Audi Main Dealer Service Cheek - They're just not trying hard enough anymore

anyOldUsername

Dropped my car in to get serviced today at Audi South Dublin, and as expected I got the usual call just now which went like this:

Service Person: Hi, I've just got the health check back from the technician on your car and to be fair there's just one item on it as an advisory, and it's to replace the windscreen wipers front and rear. Would you like us to do that, it's just €59 extra?

Me: Actually, I bought new blades off you guys about three months ago so no thanks . . . . . and my car doesn't have a rear wiper.

To be fair their price for a small service isn't too bad at €189 but I guess they try to make up the difference with this kind of thing, but at least try and make it convincing!!

Just though I'd share with everyone as this did actually make me laugh.

Odyssey 2005

And they wonder why...

whomitconcerns

i went for their 59 euro wiper service! yeh.....about 30 quid in halfords...and prob wasnt needed either

Odyssey 2005

I was thinking about this one today. You should have told them to leave the front wipers but replace the rear one, then just sit back and see what develops.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

mags1962

I've not had good experiences with North Dublin and more than one or two.
They tried once to tell me that my injectors were gone and that they would have to get them all tested and checked, electronics gone etc. I refused to let them touch it and wanted another opinion as I knew it was a simple mechanical issue, the car was driving but just had no power. It turns out after the master tech had checked it over it was dirty diesel in the fuel lines blocking the flow, €120 to sort it out and red faces on their behalf.
Got a quote for two new tyres, almost €500 each for 20":eek: Got them on the internet for less than €200 each, robbin barstewards.
Scratched the front bumper and took it over for a laugh at this stage and when I saw the guy come out with his big fook off SLR camera and lens I knew I was in for a fun time and a day later in comes the quote for €1100, almost €1000 was for labour with the materials the rest. Brought her to an indy bodyshop and got it done for €150 including a tip for the lads to have a pint.
If you don't have your head screwed on they will screw you.

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

mags1962 wrote: »

If you don't have your head screwed on they will screw you.

I wonder how many people get shafted? I think the main dealers have plenty of business with servicing all the 1-3 year old cars under warranty, so I wouldn't imagine they'd go out of their way to screw people. Ineptitude is another matter however.

Odyssey 2005

I for one would not be a huge fan of these dealers but as I see it the manufacturers have everything pared down to the last minute re warranty and the service schedules that the garages are trying their luck with people they think they may get to pull a fast one on.

Atlantic Dawn

These dealers will fool some people some of the time but when people realise they have been ripped off they will take their business elsewhere, their tactics only harms their business in the long run.

OP you should contact Audi Ireland regarding this, gives the brand a bad name, I'd imagine there's good Audi main dealers out there too (possibly )

Big Nasty

I think part of the reason manufacturers are giving such long warranties these days is to keep you coming back to the workshop for years.

Advances in technology seem to be translating in to horrendous repair bills and given time we'll probably find cars becoming disposable items once warranties expire.

bazz26

Audi are not even giving long warranties, 3 years is one of the shorter ones these days. Big money can be made on the price of parts too. Just replacing parts seems to be norm too in my experience.

djimi

whomitconcerns wrote: »

i went for their 59 euro wiper service! yeh.....about 30 quid in halfords...and prob wasnt needed either

I wish my wipers were gold plated like yours

whomitconcerns

When I heard the price I assumed they were bloody gold plated.. Mad money. I still reckon they didn't need to be changed at all but fell for the old advisory warning.... Won't happen again...

neris

I think the cars are so computerised these days the mechanics in the garage cant diagnose or fix a problem without the computer telling them. You go tell them you have a problem with your car they cant fix it unless the computer agrees with you the driver

Bohrio

I brought my car a few months ago to get my bottom seat cover replaced. I havent used my car since and recently I decided to start it up again and go for a quick spin, went to readjust my seat and the seat know came off... when I looked closer I realized that "someone" had used some sort of black glue to temporary hold it together... then I realized that in order to remove the bottom cover of the seat, you would need to remove this part as well... bit shocked that they didnt even bother tell me and getting a replacement...

CJhaughey

neris wrote: »

I think the cars are so computerised these days the mechanics in the garage cant diagnose or fix a problem without the computer telling them. You go tell them you have a problem with your car they cant fix it unless the computer agrees with you the driver

Yes and no, carshave lots of computers on board but the saying a mechanic can't fix it without a diagnostic is untrue.
A car is still a mechanical device and the computers job is to interpret the information supplied to it by the various sensors. A good mechanic will still be able to work out what the problem is through experience and knowledge of the various systems in a vehicle.
That said many main dealers are very quick to fit parts to try and cure problems because their staff are either not experienced enough and the fact that profit on parts can be good for business.

alastair

I had a frankly surreal query with the Audi main dealers in Sandyford Ind Estate.

Me: I've lost my plastic cover for the driver's side jack point on my Audi A2. How much is a replacement please?

Audi Sandyford: We can get one in for you. It’s €51.32 & vat €63 all in.

Me: Ehh, I reckon that must be an incorrect price. No ta.

Me: Hello Stoke Audi Dealers - I've lost my plastic cover for the driver's side jack point on my Audi A2. How much is a replacement please?

Audi Stoke: That'll be £14.91, including vat and shipping to Dublin (£6.64 & vat to collect).

Me: That'll do nicely.

George Dalton

The guy in Sandyford must have priced the wrong part for you.

alastair

George Dalton wrote: »

The guy in Sandyford must have priced the wrong part for you.

Nope - I gave him the part number (8Z0 898 405) - and they shot me back a pic to confirm it was what I was looking for. When I queried that it must be a mistake, they didn't revise the price.

George Dalton

How long ago did this happen?

alastair

George Dalton wrote: »

How long ago did this happen?

This Spring.

George Dalton

That's very strange. Audi parts come into Ireland via the UK and the prices are usually very similar.

It was different a few years back when they came straight from Germany. You would often see big variations in price here vs the UK.

Bohrio

George Dalton wrote: »

That's very strange. Audi parts come into Ireland via the UK and the prices are usually very similar.

It was different a few years back when they came straight from Germany. You would often see big variations in price here vs the UK.

Shame this doesnt happen with cars...

landmarkjohn

I recently had to replace CV joint (came as assembly on the axle, had to fit original gearbox joint onto new) on Mazda Xedos 9. For the part Irish main dealer €1045, NI main dealer €450.

BMW sunroof seal UK main dealer £12. Irish main dealer €30. In both cases at least twice the price. I really don't understand why there should be such a difference, it's outrageous.

mik_da_man

George Dalton wrote: »

That's very strange. Audi parts come into Ireland via the UK and the prices are usually very similar.

It was different a few years back when they came straight from Germany. You would often see big variations in price here vs the UK.

I've found Stoke Audi very reasonable for parts.
A good bit better than local Audi dealers.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

fullstop

George Dalton wrote: »

The guy in Sandyford must have priced the wrong part for you.

The folks out that way are fond of charging ridiculous prices. I had an issue recently with Passat, fan belt was on the way out. Rang the main dealer I bought the car from in Donegal and gave them the info and talked through everything with them and they said it would be no more than €180 including labour. I rang Volkswagen Sandyford and gave him the same information and for the same work he quoted €350-400. I just laughed at him.

Fan belt then snapped and the insurance company sent a tow truck from a place in Tallaght. He told me the alternator was fried as well. I asked him was he sure it wasn't just because the fan belt was gone and he said no, that I needed a new alternator as well at a total cost of over €300. Told him not to touch it and got it to a place up north and got it fixed for £80. And the alternator is still going 6 months later.

I previously had an issue with the main dealer in Sandyford where they replaced the steering wheel lock at a cost of €400 and 2 days later the car broke down again. They said the comfort control module needed replacing...oh and the steering wheel lock again. Total cost €800 on top of what I already paid. I ended up getting Volkswagen involved and they paid over half the cost.