Anyone driving an Octavia Ambiente TDI with a petrol engine? No? Thought so, even though my V5 says so...

The DVLA website says: "If you change the model description of your car, we will need written confirmation from the manufacturer (not the dealer)."

Anyone know of a contact address I can use from Skoda UK?

I don't understand why the first buyer didn't kick up a fuzz about it (company car maybe?), or the Skoda dealer?

Q.

Oh, and ofcourse they got my name and address wrong... Why can't things just done online... sigh...

For a moment I thought you were considering a change to a Golf or Toledo 2.3 V5 there

Quinten - I don't think you should have too much trouble getting this changed. My V5 stated that my car was a TDi rather than an RS - I phoned the garage that originally sold it and they explained that this happened a lot at the time that the RS was launched and at the launch of various other models. All I did was send off the V5 with a letter explaining the ****-up (saying that the original dealer & service book etc all stated the correct spec) and they changed it without any bother.

Mine was the same. That was 2 years ago.

You would think that the DVLA would be able to fix it by now. I took my V5 to the dealer and got them to do all the leg work, got it back about 2 weeks later with Octavia RS on it.

Its a known problem so I dont think you will have to much of a problem getting it changed.

Hmmm must be a Merrits thing - my vRS was a diesel when I checked my V5 !

You must all be gutted, when you're "officially" driving around in diesels...

Of course I do, and unfortunately my V5 does not say I own a vRS! :(

Pfew... Seems like I'm not alone then... Think a quick call to the dealer is in order and have them indeed do all the work for me...

Thanks for the heads up

Q.

Although, a diesel with 180bhp... Wanna swap that badge of yours devonutopia?

My RS was a TDI. Called them up and they said that they didn't have RS so when for the next alphabetically That was 18 moths ago. Sent it off and they changed it for me.

I did once think of obtaining a vRS logo for the grill, but then I suddenly realised just how sad that idea was! Maybe I can do that when I eventually can afford a remapping?

My fab was somehow registered as a 75hp automatic...

So all those online insurance sites that ask for my reg get my car wrong (that's technology for you!) - even better is the odd site that *won't* let you change the car once you enter your registration!

I bet the insurance would be a lot cheaper with the 75hp automatic. I don't know whats worse, the 25hp deficit, or the automatic gearbox? Both make me shudder at the thought of having them

Yep another 'fake' Ambiente TDI owner here , V5 sent away and changed without fuss almost 2 yrs ago when i first got the car.

Had same problem Nov 2001 sent to DVLA for changing with covering letter also mailed Skoda UK at the time informing them that there were lots of RS's with the problem (they were marketed as RS's not vRS's then buy Skoda UK)

You would think they would have sorted it after 2 years what a bunch of wasters there must be at Skoda UK. Seems on par with my other dealings with Customer Services. Below is their email response to me raising the problem:-

Dear Mr ..............

Thank you for your email.

I would advise that you send the forms back directly to the DVLA for the

corrections to be made, however I would be grateful if I could have a copy

so I can raise this issue and try to ascertain why this is happening.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Yours sincerely

> Claire Hewson

> Technical Support Administrator

Copy was sent to Claire by return ....why did I bother!!!!!!!

John

I think all of the RS's that we brought were shown as TDi Ambiente's on the V5. I didn't notice until I was stopped by security at the Channel Tunnel! I was told that it was caused by the DVLA not being told by Skoda that the RS existed, so they defaulted to a TDi Ambiente. Luckily, the Feds let me off with a warning!

Phil (back from holiday and NOT HAPPY!)

Ooooh.... Had a go yesterday with the 'submit feedback' form on the Skoda website, and lo and behold, I got a reply just now

RE: CS100118

Dear Mr Uijldert,

Thank you for your message dated 12th May 2003.

I was sorry to learn of the confusion that has arisen and trust I can clarify the matter.

In order to comply fully with the conditions laid down under the Data Protection Act, we require you to write in enclosing a copy of the V5 as proof of ownership. We can then, gladly assist with your request. Our address is as follows:

Skoda Customer Services

Freepost CN2774

Wallington

Surrey

SM6 7AH

May I thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us and I look forward to receiving your letter in due course.

Kind regards

> Christopher Smart

> Customer Service Specialist

>

> ..........................................................................

> ......................

> SkodaAuto Customer Service Centre Telephone 0845 7745

> 745

> Freepost CN2774

> Wallington

> Surrey

> SM6 7BR Fax 020 8288 2440

>

> http://www.skoda.co.uk

But as I have already arranged to pop in at the dealer I'll just leave it at that

Q.

If that's your real name Quinten I think you should help us out with the phonetic spelling, as Mattijs has done

Oh, I want to see that one unfold! :p

BTW, Nick, my phonetics only come close. You wouldn't be able to pronounce it the Dutch way. Then again, I'm sure Quinten will have a hard time creating the phonetics in the first place! There is nothing even remotely resembling the 'ui' or 'uij' sound in English. ('Uij' is historic spelling, now only in place names and surnames.)

Or come to that, any other language, except for classical Greek perhaps.

Well you spell it out for me and I'll wait til I've got a heavy cold before trying to say it :p (JOKE!!!)

I knew I should have ***-ed my surname when I pasted that

The closest you can come to pronouncing it in English would be something like owl dirt although 'owl' isn't the exact pronounciation... just very close to it. Just call me Smith ok?

Q.

PS: Mattijs, shouldn't yours be more like Matt Ice though?

Owl dirt! Very clever...

What a team: Owl Dirt and Matt Ice...

I thought of it, and don't object to Anglosaxons calling me Matt, but to be fair, it's more "Maht" than "Matt". Oh well, with the "ah" in "Maht", but with the shortness of the "a" in Matt

The saga continues...

Received a letter from my Skoda dealer, accompanied from a letter from Skoda UK regards the type...

SkodaAuto

Retailer Support

Ref: Incorrect Vehicle details

28 May 2003

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has been brought to my attention taht the details you have for the following vehicle are incorrect.

The vehicle is registration mark **51 ***. This vehicle should be known as an Octavia vRS Turbo Hatch in Black Magic.

Please could the documents be changed to show the correct details.

Yours sincerely,

Joanna Abrams

Administrator

Skoda Retailer Support

The letter from the dealer said that I would have to write a covering letter and send it off to the DVLA to get the gears in motion... Now where did I leave my pen?

Q.

Quinten & Mattijs,

Dutch pronunciation has always been a challenge to most brits.

I particularly like 'suiker' and a Dutch colleague's surname - 'Zuidgeest'.

I also wish you could get vla over here (I think that's spelled correctly) as I became addicted to in when in the Netherlands.

:cheers:

Howard

Vla - my son's favourite desert!

Have you also grown fond of hagelslag during your stay here, Howard?

Howard, make a visit to your nearest Tesco and look on the shelves for a product by Campina (i think). It comes in little desert cups and it is as good as vla as you're going to get it here. It doesn't need to be kept in the fridge (unlike the real thing), but we do it anyway as it tastes nicer when chilled.

And as to hagelslag... I import mine

Must admit not come across hagelslag, although I did look it up on google.

A couple of other things I used to enjoy - kroketten for lunch, washed down with karnemelk. I have never got anyone else from the UK to even try karnemelk, but I was quite partial to a glass or two. The nearest equivalent here would be buttermilk I guess.

I also liked the Dutch waffle biscuits with the caramel in the middle - these are quite easily obtainable here.

I'll look out for the Campina!!

:cheers:

Howard