Elvis Presley

The last 2 or 3 times I've booked my car in for a service, my dealer have told me that they have no courtsey cars.

They then tell me that the service will only take an hour and suggest I wait.

It pi$$es me off that I end up taking the morning off work to get the car serviced, but then to be charged between £200 and £400 for an hours work is simply a rip off.

I have just been phoning round trying to find another garage who actually have more than one courtesy car so I don't have to wait weeks for a service. No luck.

The worst thing is that when they do have courtesy cars they are usually bloody corsas etc.

Considering these cars cost £20k - £30k new and a fortune to service, I think we deserve an equivalent car for the day.

It's enough to put me off buying another Scoob. When the time comes to sell I'll be taking a trip down to the Saab dealer, where they know how to treat customers.

Josh L

'Elvis'

I understand your frustration but, in their defence, I've never had any such problems with any of the four dealers I've used, providing I book a little in advance. Although my Wife's Toyota dealers sounds like the dealers you describe.

I've been given everything from a clapped out old Justy to a PPP'd Forester, but I usually get a reasonable turbo/sport or a Legacy.

Unfortunately you don't give an indication of where you live, so nobody can suggest an alternative.

Josh

Elvis Presley

Josh

I live in MK so you know probably know the dealer.

I work in the Midlands and have been trying to source an alternative close to work as I don't fancy waiting three weeks to be given a bust up old diesel Ashtray.

I'll just have to keep searching.

dan4

Elvis,
If you live in MK, I can sympathise with your dealer problems. After they cancelled my service without notice and then laughed when I turned up with no engineers present I decided to go elswhere. Try Aylesbury for your next nearest FRIENDLY dealer. Took my car there and they actually showed an interest and asked me would I like hoovered and washed etc! A little farther to travel and a bit more money, but you and the car are treated as you would expect to be.

Dan

Josh L

Where in the midlands?

There are several other dealers you could use. I realised before I got my '98 that dealers were few and far between, but we've got 4 within a 30 mile radius, and there's several in the midlands.

Josh

Elvis Presley

Am based in Leamington.

Have already tried Dealer in Southam, and a couple of others.

If it comes to it I will try Adams. What sort of courtesy car do they have?
I would like to expect an Impreza or Legacy.

NBW

Last time I had a courtesy car from Adams (they supplied my car), it was a nice Legacy 2.5 estate.

EBRWRX

Are we able to name and shame dealers - AND of course praise excellent ones?

Or is that not in the spirit of Scoobynet?

Too many bad experiences at one garage could (I would guess)result in their franchise being called into question.

I haven't had mine serviced yet (so I can't comment on the place I bought mine) but with some of the threads that have been on here over recent weeks I'm getting concerned. I intend to hold on to my warranty for as long as the standard performance spec keeps me going, but I want to get it serviced by someone that treats the car with the respect and love I do.

Elvis Presley

I'll name mine. Anthony Betts, Milton Keynes.

Don't get me wrong. I have had no problems with them regarding actual servicing etc. They know their stuff and are very helpful, but if I'm going to take my car to a dealer for a service I want a courtesy car, even if it will only take them an hour. (If they're gonna charge me £300 for an hours work then I don't want to know about it - just give me a car for the whole day).

Anyway, I see it as all part of the service. I need a decent car for business, and thats what I expect.

MattOz

Elvis,

I live in Warwick, and have to say that the only ones local to us are probably Carstins and Andrew Burts in Wootton Wawen. There is that place just the other side of Southam, but they're a bit agricultural.

Carstins should be able to provide a courtesy car, although a mate has a MY01 as his company car, and he had to get picked up the other day.

Maybe book a bit in advance? Having said that, BMW are ace, and even give you a car if you drop by with a problem and they need to keep your vehicle overnight. How about getting it serviced at Damon Hills! LOL

Cheers
Matt

mirAGE

If anyone is near the reading area - I can recommend Lancaster's in Pangbourne, I take my car there - and I live in the Herts / Beds area - What can I say though - They have helped me out no end and are just top.....

Elvis Presley

Just an update to say that after even more phoning around I have been unable to find any dealers who can supply a courtesy car within the next two weeks, and even then it'll be pile of crap.

I think I'm just going to have to go without a courtesy car and try and get my company to hire me a car for the day. They won't be pleased. It just seems to me that coming from a Saab to a Scoob has been the equivalent to going from first class customer service to 0 customer service.
Where were Subaru in the last JD Power survey?

Have to say - This is ****!

stevencotton

I believe they were 8th in the last JD Power report? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I only took mine to one dealership for servicing, they weren't too bad, I got an old Legacy courtesy car (which never, ever had more than £1 worth of petrol in it), but they did tend to spray some white lubricant everywhere, even staining the non-colour-coded side skirts with it on my UK MY98, which I wasn't best pleased with.

Steve.

MattN

just a quick question.

If you do get a courtesy car - are you allowed to use it for business use?

Matt

ian_sadler

The last loaner I had from Adams was a Justy but to be fair it was just before a reg change and they had a lot of cars in for PX.

Having said that having been rolled over on a piston slap claim I may never buy a Subaru again. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Ian

Jza

I get a courtesy car if i give them say a months notice....

Jza

krankyd

I've always used cutlers Subaru, on Chester Road just outside of Sutton.

They were always able to fit me in a car if I phoned in advance!

Elvis Presley

Are you very large then?



By the way, I've just booked in to Carstins. Hope they're good.
£444 for a 60,000 mile service.

Elvis

Trouser @TSL

If you come here mate ... you get a Saab AS your coutesy car!

NBW

Sadly, you are right Elvis, Subaru service is ****.

I think it stems from having had 5 years' outstanding sales success with the classic turbo - remember what the waiting lists were like?

They've lost the plot now though, and if I bought another one, which is unlikely, I'm unlikely to ever go near a Subaru dealer with it.

Having said that, went to an Audi dealer yesterday to look at a S3, and walked out in disgust after being completely ignored. Do any mainstream car dealers actually give a **** these days?

Gonna buy a Skoda Octavia RS I think......

Cheers
Tim

BarryK

No it isn't. That's an outrageous slur based on your limited experience.

I use Robinson's in Rochdale. No problems, good bunch, have given me courtesy cars in the past when by right I didn't deserve one (having orignally said I didn't need it on 2 occasions).

As for picking and choosing what sort of courtesy car.

Pepole on here make me laugh at times.

Moon on a stick anyone?

Elvis Presley

All I'm trying to say is that if you are having to spend £400 to get a car serviced (one days work), then it is reasonable to expect them to provide you with an equivalent replacement for the day.

If you take the car to a 3rd party dealer and get it done for half the price, then you don't expect to be given a courtesy car, or if you do you don't expect it to be a Subaru Impreza.

I just expect more for the money.

Ps: Would just like to repeat that I have been happy with other aspects of servicing etc. The no courtesy car thing is just a pain in the RS and causes me a lot of aggro.

sickboy

Elvis,
I think you may be expecting a bit too much. How much would it cost a garage in insurance terms, running costs etc to have a fleet of WRX's for courtesy cars? The costs would have to be passed on to the customer in the end. If someone in a clapped out old Legacy comes in for a 60000 mile service, should they expect an '02 WRX to take home for the day? Even if they're spending £600 on a service. Dream on! My "£24k" turbo was in for piston slap investigation for 3 weeks. I had to get the train home and borrow the mother in law's Berlingo! Turned out to be a timing belt tensioner (which they found out AFTER dismantling the engine...)

Tiggs

wake up and smell the coffee- if you had a dealership selling a whole range of cars would you use some of your most expensive as courtesy cars just so the ppl that buy from the top of the range get to have one for a morning while you service theirs?????

Tiggs

Roger The Cat

Depends on how well you get in with the service manager as well - coming across as an arrogant tw@t is not going to make them feel inclined to lend you one of the demo cars now is it.....

In the last year I'v had a A4 and a WRX for the day - no problems.

I agree with Tiggs anyway, all teh costs get passed on to you one way or another.

Elvis Presley

My point is that subaru servicing is not cheap. In fact it's bloody expensive. Check your invoice breakdown. It is almost as if they are adding on courtesy car costs anyway!

I do not expect a WRX. A sport or even GL would be fine, but it would need to be clean, fairly modern and reliable and able to take four people in comfort.

My problem is:
1) Subaru Dealers do not seem to have enough courtesy cars.
2) The courtesy cars they do have seem to consist of corsas etc.

Obviously I am expecting far too much.

I'm sure if you spend £25k on a Merc or BMW they probably also tell you they haven't got any courtesy cars or offer you a corsa?
Lets face it; servicing costs are similar.

zoog

Merc will usually give an A class as courtesy - which is exactly what one would expect.

Roger The Cat

yes its expensive, scoob's are expensive to run - you should walk into ownership with your eyes open. Otherwise go see the chaps at TSL or Scoobysport or a local specialist. Note the word specialist. Highly engineered, stressed engines and cars that in fact are bloody cheap compared to the equivalent price you would pay for similar BMW/MERC performace that is even close to similar and thats before we get onto porshe's etc. Ask yourself.....@why did I buy the scoob, why dod I buy the scoob...'

You pays your money.....go buy an escort 1.4L if you want cheap to run or a merc SL500 AMG if you want expensive. One end gives you the interior trim of a scoob and the other gives the performance, or near enough to satisfy most, go figure.

But I digress. There are good dealers and bad dealers. The fact that the most expensive scoob in recent years was c.£30k says alot about the value that you get. Who cares if its an old nail for the day of service as long as your pride and joy is being taken care of properly thats whats important.


*****having a bad day at work and I think it shows gggrrrrr*****

[edited due to shocking typos]

[Edited by Roger The Cat - 3/26/2002 3:38:35 PM]

stevencotton

My dad took his 230E into a well known Merc dealership in Watford a few years ago, he asked for a courtesy car and was given a VW Golf. My Dad said that if he wanted a Golf he would have bought one in the first place, he didn't spend 28k (back in 94) for no reason and said it wasn't exactly fair. "Life isn't fair, Mr Cotton" was the guys response! Upon arriving home in a fuming state ready to unleash the pit-bull (my step-mum ) there was a message on the answerphone from the manager of the dealership saying he'd overheard the conversation my dad had with the sales guy, and that my dad would be getting the salesman's own personal Mercedes for the duration and all he had to do was come collect it. That's really nice

Steve.

RichieB

Elvis and Mr Cat...

I can see both sides of this. My dealer, Lancaster Sevenoaks, happen to be "upper-middle" on customer service, which is good enough for me given the convenience. These guys will let me have, at reasonable notice, a presentable car for the duration, so I can carry on my business. Although I hope I will get an STi or Legacy 3.0 Outback, the best I have had is a Sport Impreza, but that does me fine, and I understand why I get a middling model... for exactly the reasons stated above.

Elvis...sounds like you need to:
a - change your dealer to one of the better ones
b - put the reason for the change in writing to Mssrs Betts
c - make your expectation realistic.

Cheers,

Rich