Audi Q7 battery died at the mall - the hassle I went through was unbelievable

[mahlibeardman]

So last weekend I took my family to Dubai Mall and parked in the cinema parking. Came back maybe four hours later and the car wouldn't start, just a faint click and then nothing. My 2015 Audi Q7 has the stop/start system so I knew it had one of those expensive AGM batteries. I called my insurance roadside assistance and they sent a guy with a jump starter, got the car running, and told me to drive straight to a battery shop because once an AGM battery dies completely it's finished. I drove to the nearest garage I could find near Al Quoz, but they didn't have the right battery in stock and said they'd need to order it and keep the car overnight. I have two kids and no way to get home from there. Finally I found a mobile service online that claimed they could come to the mall parking and replace the battery on the spot, even with the coding required for Audis. I called a company offering Superior Audi Battery Installation Service from Battery Zone UAE and the guy arrived within an hour with a new Varta battery. He used a memory saver so the car didn't lose any settings, and then coded the new battery to the car's computer using his laptop. The whole thing took maybe 45 minutes and I was back on the road. Has anyone else used a mobile service for an Audi battery replacement? I'm curious if the coding they did is as good as what the dealer would do, because the stop/start system still works fine a week later. Also wondering if they tested the alternator or just swapped the battery, because I'd hate to ruin a new battery if the charging system has issues. Price was 1100 which seemed reasonable compared to the dealer's 1800 quote. Any thoughts on whether I made the right call or should have just towed it to the dealer? Thanks.