C
calvin
Guest
Let the ranting commence.
I have owned various Audis for the past 5 years, and without fail have been impressed with the quality and performance of these vehicles.
However, words cannot describe fully how awful the service provided from most Audi dealers has been.
In no particular order,
Bought an 18 month old Cabriolet 4 years ago. On the way home brakes squealed on application, whole car juddered generally and clutch slipped. Inspection found the car had been laid up for a period, causing the discs to corrode reducing braking area to about 30%, all tyres had flat spots, oil was on the clutch. Conclusion, Audi's used car program slipped up there! The supplying dealer was Gilders in Sheffield, who, in fairness, put it right swiftly, but I would rather they had found the faults before I let my partner loose in it on the motorway, who knows what would have happened if she had needed to brake heavily?
Took my A6 V6 Tdi in for a service at Vincents in Exeter, they apparently broke the ECU and tried to make me pay for it, finally discovered that the service manager there was inventing faults, getting customers to pay for them and taking the cash himslef, now works as a delivery driver , ironically I have to sign for parcels from him on occasion.
Also bent the afore mentioned A6 and had it repaired there. Car came out after 3 months of pestering phonecalls with no spare wheel, torn back seat where they had put the front wing and bumper!!!!!!, lots of electrical gremlins, misalligned panels and damaged suspension!! Words failed me, this was after having to drive around for 3 months in their courtesy car, a 1.0 Corsa, not a fair exchange for an A6 I thought. Maybe that was more down to the insurance company though.
With one exception, of the last 11 times I have taken a car to Vincents for work, it has needed to be returned to have something that they have supposed to have done, done. Courtesy cars are available only if you book about 3 weeks in advance, they are rarely fueled or clean. The staff are generally indifferent at best, with a couple of exceptions.
The result, I now travel 40 miles to have my 3 current Audis serviced at Silver Street in North Devon, who not only are extremely professional, but who also give me favourable labour rates to offset the distance travelled. I still dearly love my Audi's , especially my A2, but the dealer network, in my experience does not in any way live up to it's perceived image or, more importantly, £65 + Vat labour charge.
Why do Audi UK not do something about this situation? Belive me, they are well aware of the problems that i have had, and never once have made a gesture of goodwill to pacify me. If I were a cynical person I could conclude that it simply costs money, and takes effort to keep a customer happy, and whilst the new cars keep seling as they do, why bother. I would much rather walk into a slightly less palacial dealership, not receive the propaganda in the form of the Audi magazine, and have more effort spent on them doing what they are supposed to, which is keeping my car on the road, and me happy and safe.
If anyone from Vincents is reading this, just so as you know, a little more effort would have resulted in you having orders from myself for an A2 and an A4 convertible, from my parents, an Allroad and from my aunt a TT.
The rant, you will be glad to hear, is officially over.
Steve,
A2 1.4 petrol
A4 V6 TDI convertible
Original Quattro
I have owned various Audis for the past 5 years, and without fail have been impressed with the quality and performance of these vehicles.
However, words cannot describe fully how awful the service provided from most Audi dealers has been.
In no particular order,
Bought an 18 month old Cabriolet 4 years ago. On the way home brakes squealed on application, whole car juddered generally and clutch slipped. Inspection found the car had been laid up for a period, causing the discs to corrode reducing braking area to about 30%, all tyres had flat spots, oil was on the clutch. Conclusion, Audi's used car program slipped up there! The supplying dealer was Gilders in Sheffield, who, in fairness, put it right swiftly, but I would rather they had found the faults before I let my partner loose in it on the motorway, who knows what would have happened if she had needed to brake heavily?
Took my A6 V6 Tdi in for a service at Vincents in Exeter, they apparently broke the ECU and tried to make me pay for it, finally discovered that the service manager there was inventing faults, getting customers to pay for them and taking the cash himslef, now works as a delivery driver , ironically I have to sign for parcels from him on occasion.
Also bent the afore mentioned A6 and had it repaired there. Car came out after 3 months of pestering phonecalls with no spare wheel, torn back seat where they had put the front wing and bumper!!!!!!, lots of electrical gremlins, misalligned panels and damaged suspension!! Words failed me, this was after having to drive around for 3 months in their courtesy car, a 1.0 Corsa, not a fair exchange for an A6 I thought. Maybe that was more down to the insurance company though.
With one exception, of the last 11 times I have taken a car to Vincents for work, it has needed to be returned to have something that they have supposed to have done, done. Courtesy cars are available only if you book about 3 weeks in advance, they are rarely fueled or clean. The staff are generally indifferent at best, with a couple of exceptions.
The result, I now travel 40 miles to have my 3 current Audis serviced at Silver Street in North Devon, who not only are extremely professional, but who also give me favourable labour rates to offset the distance travelled. I still dearly love my Audi's , especially my A2, but the dealer network, in my experience does not in any way live up to it's perceived image or, more importantly, £65 + Vat labour charge.
Why do Audi UK not do something about this situation? Belive me, they are well aware of the problems that i have had, and never once have made a gesture of goodwill to pacify me. If I were a cynical person I could conclude that it simply costs money, and takes effort to keep a customer happy, and whilst the new cars keep seling as they do, why bother. I would much rather walk into a slightly less palacial dealership, not receive the propaganda in the form of the Audi magazine, and have more effort spent on them doing what they are supposed to, which is keeping my car on the road, and me happy and safe.
If anyone from Vincents is reading this, just so as you know, a little more effort would have resulted in you having orders from myself for an A2 and an A4 convertible, from my parents, an Allroad and from my aunt a TT.
The rant, you will be glad to hear, is officially over.
Steve,
A2 1.4 petrol
A4 V6 TDI convertible
Original Quattro
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