Trying to decide on a service plan

[Exonian]

How long are you planning on keeping the car Mr Pie?
and assuming it's going to be past the 3 year mark then are you planning an extended VW warranty?

[monkeyhanger]

How long are you planning on keeping the car Mr Pie?
and assuming it's going to be past the 3 year mark then are you planning an extended VW warranty?

Don't you have to take out the official VW extended warranty before the car is registered? There are other non-official options of course.

I'm 90% sure i'll be taking out the extended warranty. Doubtful I will keep the new R the full 5 years, but selling privately after 3 or 4 years appeals to me rather than taking p/x money and i'm thinking that the extended warranty is going to be a big incentive to someone buying a 3 year old car privately that would otherwise have no warranty unless going via a dealer for a £4k mark-up over what I could achieve in p/x or £2k over my likely private sale price.

[Mag_Pie]

How long are you planning on keeping the car Mr Pie?
and assuming it's going to be past the 3 year mark then are you planning an extended VW warranty?

I didn't know I could extend the warranty past 3 years.  Tell you what though, all these little add-ons soon mount up.

[Exonian]

You can buy an extended warranty from VW dealers that is official. It doesn't cover as much as the extended new car warranty but it protects you from big mechanical bills at least.
I asked about how long you're keeping the car as to whether a service plan is worthwhile. If you're not extending the warranty but keeping it beyond three years I think I'd just get the first two services done at VW then use a highly rated local independent specialist. However if you're extending the warranty then it might be best to keep to genuine VW servicing.
There's no hard and fast right or wrong way of doing things, I've rung up about getting a part ex quote on previous cars and some ask whether there's a service plan on it and some just don't care.

What I will say Mr Pie is that if you're planning on becoming a forum regular then good luck with trying to keep hold of a car for years and years as there will just be too much temptation put in your way in the meantime... 

[monkeyhanger]

Some VW dealerships will have a price match scheme with local independents for serviciing, or offer better rates beyond 3 years (to keep you coming back after the standard warranty has expired). If you know you're going to keep the car 4 or 5 years then the £15.99pm x 36 months for 4 x 10k mile services is your best bet if you're not a high miler, it's just not knowing if you're going to keep it that long.

[p3asa]

Already have it, I looked on the VW site but I was told that I could only have had something like that at the time of purchase 

When did you buy the car?
Any literature I read on it said I had to get the service plan on or before the day of actually signing the finance documents for the car. However when I spoke to my dealer about this on pick up day he told me not to worry as they could still put it through a good bit after collecting the car.

You can jump on the £15.99pm deal a good while after collecting the car (90 days?) because you don't start paying for it until the car is 6 months old. The fixed price (£149/199) pack has to be added before payment/finance finalised/collection.

Mine was the fixed price service and like you have stated I thought it had to be added before collection but my dealer said it was easy to slip it in afterwards so obviously there are ways around it.

[caprigreen]

How long are you planning on keeping the car Mr Pie?
and assuming it's going to be past the 3 year mark then are you planning an extended VW warranty?

Don't you have to take out the official VW extended warranty before the car is registered? There are other non-official options of course.

I'm 90% sure i'll be taking out the extended warranty. Doubtful I will keep the new R the full 5 years, but selling privately after 3 or 4 years appeals to me rather than taking p/x money and i'm thinking that the extended warranty is going to be a big incentive to someone buying a 3 year old car privately that would otherwise have no warranty unless going via a dealer for a £4k mark-up over what I could achieve in p/x or £2k over my likely private sale price.

Totally agree, I have taken the 5 year warranty on my GTI PP , cost me £500. I am then not under pressure to sell after three years. If the MK8 is on the horizon or I wish to wait for the new registration plate, I can wait worry free without the protection of the warranty. If I sell I will have a major selling point to a private buyer and hopefully secure top book price. Then back to the dealer with cash 

[caprigreen]

Some VW dealerships will have a price match scheme with local independents for serviciing, or offer better rates beyond 3 years (to keep you coming back after the standard warranty has expired). If you know you're going to keep the car 4 or 5 years then the £15.99pm x 36 months for 4 x 10k mile services is your best bet if you're not a high miler, it's just not knowing if you're going to keep it that long.

I took the 4 year service plan 36 x £15.99

[mcmaddy]

Don't think you can transfer the extra warranty if you sell before it's up. I'm sure I read it in the small print somewhere that it only applies to the original owner.

[monkeyhanger]

Don't think you can transfer the extra warranty if you sell before it's up. I'm sure I read it in the small print somewhere that it only applies to the original owner.

I thought you could, but with a nominal transfer fee (£20 rings a bell). I will definitely ask, because if I do only want the car for 3 years but want a private sale, it'll be of no benefit. The service packs are definitely transferable (the upfront one payment one at least).

Update: Just googled, about 2/3 the way down this link is transfer for £17.50:-

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/extended/terms-and-conditions