Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016)

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Sat 16 Jul 2016 17:52
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - pork_pie

Good afternoon

In October 2014 I bought a used Toyota Hybrid, which was registered in July of that year. and upon recieving the keys, I was recommended a 3 year service plan for about £550 to cover check ups in July 2015,16,17 so long I had my car serviced at any of the 4 dealers of the same Toyota franchise which was fair enough. I decided to go for a 5 year plan instead for £16per month for 58 months. The money is taken by a 3rd party company on the franchises behalf.

I bought ths car from a Toyota dealer of the same franchise about 8 miles away. There is also dealer a mile away from where I live thats part of the same franchise. For convenience, I was going to service my car there.

A few days later of having the car in October 2014,I recieved the paperwork from the dealer which stated a 5 year service plan as requested but to cover services in October 2015, 2016,2017,2018 and 2019 instead rather than July. The car wasn't serviced since it was delivered in July 2014. I immediately phoned the third party company and they told me to contact the dealership of this error which I did. The dealer, back in Oct 2014, said that all records have been amended at their end and that my car is to be serviced every July until 2019.

9 months later from when I got the car and 12 months after the car was registered, I had the first intermediate service in July 2015 at the nearer dealer of the same franchise. No money was paid as I had that standing order in place.

A few days ago I booked the first major (20000mile) service for todays date and the service manager, at the same dealership, said that my car is not due a service until October. I told him that i was on a service plan to see my car every July but he said that theres not enough money in my own particular pot to fund a first major service in July unless I paid a £55 top up fee. He suggested I wait to get my car serviced until October, according to the plan on their database, for the next service but I refused this. They said that servicing a car 15 months later would not void the warranty! I found this very hard to believe.

To cut a long story short, there has been an admin error which I didnt know about until today and if I wanted to have my car serviced every July on the current plan, I'd have to a pay a top up fee each time. Today I had no choice but to pay £55 to have this service today and have my account up to date. It wasn't the fault of the servce manager today, I assured him of that.

For the record, I had so far paid 21 monthsx£16(£336)+£55 to cover 2 services. I asked the service manager to draft me a new service plan for 3 additional years if I left the current plan after todays service. I was offered 3 services for about £800, which was considerably more than the 3 year plan suggested to me in 2014, and I was told this covers more stuff than the plan I was already on!

Additonally, I took my car in at 8.30am upon their request and it wasnt seen until 10.45am. The car was ready 45 minutes later and I really queried what they did for a major service. The car was nicely washed and vacuumed plus the car felt more lively with tyres inflated a couple of psi .

I am under the impression that service plans really do cover the bare minumum.

I decided upon recieving my keys after the service to cancel my service plan, standing order and I rejected the offer of 3 services, under a new plan, with these extras that weren't covered by my current plan. The service manager cancelled the policy and gave me the go ahead to cancel the standing order.

I decided from next year to go for the conventional minor/major services, and be free from such administrative issues, to fulfil the warranty conditions whether its at the same dealer/franchise or a different Toyota dealer altogether

What are your thoughts of service plans and was I right to terminate the contract and not renew a new policy?

I really like my car but I'd be more reassured if my car had a few ice cream flavour options rather than just a cornet when it comes to servicing so to speak.

I look forward to your responses.

Thank you

PP

Edited by pork_pie on 16/07/2016 at 17:57

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Sat 16 Jul 2016 19:19
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - oldroverboy.

You didn't buy a service package such as you can buy wuth a car that is less than 1 year old and has not had a service (such as Kia)

What you were sold was a "pay up front" monthly plan where it actually costs more!

It was poorly sold and poorly explained to you.

Happily you are out of it and you can choose your next service location.

well done for not paying the £800.

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 01:36
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - Auristocrat

Provided you know what you're getting, service plans can be good value. The point to remember is that a service plan is with the dealer or dealer group you purchase it from - not the manufacturer.

Often dealers just quote for the basic Intermediate and Full services when drawing up a service plan quote, and, in the case of Toyota, don't always include maintenance options such as bi-annual brake fluid changes.

Certainly with Toyota's Fixed Price Service scheme, one can base the service plan on the scheme prices, and build into the service plan whatever one wants - whether that is additional items such as brake fluid changes, MOT's, etc.

What the supplying dealer should have done at the time the plan was altered, was to provide revised service plan documentation which outlined the changes.

Your previous plan would have fixed the service costs detailed within the plan for the period of the plan, plus some give additional benefits such as a percentage off other work, accessories or similar - depending on the dealer group.

Toyota increased the prices of their Fixed Price Service scheme in April 2016, so now that you've come out of the original plan, and if you continue with Toyota servicing, you will be subject to the increased costs. Intermediate services for the Prius now cost £180 and Full £330 (plus maintenance options as required).

Likewise, if you had taken out a second plan this month, that would have been based on the increased charges. For example the bi-annual brake fluid change for hybrids that is not included as part of the Full service, has increased from £40 to £60.

As regards servicing, Toyota allow leeway of either one month or 1,000 miles, whichever occurs first. So having the first full service done at an interval of 15 months rather than 12, would have been outside of Toyota's leeway, and may affect any future warranty claim.

Edited by Auristocrat on 17/07/2016 at 01:41

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 06:38
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - NARU

I avoid anything which is dealer specific.

The Honda dealer we bought my wife's car from ceased to be a Honda dealer 3 months later. They did remain an official Honda servicing agent, so we'd have still been OK.

The Mazda dealer I bought my MX-5 from changed hands 6 months later, and my 'free MOT for life' was declared void. I'm pleased I hadn't paid for any servicing plan.

The only ones I'll consider are those backed by the manufacturer, and valid at any UK dealer. Though even then, unless the saving is large I prefer to simply pay as I go.

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 17:48
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - pork_pie

Thank you gents for the replies and it's made me reassured that I made the right decision. A lesson learned.

Edited by pork_pie on 17/07/2016 at 17:50

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 18:12
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - Avant

Service plans (unless they're actually free of charge, as mine is, fortunately) aren't always the bargains they seem.

The Mini TLC package sounds good until you realise that Mini think their cars need servicing only once every two years, unless you do a high mileage. Even if you think it should be every year, 'extra' services won't be covered by the package.

Edited by Avant on 30/07/2016 at 01:38

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 18:43
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - RT

Service plans (unless they're actually free of charge, as mine is, fortunately) aren't always the bargains they seem.

The Mini TLC package sounds good until you realise that Mini think their care need servicing only once every two years, unless you do a high mileage. Even if you think it should be every year, 'extra' services won't be covered by the package.

Unlike VW Service Plans which automatically switch from 20,000 mile/2 years long-life servicing to 10,000 miles/1 year Time/Mileage if you buy their Service Plan.

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Sun 17 Jul 2016 19:21
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - Auristocrat

Toyota don't offer long life servicing as part of their service regime. Service intervals are either 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

As regards the case in question, without knowing what was written into the original and subsequent service plans (ie the specific services, maintenance options and MOT's), it is difficult to advise whether the OP was right to withdraw from the original plan, or to deny the second service plan.

As I said earlier, Toyota increased their service charges in April. At current costs, just the next three services (Intermediate at 3 years/30,000 miles, Full+ at 4 years/40,000 miles, and Intermediate at 5 years/50,000 miles), servicing will cost a minimum of £750 for the remainder of the five year period. On top of this could be air-conditioning filter replacements as and when required, and of course the three MOT's.

This is also assuming Toyota don't increase the service costs again.

I suspect that returning to a pay as you go basis will cost the OP more over the stated period.

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Fri 29 Jul 2016 17:15
Toyota HSD - Service Plans-car got serviced today(July 16,2016) - yokel38
Hmmmm, Service contracts can be a very good thing, and will save you money in the long term, they are inflation proof at the end of the day, after reading the post, the problem is not with your service plan, but it seems badly handled by the dealer concerned. I sort of understand where the dealer is coming from, however it would not have been the end of the world to service at the correct time and mileage, and simply put the claim through at the later date, it would be unlikely to bankrupt the dealer to wait a couple of months for their money.
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