the other day the batteries ran out in the central locking remote key for my Clio....

went to a watch repair shop and bought 2 replacement batteries for a fiver... after fitting these in the key, the key no longer worked as a remote... i worked out that it needed reprogramming...

so today i phoned the service dept at reg vardy to enquire about reprogramming my key.. i was told that it would cost £38 !!! and that it wasnt guaranteed to work...:loopy:

i thought this was an absolute rip-off, :suspect: so this evening i managed to find a procedure on a website for reprogramming the key... it took 30 seconds, and was easy, :thumbsup:

so how the hell can reg vardy justify charging nearly 40 quid for this 30 second task???

it really winds me up....:rant:

if anyone wants to save themselves 40 quid and find out how its done, pm me and ill let you know

so how the hell can reg vardy justify charging nearly 40 quid for this 30 second task???


The council give them free business rates.
The staff don't get paid for doing simple jobs.
The electricity is free.

And so on.

I know it seems a lot but the overheads are massive so I may not like it but I do understand it.

I've removed a post and a follow up as the initial post was potentially libellous.

Can I remind people to take a look in the FAQs about libel.... :)

HI Bandit,

Can't PM you 'cos I haven't put enought posts on, so can you PM me with details as the central lockings gone on my car....

Thanks.

hiya i would also like to know where you got the information to reprogramme your key as this is the case with my spare.
your help would be appreciated.
thanks, lisa

To be fair to RV, you might have asked the wrong question.

Keys are usually re-programmed to a car when it's a new key - because the plip and receiver must recognise each other.

In the case of your key, they would recognise each other, but have probably got out of sync with things like the rolling codes used ( due to the battery running out ).
The type of procedure you're talking about usually involves putting the key in the ignition and pressing the plip x number of times, or something similar, and is sometimes actually covered in car manuals.

The procedure the dealer probably thought you were wanting is to re-code a new key to your car, in which case the price quoted would actually be quite cheap !

I've got no relation to car dealers, in fact, I despise them as much as you do, but they have to make money, you just have to shop around. Some service parts, for example, are quite often as cheap if not cheaper from a dealer than from some retail motor stores !

all main dealers are a rip off just spoke to vauxhall on saville street about a wingmirror and the said 165 including fitting

the spoke to a car spares dealer who said £15 for the exact same part and would even fit it me 4 free

erm i wounder where ill be going lol

From my experience of the subject, it can be £90 - £120 to reprogram a key for other makes of car that is very cheap.

I knew someone who had a mondeo, and he put new batteries in his central locking key, and you have to do it extremely fast otherwise it needs reprogramming. He didn't do it fast enough.. But couldn't justify the cost of the reprogramming. So he used the key manually from then on.

I've removed a post and a follow up as the initial post was potentially libellous.

Can I remind people to take a look in the FAQs about libel.... :)

Might be an idea to feed 'Reg Vardy' into the auto mod 'banned word' list,- I can't imagine any company more likely to elicit bad language and potentially libellous responses. Except First Mainline of course :D

From my experience of the subject, it can be £90 - £120 to reprogram a key for other makes of car that is very cheap.

I knew someone who had a mondeo, and he put new batteries in his central locking key, and you have to do it extremely fast otherwise it needs reprogramming. He didn't do it fast enough.. But couldn't justify the cost of the reprogramming. So he used the key manually from then on.

You wouldn't be able to do that with a Renault because the 'key' is only electronic, and without a working key in the slot on the dahsboard, the car isn't going anywhere. There is an emergency physical key which will get you in to the car, but it won't start the engine and you have to take the door handle apart to use it anyway.

HI Bandit,

Can't PM you 'cos I haven't put enought posts on, so can you PM me with details as the central lockings gone on my car....

Thanks.

have PM'd you...

hiya i would also like to know where you got the information to reprogramme your key as this is the case with my spare.
your help would be appreciated.
thanks, lisa

have PM'd you...

After what happened after almost purchasing a Clio for my fiancee there a couple of years ago, I wouldn't touch Reg Vardy's if it was the last damn car dealers in the country.

You wouldn't be able to do that with a Renault because the 'key' is only electronic, and without a working key in the slot on the dahsboard, the car isn't going anywhere. There is an emergency physical key which will get you in to the car, but it won't start the engine and you have to take the door handle apart to use it anyway.


you are referring to newer renaults, with the keyless entry system and push start ignition...

the procedure i have is for older renaults...

my clio is a t-reg,

but the procedure should work on renaults up to a 51 plate at least...

My wife bought a car from RV (I don't wish to even say the name) and it spent more time in their garage then it did on the road or on our drive.

It was one problem after another. She would get the car back only to discover the problem hadn't been sorted. Then other problems would arise.

In the end, my wife refused the car and left it on their premises. They then charged her for leaving the car on their forecourt, fees which rose to over £2,000.

The bottom line is, she is paying for a car which she no longer owns.

Touch them at your peril.

To be honest you cannot grumble at the price quoted £30 to £40 is going to be the norm for nearly all main dealer garages not just limited to reg vardy just because it only took 30 seconds to do, by the time the job was completed more than likely three or four people would have been involved in one way or another £40 is not out of order

....by the time the job was completed more than likely three or four people would have been involved in one way or another £40 is not out of order


would love to know where you reckon 3-4 people would be involved in this, the process i found for myself off the internet required just me, and took less than the time it takes to put a kettle on....

if you're the kind of person who thinks it's acceptable to go and pay that amount of money for that little work then fair play to you.... but if thats the case then i also reckon that to you, 40 quid must be the equivalent of a fiver.

Reg Vardy ha ha ,took a good clio there taxed and tested, to be traded in against a new one, they did not even offer me the amount for it , i would have got trading in the tax disc alone . Cost the clever **** the sale of a new car.

I went there when I was looking for a car - saw one I liked at £5000, they then sat me down and proceeded to rack up over £1000's worth of "extras" (including chargin me for the petrol that was in it!!!!), for a warranty, tax and test, for paint protection, blah blah blah blah. I walked out - what they actually meant was that they give a screen price of £x but have no intention of letting you pay that :rant:
I went to an independent garage, paid £5000 for a car which was one year younger, got a free warranty, free tax and test, and the petrol in it was free!

I would never buy a renault now just because if anything went wrong with it I might be forced to go there!

would love to know where you reckon 3-4 people would be involved in this, the process i found for myself off the internet required just me, and took less than the time it takes to put a kettle on....

if you're the kind of person who thinks it's acceptable to go and pay that amount of money for that little work then fair play to you.... but if thats the case then i also reckon that to you, 40 quid must be the equivalent of a fiver.

1 reception somebody for first point of contact
2 service manager to allocate the job
3 technican to do the job
4 another at reception to make out the bill

easy and I will state once again it was cheap just what do you expect from a large dealership to charge. and yes £40 is cheap in 2006

I will state once again it was cheap just what do you expect from a large dealership to charge. and yes £40 is cheap in 2006

£40 to change a battery. Cheap?

Wring again! :hihi:

Might be an idea to feed 'Reg Vardy' into the auto mod 'banned word' list,- I can't imagine any company more likely to elicit bad language and potentially libellous responses. Except First Mainline of course :D

no reg vardy are worse than Mainline :hihi:

£40 to change a battery. Cheap?

Wring again! :hihi:

if you read the post correctly the key needed recoding after the battery had been changed they had left to long
and you cant spell wrong

I used to own a Renault Laguna N reg. On holiday i got the key wet and so it didn't work. As the remote does the immobiliser i couldn't start the car and had to get the car towed, cost £55 for the re-programming plus about £25 in taxi fares.

Then the battery went. Had to get the car towed again. Cost £35.
Then the alternator went. Had to get the car towed and the key re-programmed, cost £35. Plus £70 for alternator.
Then water leaked into the unit in the car. Had to be towed and re-programmed. Cost £35.

I had my Laguna towed 4 times due to the key needing re-pogramming and thus the car not starting, all within a year. The AA huys i spoke to told me that almost all other manufactors will give out the codes on request, only renault won't. All they needed to do was insert a 4 digit code, which they refused every time.

Now i'll never own Renault again!

if you read the post correctly the key needed recoding after the battery had been changed they had left to long

... built-in design to force you to pay £40 when the battery runs out!


.....and you cant spell wrong

Sorry! (http://mira.film.nu/upload/big_fish_350_233.jpg) :hihi:

not really if you change the battery and you have got the master key and you can do it yourself quite easy its when you leave it for more than ten minutes I believe not the same on all make of car though there may be exceptions

i'm currently on my 3rd car in 10 years from reg vardy and ive had no trouble with any of them.so i will certainly buy my next motor from there:)

My wife bought a car from RV (I don't wish to even say the name) and it spent more time in their garage then it did on the road or on our drive.

It was one problem after another. She would get the car back only to discover the problem hadn't been sorted. Then other problems would arise.

In the end, my wife refused the car and left it on their premises. They then charged her for leaving the car on their forecourt, fees which rose to over £2,000.

The bottom line is, she is paying for a car which she no longer owns.

Touch them at your peril.

Old thread and a bit late now, but the car was obviously not fit for the purpose. Consumer laws are there to protect against things like this. You should have sent a letter saying you were returning the car under the trades desciptions/sales of goods act, as they had had plenty of chances to make good and the car was still faulty. Let them charge whatever they want and tell them to sod off, if they tried to claim the money through the courts (unlikely) the details of all the garage appointments, faults etc would have very likely have the case sided in your favour anyway, if it ever got that far.

Rob 1 - old news indeed. We took them to court and only lost in not getting a third opinion. In a sense we won at least a moral victory receiving some 'compensation'. An experienced mechanic to back up our claims would have seen us win the case outright.

I wish not to discuss that here but one certainly got the impression that court cases between R Vardy and customers is a regular occurence and if we'd been a little more savvy we might have got the result we feel we deserved.

Dont mean to be harsh but were any of you people born & bred in England..?

If there's one thing mummy & daddy should have taught you from day one: AVOID FRENCH...

The food is gross, the women are atrocious, the country smells, the booze well that's ok, and as for the cars....I mean Renault & Citroen...come on people :help:

Rob 1 - old news indeed. We took them to court and only lost in not getting a third opinion. In a sense we won at least a moral victory receiving some 'compensation'. An experienced mechanic to back up our claims would have seen us win the case outright.

I wish not to discuss that here but one certainly got the impression that court cases between R Vardy and customers is a regular occurence and if we'd been a little more savvy we might have got the result we feel we deserved.

It's a shame more people don't contest court claims from people like RV. They rely on putting in a court claim (cheap and easy) and people being so worried when they receive the court papers that they pay up.

I helped a friend at work out a while ago (he knew i'd been reclaiming bank charges for family etc and knew the court system a little) he returned a car on HP which he was 2 months behind with, and then got a bill for £5k - he'd already paid £5k on a £4k car! I helped him write a defence out - no solicitors fees at all, and a week before the court date the finance company rang and said they would accept the £400 arrears instead of the £5,000 they were claiming. Just goes to show they are chancers and know the vast majority of people will just pay up when faced with a court claim.

Your point of getting an independent inspection on a faulty car is a good one, as you say it would have proved your case beyond doubt.

We have always owned Renaults. When we moved to Sheffield we went to Vardys initially for servicing etc. The staff were very offhand and it was expensive. We now go to a local garage who buys matching parts that are not Renault and are cheaper and the staff are much pleasanter to talk to. I don't think being Renaults being French is a problem as our vehicles last 10 years without any major repairs.

all main dealers are a rip off just spoke to vauxhall on saville street about a wingmirror and the said 165 including fitting

the spoke to a car spares dealer who said £15 for the exact same part and would even fit it me 4 free

erm i wounder where ill be going lol

£15 will be a copy and not original part

The council give them free business rates.
The staff don't get paid for doing simple jobs.
The electricity is free.

And so on.

I know it seems a lot but the overheads are massive so I may not like it but I do understand it.

Last week we paid them £769 + VAT for a major service on a Renault Scenic.

The parts were £167

The Labour was £602 - worked out at a guess of a minimum of £100 per hour.

Despite their significant overheads it seems a lot....

And they forgot to do one of the jobs, Had to take it back :roll:

i'm currently on my 3rd car in 10 years from reg vardy and ive had no trouble with any of them.so i will certainly buy my next motor from there:)

reg vardy have obviously started selling cars to idiots as well:loopy:

reg vardy have obviously started selling cars to idiots as well:loopy:

I don't think your post is called for.

because they think they can , thing,s like this really iritate me i,v have told them they were rip off merchant,s on the phone

If you look on Ebay, you can find tutorials on how to do almost any "small" task around your car, the most common being programming keys!

This is probably the same Reg Vardy that i went to a couple of years ago. I had a car worth around £6,000 as a px. They would not give me a rough price against a car worth £12,000 until i had a test drive in the new one. I said i just wanted a price so i knew how much i could spend on the new one, but they said they couldnt give me one due to company policy. My next few words were GOODBYE! :rant:

My colleague has a new Clio (so have I) her service light came on the other day. She rang R V they quoted £240 for an oil change service, which is more expensive than a service on a 2 litre Mercedes at Merc dealer . She is so gullible she is letting RV do the service. When my service light comes on, my car wont be going anywhere near them. By the way I didnt buy my Clio from them because they tried to pile on £1000 of extras.

because they think they can , thing,s like this really iritate me i,v have told them they were rip off merchant,s on the phone

did you feel loke a real hard man when you did that?

Last week we paid them £769 + VAT for a major service on a Renault Scenic.

The parts were £167

The Labour was £602 - worked out at a guess of a minimum of £100 per hour.

Despite their significant overheads it seems a lot....

And they forgot to do one of the jobs, Had to take it back :roll:

Congratulations, you've been robbed :) The trouble is, Main Dealers charge so much as they know people like to keep a full service history via them.

And I can tell you something for certain, if the parts were only £167 it didn't take them 6 hours! £602 Labour (+ VAT!!) for a service is incredible, you should have demanded a full breakdown of exactly what you were paying for and how long each job took.

A full service kit of genuine Vauxhall parts for my Vectra costs around £100 (main dealers sell parts cheaper on Ebay) and I can do the lot myself in a couple of hours, and i'm not a trained mechanic, nor do I have the specialist tools and ramps a garage has to make the jobs easier!

its listed on board a cambelt change is like £350-£450, the belt is about £25 the rest is labour, no good crying about it now if you can read or brother to ask how much before hand

.In the end, my wife refused the car and left it on their premises. They then charged her for leaving the car on their forecourt, fees which rose to over £2,000.

The bottom line is, she is paying for a car which she no longer owns.

Touch them at your peril.

what do you expect? they cant sell it as its not theirs to sell, it taking up space they paid for? teach you right for being stupid leaving it there without sorting it out like a man instead of throwing your dummy at them

Congratulations, you've been robbed :) The trouble is, Main Dealers charge so much as they know people like to keep a full service history via them.

True. Some people like to keep a dealer FSH. But I don't think a main dealer service history means anything*. It doesn't make any difference to the trade in price if you sell it at dealership. They will give you probably about 70% of the trade value regardless of the condition. As you pointed out, it's simply a con. (or ripoff at least)

Personally I just kept all my reciepts for work done, all from the same place. And if I was selling my car, I told them to go to the same guy, as I consider him to be the best mechanic around... (though he's recently got out of the business, so I need a new one:hihi:)


*exceptions, ferarri, lambourghini etc etc