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Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: skylark on 06 June 2007, 11:13

Title: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: skylark on 06 June 2007, 11:13
I've just been quoted £22.19 for a Service and maintance contract. It's based on March 2007 GTI ED30 (with 3000 miles on the clock) 10,000 per year.
Extra for tyres is £12.74 per month.
Dealer said it made no difference if I put it at 8,000 miles per year?
It seems very high compared with what other people on here have been quoted, what do you think?
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: illyun on 06 June 2007, 11:16
That is steep - i was paying £23 per month with tyres for a mileage of 9000 a year for my Edition 30
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: skylark on 06 June 2007, 11:20
Is the price set by VW or the Stealer?
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 06 June 2007, 13:41
I think these service/maintenance contracts are a bit of con.

Firstly, you don't get a choice of tyre make, and secondly, if you are on the T&D servicing, you can't then ask them to use the LongLife oil.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Hurdy on 06 June 2007, 14:49
I think these service/maintenance contracts are a bit of con.

Firstly, you don't get a choice of tyre make, and secondly, if you are on the T&D servicing, you can't then ask them to use the LongLife oil.

Not stictly true with the oil. Dealer agreed to use the long life oil as long as I specified it each time and agreed to pay the difference.

My agreement was for all servicing maintenance and tyres at 10k/year and costs under £26/month. Over three years this costs £925.
Based on costs at my dealers:-

3 services             = £465
Air con service       =£80
Brake fluid service   =£80
First MOT              =£45

Total for just servicing is £670, so even if you drive like a granny you will need 2 new front tyres at around £240 total and so this comes to £910. Even basing the outlay on these minimum requirements you are already balancing your outgoings and that is at current pricings. :nerd:
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: skylark on 06 June 2007, 15:22
Dealer says the S + M for 3 Years includes:
Service V1 £252
Service V2 £342
Brake Fluid £58
Air Con £94
First MOT £54
VW assist year 2 & 3 £180
Total £980
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: wantmygti on 06 June 2007, 15:30
Dealer says the S + M for 3 Years includes:
Service V1 £252
Service V2 £342
Brake Fluid £58
Air Con £94
First MOT £54
VW assist year 2 & 3 £180
Total £980

Sure does, and i pay £20 a month (exc. tyres) making it a steal - plus those prices will rise over the next 3 years.

Some will say that the VW assist is free if you get VW servicing or something.

I reckon I'll also get at least a set of brake pads out of mine. But your service prices look very high to me (but I get 3 T+D services which cost less each). Still good piece of mind.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Hurdy on 06 June 2007, 15:36
Oooops,

Forgot about the 3 years VW assistance also included :embarassed:
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 06 June 2007, 18:15
I think these service/maintenance contracts are a bit of con.

Firstly, you don't get a choice of tyre make, and secondly, if you are on the T&D servicing, you can't then ask them to use the LongLife oil.

Not stictly true with the oil. Dealer agreed to use the long life oil as long as I specified it each time and agreed to pay the difference.

I'd insist on getting that in writing!  And I'd also check carefully the invoice at servicing time.

My agreement was for all servicing maintenance and tyres at 10k/year and costs under £26/month. Over three years this costs £925.
Based on costs at my dealers:-

3 services             = £465
Air con service       =£80

WTF - Air con is not routine maintenance.  On all of my previous cars with air con, they have NEVER needed a service, and they included by 4 year old S4, and a 7 year old Astra.  Pure rip off.

Brake fluid service   =£80

Another rip-off.  VW can normally be haggled down to £40 for the BFC.

First MOT              =£45

Total for just servicing is £670, so even if you drive like a granny you will need 2 new front tyres at around £240 total and so this comes to £910. Even basing the outlay on these minimum requirements you are already balancing your outgoings and that is at current pricings. :nerd:

Like I said, you'll not get a choice of tyres, so if you have Dunlop or Bridgestones, then you are stuck with them.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: symonkey1 on 06 June 2007, 18:20
I never got offered all this - Id have probably done it with tyres. Do you have a limit on how many tyres you can have?
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 06 June 2007, 18:24
Dealer says the S + M for 3 Years includes:

S&M eh ???  :wink:  :wink:

Service V1 £252

Another blatant rip-off.  Serivice 1, 3, 5, etc on T&D regime is just an oil and filter change.  That's it.  On my S4, at Audi prices, without haggling, the equivalent service was £189.  My local VW stealer will do service one on my GTI for £160.

Service V2 £342

Does that include the "additional" work too?

Brake Fluid £58

Reasonable price.

Air Con £94

Not needed - pure anb blatant rip-off.

First MOT £54

A bit different to Hurdy's quote, particularly as MoTs are fixed price, and set by the government!

VW assist year 2 & 3 £180

Bearing in mind just how shyte VW assist are, you could get much better value and service by going direct to AA/RAC/GreenFlag etc.



What about tyres???
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 06 June 2007, 18:28
I never got offered all this - Id have probably done it with tyres. Do you have a limit on how many tyres you can have?

Think yourself lucky.

I think it is two tyres per 10k miles, though I stand to be corrected on this.

These maintenance plans really are a rip off, and utterley pointless, IMHO
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: skylark on 06 June 2007, 19:15
Rang VW this mourning and they said there is no limit on the amount of tyres you can have.

Current tyres are Conti's.

What I can't understand is why I'm being quoted £35 a month for S & M & T, when other people are paying £26.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 07 June 2007, 11:56
Rang VW this mourning and they said there is no limit on the amount of tyres you can have.

Firstly, did they give you that in writing?  Secondly, did they provide you with their "small print" get-out clauses?

Current tyres are Conti's.

Then you are stuck with less than  perfect boots for your GTI.  :tongue:

What I can't understand is why I'm being quoted £35 a month for S & M & T, when other people are paying £26.

Hint: R I P - O F F

Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: wantmygti on 07 June 2007, 13:17
Sean, I think that the policy is not a rip off and aids both budgeting and protecting from VW price rises. I also think that maybe you need to bear in mind that the majority of us can't buy oil from contacts at hugely reduced prices. I totted up the current prices of the included elements vs the cost of the policy for 3 years and it was near enough spot on. And it would pay for any any wear and tear items that wear out which is hard to quantify.

Also, the air con service is now part of the recommended maintenance program of the golf. Obviously you don't have to have it done, but i wouldn't fancy your chances of an air con based warranty claim should it fail after you declined the service.

That said, I wouldn't take the tyre option as it does not cover punctures and you can't choose your tyres. Plus you have to rely on VWs definition of fair wear. I therefore rate the service and maintenance option only.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: 2007GTI on 07 June 2007, 13:51
on my Mk4 a stealer charged £165 to test and then recharge the air con, which is a blantent rip off, as I found another place that will do it for £60 and its not rocket science if you know what you are doing.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 07 June 2007, 14:58
Sean, I think that the policy is not a rip off and aids both budgeting and protecting from VW price rises. I also think that maybe you need to bear in mind that the majority of us can't buy oil from contacts at hugely reduced prices. I totted up the current prices of the included elements vs the cost of the policy for 3 years and it was near enough spot on. And it would pay for any any wear and tear items that wear out which is hard to quantify.

I have to strongly disagree.

Firstly, I never bought my cost price oil into the equation.  All of my dealer quotes were based on them supplying all parts and lubes.  OK, in some instances, I did manage to haggle down the price - but I think that is an accepted practice anyway - particularly as servicing need not be carried out at a franchised main dealer.  Indeed, get a servicing quote from any nearby independent garage, such as a Bosch specialist, then take that to your local VW/Audi main stealer, and they will usually match the price.

Regarding the oil - OK, many of you know I get mine at trade prices.  However, places like GSF, some web traders, and even the official parts counter at your local stealership will be able to offer some kind of discount compared to the full retail price as charged on the servicing invoice.

Also, the air con service is now part of the recommended maintenance program of the golf.

Are you sure?  In my 2007 model year VW servicing book, and in my 2007 model year Audi servicing book - neither schedule even states air conditioning (other than the usual routine of checking hoses and other components for leaks).  I say again, routine air conditioning servicing is a con, and is not required.

The only time air con should need attention; if it was never properly factory filled (then that is a warranty, and not maintenance issue), if it was damaged by collision, if it had seized up through lack of use - and the most common cause - useless tw@ts like KwikFit doing air con services without replenishing the PAG lubricant.

Look at another way.  Car air conditioning works exactly the same as a domestic refrigerator - when was the last time you had that re-gassed or serviced?

Obviously you don't have to have it done, but i wouldn't fancy your chances of an air con based warranty claim should it fail after you declined the service.

And how many car air-con systems do you know that have required warranty work?  If air-con systems do need work, then it is usually around the 7-10 year timescale - and they arn't mileage dependent either.

That said, I wouldn't take the tyre option as it does not cover punctures and you can't choose your tyres. Plus you have to rely on VWs definition of fair wear. I therefore rate the service and maintenance option only.

ETTO

IMHO, you'd be better off putting your £30 into a savings account every month, and getting the interest for yourself.  At the end of the day, these maintenance plans are simply just another way of making even more money from customers - if they wer'nt making money from them, they wouldn't be offering them in the first place.
Title: Re: Is Stealer pulling a fast one.
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 07 June 2007, 15:02
on my Mk4 a stealer charged £165 to test and then recharge the air con, which is a blantent rip off, as I found another place that will do it for £60 and its not rocket science if you know what you are doing.

Exactly.  Many of the mobile ones will actually come to you too <obviously, before anyone pipes up!>, and they are all around the £60 mark.

The important thing though, is that this should be done on an "as required" basis, rather than every 2 years, weather it needs it or not!