After placing an order with Palmers Skoda (Watford) I've been told that my Octavia vRS will now be ready a month later than estimated (already put back 3 weeks). How entitled am I to cancel the order? I expect to lose the £500 deposit, but I'm not sure what other penalties there could/would be. The contract paperwork doesn't say.

My lease runs out in a few weeks and I can't extend it. I'm tempted to buy a used vRS that's in stock and pay a small premium.

Has anybody else had experience of cancelling an order through a Skoda dealer? Advice on repercussions would be appreciated.

After placing an order with Palmers Skoda (Watford) I've been told that my Octavia vRS will now be ready a month later than estimated (already put back 3 weeks). How entitled am I to cancel the order? I expect to lose the £500 deposit, but I'm not sure what other penalties there could/would be. The contract paperwork doesn't say.

My lease runs out in a few weeks and I can't extend it. I'm tempted to buy a used vRS that's in stock and pay a small premium.

Has anybody else had experience of cancelling an order through a Skoda dealer? Advice on repercussions would be appreciated.

You orderd based on a promised delivery. The dealer I would have thought, possibly with Skodas backing may consider giving you a loan car to cover the gap.

Well for the sake of 3 weeks surely you have other options? Car hire of a cheapo base model on a weekly basis to replace your lease - or maybe have a look if a peugot dealer near you are part of their very cheap 'car club' discount hire scheme that is free to join and works out cheaper than most normal car hire places. Failing that, buy an old banger from your local paper for a few hundred and then sell it (or scrap it) as soon as your new car arrives (you may even make a few quid!). Or speak to the skoda dealer, explain the problem, and see if you can get some sort of a deal where you will buy one of their cheap s/h cars that they have taken in p/x then when your car arrives they will buy it back from you for more or less what you paid for it - its worth a go

I have bought my car through palmers and was supposed to be collecting it this Saturday (as per my order placed 5/5)

I have been told by a salesman at palmers that he has atleast FIVE cars going out on loan due to cars being delayed.

Don't cancel, push them to loan you a car.

I had an issue like this with a Ford dealer a good few years ago. Then their contract stated that the due date/supply date was only an "estimate and delivery would be within a "reasonable" time period".

The issue was therefore what constitutes "reasonable". I was able to argue that the 12 weeks proposed delay and the incorrect information about the delivery time give to me on 2 occasions by the salesman constituted "unreasonable" & "delay". I was therefore able to get out of the contract and had my deposit refunded. However they did try to offer me numerous sweeteners to keep me in the contract. Unfortunately the need for a car far outweighed anything they could offer. By the end of the day i'd picked up a new car from another manufacturer!

As others have said, explore your options before you make a decision. More recently I was offered a better deal when I bought SWMBO's car by agreeing a compromise on the spec. Not only did this get a swifter delivery, but a much better % discount overall as the dealer had more margin that he could negotiate as it was a "stock" item.

My Octy was delayed around 3 weeks, and when pushed the dealership stumped up a loan car but I did need to make a bit of a fuss. Seems to be a common problem and he who shouts loudest probably gets access to the limited number of loan cars.

Talk to them - tell them the situation and that you require a loan car to bridge the gap otherwise you will need to cancel the order. They won't want to lose the sale.

[

ordered my octavia on march 29th. quoted 8 weeks del. arrived at dealer on 28th july 10weeks overdue. 18weeks from order in total.

after 12weeks i thought about canceling due to unforseen delays as per the terms of business on the order form, but decided to be patient and go with the flow.

i have now told the dealer, that for the sake of another 3 week i may as well wait for the 60 reg plate. which is ok to do.

2 things to do

1. be patient and go with the flow ( you'll probably feel much better in yourself)

2. write to the dealer and give an ultimatum on time for the car to be handed over to you, or you will cancel the order due to unforseen delays.(this action may get skoda to express your order?) you will not lose your £500 if they stray from the contract.

good luck.

Edited 7 August, 201015 yr by GGS

I ordered a new Scout on 28 June and still don't have a build week, the dealer says this is due to the factory closure. I was expecting an Oct delivery on the basis of the dealer's expectation, but that is now looking unlikely. I'll talk to them when I get back in september, but I'm beginning to think I may have to buy something else. :(

Surely Skoda must be able to estimate a build week fairly soon after taking an order? Is the problem with the factory or is it just dealers that can't be bothered to check?

I suspect it's the dealers being elusive about the actual time-scales the builds are taking.

I ordered my Scout back in March, and am expecting it in 3 weeks time, but if I'd been told it would be 5 - 6 months back then (as opposed to the standard "12 - 14 weeks") I'd have walked straight out of the door!

Edited 12 August, 201015 yr by NikNak

I'm wondering if the market the car is ordered in influences the build schedule? My fully optioned Scout was ordered from my New Zealand dealer on the 7th June, built on the 26th July and is just about to commence a 5 week voyage from Bremerhaven to New Zealand. I just can't think of another reason why 2 essentially identical cars should be subject to such an enormous disparity in build lead times.

I suspect it's the dealers being elusive about the actual time-scales the builds are taking.

I ordered my Scout back in March, and am expecting it in 3 weeks time, but if I'd been told it would be 5 - 6 months back then (as opposed to the standard "12 - 14 weeks") I'd have walked straight out of the door!

I too ordered a Scout at the end of March and I am expecting it to be built next week. It should have been built a few weeks ago but I changed the spec as I couldn't decide on the colour or the daytime LED's.

The decision to accept the delay was mine, and I decieded that overall it was worth the delay to get an early 60 plate.

Fortunately I am not in any great rush for the new car, I just keep racking up miles on the old one!