Just out of curiosity, I've had a look at dealer service costs for my 25 SEL Edition 1.5 DSG. I think the variation in charges has been raised before, but I was shocked at how large the variation is. The table below shows the two extremes I found. Marshall are the supplying dealer & 65 miles away from Prestons. So if you're going to use a dealer for servicing, it clearly pays to shop around, with a variation of up to 40%!

Curiously the 1st Service is quoted as being an oil change plus inspection. Not sure how that's so much cheaper that a subsequent oil change plus inspection? Also odd as the default variable servicing wouldn't include an oil change at the first service.

Some years ago I sat and waited while 1st service was done on daughter's Golf and the car was in the workshop 20 mins - the inspection was very basic, just lights and beep the horn. They accidently gave me the invoice that should have gone the VWFS and it was £68 inc parts and labour. Normal price at the time was £180. Bearing in mind how long ago it was, those Marshall's prices look like a throwback to past times!

I guess if there was no price variation people would say it was a cartel, but the differences are hefty. After being told brake fluid change on our Kamiq would be £80 I wondered what the Audi dealer across the road would charge, so put a random Q2 into the Audi service site - it was £56 at the dealer across the road from Skoda. I tried it again today with a different Q2 and it came up at £110. Tried another Q2 - £69. How odd - it quotes different prices for the same model.

Servicing seems a complete rip-off - on SpeakEV the other day someone booked a service online for £150. On taking it in dealer said it be £500 - he pointed out he'd booked online at £150 and without batting an eye they said "OK, fine"!

Edited 21 February21 Feb by Rory

Also makes me wonder how a service plan purchased direct from Skoda works. Presumably as with the Golf you cite, there's a much lower fixed price that Skoda get billed.

Fortunately I have a couple of indies within a 10 mile radius & both can update the online service history. Although I'll be getting the service book stamped as well as I don't trust it.

I handed in my wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI for its 1st service from new, that car was bought with a 3 year service plan, which turned out to be a "dealership chain" version of the official VW Group new car service plan product.

When the keys were handed back - but no paperwork came with them, I queried that and was told as it was a prepaid service plan there is never any paperwork handed over - I objected and was sent out a copy of the work sheet from their accounts dept a few days later, as said in an earlier post, the price of filter etc was "really dirt cheap" - I didn't expect to get that info handed over, just a statement of what work had been carried out on our property. So yes "self to self" pricing is peanuts which seems to be the same for new car warranty work, which is why main dealers are not jumping over themselves to get your warranty business - along with the fact that VW Group, like most other product suppliers, will tend to initially try rejecting any warranty claims.

Just realised I cocked up the table & transposed the dealers. It's Preston that are cheapest & Marshall most expensive. I've asked the Mods to correct as I'm outside the edit window.

Edit
Thanks Mods. 👍

Edited 22 February22 Feb by Rbz5416