Capped Price Servicing no more

**gillant** · 28-02-2015, 01:43 PM

Well, My mk7 GTI is almost up for its second service, so I had a look on the Volkswagen website last Monday 17/2/15 to check the price of the 30,000 KM capped price servicing for the GTI, found the link on the main page and found the price but alas forgot it already, anyway decided to ring them today to book it in and while I was waiting for them to answer the phone had another look on their website and there is no mention of capped price servicing anywhere, When the receptionist answered the phone I asked her about it and she said Volkswagen doesn't offer capped price servicing and more, when I said that it was one of the factors I took into consideration when I purchased my GTI she said that unfortunately the service centre wasn't open today and she couldn't tell me and more information as to why this was so. has anyone had their car in for a service this week or has anyone heard anything about this?

**SkimR** · 28-02-2015, 02:27 PM

I was at my local dealership this morning helping a colleague look for a car. We asked about capped price service, they swiftly twisted the conversation around value for money and did not confirm capped servicing. On reflection, your discovery of the removal of capped servicing matches the sales guys uncomfortable response.

**bushnut** · 28-02-2015, 03:27 PM

Tha capped price service term has been suspended from Thursday I believe the cost of the service is the same they just can't use the term capped price service. It is something to do with either Hyundai or Kia with their offer of 7-8 year capped price servicing and is at the courts/ACCC at the moment.

**vdubmotorworx** · 28-02-2015, 05:33 PM

As above..correct. its just a wording term..prices are still the same

**idaho** · 28-02-2015, 08:44 PM

Maybe because it wasn't really as capped price as it made out. From my reading it was only the distance items that were included in the capped price while things like pollen filters and brake fluid changes at time intervals were not. I also recall the prices were only valid for a year then possibly subject to change.

Contrast that to a Mitsubishi we have with fixed price servicing which includes the time items and the prices specified for 4 years, and the VW version doesn't look so good.

**nat225** · 01-03-2015, 12:00 AM

the VW Australia capped price services have never been real 'capped' services and it was only a matter of time before ACCC got involved with the misleading 'capped' marketing... and it did indeed and VW is smart enough to act quick before Kia's case spills to them.

in fact, some of the prices on the capped were higher that what i used to pay at an authorised VW dealership.

some specialists are also pricing their services only $50 bucks lower on a 4th year service compared to a dealer.

i have seen servicing tax invoices from Toyota and what they do is the real 'capped' services. $170 including rear diff fluid, oil, filter, etc.. on a Rav4, total invoice in excess of $400 then capped at $170 and the balance is covered by the manufacturer (which i am sure it is all priced in by increasing their car prices). For the full 3 years servicing.

same with the toyota gst 86, $170 during the first 3 years for each 6 monthly service. then when the major one (at 80,000km i believe) comes post the 3 years, i was quoted $2,000 which includes a fair bit of items.. yet VAG owners complain on their 60,000km servicing costs of around $1100!! when i looked at a new car which included the 86gst, i asked the South City Toyota to list down the servicing costs for 5 years for a 86GTS.

**Umai Naa!!** · 01-03-2015, 12:16 AM

I think the issue is the innacurate description of the different concepts out there.

Toyota, Mitsubishi, and a couple of others could have benefitted from calling it 'Cut-Price' servicing, since it's significantly cheaper than what an ineligible party (fleet, outside of timeframe/distance covered, etc) would pay.

VW's is accurate enough in that their pricing is capped (hence the name) across the dealer network. I think what really let down the customers from the outset, was not applying it retrospectively to vehicles that still fell with in the time/distance criteria, that were purchased before the scheme was introduced. The other thing I noticed in their pricing was seeing several examples where two very different prices were shown for different models and years, that use the exact same parts and oils, and labour times. I think one was a Polo, and the other a Golf. Same parts, oils, labour, etc. Yet one was nearly twice the price. Didn't make a whole lot of sence.

I also suspect that dealers are doing their best to get out of honouring the set pricing in these servicing schemes, and/or adding in additional parts or work without prior approval. There's probably a few items of 'fine print' that the ACCC would be looking into as well. I think one manufacturer mandates that their scheme only applies if the vehicle is serviced within their dealer network the whole time the vehicle is eligible (suggesting that doing a service elsewhere, may render the vehicle ineligible for future services that fall under their scheme).

jiggs257 · 04-03-2015, 07:37 PM

The 'Service' app on my phone also states "we'll be back soon", under the servicing section.

**LMF** · 17-03-2015, 02:31 PM

Did anyone of you recently have your VW serviced at the dealer? how much do they charged you? I contacted my local dealer with the following reply:
"ATM we haven’t been able to obtain capped price service prices either, It will be capped on the day. But I believe it is somewhere around
330 – 360"

Then I email VW Group Australia and they got back to me as follow:

"Thank you for your recent email enquiry.

I apologise for the delay in our response.

Please be advised that there has been a stop sale on the Volkswagen Capped Price Servicing as there is a new one that is under review.

We thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention and for taking the time to write to us with this information. Please be aware that Volkswagen Group Australia is legally restricted from fixing service prices and these remain at the discretion of the dealership.

Lennock Volkswagen should be able to assist you further with the costs regarding your service.

Hope this is helps! "

**blameturner** · 17-03-2015, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by LMF

Did anyone of you recently have your VW serviced at the dealer? how much do they charged you? I contacted my local dealer with the following reply:
"ATM we haven’t been able to obtain capped price service prices either, It will be capped on the day. But I believe it is somewhere around
330 – 360"

Then I email VW Group Australia and they got back to me as follow:

"Thank you for your recent email enquiry.

I apologise for the delay in our response.

Please be advised that there has been a stop sale on the Volkswagen Capped Price Servicing as there is a new one that is under review.

We thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention and for taking the time to write to us with this information. Please be aware that Volkswagen Group Australia is legally restricted from fixing service prices and these remain at the discretion of the dealership.

Lennock Volkswagen should be able to assist you further with the costs regarding your service.

Hope this is helps! "

I didn't even ask about fix price - I just plan on taking to an independent who knows what they are doing.