Jump to content

Procedure for goodwill - garage or me calling Skoda UK?


Recommended Posts

My car went in today for the P2016 error and it has now been confirmed the inlet manifold will need replacing.

With the diagnostics (which is so annoying - I told them!) the cost of the part and the 3hrs estimated labour, I'm looking at a bill of around £705.

This car was bought brand new by me, it's 4yrs 8mnts old, has a full set of Skoda stamps and has 70k miles on it. This is my third Skoda. I believe this puts me in the area for attempting to get a goodwill gesture from Skoda UK - I'm aiming to get around 50% which I feel is fair - what with it being a known dodgy part (VW in the US have just increased the warranty on this part to 120k miles / 7 years).

It's currently with a Skoda repair centre. I'm awaiting a call back from them now with regards goodwill. Will the garage contact on my behalf and attempt to negotiate something or is this something I should be doing?

If the garage get a no - can I then try?

 

Yer, it's out of warranty, but plenty of anecdotal evidence to support being able to get some goodwill on this one.

 

Cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For all goodwill , the ball needs to be started by your dealer, then Skoda uk matches it, you will probably pay a third, ive had two Skoda goodwills ( out of warranty( a Teeves 60 new sensor, and a compressor for the air con ,and one VW a new mechatronic unit .Out of all the Vag group Skoda is the worst Audi VW and Seat cover up to 5 years for a known failure, although I had to push for my VW but that was 5 and a half years old at the time. Never lose your rag, be courteous and speak to the highest person you can speak to, if you get a no, try again, say your loyal and want to keep it that way etc. Ive wrung customer services who have told me no and I ring back and find someone else who will say yes .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the "Skoda repair centre" part of the dealer / Skoda UK repair network?  If they are, they should make initial representation to Skoda UK.  If that hits a brick wall then you could contact them directly.

 

If the Skoda repair centre is an independant specialist then you have zero likelihood of getting any goodwill contribution from Skoda.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ask the dealer to follow the procedure for making a goodwill claim, but definitely contact Skoda UK yourself.

 

The dealer won't plead your case, they will follow procedure, all electronically.

 

If you open your own claim you can explain the situation to a real person, plead poverty or simply put your case across the way you would like and not the way the dealer wants i.e as quickly as possible.

 

Skoda UK will insist the car is looked at by one of their dealers, and as mentioned the dealer will still have to process the goodwill but you need to have your say.

 

Worked for me several times over the years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

The dealership in question was a Skoda one, they are now Suzuki. It is where I purchased the car from. However, they are still a Skoda repair centre, they have the logo's up and are part of the Skoda repair network.

Car has full Skoda service history, again through Skoda repair/service centres only.

 

Dealership have said that any goodwill would be paid to them directly. They have agreed that if we cannot get Good will sorted immediately then we can get the repair done and then continue to pursue. Any goodwill we get would be refunded directly to me.

So in effect, to speed getting me onto the road they will complete the repair. If goodwill hasn't been sorted I pay the bill and then as we pursue it any that comes the dealership will refund me.

 

I do trust this dealership - always had excellent service from them and I obviously trusted them enough for a new car purchase. But if anyone can see flaws in this.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dealership have said that any goodwill would be paid to them directly. They have agreed that if we cannot get Good will sorted immediately then we can get the repair done and then continue to pursue. Any goodwill we get would be refunded directly to me.

So in effect, to speed getting me onto the road they will complete the repair. If goodwill hasn't been sorted I pay the bill and then as we pursue it any that comes the dealership will refund me.

 

I do trust this dealership - always had excellent service from them and I obviously trusted them enough for a new car purchase. But if anyone can see flaws in this.....

 

It depends on your trust. In this case you might get "Well, you have to pay xxxx for our work. Sorry, no godwill and after getting our money we aren't interested in any further actions.".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup - that was the only flaw I could see too. Once dealership has my cash is it worth the time fighting for my corner...

I guess it would be at this point I get into contact with Skoda and as someone above said, put my side of the story across, explain my loyalty, point out this part is designed to last the life of the vehicle etc.

 

To those that have gone through the goodwill process - if the dealership gets nowhere and I then want to try, will the dealership give me a "reference number" or similar so that when I contact Skoda they know what I'm on about or will it be a matter of me calling Skoda CS and having to explain the whole situation from scratch?

 

Cheers all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

So just raising this ticket from the death :)

My Skoda goodwill started ages ago and today I had a call back from the dealership.

Now my bill came to over £700, so I was going to gun for 40%-50% goodwill on this.

 

Today the offer comes in - 20%

Worse still, that is 20% off the labor and 20% off the part at COST to the dealership, not at cost to me.

So whereas I was expecting and gunning for £280 - £350, the offer on the table right now is £85.

When you consider this is my 3rd Skoda, this vehicle has only ever been back to Skoda for service, the car is less than 5yrs old, average mileage and the part is a known weak spot and should last the life of the vehicle I'm pretty livid right now.

 

Dealership said they will call Skoda back up, and I "might" get another 10%.

So it looks like I am the one who is going to have to speak to Skoda CS about all this - so what should my approach be?

I am not happy with this pathetic "goodwill gesture" as it stands and I fit all the criteria for the much higher level of goodwill many people report.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grrrr.

Dealership called Skoda back - I'm now waiting for a cheque for £150 from the dealership, as far as they are concerned, based on what Skoda have told them, that is their job complete.

So I'm still at the very least £100 lower than I want to be and more realistically £200 lower than what I'd hoped Skoda would offer.

 

So now I'm having to call Skoda CS to see if I can negotiate this further. On hold 30 minutes so far (picked up in 5, shifted to two different departments so far).

Frustrating as I know from this forum and others people who have had 40% - 50% of the bill they paid refunded over this issue. Knew it wouldn't be as straight forward for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh I hope I hadn't given the impression I was trying to be greedy by getting something on a vehicle that is out of warranty.

Just for those that are interested, the part in question is the inlet manifold and it should last the life of the vehicle. There is no inspection schedule on it, there is no expected replacement schedule on it - so it should have been fine until the end.

In the US VW Group know there is an issue with this part and it now has a 10yr/120k mile warranty on it because they know customers would sue them over it. Of course here in the UK they aren't so scared of us.

This is my 3rd Skoda, this one from new. It's less than 5 years old, average mileage and has always been back to a Skoda main dealership for servicing.

Combined with the fact that people on these forums and other VW and Seat forums (who have had similar issues) have managed to get to the 40%-50% level of goodwill and I honestly felt it was the least they could do.

 

I'm not one of these people who demand everything be fixed for free. I understand how warranties work - otherwise they would never sell any as people would simply complain whenever anything went wrong.

 

Sorry, just wanted to get those facts over :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I told you to ring Skoda UK yourself back in post #4.

 

Your claim via the dealer is just that, an automated online claim. To get more you need to make it personal - speak directly with the person processing the claim.

 

Plead poverty, demonstrate your loyalty to the brand, explain how disappointed you are, burst into tears if you have to.

 

If you want 40-50% you have to work for it. Unfortunately now the offer is on the table your options are limited.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I told you to ring Skoda UK yourself back in post #4.

 

Your claim via the dealer is just that, an automated online claim. To get more you need to make it personal - speak directly with the person processing the claim.

 

Plead poverty, demonstrate your loyalty to the brand, explain how disappointed you are, burst into tears if you have to.

 

If you want 40-50% you have to work for it. Unfortunately now the offer is on the table your options are limited.

 

The problem I had was that the light was coming on more and more often and I had an MOT due which would have failed with that warning light. I had no choice but to get the repair done and then attempt to claw the money back.

I've had no luck speaking to anyone today at Skoda CS - however I shall be spending my entire lunch break on it tomorrow. Will also be sending a letter to Skoda CS (asking question on address above).

 

It is unfortunately complicated. Dealership are sending me a cheque out for £150 - as far as they are concerned that is all they are getting from Skoda, so I need to negotiate Skoda directly refunding me £100 - £200 themselves which I know will be difficult, but all I can do is try I guess.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Or buy a warranty!

Not that simple. A common reason for the inlet manifold to need replacing is it getting gummed up with carbon deposits and that is explicitly not covered by Warranty Direct and probably other after market warranties.  This is a common problem on direct injection petrol engines as the manifold doesn't get washed by the petrol.

 

I had this problem and managed to get the cost down to around £350, but I do object to Skoda selling cars that having been properly maintained will apparently routinely require this fix at about 50K miles.   

 

Some will say additives or premium fuel may address this, but if they are necessary it should be in the handbook.

 

By the way I found Skoda Customer Services to be off-hand to the point of rudeness when I rang them to discuss.    

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem I had was that the light was coming on more and more often and I had an MOT due which would have failed with that warning light. I had no choice but to get the repair done and then attempt to claw the money back.

I've had no luck speaking to anyone today at Skoda CS - however I shall be spending my entire lunch break on it tomorrow. Will also be sending a letter to Skoda CS (asking question on address above).

 

It is unfortunately complicated. Dealership are sending me a cheque out for £150 - as far as they are concerned that is all they are getting from Skoda, so I need to negotiate Skoda directly refunding me £100 - £200 themselves which I know will be difficult, but all I can do is try I guess.

Unfortunately you've paid out money and they have you on the back foot already, so their offer will be lower straight away. 

 

The compensation will be lower because they have to give you real money.  I know when I've had workshops / labour / goods to manage and a customer complaint it's been much easier to bury the repair by getting apprentices to do it or doing some sleight of hand with the parts right up front rather than having money come in (therefore recorded) and then having to refund the money.  The moment you start trying to juggle cash, you have to play with a straight bat.

 

m)bov:  Why should you have to buy a warranty to repair things that are covered under statutory warranty?  The only reason I can see is there's slightly less effort required but often the warranty claim will be denied.  (It's not really warranty anyway, it's an insurance policy.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

So my quest for sensible Goodwill is going nowhere - b'tards.

The dealership effectively sent me a cheque for £150 and said as far as they were concerned it was now case over, that was all I was going to get.

So I first spoke on the phone and then wrote to Skoda UK expressing my disappointment at this whole affair and how I wanted to speak further about this gesture.

Response from Skoda UK, quote:"Unfortunately, Skoda UK is not in a position to offer goodwill as our Retailer Network has been empowered to make these decisions"

 

So, dealer/repair center say Skoda UK make the decision, case closed as far as they are concerned. Skoda UK say dealer/repair center make all the decisions, please p**s off.

 

Ummmmmm - really unimpressed thus far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst I appreciate things may have changed in the last few years I had significant financial contributions directly from Skoda UK (albeit via their dealer), so they were at least able to offer gestures of goodwill from their head office at some point in the past.

 

Sounds to me the dealer and Skoda UK have spoken to each other and decided between them the amount they are prepared to give you.

 

It depends on your levels of frustration but trying to spread the word via social media (Skoda UK's Twitter and Facebook accounts) certainly made me feel better in the past. A good old vent works wonders  :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that is kind of the stage I am at. Don't get me wrong, the additional £150 - £200 I was seeking would have been useful right now, however I have to decide what my time is worth.

I will post a few tweets making sure @skodauk are mentioned. I will post on their face book page. Finally I will send the dealer a final letter explain how incredibly disappointed I am with them. I mean, the very first gesture included 20% off the "trade price" for the part. They weren't even offering 20% off what I paid for it!

At the end of the day, the car is out of warranty, I don't have an extended one - so ce la vie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I guess that is all over then. Another email from Skoda UK today:

 

Once a vehicle is no longer covered by a manufacturer’s warranty there is no legal obligation for us to consider support towards
a repair by the manufacturer. In such cases the manufacturer is no longer responsible for any costs. Having thoroughly
investigated the situation the offer made by A.L.S Auto in Ely appears fair and reasonable. This is our final position on the
matter.

 

So I guess that only leaves me to continuously slag them off over social media then. :)

Edited by Stoofa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I guess that is all over then. Another email from Skoda UK today:

 

Once a vehicle is no longer covered by a manufacturer’s warranty there is no legal obligation for us to consider support towards

a repair by the manufacturer. In such cases the manufacturer is no longer responsible for any costs. Having thoroughly

investigated the situation the offer made by A.L.S Auto in Ely appears fair and reasonable. This is our final position on the

matter.

 

So I guess that only leaves me to continuously slag them off over social media then. :)

 

I have no idea of the laws in the UK but that wouldn't fly down here in AUS.  We have a statutory warranty that the manufacturers warranty can not bypass.  It's to do with fitness for purpose of a product and how long a reasonable person would expect the product to last.  I thought the UK / Europe had a similar thing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we do, however I believe that the onus is on me to prove there is a defect here. I guess I could probably find loads of posts on various forums where other people have experienced the same. But it's at my cost taking this further via the legal route and even if I were to win, these days you're unlikely to see your legal costs fully refunded. And as the fight is only over another £150 - £200 it doesn't seem worth that fight.

I am writing one final letter the dealer - as they have lied to me from the beginning. I shall also address a final letter to the UK CEO of Skoda. Not that it will ever be read by him, but it'll make me feel better. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Community Partner

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to BRISKODA. Please note the following important links Terms of Use. We have a comprehensive Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.