WasIwise

I thought my Skoda issues were confined to my old Karoq - but no, new grief has emerged for its replacement Kodiak. Some two weeks after buying the Kodiak with about 7k on it, I received an email saying a service was due! Fortunately contacting the retailer sorted it quickly- it wasn't due, and the email purporting to come from the franchise and in their name, had come from Skoda HQ. Moral of story- don't believe everything Skoda say. Fast forward to March 25 and I get a call saying Service due. I say, think not, car system says another 500 odd days or around 9000 miles- so does app. I ask for a source document that sets out the service window as I cannot find one. I am happy to get it (an expensive oil change is a better description), done when needed but not before.. And I'd like an explanation of why they say one thing and data says another. No joy yet, just verbal insistence that it is due now its at 9k an coming up a year old. I tried looking the info up on Skoda site, took in my VIN from QR code- then said no manual available for this vehicle. Moral of story- don't believe everything Skoda say. Franchise also say they have no record of a service agreement - I have to produce a copy of sale invoice which shows it clearly!! Yes, moral of story- don't believe everything Skoda say. This is my third, and last Skoda-quite like the car but Skoda HQ, in all its various disguises, take out any pleasure in owning a Skoda. Oh, and to top it off, whilst parked very carefully in a hotel car park, lawfully in extra room blue badge bay, a Gregg's sausage roll cage or similar made a break for freedom and hit the back putting a small dent in just across seem by Skoda badge - and seems like Greggs legal agents think Greggs will want to go for cheapest estimate rather than that from a trusted and proven company. (£418v£539) PS. Did you know the KODIAK badge is around £40 plus vat!!

Got it in one! Thanks.

Thank you for this helpful information, and apologies for not responding earlier. It is an odd attitude that Skoda take given that we were both willing to take deductons for services received, in both senses of the word, and that Skoda wouldn't really lose a penny refunding a balance. Also it is hardly an encouragement when it is a newer Skoda is taking the place of the older vehicle. I don't think I'll buy another Skoda in the future, the car is fine but their Head Office (or offices as there are so many parts to the organisation) are just rubbish and spoil the whole relationship. The lesson must be, never ever pay in full up front. Skoda Head Offices do seem to behave in strange ways as though the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. The day after I bought the newer car I received an offer to but an electric one, and a few weeks later, was told my new car was due for a service. The local franchise, with whom I have deal for many years, knew nothing about the 'due service' email-other than they hadn't sent it and their records (and the app) showed it wasn't due this year. HQ tried to blame the local franchise staff as no doubt they will over the warranty terms issue and thanked me for being a Skoda Ambassador! I put them straight! I do quite like the Kodiaq but the gain in space and weight leads to less economy (41.1 on a two part 360 run) than the Karoq, and it is less sprightly. Anoyingly various Karoq features are missing or accessed in different ways on the Kodiak. No ECO, Comfort modes though some passengers have said they prefer the ride that your are left with.

A while back, in August 2024, prior to my Karoq turning 3 years old with MOT due, and service, warranty and breakdown plans etc coming to an end, I thought about renewal. I opted for the 2 year all in package (2 services, breakdown and warranty plus MOTs) and, ironically to save hassle, I paid the whole £900 in one go. I actually had a service just before the package commenced because of issues arranging everything the same day, and that came out of the plan. (Further irony, two weeks later I got an email offering the deal with 20% off) In October I decided to upgrade to a nearly new Kodiaq and settled on a deal. It came with warranty etc. The Karoq was to be P/E and I was, on advice of staff, expecting a partial refund on the Karoq warranty plan. Come the day, staff had to ring some head office to arrange refund but to surprise of all, they refused saying I'd paid in full and not monthly, and had received a service. Fortunately, what was about to be a deal breaker was 'worked on' by staff and I still bought the car and was advised I could appeal to Skoda Finance. I have but they have just replied that small print only allows cancellation within 14 days. Thats a reply from a company that think they have special relationships with their customers! It is also a lesson for me and perhaps many others. If I had expected to buy another car within 14 days of the Karoq turning 3 I am pretty sure I wouldn't have bothered with a 2 year plan! It seems very short sighted of Skoda to rely on small print to refuse a partial refund when one is buying another Skoda from them. It is not an incentive to use part exchange through Skoda either. So, the point of this posting is to make all potential buyers of extended warranty plans aware of the way Skoda will rely on the small print. It makes a straight off full purchase of any such plans, or other plans, as it is no doubt the same across VAG, pointless. The suggestion is that had I paid monthly I may have not had to pay for two years- I'll leave exploring that up to any who may be thinking of going that route- spend hours of their time checking it out before signing. The Karoq plan remains mine and in force for another 18 or so months, and it is transferable with the car even though I have no idea at present who might buy it. (So, if there is anyone thinking of buying a Karoq HD21BXV feel free to contact me to talk about warranty at a cheap rate ! Of course, whilst the dealer cannot say who may buy it, I'll keep an eye on when it is taxed and get the keeper from DVLA. and have a conversation) So, I hope others may benefit from my poor experience of Skoda Finance. This was a warranty etc plan and not finance and I hate to think what potential traps financing through them might hold. At the very least the message must be don't pay full whack straight off- and read, read and read T&Cs. There are circumstances surrounding my purchase that may amount to a mis-selling which I'll be pursuing through the Regulator but meantime, the cars may be great, but parts of the support are pretty rubbish. Do I feel like I'm a member of the Skoda family? No way.