bonelorry

Thread revival but had a very poor experience with Simpsons Colne yesterday... Went to view PFL 230 VRS yesterday afternoon and as a dealership they didn’t meet my expectations and it is doubtful I will ever go back. It went downhill from my initial enquires which where via email, I had to tell the salesman I originally dealt with to back off as he was giving me the usual don’t miss out on it there's loads interested and my colleague is talking to someone about it now….This was Thursday and it still hadn’t sold when I viewed it 2 days later. Told him I don’t respond to pressure selling and I was not prepared to place a deposit on the car without seeing it in the flesh first as in my vast experience of buying used cars it has been rare that they are ever as described. During a telephone conversion I asked very specific questions regarding the exterior condition of the car and at multiple points stated I am very particular and I am looking for top example, I was told that it hadn’t been painted to his knowledge and it was an outstanding example that they had looked after and they knew the car well as a dealership etc. I thought it was worth the trip from Sheffield to Colne to view it so made an appointment and went yesterday afternoon, Within 30 seconds of looking at it alarm bells where ringing at all the defects in the paint on the drivers front wing, Certainly not a factory finish and I have seen many vehicles over the years that have had VAG approved bodywork done and this certainly was not one of them! As I worked my way around the car I established the entire drivers side and areas of the passenger side had been repainted, Really poor finish with imperfections in the paint and masking lines everywhere in the door shuts and tailgate. Compound was visible on all the masking lines where it had been painted upto with the paint finish ranging from average to shocking especially on the door tops below the window seal...Very rough and looked frosted in appearance rough to the touch. The salesman who I did all the initial enquires with was not present and had handed it over to a young salesman who in his own words said he had learned a lot from me in the 10 mins I spent in total going around the car and pointing everything out, Both myself and even he was amazed that such a vehicle would meet the criteria for an approved used Skoda at a main dealership and he apologised for my wasted journey. He wanted to bring his Manager out to look around the car with me so I could point out what at that point he felt must have been missed by someone else prior to the car getting put on the forecourt. This is when my attitude changed because within seconds I was then treat like an idiot by this particular manager, Asking me questions about my profession and why I am so particular, That no other customers look in so much detail at a used car, Why I have owned so many cars and what I am doing with them, That its a 6 Year old car and it is to be expected for any used car to have seen bodywork and then admitted he was aware there was some cosmetic damage on the car which required it to be painted before they took it in as a part exchange and the prep team where aware of it. Then he said it is clearly not the right car for you but it will be for someone else, I said yes and I feel very sorry for whoever that might be because selling crap like this car to people at top money who don't have the underpinning knowledge of what to look for is dishonest. As a main dealer people put their trust in you and Skoda as a brand and if this is the standard of used stock you are selling and the level of customer service you are offering then good luck but you are not having my money. I have written a complaint but had no reply as yet, I will never go there again though.

No worries, I have not been posting much on here. I have had Timing Belt, Water Pump & Aux Belt done on the Golf so it should hopefully be good until August 2022 when its due another Major Service. I have to admit, The Wife has just ordered her next Car on PCP which comes next March (Non Skoda unfortunately) and it has spurred me on to begin looking again but I am not doing it with any real intent and will be waiting until after Winter before making a decision.

Bought a 10000 Mile, 2002 Honda Hornet 600 which I collected yesterday. Needs a bit of cosmetic TLC but will keep me busy in any spare time I have, I probably wont be making a thread on it though.

Cheers Gaz, You know I was very close to buying one of those myself in Jan/Feb 2020, Before I bought this MK6 Golf I had just sold my Fabia VRS and also sold my Motorbike so had a good amount to play with and was seriously close to buying a cheap daily driver and liked the idea of having a MK7 Golf GTI Clubsport 40 as a second occasional use Car as a toy. We all know what happened in March 2020 with Covid so I simply stopped looking, As and when the first Lockdown was relaxed I ended up buying another Motorbike in May and then got this Golf in August. I do still look as I am in a better financial position now so could afford to keep the Golf and buy a second Car as a toy but with the aggro I have had this Year will have a break from looking as I become obsessed with it and spend Hours trawling the Internet and seeing the same Cars advertised day in day out. It is hard because I know I have high standards and I wouldn't mind if I found something that needed a bit of TLC, The odd Car park dent removing, Some Detailing and a Wheel refurb but could be made into a nice Car and was spot on in every other aspect but nothing I viewed was a good enough base to start with and regardless of how nice a Car is if its missing Services or has not been Serviced properly there isn't a lot that you can do about it so you either take the risk and live with it or walk away...I would walk away every time as I know it would do my head in. The MK6 will be here to stay for a good while, As said if I do buy another Car it will be used as a toy and not a replacement for the Golf

And..... I am keeping the Golf, The Golf flew through its MOT a few Weeks ago and had Minor Service with Oil & Filter change using Genuine VAG Quantum Longlife 3 5W30 Oil & Bosch Oil Filter with New Genuine Sump Plug. The Car had a Major Service last September and Brake Fluid changed when I had the Calipers replaced so didn’t really need anything else and I have only done around 6500 Miles since buying it a Year ago. Next job in October is the Timing Belt, Water Pump & Auxiliary Belt. Then it will be going back into Winter mode with its Steelies. Why am I keeping the Golf? I have had an absolute nightmare finding a Car to replace it with and as I have a bit of time spare this evening I am going to share my experiences over the past 6 Weeks with you with you about the Cars I have viewed, Bought and even rejected... 1. Skoda Octavia VRS TDI, 66 Plate Car located in Louth at a VW Specialist. Very Low Mileage with less than 20K and described as totally immaculate. The Drivers Side Sill had been Repainted very badly with most of the overspray all over the OSR Rear Suspension Arm, Handbrake Cable and Wheel Arch Liner. 2. Another identical Car to number 1, Thankfully this was located local to me and I was in the area so no time wasted. Absolute shed though, Covered in Dents, Chips and Scuffs. Interior was not very nice either. 3. 2016 Ford Focus ST-3 TDCI Estate in Stealth Grey located at Inchcape VW Altrincham/Manchester, It was an 18000 Mile Car and looked stunning in the images but while I was actually there viewing the Car one of the Valeters pulled it off a Display Ramp on the forecourt for me to view the Car properly and ground the front bumper on the floor. I expressed my frustration and wasted journey to the sales manager who offered a Smart Repair but the Bumper looked mis-aligned to me as and was bowing out on one side and the panel gap between the Bumper and Wing was well out...Basically a Bumper off Job and possibly a New Bumper to make it 100%. 4. Skoda Octavia VRS 230, 66 Plate, 44000 Miles, Located at Listers VW in Leamington Spa. I was sent a video of the Car, Loads of images and so I thought it was worth the trip down. Instantly I could see the Car was a bit rough around the edges, Wheels needed refurbing, Bad Smart repair on the Rear Bumper, Damaged Window Seals and was missing Services in the History so walked away. 5. While viewing Car number 4, On my way back to Sheffield I called to Listers Skoda in Coventry to view an 8000 Mile, 69 Plate Octavia VRS DSG 245. The Car I couldn't fault at all and would have bought it however the Salesman I dealt with was a complete bell-end. From the word go I was given the impression that as I had not made an appointment and just turned up I was a massive inconvenience to the Staff there, I was given the Keys and left to look around the Car I had gone to view. The Chap I dealt with came outside and asked me if it was a Diesel I was specifically after? I told him the Car in front of us is actually a Petrol VRS which is what I was after and straight away he began to disagree telling me I had made a mistake and that it was a Diesel. Then proceeded to get into the Car, Start the engine and revved it before getting out and saying that I was infact correct and it was a Petrol. We went inside and I pointed out that the price in the Screen on the Car was in fact £300 more than what the Car was advertised for on their Website and on the Approved Used Skoda Network, Again he disagreed with me and said the price in the Windscreen was correct. We got down to the numbers and he offered me an extended Warranty, Service Plan etc going forward and then asked how I was funding the purchase and I said with Cash/Card Payment from Savings. He immediately said for me to forget the extended Warranty and Service plan as that was only available to buyers that went on Finance, Then went on to tell me that I should leave my money in the Bank and get the Car on finance which I found very rude as he had absolutely no right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do with my money. I should have walked out at this point but I really liked the Car and decided to make a very reasonable offer which to be fair was inline with other similar age/mileage examples on the Approved Used Skoda Network and given I wasn't eligible for the Warranty/Service Plan etc I felt I should haggle a bit and at this point he went online to look at the Figures and said I was correct about the price difference Online vs in the Window and then said that I could have it for the Online Price as it was already discounted by £300 which I knew it wasn't. He then turned his Monitor round and pointed out that 11 People where watching the advert on approved used website and that with that much interest in the Car he was confident if I didn't buy it someone else would, I told him that although 11 People are watching it those 11 People are not sat in the Showroom offering to buy the Car however I was and would have put a deposit on the Car there and then. He wasn't interested in me as a Customer and that came across quite clearly, I stood up and walked out at this point. Guess what, They still have not sold that Octavia Today over a Month since I viewed it and they have now reduced it even further to a price I would have paid for it on that day. 6. Skoda Octavia VRS 230, 66 Plate 33K Miles, After all of the hassle travelling around viewing all of the above Cars I made the Cardinal Sin of buying a Car without seeing it in the flesh. I bought it from a Skoda Independent located in Southampton after spending Hours on the phone asking countless questions, Seeing 15-20 mins of HD Video and loads of images I decided to go for it. It arrived and although I had the Thread deleted off here which I made I rejected the Car within 5 Mins, I had paid for it Delivering on a Transporter and it was driven 300 Miles by a less than desirable character. The Car was simply not as described and basically needed the Front End Repainting due to excessive Stone-Chipping which I was not told about. So the Car was rejected, Collected by the same Bloke who dropped it off and he decided to have a pop saying it was all a waste of his time and because I had rejected the Car he wasn't going to get paid. I gave him a F-Off Tablet and once my Money was refunded gave him the Keys and asked him to get off my property. Serves me right though for been lazy, I won't ever buy anything based on someone elses opinion ever again as People are just out to mis-lead you and rip you off. 7. VW Golf GTI Performance Pack, 16 Plate, 30K Miles. Drove down to Parkway VW in Derby to view this. Instantly I could see it was not a very nice Car Cosmetically so didn't bother asking for anymore information on that Car. 8. Whilst in the Derby area I had another Car lined up to view, Skoda Octavia VRS 245, Similar to the Challenge with all the Toys on a 2018 Model with just 18000 Miles. I had been talking to the Dealership the Night before and told them I was in the area the following day and at that time the price was £19990, I rang the Dealer after viewing Car number 7 and said I would like to come a view the Car. I pulled up and saw the price in the Window of £21300 and was met by another Jobsworth with a beaming smile painted on, I mentioned the Cars price increase and he simply said "Everything's gone up" I told him I was interested but at the original price as I wasn't prepared to ay another £1300 for no reason and he said there was no negotiation on that Car and that £21300 was the price. So I calmly walked out with my fists clenched ...Another wasted journey. And they have now since reduced the Car back down to £20300 a Month on. 9. Skoda Octavia VRS 230, 66 Plate, Meteor Grey and just 15000 Miles! located at Border Skoda Dumfries. I saw this and actually got excited as you might have noticed I have been after One of these. I actually put a deposit on this as the Dealership was closed last Sunday and I didn't want to miss out, I was sent a load of Images and a Video and I was planning on going up to view the Car Today. Salesman said the Car had Full Skoda Service History and I asked to see the Printout. Too good to be true, The Car was never Serviced until it was 3 Years old which was disappointing. Got my Deposit back, I didn't even bother getting into a discussion about the fact the Car clearly doesn't have Full Service History and that it doesn't qualify to be an Approved Used Skoda in the first place. 10. Golf GTD Estate, 66 Plate, 33K Miles. This was located at DACE Specialist Cars in Stockport. A supposed German Car Specialist. This was a Telephone enquiry, The Car is 5 Years old so is due its Timing Belt changing. The Salesman who thought he knew everything would not have it that the Timing Belt was due and kept quoting the Mileage and not the Interval that it was due. I could here him banging his keyboard and eventually he agreed it was due but that they wouldn't be prepared to do it anyway. I told him to stick the Car up his Rectum and hung up. German Car Specialists my backside. 11. Last One, I promise. VW Golf GTI Performance Pack, 66 Plate, 19K Miles. This was at an Independent located near Birmingham and had been traded in. One elderly Owner from New, Looked absolutely stunning and Full VW Service History done every 4000 Miles. I thought, This sounds like a winner and well worth viewing! It took them 3 Days to get me pictures of the Service Book as they couldn't answer what the Car had actually had done when Serviced. I quickly realised that the Car had been Serviced by VW every Year but had only had a Basic Lubricant Oil/Filter change each time and nothing else. Not to worry, I rang the Dealer and said I was still interested but that the Car never had its Brake Fluid done at 2 & 4 Years, Never had Spark Plugs at 4 Years, Never had the VAQ Differential Service at 3 Years and that it was also due a Coolant change as its now 5 Years old. I was happy to get all of the work done myself if the Car was as good as it looked in the pictures and had quotes from VW of £550-£600 to get all the work done as it was overdue. Given the Car was up at £21000 and was priced £1000 too high for a non VW Main Dealer, I asked for some money off the Car to contribute towards the Work doing OR if they would be happy to get it all done at their expense and I would pay the asking price. They wouldn't budge a penny or agree get any of the work done, Even though they agreed the Car was infact overdue for all the above work. This for me was the final straw. I have honestly never struggled so badly to buy a used Car, Over the Years I have now owned over 45 Performance Cars ranging from 5 Years old to 20 Years old and I totally get that sometimes you have to view a couple before finding the right example but this time has just been a nightmare. Been a bit old school and saving my Money for Car/Motorbike purchases means that whatever I buy is not just to fuel my Hobby but also it is an investment and I pamper whatever I buy. Not all but I think the Majority of people nowadays that get Cars on PCP and then hand them back after 24/36 Months just don't look after them, They use and abuse them and then hand them back. Then I come along and see a 1 Owner Car at a Main Dealership, Full Main Dealer History and then go and view it and its a total shed and when some of these Cars are over £20K in Money I really expect perfection for my money because if I had bought a Brand New Car and ran it for 2/3 Years it would be going back onto a Forecourt wanting nothing. I have bought £4000/5000, 10 Year old Cars in the past which have had 4-5 Owners and have been Cosmetically and Mechanically better looked after. Even my current Golf in this Thread was far superior to any of the Cars I have viewed over the past 6 Weeks and that was the catalyst for wanting to keep it. Why should I spend 4 x Times the amount that the Golf is worth for something that doesn't tick all the right boxes? So I would like to thank you for reading, Apologies if I have gone on but I needed to vent.

Bit of an update on this Thread, I sold the Fireblade this Morning, Been using it regularly and done around 800 Miles on it since May but made the decision to sell it now rather than store it over Winter and then have to MOT, Service it and fit a Pair of New Tyres to sell it next Year. Anyway I put it on ebay on Monday Morning and it went Mental, I had a best offer sent which I accepted and the chap came this Morning and was blown away with it. No haggling and just took it away :) On the look out for a cheap Honda Hornet or Yamaha 600 Fazer to keep my Insurance going and to have a Bike that I am not too anal about to use over Winter if we get some reasonable Weather.

It is gone, All sorted. Money is in my account. Thanks mate

Well as some of you know, Things did not go to plan so the Golf is going to be with me for a little while longer!

Had a bad experience with Listers Skoda Coventry when I visited last Friday, I was in the area as I had been to Listers VW Leamington to view an Octavia VRS 230 which although the Car was not upto my standards the Salesman there was superb. I had already seen that Listers Skoda Coventry had a 69 Plate Octavia VRS 245 DSG in stock so on my way back to Sheffield called in. From the word go I was given the impression that as I had not made an appointment and just turned up I was a massive inconvenience to the Staff there, I was given the Keys and left to look around the Car I had gone to view. The Chap I dealt with came outside and asked me if it was a Diesel I was specifically after? I told him the Car in front of us is actually a Petrol VRS which is what I was after and straight away he began to disagree telling me I had made a mistake and that it was a Diesel. Then proceeded to get into the Car, Start the engine and revved it before getting out and saying that I was infact correct and it was a Petrol We went inside and I pointed out that the price in the Screen on the Car was in fact £300 more than what the Car was advertised for on their Website and on the Approved Used Skoda Network, Again he disagreed with me and said the price in the Windscreen was correct. We got down to the numbers and he offered me an extended Warranty, Service Plan etc going forward and then asked how I was funding the purchase and I said with Cash/Card Payment from Savings. He immediately said for me to forget the extended Warranty and Service plan as that was only available to buyers that went on Finance, Then went on to tell me that I should leave my money in the Bank and get the Car on finance which I found very rude as he had absolutely no right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do with my money. I should have walked out at this point but I really liked the Car and decided to make a very reasonable offer which to be fair was inline with other similar age/mileage examples on the Approved Used Skoda Network and given I wasn't eligible for the Warranty/Service Plan etc I felt I should haggle a bit and at this point he went online to look at the Figures and said I was correct about the price difference Online vs in the Window and then said that I could have it for the Online Price as it was already discounted by £300 which I knew it wasn't. He then turned his Monitor round and pointed out that 11 People where watching the advert on approved used website and that with that much interest in the Car he was confident if I didn't buy it someone else would, I told him that although 11 People are watching it those 11 People are not sat in the Showroom offering to buy the Car however I was and would have put a deposit on the Car there and then. He wasn't interested in me as a Customer and that came across quite clearly, I stood up and walked out at this point. Guess what, They still have not sold that Octavia a Week on! On my way Home I was given a Courtesy call from the Salesman at Listers VW Leamington to see how I got on at Listers Skoda Coventry as I had told him my plans to view the other Octavia VRS, I told him what had happened and although it was nothing to do with him he apologised profusely and after he had come off the phone with me spoke to his area Manager about it. He then contacted me again later that Day to say they could do an internal transfer and move that Octavia VRS from Coventry to Leamington if I was interested and I could buy it from them instead but unfortunately due to the additional costs of moving the Car etc I would have to pay the full asking price so I declined. I did however write a lengthy email to the Salesman at Listers Leamington expressing my Thanks for all his help even when it was nothing to do with him and that I would happily buy a Car from him in the future but that I will never step foot in the Coventry Dealership.

New Thread made in the Octavia Projects section, My friend who is buying the Golf had a little test drive in it yesterday and was very happy with it. All goes to plan he will be collecting the Golf next Week when the Octavia VRS lands. The Golf has been a superb Car to be fair and I am glad I bought it, I have had it for just shy of a Year and in that time its been faultless apart from needing a pair of Rear Brake Calipers which is standard on most VAG cars of a certain age. My mate is getting a cracking Car.

Officially the end of the Thread for the Golf, I am returning to Skoda Ownership and have just put a Deposit on an Immaculate, Corrida Red, 66 Plate Octavia VRS 230 Edition which I am very much looking forward to getting! Will make a New Thread as and when

Just to give a final update to the Thread, Firstly the Baby arrived on the 13/6/21 and all is OK. I am still looking for a replacement Car but the good news is that the Golf is going to the same Friend who bought my Skoda Fabia VRS which has taken all the hassle out of advertising it or haggling over P/X Prices. I am currently off Work so have been doing some Car hunting when time allows, Viewed a couple of 2016 Skoda Octavia VRS's one with 18000 Miles and another with 30000 Miles but both Cars where not as described and cosmetically not up to my standards. One had been painted on the Sill and there was overspray everywhere (I made a thread on here about that one) and the second was just neglected. I also viewed a 2016 Ford Focus ST-3 TDCI Estate in Stealth Grey Yesterday, It was an 18000 Mile Car and looked stunning in the images but while I was actually there viewing the Car one of the Valeters pulled it off a Display Ramp on the forecourt for me to view the Car properly and ground the front bumper on the floor. I expressed my frustration and wasted journey to the sales manager who offered a Smart Repair but the Bumper looked mis-aligned to me as and was bowing out on one side and the panel gap between the Bumper and Wing was well out...Basically a Bumper off Job and possibly a New Bumper to make it 100%. Anyway I won't be buying that one.

Well its showing as Sold on the Dealership Website, I hope whoever has bought it has seen the poor repair because if not they have been well and truly ripped off.

Im sure I looked at that one myself a week or so ago. Couldn’t remember if it was DSG or Manual as I have viewed so many recently.

Off topic, Was it the Race Blue Manual VRS you bought out of curiosity? Done around 40000 Miles?