Following the various threads to do with externally folding (or not) mirrors, brochure/configurator inaccuracies, delivery times etc. and inspired by Oldstan's seething (and understandable) indignation at the apparent impossibility of finding out exactly what he might get for his money if he were to order a Yeti, I have just sent the email below to the MD of Skoda UK, the Customer Services dept of Skoda UK and my dealer.

Thanks to Oldstan, on whose similar email I have modelled mine. Let's hope they're flooding in to Skoda UK this week!

Dear Mr Hazelwood

I am sorry to trouble you but am sure that, as MD of Skoda UK, you would wish to keep your ear close to the ground. I will be as brief as possible.

In mid-August I ordered a Skoda Yeti Elegance with a number of options. Soon after, I was made aware via the Briskoda website that a new option was available - an electric driver's seat/mirror, offering electric seat adjustment/memory function as well as electric/memory function door mirrors; the website implies that with this package the external mirrors also fold electrically. Together with many others, I ordered this option for which I will be paying £500 extra. Some customers have very recently been advised by UK Skoda marketing via UK Skoda Customer Service that the mirrors DO NOT fold electrically, although even among dealers - and here there seems to be a significant issue of poor internal communication within your company - there is confusion about this, and different customers are being told different stories.

Thus many people, including myself, have been misled into buying this option only to find that the mirrors are apparently not fully electric; this seems bizarre, when the electric folding function IS available on Octavia and Superb models. May I ask you to investigate this problem please. You are no doubt also aware of other omissions, errors and ambiguities in both the UK Yeti brochure and on the website configurator, as well as the very long lead-in time on orders and that the Skoda ordering system is very poor at keeping customers informed about the build week and delivery period for their cars.

Thank you; I look forward to hearing from at your earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Bennett

Thanks, Andrew - I've used that as a template (and added some relevant comments to my as yet unscheduled August ordered build!)

The phrase 'P*ss up in a brewery ' is right at the front of my mind today

Following the various threads to do with externally folding (or not) mirrors, brochure/configurator inaccuracies, delivery times etc. and inspired by Oldstan's seething (and understandable) indignation at the apparent impossibility of finding out exactly what he might get for his money if he were to order a Yeti, I have just sent the email below to the MD of Skoda UK, the Customer Services dept of Skoda UK and my dealer.

Thanks to Oldstan, on whose similar email I have modelled mine. Let's hope they're flooding in to Skoda UK this week!

Dear Mr Hazelwood

I am sorry to trouble you but am sure that, as MD of Skoda UK, you would wish to keep your ear close to the ground. I will be as brief as possible.

In mid-August I ordered a Skoda Yeti Elegance with a number of options. Soon after, I was made aware via the Briskoda website that a new option was available - an electric driver's seat/mirror, offering electric seat adjustment/memory function as well as electric/memory function door mirrors; the website implies that with this package the external mirrors also fold electrically. Together with many others, I ordered this option for which I will be paying £500 extra. Some customers have very recently been advised by UK Skoda marketing via UK Skoda Customer Service that the mirrors DO NOT fold electrically, although even among dealers - and here there seems to be a significant issue of poor internal communication within your company - there is confusion about this, and different customers are being told different stories.

Thus many people, including myself, have been misled into buying this option only to find that the mirrors are apparently not fully electric; this seems bizarre, when the electric folding function IS available on Octavia and Superb models. May I ask you to investigate this problem please. You are no doubt also aware of other omissions, errors and ambiguities in both the UK Yeti brochure and on the website configurator, as well as the very long lead-in time on orders and that the Skoda ordering system is very poor at keeping customers informed about the build week and delivery period for their cars.

Thank you; I look forward to hearing from at your earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Bennett

Good to see you've done that so promptly. Mine went to Mr Hazelwood at Skoda Head Office this morning.

I think it's important to remain polite and ordered as you have done here.

Thanks to 'My_Yeti' who posted this recently on the other thread...

[email protected] .....the CEO of Skoda UK

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by oldstan

Mr Hazelwood just received my email as well as did Customer Services:

Dear mister Hazelwood I've ordered a Skoda Yeti in April 2010 (order number ********) and after a seven month wait I'm finally going to take delivery on Wednesday. A short while ago a new option became available which was the Electric Driver's seat in combination with electrically folding mirrors as a combined option of £500. I'm not really interested in the electric seat but since I have to negotiate a narrow parking space I added this to my order purely to get the electrically folding mirrors. A few owners have now started to pick up their Yetis with this option fitted and have found that the mirrors do not in fact electrically fold.

The wording might be seen as ambiguous (see the attached screen prints from the UK Yeti configurator) but this very option is also offered on the Octavia Elegance and the Superb Elegance. The wording reads:

Yeti Elegance (£0 option) "Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors with auto dimming, memory function and boarding-spots. The door mirrors can be electrically adjusted or folded in when parked, to avoid any knocks of scrapes."

For the Octavia and Superb it reads (Octavia Elegance £150 option): "Electrically adjustable, heated and foldable door mirrors with auto dimming and memory function (RHD)"

Thus I did not for one moment see any ambiguity in the Yeti's wording. You get the option on other Skodas and therefor I assumed (as did my dealer) that they will electrically fold. My dealer (Marlborough Skoda) said the same and it is also listed as such on my invoice (electrically folding mirrors).

I will perhaps find a use for the electric seats (set it once and then forget about it) but I did not want it. I only wanted the folding mirrors. We thus have a £500 problem here in making me one very "unhappy driver".

There are numerous other inconsistencies in the Skoda literature which I have pointed out to your customer services department (Reference: SD-2010/08-005701). None of these however have left me with a £500 hole in my pocket.

I would thus appreciate you urgently looking into this matter and how I can be refunded my £500 since according to the Trading Standards guidelines I did not get the item I was promised and have paid for.

I thank you for your time in reading this and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by 900000

I have never ever even once received such a prompt reply from SUK!

Thank you for your e mail which I have sent directly to my Head of Customer Services in order that he can investigate the issue immediately.

Please bear with us while we look into the problem you have highlighted.

Time will tell of course.

I have never ever even once received such a prompt reply from SUK!

Thank you for your e mail which I have sent directly to my Head of Customer Services in order that he can investigate the issue immediately.

Please bear with us while we look into the problem you have highlighted.

Time will tell of course.

They haven't replied to me yet and I have just been on to my dealer who (a) wasn't aware of any problem with electric mirrors (!) and ( tells me that my original build week 48 Yeti (ie next week) is still 'off system' with no projected build date! Looks like I'll need to keep polishing the Octy Scout for a bit yet ...

I have never ever even once received such a prompt reply from SUK!

Thank you for your e mail which I have sent directly to my Head of Customer Services in order that he can investigate the issue immediately.

Please bear with us while we look into the problem you have highlighted.

Time will tell of course.

No such prompt replies here either....and they do know about this....I spent an hour on the phone to them last week and, as you know, was told.....they don't power fold.

No such prompt replies here either....and they do know about this....I spent an hour on the phone to them last week and, as you know, was told.....they don't power fold.

But now I do have a reply as below - hopefully the pressure is building up at head office! keep sending the emails, co-conspirators!

Dear Mr Bennett

Thank for the email you sent me earlier this morning.

We are investigating the issue immediately and will get back to you shortly.

Thanks once again for bringing this to my personal attention.

Kind regards

Yep, similar reply here - not holding my breath for a substantive response though - they'll probably put my car build back a few more weeks and b*llock my dealer for having 'awkward' customers

But now I do have a reply as below - hopefully the pressure is building up at head office! keep sending the emails, co-conspirators!

Dear Mr Bennett

Thank for the email you sent me earlier this morning.

We are investigating the issue immediately and will get back to you shortly.

Thanks once again for bringing this to my personal attention.

And here's my reply received after a polite reminder to them requesting a response....

Thanks for your e mail. I have passed your note on to our Head of Customer Services who is immediately looking into the issue now.

We will get back to you shortly.

Thanks for your interest in the Škoda Yeti. It is a fantastic car(even though I say so myself!).

We will clarify your query in advance of you placing your order.

Thanks once again

Kind regards

I don't know what to expect now but, regrettably, am not holding my breath.

I have now written to Skoda as well:

Dear Mr Hazelwood.

I have ordered a Yeti which has now been made and is in transit to the UK. I am looking forward to taking delivery soon.

My order number is xxxxxxx

I have ordered my Yeti with the £500 electric seat and power folding mirror option, which my dealer, James Rothwell at Allams added to my order. James has been extremely helpful and is the best car salesman I have ever dealt with. My order states " Electric Memory Drivers Seat with Electric Folding Mirrors".

I wish to have the power folding mirrors option clarified, as it would appear that they are not power folding as ordered. Other Yeti owners who have specified this option do not appear to have power folding mirrors fitted. James is unable to clarify this either.

Your online configurator states "Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors with auto dimming, memory function and boarding-spots The door mirrors can be electrically adjusted or folded in when parked, to avoid any knocks of scrapes."

This to me means that the mirrors power fold.

Your brochure doesn't mention anything about electric seats, and many of the extras that are over and above the SE Specification that the Elegance has, like the drawer under the seat, which level of trim has the lid on the dash top mounted tray, the plastic film fitted to the rear wheel arches to name a few. The European Brochure is so much better.

This was an expensive option, which on other Skoda models is standard with leather seats - Octavia/Superb, having had an Octavia L&K before which had the leather and electric seats. My previous Octavia was too old to have the power fold mirrors which is now an option.

I will be very unhappy if my Yeti turns up very shortly without the power folding mirrors, as I spend a lot of time driving and parking around London, and need the power folding option.

You are shooting yourselves in the foot by not being consistent between your brochure and on-line configurator. You produce brilliant cars as a company, but you are not in the UK, very good at the marketing side in my opinion.

I look forward to receiving a reply by return.

I await a reply with interest.

Mike

In my mind - it's either a £500 refund or a free fix to make the mirrors fold?

Simples

In my mind - it's either a £500 refund or a free fix to make the mirrors fold?

Simples

Hmm... Does anyone know if it is possible to retrofit power folding mirrors to a Yeti? I know it is possible on an Octavia but not 100% sure on a Yeti?

In my mind - it's either a £500 refund or a free fix to make the mirrors fold?

Simples

Exactly my thinking. But oldstan pointed me to this thread of this exact same story that happened in February to people getting their Octavias without the folding mirrors as they thought they were getting! Seems SUK just refuses to learn from their mistakes:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/151016-electric-folding-mirrors-on-elegance/

And it was a definate no re retro-fitting them. Seems impossible to do and all we will get is £180 compensation of we are lucky... And SUK washing their little hands yet again and come Yeti II or Superb III I'm sure the same thing will happen again... pathetic to be honest. This is what happens when you let a bunch of housewives (that can't drive) run a car company's marketing department.

Our mastertech managed to retro-fit folding mirrors to a customers car using my demo as a donor!

EDIT- On an Octavia I mean!

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by Allams Skoda

Our mastertech managed to retro-fit folding mirrors to a customers car using my demo as a donor!

EDIT- On an Octavia I mean!

Ah thanks for that James. With modern wiring being what they are I can't see why it can't be done either. But I'm sure Skoda will let us know soon enough anyway.

Our mastertech managed to retro-fit folding mirrors to a customers car using my demo as a donor!

EDIT- On an Octavia I mean!

Can you tell that to Robert Hazelwood, CEO and Will Fisher, Senior Customer Service guy @ Head Office please. They've both replied to me this morning and are "looking in to it" following my request that they be retro fitted to existing and future fitted to.....future cars.

I too am waiting for an answer. Peter in customer services has promised to come back to me by end of tomorrow. No replies as of yet to my emails.

Mike