a cover all persons policy on their courtesy cars and perhaps only pay a premium if they're under 25 (higher risk). If you're over 25 and they want you to pay £20+ a day to borrow one of their cars, there's no courtesy in it, they're charging for a rental.

If your car is in for warranty rather than servicing, that car should be free to borrow - it's not your fault that your car has a fault.

You haven’t read my post correctly or I haven't got it across correctly, the charge isn't for the use of their car but for the additional insurance cover to reduce the excess. You can say what ever you like about this 'charge', take the car or leave it but the charge is there to stay and has been for at least two years...

 

[A4Ultra]

Just an update: booked it in for a service and MOT £190.

Told that there is no such thing as a courtesy car and it is in fact actually called a hire car. Cough up the £33 or be on your way. Doesn't look like I've got much of an option hahah!

Also told it will be an A1. Not very happy with that either but would be a fun toy hopefully for a few hours

Think it depends on dealer therefore as I know Aberdeen don't charge for it and some other Scottish dealers as was mentioned above.


Thanks

 

[tickedon]

My experience of two separate dealership groups with my Audi:

1) Free courtesy car but you must book several weeks in advance, rather limited availability

2) courtesy car available, you sign a form with a £25 charge, but the price quoted for the service /work is always what I’ve paid and no £25 has ever been added on.

One of the reasons many are prepared to pay the ridiculous dealership pricing is for things like the free courtesy car. Take that away and I think there will be a bit more shopping around!

 

[monkeyhanger]

You haven’t read my post correctly or I haven't got it across correctly, the charge isn't for the use of their car but for the additional insurance cover to reduce the excess. You can say what ever you like about this 'charge', take the car or leave it but the charge is there to stay and has been for at least two years...

I got your post. If you believe a £23 charge (£18 + £5 admin fee at my local Lookers) to use one of their cars is all about insurance then you're naive. It's the first time you've mentioned excess reduction. A local (non-Lookers) VW garage does this, but it's a fiver.

So just to clear this up.. are you able to borrow one of their cars free of charge if you don't take out the excess reduction insurance? If so, you have a free courtesy car that you're choosing to pay an massively overpriced option on the insurance for. If not, you're paying for a hire car no matter what label they give that charge.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Slightly off-topic, there are far too many of these sneaky add-ons for services creeping in.

When getting our Polo GTI serviced recently, we were encouraged to take up the offer of an oil upgrade for £20. The car's on fixed service regime with a prepaid service pack. They're obliged to use the correct oil for the car that meets whatever spec, but they're trying to upsell on oil brands.

Anyone else exoerienced this?

 

[cuke2u]

Nope...

 

[cuke2u]

I got your post. If you believe a £23 charge (£18 + £5 admin fee at my local Lookers) to use one of their cars is all about insurance then you're naive. It's the first time you've mentioned excess reduction. A local (non-Lookers) VW garage does this, but it's a fiver.

So just to clear this up.. are you able to borrow one of their cars free of charge if you don't take out the excess reduction insurance? If so, you have a free courtesy car that you're choosing to pay an massively overpriced option on the insurance for. If not, you're paying for a hire car no matter what label they give that charge.

Yes I am and currently have a courtesy car booked for my next serviced and again I was asked if I wished to pay an additional £25 to reduce the excess. I quote from my post: "The charge I have had over the past year haven’t been for the courtesy vehicle at all but for additional insurance. There might be confusion about this it seems.." Its clear I was referring to insurance, but not, as I actually confessed, totally clear what it was for. I believe I then went on to post the clarification which as far as I'm concerned is hopefully enough..

 

[cuke2u]

Small print from the loan care doc: