Car arrived......no electric mirrors

[wizzlebanger]

Well my Octavia 1.4tsi Estate in Elegance spec has finally arrived at the garage............without electric folding mirrors.

I've been offered the £180 credit but do you think this is set in stone?

At the moment I'm 90% going to reject it because electric folding mirrors are the main reason we plumped up to elegance spec. Living on a main road they are very useful for us.

Not a happy driver so far.

[KenONeill]

"Not as ordered" - You'd be within your rights to reject the car out of hand, but if you accept it, I'd say that deducting the option cost from the invoice price is a reasonable solution.

[wizzlebanger]

I can only have the £180 as a credit for accessories / service etc. Been looking forward to it arriving and now the shine has been completely removed.

I'm thinking I might push them to knock the price of the metallic paint of my order otherwise it's rejection time.

[chrisw880]

Did you ask for the electronically folding mirrors, as the elegance spec has electrical adjustable and heated mirrors

[wizzlebanger]

When I ordered the car the brochure I was given stated that elegance spec had electrically folding mirrors. The car I test drove had this also.

It was only through looking at this forum that I discovered that Skoda had changed the spec to them NOT being electrically folding without amending the brochure. When I contacted the dealer he was unaware of this and he eventually managed to find a revision notice on the computer that detailed this.

If I reject the car and re-order it will definitely have the power folding mirrors. However, I will have to wait another 3 months...or longer.

[KenONeill]

I can only have the £180 as a credit for accessories / service etc. Been looking forward to it arriving and now the shine has been completely removed.

I'm thinking I might push them to knock the price of the metallic paint of my order otherwise it's rejection time.

They're asking you to pay for something you ordered but are not getting. Ask to speak to the "dealer principal" and tell him that if they won't chip the price you're going to walk.

[GroundHog]

You shouldn't have to use the £180 on accesories. Skoda UK told me they tend to ask people to do that but will just send you a cheque if you prefer, which is what I did. Be warned about the rejecting the car thing as I was given this offer, but they will also offer you less for your P/X if you have one, as they will treat it as a whole new deal. I was told they would knock about £500 off my P/X which already would have needed an MOT, tax disc and service in that 3 month period so I plumped for the cash instead. As it is, even though I thought I really wanted the folding mirrors and I would agree it does take the shine off the new car thing, I haven't actually missed not having them and the car is still really nice. So I'm pleased with my decision to take the cash instead.

[wizzlebanger]

Just caught in 2 minds at the moment. I don't feel overly happy with the £180 and I don't feel overly happy with the way it's been handled by the dealer (claybank)

At the time I ordered the car I got the whole spiel about them being a dealer that wanted repeat custom and cared about the customer. Can't say I'm feeling that right now.

But like you said I know if I reject it they are going to re-evaluate the trade in for mine etc. And then if I just walk away and go else where my next nearest dealer is Preston. I know that's not far but I wouldn't want to go there every time it needs a service. (I know I can service the car anywhere but I doubt I would want to go back to claybank after rejecting a car)

[M12MKD]

You shouldn't have to use the £180 on accesories. Skoda UK told me they tend to ask people to do that but will just send you a cheque if you prefer, which is what I did. Be warned about the rejecting the car thing as I was given this offer, but they will also offer you less for your P/X if you have one, as they will treat it as a whole new deal. I was told they would knock about £500 off my P/X which already would have needed an MOT, tax disc and service in that 3 month period so I plumped for the cash instead. As it is, even though I thought I really wanted the folding mirrors and I would agree it does take the shine off the new car thing, I haven't actually missed not having them and the car is still really nice. So I'm pleased with my decision to take the cash instead.

I would have agrued that as its due to skoda/dealers fault due to a change in the spec without making you the buyer fully aware of this. Sounds like the dealer whated to make you take the car.

Its a tough call to make do you reject as its not got what you want and then have to wait for a new car (which may not have them anyway) or do you ask for a fair amount of goodwill gesture as a refund.

I would suggest you think about it and possibly see where you stand legally before you make a call.

[wizzlebanger]

I can definitely reject it no questions asked. The dealer and skoda uk have already confirmed this.

But as I've mentioned in another thread I think the dealers know that after waiting 12 weeks most people are inclined not to do that.

I almost feel like they have me by the short and curlies.

[GroundHog]

Believe me I looked in to all the possibilities regarding this and went back and forth to my dealer and to Skoda UK and Skoda UK have consulted their various legal people as well to make sure they aren't doing anything wrong and the two options they have offered (discount or new car) are enough for them to be legal. They are happy to do either but flatly stated that they would not provide any loan cars in the mean time whilst your new car was ordered, and that as you are effectively rejecting the car that they aren't legally bound to offer you the same P/X deal.

At the end of the day do you really want to wait another 3 months (if not more looking at the currently estimates for the 1.4TSI engine) just to get electric folding mirrors? You can still manually fold them I've never had them on a car so haven't really missed them and I don't live/work anywhere where I really need them so its not a problem. If it is for you and you have specifically gone for this model because of that option then I wish you the best of luck in fighting your case.

If you search on the forums for "electric folding mirrors" you may well find the big post about it and a chap in there (I think his name was Ray something) who is fighting this through the legalities and everything to try and get a better deal. Perhaps he might be able to offer you ways to get what you want.

[psycholist]

Any chance the folding mirrors could be retrofitted?

[wizzlebanger]

Already had a scoot around for retro fitting them and it appears a no no......

Well obviously it can be done but then everything can at a cost!

[Stuart_J]

Already had a scoot around for retro fitting them and it appears a no no......

Well obviously it can be done but then everything can at a cost!

You could focus them on the cost by asking them to either change the mirrors or give you new car as a loaner until the next car you order arrives

Also see if someone oh here can check if the loom is different< i would be very suprised therefore changing the mirrors shouldnt be that hard

Edited 19 March, 2010 by Stuart_J

[Dodgy]

Another option, get the garage to add electric mirrors to the next elegance they order in the same colour and swap the parts over to your car before it's delivered to the new owner. Having said that, that would mean the owner of the other car would have 'used' mirrors on his car

There's no way I would accept a credit note, it has to be cash.

[wizzlebanger]

Although I haven't confirmed that I have said 'yes' to accepting it after a lengthy phone call my options seem to be:

1. Reject the car. They will re-order the car will no cost to myself. My part ex price will stay the same.

2. Accept the car. Take £180 (cash). Set of floor mats thrown in and tank of fuel.

At the moment I'm likely to accept the car and take the 2nd option.

Thanks for all your views people! Appreciated.

[Phil Lee]

Since they offered to keep your part ex the same, I'd have gone with the re-order option. I find the folding mirrors really useful, especially the way people drive around here.

Edited 19 March, 2010 by Phil Lee

[wizzlebanger]

Unfortunately, and whether people agree with this or not part of the decision is based around the fact that the £180 will pay of my gas bill!!!

Sad but true.

I can live with no electric folding mirrors. As someone has said on another thread at least they will be cheaper to fix if someone does smash one off. :S

[Phil Lee]

Nothing wrong with the decision then. Bills need to be paid and it only takes a couple of seconds to flip them manually, about the same time as it does to press and hold the key fob in fact.

[wizzlebanger]

At least I get to have a good play with the car next weekend when I drive to Norfolk for a wedding!! Another reason in the back of my mind I think.

I'll be the guy driving a 10 plate Octavia down the A1M with his mirrors folded in.

[cheezemonkhai]

You shouldn't have to use the £180 on accesories. Skoda UK told me they tend to ask people to do that but will just send you a cheque if you prefer, which is what I did. Be warned about the rejecting the car thing as I was given this offer, but they will also offer you less for your P/X if you have one, as they will treat it as a whole new deal. I was told they would knock about £500 off my P/X which already would have needed an MOT, tax disc and service in that 3 month period so I plumped for the cash instead. As it is, even though I thought I really wanted the folding mirrors and I would agree it does take the shine off the new car thing, I haven't actually missed not having them and the car is still really nice. So I'm pleased with my decision to take the cash instead.

Think you'll find they can't do that ; so it's worth speaking to CAB.

They broke the deal, so they have to make sure you are not out of pocket and if you are recompense you.

Edited 19 March, 2010 by cheezemonkhai

[GroundHog]

Its all kind of academic now anyway - I accepted the car 3 weeks ago and have to say I'm really pleased with my decision. Couldn't really be arsed to wait another 3 months just so my mirrors electrically fold and with all the problems my old car was having, I wasn't sure it was going to last another 3 months!

[Dolla]

Lol i hated this when i changed to the Octy not haveing folding mirrors,specially when i sometimes got in the car put my seatbelt on then realise i hadn't folded out the passenger side mirror Biatchhh...But you get used to it after a while ,the heated mirrors kinda make up for it though....

[Minimoke]

I know this is now academic but advice in some of the earlier posts regarding the legal position and the right to reject it may mislead. Firstly examine the wording of the actual purchase contract which often has a standard form of words covering precisely the situation in the event of a change in specification. The contract for the purchase of my Octy (from a major Skoda Dealer) included this clause:

“Alterations to specification: In the event of any alteration to specification of the Goods the seller reserves the right to deliver in fulfilment of the order Goods conforming to the Manufacturer’s specification prevailing at the time of delivery.”

Furthermore this is enshrined in case law, specifically Johnson v HWM Ltd 1997. That judgement allowed a change of specification of the car in between dealer order and the manufacturer delivering the car to the dealer on the grounds that this is out of the control of the dealer. If a contract has been entered into between dealer and customer then that contact remains binding and, unless specified in the original contract, a change of specification is not a breach of contract.

The above also usually applies to delivery dates.

So the moral is to check the wording of the contract before agreeing it, and any key features of the car important to the buyer should be explicitly specified in the contract. Perhaps the easiest way is to refer to the relevant brochure (and its effective date/version) actually within the contract. However I suspect that most dealers may baulk at that.

[digbydriver]

I have discovered the same annoying problem. Can anyone who has disovered this problem contact me via the personal messaging system to see if we have any common ground or as a group of disgruntled new owners force a rectification

Edited 23 March, 2010 by digbydriver