not good but......out of warranty does not necessarily mean that you wont get a claim through or at least a decent contribution..
essentially these are policy / goodwill claims that manufacturers pay to keep customers happy and reputation in tact...
you need to demonstrate a solid service history using genuine parts correct oils and no gaps in history..
and it sounds like you fit that criteria well...
I have had successful claims on an A45 Gearbox 6 months out of warranty and my brother a gearbox on an AMG GT one claim was 6k the other 10k +.....and I have processed many claims for both Ford & GM for VCAN / Goodwill 'scale' claims ...this is where a % contribution is made based on age / mileage and history...
this might sound odd but I would be inclined to ring VW direct they will respond and steer the process with the repairing dealer..
VW.
0800 333 666
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sat: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM