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So, been having difficulty getting hold of Cardiff Audi since I visited there recently, and decided it was time to address the issue.
Sent this email to all service personnel and managers there.


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Good afternoon Cardiff,

This story concerns my RS4 (registration # above) and Ben Fife in the Service Department. This won’t concern everyone, but it might be useful for people to know who pulls their weight at that dealership, and who doesn’t.


Having already found out at Glasgow Audi that my front discs were warped (a fairly well-documented design fault) I booked in at your service department on the 22nd March 2011 (I travel about a lot).
The warping was confirmed, but I was told that as I’d bought and fitted the discs independently, that Cardiff Audi would not replace them under the 6 month warranty that applies (these genuine Audi discs and pads were purchased and fitted in November 2010).

Audi Customer Services quite rightly disagreed, and contacted Ben the same day.

To date, I have had 2 call-backs from Audi C.S. to see if the issue has been resolved, but only 1 call-back (voicemail) from Ben on the 31st March.
I left a message for him on the 1st April, it’s now the 6th and I’ve heard nothing further.

Last night I emailed Camberley Audi (I’ve been there before and experienced fantastic customer service) and this morning I received a reply from the Service Manager saying he’d be happy to do the work on receipt of the appropriate documentation.
Since I’m away from home for the next 8 weeks, that isn’t easy, but should hopefully be possible. He has already contacted the disc supplier this morning.

Is Ben ignoring me, knowing I’m only in Cardiff for less than 2 weeks now, hoping my time runs out so he doesn’t need to authorize the work there? Or waiting for the 6 month disc warranty to expire....?

When I was in on the 22nd March, I asked about the car’s servicing schedule as I believe it’s due (almost 20k since the last one), even though the service indicator disagrees.
Ben said he’d ring back that afternoon.
I’m still waiting.

During my visit, as part of the “free” healthcheck, I was told that:
1) The front tyres are close to the legal limit, one at 3mm, one at 4mm.
Well now, there’s more tread on all 4 tyres than the set that were on when I bought the car from Tonbridge Audi last year.
The legal limit is 1.6mm of course. I believe Audi’s own lower limit for an Approved Used car is 3mm.

2) TPM warning on dash
Yes, I have just changed from winter wheels to summer wheels, but even Glasgow Audi (they’re useless too) managed to re-set this when the car was in with them, it’s a 60 second job from the cockpit.

3) Alloy centre caps and nut caps missing
Yes, I’ve just changed from winter wheels to summ... Ah never mind.
There are 3 nut caps missing out of a possible 20. I'm not sure what happened to the centre caps, but they're £9.99 for a set of 4 on eBay.

4) Fuel warning on dash
Hmmm, how very unusual on a 4.2 V8.

5) Oil top-up required
Perhaps, though I checked it a week earlier just before I drove back from Denmark, so it was half-way about 1500 miles ago.

6) Oil level low - service required?
Um, isn’t this the same as #5? And why have I had no response to this servicing issue 15 days later?

So, these issues that the “free” health-check raised are all completely useless, unless you’re an Audi dealer trying to sell new tyres...
The brake inspection seems also to be completely useless, as I told you they were warped before I arrived. Charging £63 for the pleasure seems somewhat cheeky, especially given the subsequent lack of communication.

Two final points:
1) You quoted £**** for front discs and pads which is £100 more than a different dealer quoted previously. I can buy the discs and pads independently for £***.
2) When I owned my A4 Tdi a couple of years ago, I emailed you enquiring about service cost. I received no reply, so I can only conclude that you don’t need the work.

Having owned and driven Audis exclusively for 10 years now, I realise that most of the dealers are rubbish and that it’s rare to find a good one, but now that I have, I shall continue to give Camberley my custom, when I can.

It can only be to the detriment of the brand that my negative experiences are shared by other RS4 owners, for this is indeed a fact.
I shall certainly be recommending to all other Approved Used Audi owners with warrantied Audi discs, not to visit this particular Audi dealership.
Maybe I should have contacted a Ford dealer?

Have a nice day, as I drive around in my £30k ex-flagship RS4 with juddering brakes.

Sincerely,

I.D.

P.S. Camberley Audi have just confirmed a date for me to visit, 3 weeks from now, with a courtesy car supplied.
Pay attention Cardiff.


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I don't care about a response as I've sorted it out myself, but hopefully they'll read this and feel a bit stupid.
Probably not though.

Name and shame its the best way to improve cust service IMO

Indeed.
The flip side is of course is that Camberley come out smelling of roses, again, but that's because they've acted as a normal dealer should by returning calls/emails and actually sorting stuff out rather than burying their heads in a big pile of sand.
Cardiff had an opportunity to do a good job the minute I walked in the door, but they messed up.
I wanted them to be better than this, I really did, but they've cocked up like so many Audi dealers do.

The discs/pads aren't even a massive issue, but my service indicator is showing that the car doesn't need serviced for another 15k miles or something, even though it's about 20k since the last service. Obviously I don't want to be piling on the miles between services and adversely affecting the service history of the car, so to take 15 days (16 now) to still not sort this out with a customer is unbelievable.
The reality is that I'm hardly using the car while I'm in Cardiff, but what if I was doing 200 miles a day?

Useless, useless, useless.

Good on you mate, hope this gets heads rolling, Bens in particular.

to be fair, notifying that your tyres are down to 3/4 mm isnt a bad thing.
Have you driven a car with 1.6 mm of tread on in the rain? Legal it may be, but damn scary esp when you have wide tyres like the 255's.

Oil half way is too low - 1500 miles is a long time between oil checks on the rs4. If the oil is old I'd bet you'd use nearlyy a half litre at least.

Not defending the other stuff

adsgreen wrote:to be fair, notifying that your tyres are down to 3/4 mm isnt a bad thing.
Have you driven a car with 1.6 mm of tread on in the rain? Legal it may be, but damn scary esp when you have wide tyres like the 255's.

Oil half way is too low - 1500 miles is a long time between oil checks on the rs4. If the oil is old I'd bet you'd use nearlyy a half litre at least.

Not defending the other stuff

Yeah absolutely, I have no huge issues with these things, I was just being picky since they were treating me like a prick.

Although they can't really think it's acceptable to sell cars with 3mm of tread, yet attempt to sell you tyres when you arrive with a car that has the same amount of tread. I mean, they CAN, and I understand they're all about generating revenue, but if I were a pensioner or something I might've panicked and told them to go ahead replace all the tyres.
I totally object to the 'Kwik-<beep>' nature of their tyre business practices.

Wish was surprised at your experience with Cardiff Audi, I had a bad time with them. Think incompetance and buffonery just about sums it up, the only positive aspect was a lift to the train station with a big fat refund cheque.

Of note, Cardiff Audi are part of the Mon Motors group which also own Bristol and Bath Audi andwe all know how Audi likes to provide consistent customer experience...

It's about time there was an online guide or review site for dealer performance, both sales and service. The good ones should be shown to be good, and the bad ones shown to be bad. Service costs could be compared too.
If you go to book a hotel online it's easy to find reviews of it, good and bad. Might make them raise their game a bit!

Audi Customer Services called today, said that Cardiff Audi would refund the £63 diagnostic fee, and were waiting for me to provide the appropriate documentation for the disc warranty..... I explained that I had sorted all that out without their help by going to Camberley, but that I'd be happy to see my £63 back.
I don't know why they didn't pick up on the fact that Camberley were now doing the work from my email as I thought I'd explained it clearly enough, but anyway I should now get a refund, and the call gave me a chance to tell Audi CS that I didn't want to visit Cardiff Audi ever again. She also mentioned how Cardiff had fallen well short of Audi's expected level of customer service on this occasion.

Anyway, the overall message here is:

1) Don't bother with Cardiff Audi service dept.
2) OEM discs (and pads...?) are covered by a 6 month warranty, if fitted by a garage.

Good news that you got a result in the end.

So much for a result.

Car in at Camberley since yesterday, needs hubs replaced as well as front discs apoarently, though Rob unable to guess whether the hubs caused the discs to warp, or the discs caused the hubs to warp. Either way, even with their generous offer of a 40% reduction on the bill, I'm still faced with a bill for over a grand for what I would consider warrantied items.
Have called Audi CS and complained that the car was seen and diagnosed with warped discs by both Glasgow and Cariff Audi centres already, neither of whom picked up on the hub issue.
Glasgow Service Manager has since phoned me and explained that hubs would not have been investigated until further down the line, which I have to accept without better mechanical knowledge myself, but he did admit that his service advisors seem to have missed an opportunity of advising me that the discs would still be under warranty, as well as being dismissive about software versions.
Cardiff Audi also called me now and confirmed that they had recommended replacement of REAR discs and pads as well as front, even though there were "signs of wear, but not excessively pitted or corroded" and Camberley tell me the rear pads are only 25% worn, some 5 weeks later....

Camberley saying they will not discount anymore, which I sort of understand from their POV, and Audi CS saying that only Camberley can make decisions on how much goodwill to give me.

The hubs could be out cos of the discs, or vice versa, or they could be out because the wheels have been changed recently, but Glasgow Audi, Cardiff Audi, and myself have all had the wheels off within the last 6 weeks, and the discs were certainly warped prior to that.

To my left, a rock, to my right, a hard place.

irvind wrote:To my left, a rock, to my right, a hard place.

To put it another way, "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right" - a song, ironically, by the Stealers!

LOL @ Steve.

Why is good service so hard to come by.
Audi have a great product range, it's such a shame to hear stories like this.
Hope Sheffield Audi perform well.

Jay.

By close of business yesterday, Audi CS were confused as to why the discs were suddenly no longer covered by warranty, but Camberley were saying that this was because of the distorted hubs, and they couldn't be sure which happened first. Camberely revised their offer to complete the work to a goodwill discount of 50% ofthe actual parts and labour charge. I instructed them to carry out the work.
However, it occured to me later last night that I don't really know who to trust, anywhere, so this morning I went to Camberley and pulled the car out before the brakes/hubs were replaced.

The car has been serviced, at almost 20k since the last service, but earlier than the service indicator was suggesting. Why that was wrong neither Camberley or I can say for sure. Last service was Tonbridge (who supplied the car) at 43k, I bought it last May at 45k. MRC changed the oil shortly after, Camberley changed the plugs at my request in the summer. At least it's had a service, which Cardiff failed to organise.

Tyre wear was measured by Camberley, and at least one tyre was under-measured by Cardiff. I can't find their invoice just now, but I remember for a fact that the lowest they reported was 3.5mm. The lowest Camberley reprted is 4mm, and having just checked for myself, I get the same reading, 4mm minimum, 5/6 weeks aft Cardiff saw the car.

Conclusion:
As suspected, Cardiff were only really interested in selling me tyres, front discs/pads, and rear discs/pads, when in actual fact all I need is front discs/pads. (maybe hubs too...)

I'm thinking now I need to have the hubs/discs independently checked. It's the only way to know for sure. Will look into this.

Glasgow, in their defence, have held their hands up and admitted they could've done better in the first instance, and if I still haven't sorted the issue by the time I'm home there in late May, they say they'll at least match Camberley's goodwill offer of 50% discount, if not better it. Tje service manager there is making a real effort to sort this out, so we'll see what happens.

It just occured to me today that the brake judder became really noticeable on the 22nd Feb on the autobahn on the way to Denmark. Admittedly I was in Denmark for almost 3 weeks after that, but it's now 9 weeks later, I've driven through Denmark, Germany, Holland, England, Scotland and Wales, and I'm not a huge amount further forward. Good work Audi.....

Rob, bless him, did offer to meet me at his work at Camberley tomorrow to hand over the car once the work had been done. That's on a bank holiday folks......

I am actually curious to meet this Rob

I wonder if he is aware of his popularity and the fact there is even a "Rob appreciation thread"...
this guy should be made aware as he clearly deserves it. I've only spoken to him once, struck me as being incredibly straightforward and precise in his opinions