Hi all

Picked up my new (2006) Octy 1.9 TDI Elegance on Tuesday from DM Keith in Leeds. Car looked good, although the inside wasn't that well cleaned but it was OK.

Got the car home, and as one of the first things I had to do was a 500 mile two day round trip south beginning the next day, I started putting my bits and bobs around the car. That's when I found that the spare wheel well still had a big dent in it, (something they were going to fix, and I was told had been fixed) and more to the point, the metal seam was still split, I could see the road through the hole. OK, not a life and death moment, but I didn't want to do my 500 mile trip, go back to the garage on Thursday night, only for them to say I should have told them earlier or worse "you sure you didn't back into a low wall?"

SO I tried phoning the salesman, told he was busy. Tried the general manager, busy.

So I kept phoning, finally got hold of the GM, told him my tale, only for him to say that "my technicians wouldn't have missed that type of damage, you must be mistaken!"

So we had a full and frank exchange of ideas. To say the least.

Anyway, he noted my concerns, and yesterday afternoon I took it back in. Well, red faces all round from the salesman to the GM, and of course they're sorting it, and a few other issues my trip away highlighted. Once the service manager and bodyshop manager got involved (and THEY seemed great guys) the Gen Manager and salesman just melted way, not a word of apology at all.

But really should I be made to feel like an idiot on the phone? <".my technicians wouldn't have missed that type of damage, you're mistaken!"> :thumbdwn:

I was so p***ed off I nearly told him to stuff the car, but common sense prevailed. But I really don't call that great customer service.

It's the old story, they get your money, and they're onto the next punter.

Anyway, did 59mpg on my trip away! Well pleased!!

thats strange as I have had my car over a year now and have had a few niggles but everytime I call up everyone is keen to help I personally found the sale staff (and of what I have seen of him so is the GM) there great and would not think that they are the type of people just to move onto the next sale (thought I would ad this as it seems they probabley cant defend themselves on here) I bet it would be good to here the story from the other side too!

Leehar

Maybe so, maybe so. Always good to get both sides of the story: as always, reality lies somewhere between the two points of view.

My real gripe isn't that they made some errors, and they did, but that they were so quick to rubbish my version of events, until they saw it for themselves. I do also think that part of the reason they made themselves scarce was embarrassment.

Otherwise, I agree with you, people are generally helpful there, maybe I just don't trust salesmen.

Bazzman

Did you not inspect the car upon collection? I know I would, even more so if I was aware of defects for them to have resolved.

Sorry to hear of the trouble, sounds like it has been rear ended. Is the boot floor free from ripples?

Sounds like they knew that they've sold you a lemon :(

Hi all,

no, I didn't inspect it on collection, to be fair I was in a bit of a rush for an evening meeting, and I believed them. I know, my fault.

The dent in the spare wheel well really isn't a major thing, it just looked as though the previous owner had reversed into a tow-bar on another car or something similar. Boot floor and sides are fine. the real issue was that the dent was on a seam which had split slightly.

I really don't think the dealer meant to do this, they were very embarrassed buy the whole business, but what irked me considerably was, when I was trying to report the problem, I was told that their technicians wouldn't have missed it, "every car goes on the ramps as part of the preparation process, and they couldn't miss a dent like that" and I was mistaken. That's really what p***ed me off, big time. :eek:

Anyway, all's well that ends.

They're taking it in next week and hopefully all should get sorted.

They're also looking at an engine "hesitation" or stutter. If I'm driving at a steady speed, then accelerate gently, sometimes, not always, the engine seems to misfire several times, like a stutter, until I accelerate through it. Most noticeable at motorway cruising speeds. I've read here about EGR valve cleaning or maybe an ECU update. Hope it's simple. The service guys do seem on the ball. Hope they are!

Cheers

I'm gonna be honest here and say I would not have purchased a car with damaged to the boot well. Its a sure sign of serious damage to the structure. I'd have backed out of the deal and got my desposit back as part of the sale contract was the repair. If you could see the road then I'd say it was rear ended.

Did YOU do an HPI check on it?

Jim

I'm gonna be honest here and say I would not have purchased a car with damaged to the boot well. Its a sure sign of serious damage to the structure. I'd have backed out of the deal and got my desposit back as part of the sale contract was the repair. If you could see the road then I'd say it was rear ended.

Did YOU do an HPI check on it?

Jim

I agree with everything mObov says - my X reversed an Octy1 into a wall at between 5mph & 10 mph and there was no apparent damage, deformation or splits, so to have hit something enough to cause the seam to split suggests quite a bang.......

any dealer worth his salt should supply you with an HPI check as part of the sale process....

all sounds very dubious, another stealer to avoid, maybe there should be a list. You wanna get in there and give them both barrels.

all sounds very dubious, another stealer to avoid, maybe there should be a list. You wanna get in there and give them both barrels.

Are you kidding?!? Judging by the threads on here over the years, ever dealer should be blacklisted at one point or another, and we'll all be importing our Skodas from the motherland directly!!

I agree with everything mObov says - my X reversed an Octy1 into a wall at between 5mph & 10 mph and there was no apparent damage, deformation or splits, so to have hit something enough to cause the seam to split suggests quite a bang.......

any dealer worth his salt should supply you with an HPI check as part of the sale process....

Due to the fact that the damage hasn't been repaired, I would say that it is extremely unlikely that there has been any invovement from an insurance company, making the HPI check inaccurate. There is no real substitute for having the car inspected.

As a dealer, they'll want to keep their reputation intact. Taking the advice in post #10 will just get their backs up and should you encounter any problems in the future their help may not be so forthcoming.

As a dealer, they'll want to keep their reputation intact. Taking the advice in post #10 will just get their backs up and should you encounter any problems in the future their help may not be so forthcoming.

Dealers aren't bothered if one customer is unhappy, they bounce back, they have far more happy customers than unhappy ones. At the end of the day you don't want to be seen as a soft touch, as they will pickup on this and use it to their advantage and you will get nowhere. The longer this goes on, they will end up telling you that you caused the damage yourself. Report them to watchdog.

Thanks all for your advice.

The dealer IS working hard to sort this, the car goes in for 3 days from tomorrow (courtesy car offered without any hesitation).

I've already done 800 miles odd in the car in the last 6 days and it does drive well, (except for that occasional hesitation/stutter), and tracks straight and true.

The dealer offers a 30 day money back guarantee, so I feel OK, I've seen the HPI check and it's clear. The spare wheel well dent looks as though someone backed into a tow-bar, it's very localised, just happened to be on the rear nearside corner (curve) of the well, where there's a seam, that split.

I'll check the car very carefully when I pick it up, believe me!

Bazzman

Well, car picked up Saturday, all all sorted! Spare wheel well done properly ( got right underneath, nice job) all the other little issues done.

Interesting, the hesitation, stutter, I got on motorways, when accelerating from a steady speed, one of the service guys called me and said that the VAG COM found a glow-plug relay (number 3 cylinder I think he said) was faulty, and needs a new one. I was doubtful about that fixing the stutter, I mean shouldn't that only have an input on cold starts? :confused: - but I have to say the car runs really well now. No hesitation, stutter or anything.

As smooth as a vaseline-lined codpiece.:eek:

So, all's well now, the dealer was I think embarassed at allowing the car to go out not fully checked, but as we all know, problems, happen, it's how they're dealt with that's important.

So here's hoping for many miles of uneventful motoring!

Cheers all

Bazzman