I'm due to pick up an 06 Octavia 1.9 4x4 30000 miles, on Wednesday (been waiting for ages to find one!) and I have a couple of questions as I've not bought a second hand car for a few years.

The car has tax on already until March next year, but on a print out they gave me they have added 82.50 to the sale price, should this not be included in the sale price and not an 'add on'?

They have also offered me a Service plan for £179 which would include 2 years service and mot, are these worth the money?

Also offered a 2 year warranty for £395, again are these worth the money?

Sorry if it's in the wrong place!

Andi:confused:

Just had a quick look through some other posts, am I still covered by some form of Skoda warranty ie: 60.000 miles?

Thanks again, from a confused blonde female!

Andi

3 year Skoda warranty from new so yours is about to run out .....sounds like the garage charged you for the tax disc ....the 2 year warranty and service charge is something only you can answer really ......is it worth it to you for peace of mind ? car only needs servicing every 10,000 miles tops so if you do low mileage you may only need one service

I do about 12000 miles a year, peace of mind yes BUT are these warranties worth it? Will they cover things or will they wriggle like a slippery eel if I try to claim? hmm nagging doubts.

Andi

I do about 12000 miles a year, peace of mind yes BUT are these warranties worth it? Will they cover things or will they wriggle like a slippery eel if I try to claim? hmm nagging doubts.

Andi

The waranty is probably only mechancal cover (engine and gear box) but I may be wrong, all you can do is plough through the small print to see what is covered

Is it from a Skoda dealer or an independant?

If for example the flywheel or turbo ever prove to be troublesome the warranty may pay for itself many times over depending on what it actually covers of course.

I think charging for the car tax is a bit cheeky but there you go.

The car might be set to variable servicing meaning it could only see 1 service in the next 2 years judging by your mileage. Variable can be from about 9000 to 18600 from memory.

o variable servicing?! Ok that's another thing to confuse me :eek:

It's from Arnold Clark which is another reason why I'm wondering about the warranty and servicing as there's a lot of bad press about them. I'm probably not getting the best deal on part ex or best price on the car either but I need the bigger car asap and have been looking for months now.

Andi

Variable servicing is when the car calculates when it wants a service based on things such as driving style and oil quality as is a common feature across the entire VW/Audi/SEAT/Skoda range.

A vast proportion of cars are delivered set to variable servicing (the code for this is QG1) but some are also set to fixed servicing which is usually 10,000 miles and will usually be QG0.

It will be one or the other and isn't too much to worry about. The warranty would interest me more to be honest as it will offer peace of mind.

The search function will give you all of the info you could possibly need about variable servicing.

As for the dealership you are buying from, I couldn't possibly comment as I have never dealt with them

Thank you both for taking the time to reply to me, it might seem a bit of a basic question compared to some on the forum.

Andi

Thank you both for taking the time to reply to me, it might seem a bit of a basic question compared to some on the forum.

Andi

Not at all thats what the forum is here for - to answer questions from people that are new to Skodas.

Good luck with the new car

Hi

I used to work in the motor trade and have had many dealing with third-party warranty companies.

Obviously I don't know the exact nature of the warranty you are being sold, but 'warranty' is probably the wrong word to use. I prefer the term 'mechanical breakdown insurance' - which is what these policies normally are.

They are very different to the sort of factory-backed warranty that you get with a new car. Usually they exclude anything that can be deemed 'wear and tear'. They will only cover a repair where a part has 'unexpectedly and catasrophically' failed, i.e. something has to go bang and the car stop moving. Obviously some have better coverage than others, but they are basically of this type.

Watch out for claim limits (some can be as low as £500) and also restrictions on labour rates (some can exclude main dealer rates, or require you to pay a hefty top-up).

My advice is BUY YOUR OWN WARRANTY. There are many warranties out there on the Internet - look for the 'top end' cover (usually called 'Gold Cover' or something similar) and check that it covers air-con and electronic control units (ECU's). Also try to get one that does pay out at main dealer rates and has a high claim limit (say £2k). You will probably be able to get one at a price similar to what your dealer is quoting (but with much better coverage). Warranty sales are a big earner for dealers and as much as 50% of the premium can be comission.

I wouldn't bother with the servicing 'package' offered, again you can probably beat it and not be tied to going to a particular garage. With a car out of warranty I would be looking at using a good (VAT registered) independent repairer, probably someone who specialises in VW.s (since the engine/chassis is VW-derived).

PS. The dealer is free to try to charge you for the tax - a lot of dealers are doing this now. You are free to negotiate it off. Or tell him to remove the tax and you'll tax it yourself for 6 months from purchase - he may well cave in on that one. Before you sign anything also check he's not adding on 'preparation' or 'administration' charges - I notice that some of the car supermarkets are doing this - its a bit naughty since these costs should be part of their costs of operating the business. You don't get to the checkout at Tesco and have them add £60 to your food bill for 'adminisration' do you?

Have a look at warranty direct:

Warranty Direct :: The UK's leading car warranty & household warranty supplier. Providing used car warranties, new car warranties, and household protection for your TV, washing machine and other products.

Always listed highly by 'Honest John' in the Telegraph.

James.

I would not buy any add ons if purchasing from AC. Their reputation leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately they have almost a monopoly in Scotland.

If you really want the car buy it there, get servicing done at an independant and buy an aftermarket warranty as explained. From what friends have experienced even their brakedown cover is poor.

Thanks all! I think I've decided against forking out the extra £600 and will just put it away for when service/repairs are needed (I hope the repairs bit won't pop up though!).

I pick it up in under 23 hours!

Andi