pontyslapper Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 Just booked the second variable service for my Passat at the main dealer in Cardiff. Quoted £280 - first variable was £240. Is this reasonable or should I unbook and go to another dealer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugboy Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 When I asked about the 10k service I was told £230+vat at the dealer. Instead I took it to a VAG specialist for £150+vat. This included hooking the car up to the computer which I think the dealer wanted to charge extra. I presume yours is still under warranty though. If it was me I would phone up all the dealers including adjacent towns. You may well find that your local one will match the price if you put them on the spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm1 Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Mine is due in 600 miles on 2004 2.0 petrol estate. Local dealer 264.36 next closet dealer(same company as first) 280 next closet again - 279.66 I don't understand why all different, I know they are within £15 but even two places under the same company 10 miles apart are different! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted May 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Its nice to know that there is some kind of regularity across the country for a service on a 2004 2.0 petrol estate. I've decided to stick with the £280 dealer as the next closest is part of the same group but is 40 miles north of where I need to be on Tuesday. The £280 dealer is 4 miles away from work!! Couldn't offer me a lift to work, supply a courtesy car or owt though - could have a lift to town but not a mile or so further on!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted May 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Ended up having a sick day - terrible gut rot. Took the car down and waited - crawled all over a new Passat estate and Toerag - dropped seats, lay in back fiddled and buggered about with every knob dial and thing in both cars. Not impressed with new passat estate over the 'old' one. Several thing are just not as substantial!! Certainly wasn't impressed by being lied to - asked about being charged for screenwash - was told we pump out whatever was in the tank and replace it with VW stuff - for £2.04 I let it go. Then I used my washers today - plain water, same as I'd left in there full to the brim. Pondering a phone call about this tomorrow - what do you guys reckon?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted May 19, 2006 Report Share Posted May 19, 2006 Yeah, phone them and tell them they ripped you off. Tell 'em you're taking the car to another garage to get their work checked and see what else they lied about. And tell 'em you're coming back in for the money for the screenwash when the showrooms full of potential customers on Sunday. Of course, you don't have to go in for it, but you really need to tell 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgazza Posted May 20, 2006 Report Share Posted May 20, 2006 Plus the probable half hour "by the book" VW time for changing the water...or not in this case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm1 Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Had my 2nd variable service done today on 2.0 SE at a mere £386! 275 for service and 111 for replacing rear brake pads. The thing I am particularly annoyed about though is I noticed once I got home that they recorded that the brake fluid change was due in 3 months (when car is 2 years old), couldn't they have done that today or is it normal to do it at exactly 2 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 At work we class 3 months as boarder line for a Brake fluid service, as it is a bit to early but a bit of annoying for the customer to come back. Normally i would have done what that dealer did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulator Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 Why does it always seem to be vee dub dealers that are ripping people off?? ... I know this forum probably has more VAG car owners and therefore we hear more problems with veedub garages, but I wonder if other garages cause the same problems. Just a note back on topic, The lupo went in for a full service with Nationwide autocenter. They did a very good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgazza Posted May 24, 2006 Report Share Posted May 24, 2006 I could point you at a Ford forum where you wouldn't believe how bad it can really get. A brief example, I'll paraphrase " Went into my dealer in Stafford because my battery keeps going flat on my 1 year old C-Max. Dealer told me I must be leaving the lights on overnight(even though they automatically turn off after 1 hour when the ignition is off)When I pointed out the Ford notified battery/charger upgrade for this very factory defect problem. He said he had never heard of it and it was not a warranty claim and could he have £180 for replacing the battery and the alternator. I shoed him the Ford print out supplied on this forum and at least he blushed and muttered that he must have forgotten it" The story is considerably longer than that but you get the gist. Its not an isolated example for Ford dealers. Don't even get me going on Fiat or BMW dealers..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted May 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 JHM are you spooking me or what!! They tried to tap me for rear brake pads at £112 - I declined as only 2 days earlier I'd changed the wheels and the discs and pads all round looked OK to me. Strange how they come out with the same patter?!? Cardiff VW told me about the brake fluid and the pads before the car was properly off the ramps - so I took the option of the brake fluid at £60!! but declined the pads at £112. How the hell does it cost £60 to change brake fluid. I watched the bloke doing it and it took 15 minutes tops and during that time he was talking to another tech while this contraption hung over the wheels did something?!? As a rule I never take what they say about odds and sods need doing unless they can show me or prove it. Luckily I'd had the wheels off earlier in the week. All in all though I must say that Cardiff VW aren't the worst bunch I've come across. That honour is still reserved for Ford dealers. £160 for 3 keys on a car that was a previous model!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm1 Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 Thanks Mulkbear, makes me feel better that is standard. Pontyslapper, I have suspicions about the brake pads but what can do you. I don't know much about cars, I was at work 50 miles away and had not looked at the pads before I took them in. I did say no at first and then had a look around this forum and found out that the warning light only works on the front pads and what with Mrs James using the car everyday with the 2 little uns, I decided to go ahead which I suppose they were banking on. I did have a look after I got it back and they are nice and new now and the fronts look quite good too (to an untrained eye) so hopefully that should be it for a while. I hate being suspicious but I am afraid stealers do have a habit of making you feel like that (Mulkbear excluded). James. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 I have had a few customer's argue with me saying "noway can my car need pads and disc's", my reaction is normally "OK that is my advice, i have recommended them to you think you know better!" 9 times out of 10 the car has them done a week later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteNova Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 i'm going to have fun servicing mine from sept 1st my dads had it from new for the last 5 years currently on 60k i'm gonna do 45k a year in it gonna do belts once a year pd oil and filter every 10k pads when on metal no other servicing will be done unless it's an mot fail lets see if i can get 5 years/225k out of it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasXPear Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 [ QUOTE ] They tried to tap me for rear brake pads at £112 [/ QUOTE ] I got stung once for brake pads all round while the car was in for a service. didnt think it would cost much as the wheels would be off anyway so i didnt bother to ask. Came to pick the car up and the the service cost had doubled from the original quoted £250ish to over £500. Not a happy bunny. Same dealer informed my dad that his were due one service shortly after i got stung. He said he'd "leave it till the warning light came on...." 10K miles later he took it in for its next service, still on the same pads and this time was told that the pads woould last till the NEXT service!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontyslapper Posted May 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 So glad I declined the dealers kind offer for the rear pads at £112. Got them done this afternoon in National Tyres in Pontypridd for £55!! Quite a difference - but to defend the stealers the inner pads were very slim! £112 versus £55 and Clubcard points!! = £57.55 in my pocket. If you take the costs as just the raw pads, heres what you get... VW - £28 per pad Tyre Place - £13.75 per pad VW ones must be gold plated or hand rolled on the thighs of nubile German virgins Always check before you jump thats the moral of the story here I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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