£99 diagnostic fee

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
Got my car booked in for tomorrow with my Stealer, to investigate an issue with my DSG gearbox (6-speed, Cupra).

Just had a call off them informing me that there's a £99 diagnostic fee. The conversation went like this:

"To just make you aware, there is a £99 diagnostic fee to investigate the issue"

Me "Why is there a diagnostic fee for warranty work?"

*Silence.... for 3 seconds "Well Mr (name), if there is an issue with the gearbox and it isn't covered by warranty there will be a £99 diagnostic fee"

Me "Well that isn't going to be a problem, because my car has 1 year 10 months of warranty left and there's no way in hell it is not warranty work"

"Right, okay then Mr. (name), we'll see you in the morning"

*Stealer hung up*

What a strange conversation it was. Anyone else been left like :confused: after a phone call with a Stealer?
 
Last edited:

kazand

Is powered by Medtronics
Jun 6, 2010
4,138
73
Brum
Arse covering? Iirc we had a similar conversation on a previous Leon when the aircon ferked up. Missus spoke to supplying dealer, he wanted £80 or so "which would be refunded if fault was under warranty" told him to swivel, went to another dealer they were more than happy to sort it under warranty no cash up front. Was pressure sensor I think.
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
Arse covering? Iirc we had a similar conversation on a previous Leon when the aircon ferked up. Missus spoke to supplying dealer, he wanted £80 or so "which would be refunded if fault was under warranty" told him to swivel, went to another dealer they were more than happy to sort it under warranty no cash up front. Was pressure sensor I think.

I was waiting for the line "you will need to pay £99 upfront" but it never came. If I get asked tomorrow I'll drive straight out and organise my work with another dealer, or I'll have a word with the manager because it's silly.
 

StewartWaudby

Active Member
Jan 21, 2010
22
0
I always used to get this at the Alfa dealer with my old car, every time you booked the car in for warranty work you'd get a call telling you that there was a £75 diagnostic fee payable if they couldn't find anything covered by warranty. Needless to say, I only ever took it there when there was something wrong which was a warranty item so I was never charged it. Seems to be the thing these days sadly

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
I always used to get this at the Alfa dealer with my old car, every time you booked the car in for warranty work you'd get a call telling you that there was a £75 diagnostic fee payable if they couldn't find anything covered by warranty. Needless to say, I only ever took it there when there was something wrong which was a warranty item so I was never charged it. Seems to be the thing these days sadly

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Yeah, the thing is, I know full well that £99 or £75 is a rip off for this level of work, because all they are doing is plugging a diagnostic tool into the OBD and running a test for fault codes and if there aren't any, the diagnostic is complete. £99 is a joke!
 

Curtly

Active Member
Jun 5, 2015
893
19
Essex
They're just try to cover their arse. Much better that phone call than a steep bill at the end. I'm sure everything won't cost a penny though
 

andycupra

status subject to change
Got my car booked in for tomorrow with my Stealer, to investigate an issue with my DSG gearbox (6-speed, Cupra).

Just had a call off them informing me that there's a £99 diagnostic fee. The conversation went like this:

"To just make you aware, there is a £99 diagnostic fee to investigate the issue"

Me "Why is there a diagnostic fee for warranty work?"

*Silence.... for 3 seconds "Well Mr (name), if there is an issue with the gearbox and it isn't covered by warranty there will be a £99 diagnostic fee"

Me "Well that isn't going to be a problem, because my car has 1 year 10 months of warranty left and there's no way in hell it is not warranty work"

"Right, okay then Mr. (name), we'll see you in the morning"

*Stealer hung up*

What a strange conversation it was. Anyone else been left like :confused: after a phone call with a Stealer?

just tell them not to bother with the diagnostics as a dealer says its the gearbox.
 

altea-ego

Full Member
Dec 7, 2004
176
3
Got my car booked in for tomorrow with my Stealer, to investigate an issue with my DSG gearbox (6-speed, Cupra).

Just had a call off them informing me that there's a £99 diagnostic fee. The conversation went like this:

"To just make you aware, there is a £99 diagnostic fee to investigate the issue"

Me "Why is there a diagnostic fee for warranty work?"

*Silence.... for 3 seconds "Well Mr (name), if there is an issue with the gearbox and it isn't covered by warranty there will be a £99 diagnostic fee"

Me "Well that isn't going to be a problem, because my car has 1 year 10 months of warranty left and there's no way in hell it is not warranty work"

"Right, okay then Mr. (name), we'll see you in the morning"

*Stealer hung up*

What a strange conversation it was. Anyone else been left like :confused: after a phone call with a Stealer?

whats the suspected fault btw?
 

Briant566

Active Member
Oct 12, 2014
343
2
West Yorks England
Got my car booked in for tomorrow with my Stealer, to investigate an issue with my DSG gearbox (6-speed, Cupra).

Just had a call off them informing me that there's a £99 diagnostic fee. The conversation went like this:

"To just make you aware, there is a £99 diagnostic fee to investigate the issue"

Me "Why is there a diagnostic fee for warranty work?"

*Silence.... for 3 seconds "Well Mr (name), if there is an issue with the gearbox and it isn't covered by warranty there will be a £99 diagnostic fee"

Me "Well that isn't going to be a problem, because my car has 1 year 10 months of warranty left and there's no way in hell it is not warranty work"

"Right, okay then Mr. (name), we'll see you in the morning"

*Stealer hung up*

What a strange conversation it was. Anyone else been left like :confused: after a phone call with a Stealer?

Interested to no which dealer as mine is due for service and some warranty work
 

scrich7

Active Member
Oct 6, 2013
311
0
Bedford
I had a similar conversation with a Ford dealer (Evans Halshaw) a few years back, went to a different dealer that didn't charge.
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
Update - I just dropped the car off with Seat and I was actually quite shocked by the lack of professionalism inside the Stealer. I was stood waiting for 2 minutes before somebody came over to tell me the receptionist was off sick and in that time several sales people walked right by me, seemingly blinded by their latest potential customer.

What threw me the most was the assistant manager, who was sat down puffing away on an e-cigarette. Now I expect teenagers and people to smoke these in their own time - but at work, seriously?? In front of customers?? Overall, how utterly pathetic. The whole dealership seems to be run like a club for Seat's middle management. What a joke.

Not too keen on the loan car either, a Seat Mii by Mango.
 

jaba101

Active Member
Jun 16, 2008
196
2
South West
Throttle controller, the revs rise sharply when coming to a complete stop before settling down again.

Hi Jacupra280,

Just to let you know that mine was nothing to do with the Throttle controller, I had the exact issue you are having and after seven visit's to the Stealer the had Seat Technical Spain put a different Map file on (from a 2015 Golf R) this instantly cured the issue and stopped the over rev when at a stop or when crawling in traffic. There is a technical bulletin on it (if they look for it ), or ask you stealer to call Blade Seat in Bristol they know all about it I can put the job number up on here later if you need more info, they cannot charge you for Diag's if she is under warranty.

Cheers

Jason
 

JACUPRA280

Active Member
Jun 18, 2015
932
55
Somewhere
Hi Jacupra280,

Just to let you know that mine was nothing to do with the Throttle controller, I had the exact issue you are having and after seven visit's to the Stealer the had Seat Technical Spain put a different Map file on (from a 2015 Golf R) this instantly cured the issue and stopped the over rev when at a stop or when crawling in traffic. There is a technical bulletin on it (if they look for it ), or ask you stealer to call Blade Seat in Bristol they know all about it I can put the job number up on here later if you need more info, they cannot charge you for Diag's if she is under warranty.

Cheers

Jason

Thanks Jason! That's really interesting, I'll be sure to mention that to them if they do not find anything wrong with it :)
 

jaba101

Active Member
Jun 16, 2008
196
2
South West
With mine they tried realigning the dsg clutches whitich the cocked up abd had to order new parts for I was literally in a curtsey car for four weeks drove me mad, I almost traded it in for a new one lol then they managed to find a Spanish technical bulletin where the car was doing what ours did and the issues was resolved with an ecu flash oh had to wait three days for Seat Technical to write a new map file suspect convert some of the Golf R protocols over lol im APR stage 2 now and not had any issues since.
 
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