Pant round your ancles, its time for a service
Discussion
Please let me know if i am tight, but is £470 dear for an A6 first service?
No plugs, discs or pads, tyres, just new oil and filter, polen filter, and a photo copied piece of paper with a line of ticks to say, yes your lights, horn, wipers and tyres are all on the car and in fine Audi approved order.
On veiwing the bill I questioned if there was an oil which cost £123.12 to fill a car. Whats in it, powdered platinum?
I then googled the oil and found it for sale for around £40 per 4 litres in Halfords. Do A6 engines take 12 litres of oil, even at halford prices?
But the icing on the cake was the quote i asked for to repair a four inch scuff on the corner of the front bumper, and two tiny digs on the back bumper as big as one pence pieces.
£750 to you sir (while your pants are still warming your ancles).
Today i got a call to see if i was keen to take them up on their offer, and i declined on cost grounds. I was then asked what i expected to pay, and i said 300-350 seemed fair for what i am sure is an easy half days work for any painter.
I was then asked if i would pay in cash, and then told they would see what they could do.BUT not to go anywhere else or my Audi paint warranty would be void, like my plastic bumper might start rusting or something. At this point i should have been frightned and begged him to make everything better, my piece of mind restored again. Ching ching
No plugs, discs or pads, tyres, just new oil and filter, polen filter, and a photo copied piece of paper with a line of ticks to say, yes your lights, horn, wipers and tyres are all on the car and in fine Audi approved order.
On veiwing the bill I questioned if there was an oil which cost £123.12 to fill a car. Whats in it, powdered platinum?
I then googled the oil and found it for sale for around £40 per 4 litres in Halfords. Do A6 engines take 12 litres of oil, even at halford prices?
But the icing on the cake was the quote i asked for to repair a four inch scuff on the corner of the front bumper, and two tiny digs on the back bumper as big as one pence pieces.
£750 to you sir (while your pants are still warming your ancles).
Today i got a call to see if i was keen to take them up on their offer, and i declined on cost grounds. I was then asked what i expected to pay, and i said 300-350 seemed fair for what i am sure is an easy half days work for any painter.
I was then asked if i would pay in cash, and then told they would see what they could do.BUT not to go anywhere else or my Audi paint warranty would be void, like my plastic bumper might start rusting or something. At this point i should have been frightned and begged him to make everything better, my piece of mind restored again. Ching ching
Edited by charge on Thursday 12th April 22:48
medicineman said:
My first variable serice on my 3.2Q A3 was 240 quid. The 2 year brake fluid chgange has just cost me 89 quid. The long life oil is a bit more expensive than halfords stuff though.
My first service (A3 3.2) was £205 and the brake fluid change £70, seems that Audi dealers aren't consistent with their pricing.
Yes this is steep. You didn't say what engine though, howevger the first service (long life) on my A4 1.9 TDI was about £295. These engines use the most expensive oil in Audi's arsenal for the longlife regime. It pasy to shop around as I have mine done in Wales as opposed to the Thames valley which is about 30% cheaper for the same end-result !
I had work done on my A4 TDI by an Audi dealership in a county town. The invoice just showed one figure + VAT. I was dissatisfied with the quality of work done (A/C connectors left off,) and complaing, querying the costs.
The dealer principal was very, very reluctant to give me a breakdown of the figures, especially the hourly labour rate charged and turned nasty when I asked for it in writing (turned out to be £89 per hour).
I've tried to find a knowledgeable, reliable independent locally but no luck so far.
The dealer principal was very, very reluctant to give me a breakdown of the figures, especially the hourly labour rate charged and turned nasty when I asked for it in writing (turned out to be £89 per hour).
I've tried to find a knowledgeable, reliable independent locally but no luck so far.
The engine size is 4.2, but what does that matter, it barely takes more oil than the 3.2.
I know, if you can afford to run a V8, Slap a lump on the service cost! And the oil from halfords was the special castrol oil listed on the service invoice, so you know thats an easy £80 for doing nothing. £200 on labour for someone to undo your sump plug, screw a new one in, fit a new filter, and fill er up with oil, oh and tick a sheet to tell you someone has turned your lights on, and made your wipers work. That can't take long. Mind you, tea breaks, a twenty minute thrash (sorry, test drive) round the lanes, someone has to pay for it all.
I know, if you can afford to run a V8, Slap a lump on the service cost! And the oil from halfords was the special castrol oil listed on the service invoice, so you know thats an easy £80 for doing nothing. £200 on labour for someone to undo your sump plug, screw a new one in, fit a new filter, and fill er up with oil, oh and tick a sheet to tell you someone has turned your lights on, and made your wipers work. That can't take long. Mind you, tea breaks, a twenty minute thrash (sorry, test drive) round the lanes, someone has to pay for it all.
tino said:
Dealer priced are horrendous. Unfortunately come resale time, its a must.
If you are thinking of keeping the car long term, its best to find a decent independant.
You can provide your own oil, and other parts if you so wish. This will have savings on its own.
If you are thinking of keeping the car long term, its best to find a decent independant.
You can provide your own oil, and other parts if you so wish. This will have savings on its own.
Whilst I don't know the exact law that it relates to, the dealer is not allowed to offer you a lower than normal part exchange value for your car if it has been serviced outside of the main dealer network.
Likewise, they must uphold all warranty obligations so long as the car has been serviced in line with the schedule that they are obliged to publish to the motor trade. So long as documentation exists to show that you have had your car serviced by a reputable garage, your warranty is sound.
I've never had a car less than 3 years old, and have therefore stayed well clear of the main dealer networks thankfully. Their prices are simply horrific, and whilst I appreciate that their overheads are higher than a back street garage, this is not the whole story like they try and make out.
I'd take a trip back to the stealer on a busy saturday, go in with your pants down quite literally, invoice in one hand & ask to speak to the dealer principal. Explain you don't like being ripped off & ask them to amend their extortion racketeering system (invoicing) to something that does'nt resemble a government IT contract budget overspend. I'd even get the local news papers & TV along for a bit of fun 
I'm pretty sure you probably make a weekend of the next service, take a trip to Belgium or Holland, get the car serviced over there at a manin dealers & still have change for beer money from all your costs. That's what I'd do.
I'm pretty sure you probably make a weekend of the next service, take a trip to Belgium or Holland, get the car serviced over there at a manin dealers & still have change for beer money from all your costs. That's what I'd do.
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