How Audi springs Rips off its clients.

I bought my Audi A3 sedan 1.4tfsi DSG. You can imagine my excitement at finally having a premium brand.

I loved the drive so much so that I was contemplating buying one for my wife. I was an advocate for Audi telling all my friends and family how lovely the vehicle was. I bought the vehicle from Audi springs and serviced it at Audi springs.one of the selling points I was told by the sales person was how at Audi before your vehicle leaves the warranty then you can bring it in for a full inspection and any issues are then rectified. i took in my vehicle at 98 000.00 for the full check up and the vehicle was handed back to me and I was on my merry way. Not expecting any issues. I took the vehicle in for a service a month ago and was quoted R20 000.00 well I was shocked at this and I was advised that the vehicle needed to have the fan belt replaced and other matters? I was shocked on what this was all coming up hardly 14 000 km later?? What was the check up on if all this is an issue now?? Then I was also informed how I missed a service?? My question was I brought the car in at 98 000 km and was supposed to bring it back at 105 000.00 why was the service not conducted at 98 000.00. I work in Roodepoort and taking time out to have my vehicle serviced is rather a neucence.

I have tried to request a courtesy car during these periods of which I was always informed that they do not have vehicles available and their cars are booked 5 weeks in advance. Well I was always understanding and would make alternate arrangements. Yes there where Audi centres near my work place but as a springs residence I was all about supporting the local businesses in my area. (my own incompetence.) so needless to say after servicing the vehicle and getting it back hardly a month later to my dismay I wake up to take my kids to school and put the car into reverse and I am faced with gearbox failure no reverse gear and only d1 available. Really could this actually be happening. Well I am out of maintenance plan so I need to try get a hold of Audi which I couldn’t do as their switchboard was down. I had to call VW across the road to get them to get Audi to call me(P.S the number on the quote is also for VW. I had to then arrange a tow truck to take the vehicle in for the repairs. Well as per norm there would be no courtesy car. I was given the time frames and I patiently awaited. I was then quoted R34 000.00 for the repairs on my vehicle. Well the warranty would pay a portion and I would pay the difference of about R18 000.00. while I was taking in the vehicle I took time to walk the floor and look at what was available. I then crashed in to the sales manager who remember me from my previous purchase.

We had a chat and he said we could look at putting me into a new Audi and the repairs could be on their side and minimise the damage to my pocket. Oh well that sounded like a plan I was truly impressed with the concern. I did advise however that yes I was keen on this but am awaiting feedback on a promotion and would probably like to look at the S3. So when the initial quote for repairs came in at R34K and the warranty paying I tried to exercise this option. Ha ha ha what a joke! I was offer R140K for the vehicle is this even remotely possible? Can an Audi depreciate so much in a year? What a joke.

Then I was asked how much am I willing to pay which I rep**** R7500.00 max well with the major loading of R160K I found myself being offered a vehicle for R**** on an A3 sedan 1.0TFSI. that is truly not logical I could get a A4 at that R580K specked on the website and have change of R26K a standard A5 for R591K still less than this Ludacris quote.

• Led headlight are R14 400 on Audi website. Mine are different maybe made of gold at R22 675.00 • Milano leather is R17 500 on Audi website in springs its R25 352.00 • Storage compartment and luggage R2500 in springs R12 211.00 • Rear parking aid R5 400 in springs R14 737 • 5 alloy rims are standard on the website and not R35 526.00

Total amount on site for extras R37 311.00 at springs AUDI R110 501.00 total ******* amounts to R73 190.00

So needless to say my mama didn’t raise no fool so I chose to have my vehicle repaired at the initial cost that I was quoted. No one said to me that there is a possibility that there would be additional repairs. I wasn’t sent the quote on this. I agreed to have my vehicle fixed at an agreed price of R18000 from my pocket which is truly not cheap change. Now at the time I am expecting to get my vehicle back I am now being told about additional work that needs to be done on the vehicle that will cost an additional R18 000.00 on its own. I am lost here on how this wasn’t assessed initially with the diagnostics and why this is only being picked up now. I am sure if you had given me the full diagnostic I would have made alternate arrangements. This is also a totally related matter that needed to be checked from the onset. Let alone the fact that a leaking seal wasn’t picked up in all the times that this vehicle has visited Audi. I feel as if I am at the mercy of the dealer and I am now being held hostage. If I will not buy the ludicrously priced A3 1.0TFSi then we will get him to pay ridiculous amounts on the repair of the vehicle. (before you dismiss me on this point all I have to say is look at the quote attached versus your own Audi SA website.) I also found it funny how Audi went from offering me R140K to R180K a couple of days later when I advised the dealer that I am looking at a Mercedes Benz. If I give the go ahead to fix my vehicle I will now have to wait for the parts to be fetched from Germany that is a further 2 weeks and no courtesy car as well as spend R18 000.00 on a breakdown that I truly feel should have been picked up with the services that where done as well as the check-up on the vehicle.

Maybe my being understanding has made me to seem like a fool. Do you know that a Demo Audi S3 sedan 2017 is listed for R649K with only 3 500 kilos on the clock? (what would you do?)

I truly do not feel that this vehicle should be having all these issues with the kilos it has travelled and this should have been identified prior to the damage as the vehicle was in for a service hardly a month before. When the check was being done before it reached a 100 000.00km the check should have picked this up. The level of service that I have received from Audi is truly despicable and the workmanship of their workshop also leaves a lot to be desired. I will not even mention the integrity of the attached quote for a vehicle. I also requested the report that was submitted to the warranty and no where did they mention looking at the clutch. When I requested the quote I was then given a full one inclusive of everything in relation to the quote given to the warranty.

I am a truly unhappy client a fan of Audi who had it in his mind to be purchasing the S3. Who advocated Audi to his friends and family so much so that my one friend just bought the new A5. One of my other friends was looking at trading in his BMW for the S3. My mother was looking at getting the a4. All this through my promoting of the brand.

I am not looking to get a free ride and not pay for the repairs that I had initially committed to of R18K. even though I feel that this was negligence on the part of Audi. But I do feel that Audi should pay for the additional repairs based on lack of transparency as well as failure to pick up this matter prior to damage. I am also of the opinion that if I was to trade in the vehicles the vehicle trade in value is R251 000.00 and is well justified. The vehicle could still be retailed at R285 000.00 that is still R50 000.00 that I need to put in as the settlement is R300K. but now you expect me to pay R50K on repairs and still load a ridiculous amount on the car.

My calculated solution:

So lets take the R180K I am being offered for the car and add back the amount I am being ********** as per quote differences of R73 190.00 gives you R253 190 add back the R18 000 for repairs that I would be paying amounts to R271 000.00. that should be what I get offered for the trade in and they can keep the car and I will gladly finance another Audi from Audi SA but not springs.