Servicing a car under warranty not at Skoda?

[KIDD]

Is this a good idea? Are skoda likely to throw away a warranty if you have it serviced somewhere else? Say awesome GTI or Volkservice?

[Maffu]

So long as genuine Skoda parts are used, warranty will not be effected.

Might have an effect on resale, but you have to weigh up that, over savings made. My car was serviced 6 times in it's first 3 years, twice at a Skoda dealer. I'm keeping it for another 3 more, so I was more concerned about a good job, rather than stamp-adding-value.

[chris_newell41]

I went to a garage that is well established for my 20k service, they were quite a small outfit but he engineers were great, I felt like a customer again after going to the skoda dealer where you are treated like a number.

It was over £70 cheaper and I even bought my own skoda parts and they fitted them no hassle.

even threw in 2 air fresheners, a bottle of screen wash and stamped the service book.

I would not bother too much about re sell value at all.

[rum4mo]

Even although the block exemption ruling thing was passed, I think that if you are the type of person that would always need a garage to solve your warranty problems, then I would not mess with living outside the marque service loop during warranty periods. These dealer are privy to any new info and will now and again carry out zero cost changes while the car is in for servicing during the warranty period, the independant trade will not always find out about these issues at the earlier times. I am quite happy to fix things while under warranty if it is within my capability and saves being without a car for a day or so, but I've always realised the situation that I am putting myself in - even the parts guys try to stop selling replacement parts for a car that is obviously still well within warranty - but they probably have never had to live with a car within its warranty period and the messy way some dealers sloppily handle repairs with scant consideration to the fact that you might have bought a car to use it because you need to use it - and not just buy it to let them make money out of the manufacturer or you.

From where I am standing, a main dealer makes more money per unit sale from private sales - over what they make per unit company sale, the reverse is probably so in the aftersales departments, so when you take your private car in for a service you just don't always get the same treatment as a company car user - who just uses the car and gets given a new one when that one has "run out" - so every private car comes with an individual possible "complainer" - the owner whereas every group of company cars comes with an individual "complainer" - the fleet manager - gift at Christmas and he'll keep quiet and return a "satisfied" service survey form! That is why lots of private owners go the indep marque specialist route.

Edited 1 October, 2008 by rum4mo

[BRUN]

if your car needs work outside the warranty period and you approach Skoda to make a claim, you probably wont get anywhere, if you have full main dealer service history you may get a contribution from them, its basically rewarding 'brand loyalty'

[Skodaboy1983]

I always tend to keep the car serviced by say skoda until the warrenty expires then I will take it somewhere else, as long as the company are vat registered and use genuine parts then you will be fine, I'm thinking of taking my car next year to a bosch service centre near to me.

[KIDD]

Has anyone ever used any skoda specialists in Preston? There is one called Howard Motors

HOWARD MOTORS NORTH WEST SKODA SPECIALIST

Unit 2, Aqueduct Street Ind Est, Aqueduct Street PR1 7JJ Preston, Lancashire

Phone: 01772 727552