Service Plans........

D

DavidP

New member
Hi,
I have just embarked on putting in place a 5yr service plan with a large dealership SE England.
I thought i knew what i wanted but found out that it is a minefield, whether that is due to the conflicting views/understanding of service advisors or just a blatant misunderstanding of just what's included.
3 visits over 2 days, to finally be put on the phone to speak with another service plan advisor, who said "i will tell you what you want' and then got it wrong....

Has anyone else encountered difficulties like this?.

I loved the fact that by taking an extra package would cover any uplift of adblue that i needed adinterim..... on a 5l petrol engine i am still laughing about that one......
cheers
 
Personally I don't think they are worth the money.

The Jaguar 3+ service plans (for cars over three years) fix the price for the term of the service plan and reduce the labour by 10%. I was offered one just yesterday at my 6th service.

For my car the next services are 7th, 8th and 9th. The 7th service on mine is just an oil change (same as the first service) but they are charging £271 after discounts on the service plan (as the costs are broken down) for each service.

But an oil change with vehicle health check direct on Jaguar website at the same dealer is only £181. So much for a service plan being cheaper. Likewise the 8th service was £581 on service plan but only £385 direct on the same dealers website.

I therefore declined the amazing deal, however the one I was offered didn't have any Adblue 😂.
 
Main dealers are just after one thing £, idies offer far better service and do a good job as they like your returning buisness.
 
Not worth the money. I took out a 2 year and lost out. Just save the cash you would have paid in a bank account and pay for the stuff as it arises.
 
I have a service plan on one car and don't for the other one. It depends on the maths and what options you have in the way of dealers or indies within reasonable distance.

I've experienced dealers go from exceptional to mediocre, when personnel move on and variability between indies. It depends on the people really. I wouldn't buy a service plan tied into a particular dealer or group for that reason.
 
I researched this earlier this year and took out a 5 year plan direct with Jaguar - I worked it out as significantly cheaper than the quoted Jaguar fixed price servicing for the relevant 5 years and massively cheaper than the dealer quotes I got. I think I shared the comparative figures on here at the time and worked out the plan was similar to Indie prices.
The cost was £2500 and is paid monthly and interest free and included the years 4-8 services. In my view it was a no brainer.
 
I think Jaguar contracts out its service plan, although it is referred to as being administered by EMaC Limited.

One of the conditions says
2.3. Services Costs will be deducted from your payment. In the event that the cost of the Services received by you prior to termination exceeds the payments made by you, you shall remain liable for the outstanding amount and shall make immediate payment to us of any balance due and we shall be entitled to charge interest at a rate of 4% above the base rate of Barclays Bank plc until full reimbursement is made.

Based on the above there doesn’t appear to be any savings for having a service plan, unless the dealer is reducing their prices for a service plan being in place.

https://www.jaguar.co.uk/ownership/servicing-maintenance/new-service-plan-term-and-conditions.html
 
The benefits of a service plan are fixed price monthly payments, protected from price inflation, peace of mind, no need to shop around.
A service plan should reduce labour rates by 10% however they are not cheaper than shopping around or booking individual components.
 
The EMAC clause will be there to cover early termination on monthly contracts. So if a plan gets cancelled mid way and the spend exceeds what has been paid in at that point there is a shortfall to pay, which is fair enough. Ordinarily it would all average out over the full contract term.

There are promotions on service plans occasionally. I took out one for £1360 covering services 2,3 and 4 (average £450) when l got my car and it was 15 months old. Dealer said he couldn't get anywhere near that price. (The 3+ scheme didn't apply due to age and SVRs are not included in it anyway).
 
TopCat said:
I think Jaguar contracts out its service plan, although it is referred to as being administered by EMaC Limited.

One of the conditions says
2.3. Services Costs will be deducted from your payment. In the event that the cost of the Services received by you prior to termination exceeds the payments made by you, you shall remain liable for the outstanding amount and shall make immediate payment to us of any balance due and we shall be entitled to charge interest at a rate of 4% above the base rate of Barclays Bank plc until full reimbursement is made.

Based on the above there doesn’t appear to be any savings for having a service plan, unless the dealer is reducing their prices for a service plan being in place.

https://www.jaguar.co.uk/ownership/servicing-maintenance/new-service-plan-term-and-conditions.html
Click to expand...
The service costs referred to here mean the fixed price services in your contract, they are listed for each year. This term is simply to say that you have to pay your monthly payments as they add up to that total; if you don’t then they will charge you. It doesn’t mean the service costs vary from the agreement.
 
simpleR said:
A service plan should reduce labour rates by 10% however they are not cheaper than shopping around or booking individual components.
Click to expand...
That is a very generalised statement that isn’t born out by the prices I checked thoroughly in April, though there may have been a promotion on. The JLR service contract was significantly cheaper than the same JLR individual service prices shown on their website, which in turn were cheaper than the service prices the main Jag dealers quoted (the ones local to me anyway) the contract I took for 5 years was nearly 50% cheaper than the local dealer service quotes for the same 5 services, that’s before the impact of inflation; way different than juts 10% on labour. I was worried there would be extras, but it covers all the items in the service schedule , so for example included diff oil change this time, etc. which whack up the price for some years.
For example in my plan the 48 month service is charged as £550, on JLR website the fixed price for that service is £643 and main dealers will bizarrely quote over £900 for that same service!
 
As per my previous thread, using the link provided by SimpleR I booked with inchcape Chester for the £385 4 year service and they phoned me saying I had booked the wrong service as mine wasnt a major service and it would be £608 - makes no sense does it :? and I would have argued with them had they not phoned on my mobile whilst I was at a supermarket checkout and didnt have ther service terms in front of me. However I then rebooked with Inchcape Derby for August and have had confirmation and so far no other communication from them. I will however phone them a week before travelling to Derby.
 
I have always used Derby.

I had 1st, 2nd and 3rd on a service plan from new. £999.

4th service Oil and Rear Diff and used the £385 service to schedule, no issues.

5th service Oil and Spark Plug and used the £385 service to schedule, no issues.

6th service Oil, brake fluid and transfer case fluid and again used the £385 service to schedule but did get queried when I dropped it off but no issues come payment.

7th service next year is just an oil change so the cheapest way is to book on Jaguar website direct for £181. I might add Rear Diff oil 1yr early and Front Diff 2yrs early though.

I think the Inchcape website is wrong but I have not had any issues other than being questioned when I checked in for 6th service and the £385 service to schedule has been available for 3+ years now.

Good luck!!
 
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