aredorange

I will refrain from making further comments for the time being, as Skoda UK customer relations manager did show good intentions today in solving this si****ion amicably... but for the ones who doubt about any legal responsibilities on this case, I can tell you that I did consult with 3 different legal advisers and all 3 said there was a case here... and that's it from me, until I hear again from Skoda UK and/or Progress Skoda early next week... have a good weekend everyone and be careful with your vehicles...

trying to upload some pictures but it fails, for some reason...

just to say I just got a call from customer relations manager at Skoda UK. It was a very positive conversation. He said they are keen to help, so let's see how it progresses.

Thanks for this most welcome contribution. I find it very valid and it may be the case indeed that the belt is an effect, not the cause, due to the 18 teethes stripped... I have just asked AA to take the car and parts from Palmers Motor Company to Progress Skoda Letchworth and will see what they say... I hope this discussion here will contribute to collective knowledge regarding similar si****ions... and I hope Skoda UK or Progress Skoda do positively help in this case... I spent all my saving buying this car so I am naturally gutted with the outcome after one year...

You are totally right here... they initially said they would take care of everything and now they are running away, once they found out the level of the damages... still, I believe it is their responsibility (Skoda UK/Progress Skoda) and I will not rest until this case is solved satisfactorily... Who is Mark Fox and what is his position in Skoda? I did also raise a case with Motorcodes and Citizens Advice Bureau about this whole thing... Also, perhaps you can email me privately ([email protected]) or mention it here if you prefer, what happened to you and what was the outcome?

Mikey, it is a petrol one. I am now getting a transporter to take the car from Palmers Motor Company to the dealer I bought the car from (Progress Skoda), as requested by the dealer so that they can look at the car.

et voila, after my email to Palmers Motor Company threatening them with calling the police (actually I was on the phone waiting for the connection to Hertfordshire Police) got an email from Palmers saying that "We have never said that you can not collect your vehicle, and I am not sure where you got that idea from. The vehicle is dismantled for inspection, & will require moving by transporter. If you care to arrange transport, we will assist the driver in loading the vehicle & parts." So now it seems I can take the car out to be delivered to the dealer...

does anyone here have a motor media/press list, to whom I can report about this case?

You are totally right. And I have just sent an email to Palmers. I will now give a call to the Police. And I think it would be a good idea to let all motor press to know about this case too. I will be compiling a list of media press, as I am feeling really abused here and unfairly treated.

But Skoda UK is now refusing to pay for it and Palmers do not let me take my car out while someone does't pay for it.

You are totally right and I have not been told that I would be the one paying for it (otherwise I would have asked immediately how much it could be), neither did I sign anything.

I just spent all my economies buying that Skoda in May 2011 and wanted to buy from a dealer instead of a private, so that I could rest my mind and the car would be fit for purpose. Then, one year later, this happens and the prospect of a £4,000 is just scaring the hell out of me... there was no driver mistake here, definitely a cambelt problem or an engine component, which means a mechanical failure... the car was always serviced by Skoda and that exists in order that the car is fit for purpose... it is not supposed to fail like this... :-(

I am aware that Skoda UK and Progress Skoda (the dealer) are different entities. I all started when I left a message on Skoda UK Facebook page asking for help, as I didn't know what to do... and Skoda UK replied saying they would like to take care of it and asked me to send it to their chosen garage for them to investigate... that's how it started... now they are saying that they will not be paying for the investigation they ordered and trying to pass that bill to me (£700)... I also got in touch recently with Progress Skoda and they asked me to send the car to them so that they could look at it... but I cannot take the car out from Palmers Motor Company while someone doesn't pay for the investigation Skoda UK ordered them to do...

It makes sense to me what you are saying, even me knowing nothing of mechanics. But Skoda UK asked for an investigation, which they did not finish as per the garage report above. Now the question is who should pay for the further investigation? They asked me £990 if I wanted that further investigation and mentioned that there would be no guarantees a conclusion would be reached...

I bought the car from Progress Skoda a few months after the car was serviced, so I really do not know if the water pump was replaced or not. I would trust that Progress Skoda garage knows what to do and if they didn't change the water pump because the previous owner didn't wanted it, which is weird, then they would know that the car would not last long and they would have the moral obligation to tell me so before selling the vehicle to me. I would assume that all were replaced, as it is supposed to be, otherwise they would know in advance that the car would not last long...