Newbury SEAT - LC 30k service

[scotty76]

Recently had my 30k service (Leon Cupra) plus brake fluid change at Newbury. They are always polite and efficient just wish they weren't so expensive!

The Good

Free courtesy car
Efficient
Seem to do a good job (me with no mechanical know how!)

The Bad

Price - £250
Car not washed (petty but others manage it)
Small bottle of top up oil given but charged for (cheeky - would rather be asked if I want it)

Overall I guess it's a neutral! They are handy for where I live but if I had more time would probably make the trip to Camberley to save some cash (plus get it washed & hoovered)!! ;-)

 

[FriarFR]

WOW thats a lot

who's at Camberley?

 

[warren_cox]

they're OK. Norman (the guy on the service desk) is a nice enough bloke.

They've never been cheap though, and have limited authority to discount as they are governed by Emmer Green in Reading who own the franchise.

 

[scotty76]

What I do find interesting is the Emmer seem to be in the "to be avoided at all costs" category. Let's hope some of the staff from there don't move to Newbury!

 

[scotty76]

WOW thats a lot

who's at Camberley?

Camberley SEAT Service Centre, seem generally OK and are usually a whole lot cheaper than Newbury.

 

[Sniff_Diesel]

Hey Scotty,

Swindon Autos are worth looking at for your next one too - keener on price than Newbury... still didnt wash the bu&&er, but all credit turned it around in an hour & very friendly service.

Worth the drive on a Sat morning & there's a McD's round the corner for a greasy breakfast to kill off the time!

 

[scotty76]

I'm warey of Swindon Autos as they don't get the best press around these parts, maybe things have changed.

All I know from personal experience is that they did the servicing on the wife's Ibiza seemed to be OK until we took it to Watford Seat one year and what a transformation! It was like a new car. Made me suspicious that Swindon had been doing half a job for all those years.

 

[Hairy]

May be I've just been unlucky but my experience has been:

Newbury - Expensive & crap engineers (damage more then they fix).
Swindon - Crap service.

I'll be trying Camberley next.

 

[k11jrp]

Ive been quoted £68 for a 30k service from SEAT Hereford. Doesnt include brake fluid change but hey....

 

[Hairy]

Well despite my previous bad experiences with Newbury they did handle my recent gearbox failure very well under warrantee so I've just been in to get a price for the 2nd year service, £280 + £55 for changing the brake fluid, + £10 for the courtesy car + £10 to get them to use full synthetic oil instead of semi, total £355, e-mailed Camberly - £266 all in (but need to cover my self with insurance for the loan car). How the hell can Newbury or Emmer Green justify the £89 difference. Newbury wouldn't budge an inch on the price so they won't be getting my business (except for when the warrantee is paying).

Why do peolpe pay these inflated prices? (even if they are polite).

 

[Tony 156]

I live in newbury and i wont go there. Emmergreen is the way forward, nice friendly service, had good discounts and at least two free quick diagnostics and resets. They have not failed me so far, but seemed a bit hesitant to work on the car when they saw it had been modded.

How i see it, garages will always do you over, so if you can do it your self. its worked for me this long and ive saved hundreds. Saying that my poor baby is have major gearbox surgery as we speak. I dont do gearboxes.

 

[scotty76]

LOL! Emmergreen the way forward, that's a good one, must remember that! I think a quick use of the search box will show you how good Emmergreen really are! All I can assume is you've been lucky so far.

 

[SpareMan]

Tony - Emmer Green and Newbury SEAT are effectively one and the same, owned by the same group, same pricing, their techies and others work at each others branches