Dealer service or not?

[SRGTD]

I think that VW are still doing the service plan offer for £296 (for under 1 year old if that applies?).  Why not buy that and get the first two services at sensible money and keeps the warranty issues simple....?

I've just bought that plan for my TCR, £16.44pm for 18 months, good value. As for the OP's quandary, I would generally prefer to go to a trusted indie where possible but whilst newish I'm reluctantly sticking to the main dealer so should anything go wrong, I don't want them to have any excuse to try to wriggle out of their responsibilities.

How did you sort out the service plan? I ended up at this page: https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/service-plans/cars-under-1-year-old but can't see a purchase option. Do I need to go into my local stealer to sort it out?

There’s a ‘Buy your service plan’ link at the bottom right of the screen at the link you posted, that takes you here;

https://www.vwfs-service-plans.io/runtime/server/session/1d968d1b-6ec9-4415-83d8-f451f406e761/mvc/index.html##topPage

If you enter your registration number, it should confirm the details of your car, together with the service plan cost, and the facility to purchase on line.

For my current car, I did sort out arranging the service plan with the dealer the day I collected the car, but if I’d not done this, then I’d have purchased it via the on line facility on VW’s website.

[Watts]

 Just go in to the dealer.

[dubber36]

I've just bought that plan for my TCR, £16.44pm for 18 months, good value.

The value really depends on what they do. If it's one of a dozen cars on that particular ramp that day where they just piss in the washer bottle and fart in the tyres, it's not particularly good value.

[monkeyhanger]

^ It's better value than going into the dealership and handing  over upwards of £150 for the minor service and £250 for the major one.

£300 for those 2 services is what a good indie would charge.  Buy it with the car for £199 (or you could when the missus got her Polo GTI last May) - even better.

[Watts]

I've just bought that plan for my TCR, £16.44pm for 18 months, good value.

The value really depends on what they do. If it's one of a dozen cars on that particular ramp that day where they just piss in the washer bottle and fart in the tyres, it's not particularly good value.

I'm kinda hoping the service my car receives is to a slightly better standard than that! I must remember in future to wear gloves before taking the valve caps off

[mcmaddy]

2 year service plan on new 7.5s is 199 still.

[dubber36]

Dealer servicing on a plan is all very well for short term rentalship, where the objective is to have the book stamped, but for long term ownership, I prefer to know that the vehicle has been thoroughly serviced from the beginning.

Going back to my earlier post, the dealer will have a dozen or so cars on one ramp per day, whereas an Indy might have 2. The dealers mechanics simply aren't allowed enough time to do the job as they would do their own car. I mean, they don't even take the wheels off unless you've fallen for the "you need new disks and pads" scam.

[Phil245]

I share the scepticism of any garage servicing, dealer or independent garage, unless you watch them do it, and see what container they open to get oil from then to an extent you are trusting them...

Whilst there is a chance that a brand specific indy will be run by an enthusiast with a bit of love for the cars, the apprentice will still be left unsupervised to do some tasks including the "simple" oil change. The quick wipe of the old filter and the nearest jug of any old oil will always be a temptation....

Sadly I trust no-one and so often do my own servicing, even in warranty, and I will take my chance with the warranty.....

It's only the relatively specialist nature of the GTi in the secondhand market that made me opt for this service package....