I've just noticed that Volkswagen have started using 0845 number for all their service centres / garages in the UK.

I've found some geographical alternatives to some of the local ones to me in the North West which I have posted on the website and also double checked to make sure they are working.  

Feel free to post some alternative numbers for VW centres in the rest of the UK.  

You obviously have some inside knowledge Falcon.  Why have they changed?

I wish I did !

I've owned VW's for years but only recently noticed that all literature (Handbooks) and websites now only list 0845 numbers for local garages. Before I gave them a ring I did a simple search on the internet and got some geo. alternatives which I double checked to make sure they were right.

Like most people, I get s**t loads of free minutes on my mobile package so it always pains me to ring anything other than a local rate number.

It's not peculiar to Volkswagen. Alot of dealerships do this now.

In the vast majority of cases when verifying garages, I've found the geographical number(s) listed on BT Directory Enquiries.

It is also commonplace for the vehicle manufacturer to give the dealership one 0845/0870 number and the dealership to show a different 0845/0870 on its website. This is probably more to do with gathering statistics.

One example is Perrys which have bucket loads of different 0845 numbers and frequently promote different 0845s in different places (newspapers, website, flyers etc) for the same garage.

I have the full list for all VW car and van dealers complete with name, address and geographical phone and fax numbers. I will try  to put them all in the database but in the mean time if you want information for a specific dealer please message me.

Again if there are any volunteers who wouldnt mind adding them I have the excel file I can send.

Dave wrote on Jun 13^th, 2007 at 8:49pm:

It's not peculiar to Volkswagen. Alot of dealerships do this now.

No Toyota dealership I have come across uses anything other than an 01/02 number.

Of course as Toyotas hardly ever go wrong perhaps they never saw the same opportunity for making money from using them. ;) ::)

NGMsGhost wrote on Jul 9^th, 2007 at 11:59am:

No Toyota dealership I have come across uses anything other than an 01/02 number.

I think you will find that all Toyota dealerships have 0845 numbers provided by Toyota. Toyota's website will promote 0845 and the company's own will have 01/02.Search the database for Toyota and you will see a list of Toyota dealerships.