Do warranty repair T&Cs guarantee a courtesy car?

[Theodora]

A roof paint issue repair for my 2 year-old California Beach has been approved under the VW warranty by a Hampshire dealership (although I didn't buy it from them). But their bodyshop can't do it, so it's going to a specialist in Twickenham (I'm midway between the two). But I haven't automatically been assigned a courtesy vehicle for the week-long duration (or longer) it will be at the bodyshop. I would've been OK if it had just been one or two days, but I need something for a week or more. I'm also not insisting on a replacement van, but just a runaround to keep me going. I've got until 9th August to sort out and I'm waiting for a call from VW Customer Services. But can I insist on a courtesy car for a warranty repair (e.g. is it in the T&Cs - which I can't find) - or is it at the discretion of the dealership?

Also, I don't want to be out of pocket by having to pay for any extra insurance on it, or extra excess over what I currently have. I have a Motor Home policy, which doesn't allow me to drive other vehicles under it - not even 3rd Party.

Interestingly the bodyshop are sending the AA to pick it up and drop it back - which seems very expensive (not that I'm paying for that either!).

 

[Meoncoast]

When our 1st van had the roof work done VW collected and returned our van via the AA. They provided a replacement Cali while ours was away. I had the same concerns VW at that time confirmed they were fully insuring the loan van with no excess my only liability was to return it with the gas take full.

 

[Theodora]

Many thanks. What I'm trying to ascertain is whether VW have a contractual obligation to provide a courtesy vehicle during a warranty repair, or whether it's just left to the discretion (i.e. good nature) of the dealership? I've heard phrases like "maybe if one is available" - but I don't want to be worrying until the day before whether they just happen to have one spare.

 

[California4x4]

Many thanks. What I'm trying to ascertain is whether VW have a contractual obligation to provide a courtesy vehicle during a warranty repair, or whether it's just left to the discretion (i.e. good nature) of the dealership? I've heard phrases like "maybe if one is available" - but I don't want to be worrying until the day before whether they just happen to have one spare.

I’m afraid I can’t say for sure what they are obliged to do under terms and conditions. During lock down, when I had a warranty repair, they claimed that they were unable to provide a replacement vehicle due to COVID cleaning restrictions. I said, that’s fine, I’ll rent a car and send them the bill. They said it would not be paid. In the end, I got them to give me a major service for free, which was more than the price of a rental car. So, whatever they say, keep escalating until you have a solution that is acceptable to you. You’re not asking for much.

 

[Theodora]

Thanks. I'm still pushing water uphill! (waiting to speak to a 'Case Manager' at VW Customer Services). Apparently there's something called the VW 'Mobex' Scheme, initially intended to hire out cars to customers who had delivery delays, which the dealership should be able to access and then claim back the cost. Think they use Enterprise or similar. It may be that a courtesy car is at the discretion of the dealership after all. Will find out more over next few days.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

For the front panel roof repair you should get a loan vehicle for the duration. I had a caddy, others have had Cali’s or cars. Original letter from VW states it should be a Cali. Although It’s dated 2014, the repair to my van was 2019.

 

[ger]

Just a few things that I learnt after a long "discussions" with VWCS and our useless local dealer (Snows, Plymouth) when mine went missing in a bodyshop during lockdown last year....

I don't think they _have_ to provide you with a courtesy van. If you get one, it can either come from VWCS itself (though there aren't that many of those) or the dealer. We dropped the van off at dealer, and they arranged transport to bodyshop, and got one of their Transporters for the time ours was away.
Just keep plugging away at both VWCS and dealer - something will give in the end (usually VWCS). We got a full service plus cambelt+water pump change to apologise for all kinds of nonsense from Snows.
I'm not aware that there's a rush to do the roof work, so you could always wait until a time they can provide you with a replacement.

 

[Theodora]

For the front panel roof repair you should get a loan vehicle for the duration. I had a caddy, others have had Cali’s or cars. Original letter from VW states it should be a Cali. Although It’s dated 2014, the repair to my van was 2019.

View attachment 81573

View attachment 81574

Many thanks for posting that letter - that's very helpful.

 

[Theodora]

Just a few things that I learnt after a long "discussions" with VWCS and our useless local dealer (Snows, Plymouth) when mine went missing in a bodyshop during lockdown last year....

I don't think they _have_ to provide you with a courtesy van. If you get one, it can either come from VWCS itself (though there aren't that many of those) or the dealer. We dropped the van off at dealer, and they arranged transport to bodyshop, and got one of their Transporters for the time ours was away.
Just keep plugging away at both VWCS and dealer - something will give in the end (usually VWCS). We got a full service plus cambelt+water pump change to apologise for all kinds of nonsense from Snows.
I'm not aware that there's a rush to do the roof work, so you could always wait until a time they can provide you with a replacement.

Many thanks. I'm still trying to find the warranty T&Cs but I've been informed by a lot of people that there's probably no clause that stipulates a courtesy car is obligatory. Having asked the person I was dealing with in the 'Bodyshop' dept to look into the VW Mobex scheme he's now come back to say that the 'Service' dept use this, but he personally didn't' know of it. So I should get a hire car from someone like Enterprise. But have to wait until the morning my Beach is pick-up before they organise. So I could still be without a vehicle for a day. So I'm still waiting for a call-back from a VW Customer Service 'Case Manager'.

 

[Theodora]

Just a few things that I learnt after a long "discussions" with VWCS and our useless local dealer (Snows, Plymouth) when mine went missing in a bodyshop during lockdown last year....

I don't think they _have_ to provide you with a courtesy van. If you get one, it can either come from VWCS itself (though there aren't that many of those) or the dealer. We dropped the van off at dealer, and they arranged transport to bodyshop, and got one of their Transporters for the time ours was away.
Just keep plugging away at both VWCS and dealer - something will give in the end (usually VWCS). We got a full service plus cambelt+water pump change to apologise for all kinds of nonsense from Snows.
I'm not aware that there's a rush to do the roof work, so you could always wait until a time they can provide you with a replacement.

Many thanks the reply. All feet helpful info.

 

[Perfectos]

For the front panel roof repair you should get a loan vehicle for the duration. I had a caddy, others have had Cali’s or cars. Original letter from VW states it should be a Cali. Although It’s dated 2014, the repair to my van was 2019.

View attachment 81573

View attachment 81574

Interesting that the letter says the workmanship is covered for a further three years after repair, I saw a fairly recent post where the OP says they have a failed front cap remedial repair, now VW, the dealer and the repairing garage gave washed their hands of the issue with the subsequent failure!

 

[Loz]

Notice the word might;

 

[andyinluton]

Need to book the courtesy car in advance - round here that means about 2 months in advance.

 

[Theodora]

Need to book the courtesy car in advance - round here that means about 2 months in advance.

Notice the word might;
View attachment 81584

Thanks _ that's what I've discovered

 

[Theodora]

Finally getting somewhere! VW Customer Services talked to the dealership and got them to call me. The internal 'VW Mobex Scheme' was originally intended as a "vehicle recovery and replacement while being repaired scheme" that dealerships could use and be reimbursed by the 'brand' (i.e. VW 'central office', because dealerships are just franchises - not really VW in a true sense). But if pushed they can also use it for warranty repair pick-ups/drop-backs and customer courtesy cars for the duration. So this is what's happening. That's why the AA are picking it up and dropping it back I reckon. Only downside is that I have to wait until the 'day of the repair' before I know what vehicle I'll get (in this case it'll be from Eurocar). Apparently, they'll phone me and ask what I want. If I high spec it (e.g. a specific car with sunroof, etc) then that will take longer to drop-off than if not too fussy. The only other thing I've insisted on is, while Eurocar cover the insurance, I'm not paying a £4 - 10 a day fee to get the excesses reduced from what will be a high value (maybe £500) to what I'm currently paying (£200). I've said I want that in writing. The dealership are going to get back to me on that one.

Either way, it might help others (with warranty repair and courtesy car problems) to be able to quote this VW Mobex Scheme. The guy in the dealership bodyshop dept (while being as friendly and helpful as he could) didn't know about it until I mentioned it (but his colleagues in the service dept did know).

 

[Perfectos]

Hi Theodora,

Enterprise will have your exiting vehicle details, they will try to give you a vehicle with a similar number of seats, they require your Drivers license number and existing insurers details.

enterprise will struggle to supply a van but :

if you specify a requirement for 7 seats, (presuming your Beach V5 states 7 seats) you may end up with a brand new Q7 !
I did, when I spoke to enterprise, the only 7 seater they had was a brand new Q7 (happened twice)

 

[Joker 1299]

Notice the word might;
View attachment 81584

That makes no sense at all. So, if it is possible, there is only a chance that you will get one? WTF

 

[California4x4]

That makes no sense at all. So, if it is possible, there is only a chance that you will get one? WTF

It makes sense if you look through the VW lens. They want future VW buyers to believe they will be looked after if there is a problem so that they buy a vehicle. But, it gives VW a clause for the low number of people who need looking after to say, “sorry we can’t help you today”

 

[Joker 1299]

It makes sense if you look through the VW lens. They want future VW buyers to believe they will be looked after if there is a problem so that they buy a vehicle. But, it gives VW a clause for the low number of people who need looking after to say, “sorry we can’t help you today”

As a future buyer, that statement would give me zero confidence

 

[California4x4]

As a future buyer, that statement would give me zero confidence

Most will be swept away by the thought of a new campervan, will be looking on the bright side and won’t even look or notice the ‘might’ if they do. It’s all about VW doing the minimum they can get away with.

 

[Zebedee]

A roof paint issue repair for my 2 year-old California Beach has been approved under the VW warranty by a Hampshire dealership (although I didn't buy it from them). But their bodyshop can't do it, so it's going to a specialist in Twickenham (I'm midway between the two). But I haven't automatically been assigned a courtesy vehicle for the week-long duration (or longer) it will be at the bodyshop. I would've been OK if it had just been one or two days, but I need something for a week or more. I'm also not insisting on a replacement van, but just a runaround to keep me going. I've got until 9th August to sort out and I'm waiting for a call from VW Customer Services. But can I insist on a courtesy car for a warranty repair (e.g. is it in the T&Cs - which I can't find) - or is it at the discretion of the dealership?

Also, I don't want to be out of pocket by having to pay for any extra insurance on it, or extra excess over what I currently have. I have a Motor Home policy, which doesn't allow me to drive other vehicles under it - not even 3rd Party.

Interestingly the bodyshop are sending the AA to pick it up and drop it back - which seems very expensive (not that I'm paying for that either!).

I recently had my Cali roof done there. Initially SMG Cowfold wanted me to drive from SW London to Cowfold so AA could pick up the Cali and take it to Twickenham about 5 miles from where I live! Madness! Have waited about 6 years for roof repair and was told if I wanted a loan car I would have to wait even longer so decided to do it. It was returned to me on an AA transporter but I then discovered the roof was not fully closed. They had it nearly 4 weeks!

 

[Christine Kirk]

Our experience with JCT 600 Sheffield is much the same as everyone else is having. Currently the California is in the workshop at Sheffield having the front drain issue sorted. The booking process was tedious slow and inefficient as we ended up with a delay of weeks before they could fit us in ! On booking I asked if we could have a loan car to be told that one wouldn't be available until at least the middle of August; this was mid June. We have a definite routine of lifting the top and cleaning the gutters, on finding the blocked front drain we sent photos to the Sheffield workshop to help them identify the problem, on dropping it off there was no one to show the fault to, so we described the issue to the receptionist and left.
The centres appear to be incapable of focus on the customer and a courtesy vehicle is a major part of this, the workshop is an hour plus drive away in a industrial park it requires us to have two vehicles to get it there and two of us to retrieve it when the work is done so in total we waste two half days because VW Sheffield can't get its ducks in a line.
As a footnote Whilst driving back form the workshop the technician rang to find out what the issue was, hadn't ant idea about the photos we sent nor the description we left at the reception, Two days later I rang to chase them only to be told they didn't have any idea and that someone would ring after the weekend. How to impress your "valued" customers!
The T4 caravelle goes to a local garage and we are always offered some wheels to get home with, the way it should be done!!
the sunset at Hornsea de stress walking on the sand

 

[Ian Maddocks]

My Ocean in for a service and pop-top warranty work tomorrow at the Northampton dealership. I requested a courtesy car but with a £15 cost to cover insurance.
When I said there was no charge a few months ago for another warranty repair, I was told the charge had aways been present but was waived until Apr 2021.

 

[DavidofHook]

My roof was done in 2014 and according to the paperwork I dealt direct with VW Commercial and without prompting they provided and brand new Cali delivered on a low loader for the 2 weeks it took to repair. It Looks as if I formally complained to VW about the corrosion hence they dealt with it direct. It was also one of the early ones and they explained in their letter to me about 'Approved Body Shops' getting training to dealt with the problem. It sounds as if I was lucky. Re courtesy cars in general I always get a van free of charge when the Cali goes in for a service .
sorry to hear of the troubles you guys are having.

 

[WelshGas]

My Ocean in for a service and pop-top warranty work tomorrow at the Northampton dealership. I requested a courtesy car but with a £15 cost to cover insurance.
When I said there was no charge a few months ago for another warranty repair, I was told the charge had aways been present but was waived until Apr 2021.

My California insurance provides cover for a courtesy vehicle. I just take the Policy Document in, they photocopy it, no charge.