Dealer experience

[Hector]

Anyone had any dealings with Inverness Skoda since Arnold clark took over

[Gizmo]

Miles away from me, but I have yet to hear a good report about Arnold Clark

[Aspman]

AC is never usually a good thing.

Still worth a look if you go in with your eyes open.

Thomson and Potter near Perth might be worth a visit.

[JohnMcL7]

Funny you should ask this as I was thinking of posting a similar topic. So far my experience with them is poor, I phoned them to ask if they were doing the 2 for £299 service offer and if not how much a service would cost. The person didn't know and said they'd find out and phone me back, they phoned me back later to say they didn't know if there were any special offers, they gave me two different prices on servicing but weren't sure which were correct or how much a service would cost and they didn't know when they would the car could come in for a service. I was just gobsmacked how useless they were with something simple like servicing? Admittedly that seems an Arnold Clark special, they kept doing this nonsense when they booked my last car in for a service and sent me the date/time (despite never being in touch) and kept phoning to see if I'd be bringing the car in but as I was on shift never spoke to them. When I phoned them back it took multiple calls to get a hold of them and again unsure what the servicing costs would be despite all these bold claims about their low costs...needless to say the car ended up with the local Seat dealer who actually seem to under customer service.

More recently the car is showing a flashing glow plug icon but it was intermittent and seems to be an electrical/sensor issue rather than an actual fault with the car. Given they seem hopeless over the phone I took the car to them when the error was showing and explained the situation that it was intermittent and currently showing but they couldn't look at it, I could try and come back later despite explaining the manual said to take the car straight to a dealer if this happened and the car was switching to limp home mode. I came back later when the error wasn't showing and they said to me they probably wouldn't be able to do anything when the error wasn't showing...argh! Despite telling them I thought it was electrical and wanted them to have a proper look at the car rather than just do diags (which I'd done myself already) they just hooked it up to the computer, said it was all fine and charged me £40 for the privilege. The error is still showing.

I'd wanted to maintain the car's Skoda service history but I don't think I'll ever to be taking it back to Inverness Skoda/Arnold Clark as they seem hopeless in every way, I'd considered taking it all the way back down to Skoda Broxburn in Edinburgh as they did the car's timing belt and their attitude is completely different to the Inverness garage. However a 320 mile round trip to keep a Skoda service seems a bit much particularly as I think it won't matter so much as the car is approaching five years old and will be quite a bit older when I sell it. I'd certainly trust my usual mechanic with the car far more than a dealer garage, I've considered going to the local Seat garage as their service was good with my previous car but I don't know if it's worth the extra for the name in the service history book.

Admittedly I didn't think much of them under the previous management either, I ended up in a 'debate' whether a certain part existed and was available for the VRS even with the brochure showing the option. I asked about an audio accessory and the salesperson had no idea, thankfully this forum exists because I would be stuffed if relying on a Skoda garage. I just don't understand how salespeople whose job is to sell cars can know so little about the cars they're selling.

John

[fabdavrav]

said it was all fine and charged me £40 for the privilege. The error is still showing.

John

I have a "memoscan" device which is like a small VAGCOM if you need to look at the fault code!

I've managed to train them my way...but I don't take bull crap from anyone and tend to find out first before I ask! The old parts bloke and the old head mechanic (Peter) were pretty good...the sales lad I bought my car from was to....but none of them are there now. Best to ask the parts bloke......mind you he is a bit unsure sometimes!! And then I do think that things are going a bit downhill....this is why I do all my own servicing bar the belts.

Edited 31 May, 2011 by fabdavrav

[KenONeill]

I've never heard anything positive about Dalmore, or about AC workshops. In fact, when I bought mine (car was what I wanted and the price was right), the salesman flat-out admitted that he never knew from one month to the next which make half of AC's garages sold!

[JohnMcL7]

I have a "memoscan" device which is like a small VAGCOM if you need to look at the fault code!

Thanks for the offer, I've already read the fault codes myself (they weren't different when the error on the dashboard was showing) but didn't want to say that to the Skoda dealer as I didn't think they'd appreciate me doing that to the car as end users aren't supposed to.

I've managed to train them my way...but I don't take bull crap from anyone and tend to find out first before I ask! The old parts bloke and the old head mechanic (Peter) were pretty good...the sales lad I bought my car from was to....but none of them are there now. Best to ask the parts bloke......mind you he is a bit unsure sometimes!! And then I do think that things are going a bit downhill....this is why I do all my own servicing bar the belts.

To be fair I guess I didn't deal the garage that much although I don't think that's any excuse for the staff that didn't know what they were doing. The difficulty with servicing is that I have a warranty for the car and you have to prove the servicing with bills from garages, needless to say the car's going in for a service tomorrow with my mechanic and will not be returning to Skoda Inverness again. I think this is Arnold Clark's first Skoda garage? If so, Skoda should be making sure it's the last but I doubt they really care.

John

[JohnMcL7]

Amusing enough I was speaking to the former servicing manager from Skoda who now works at the mechanic I take my car to, he didn't have much positive to say about the current Skoda garage.

Hector - why do you ask?

John

[fabdavrav]

Amusing enough I was speaking to the former servicing manager from Skoda who now works at the mechanic I take my car to, he didn't have much positive to say about the current Skoda garage.

Which garage does he now work at...this usual one that you use???

[Hector]

Amusing enough I was speaking to the former servicing manager from Skoda who now works at the mechanic I take my car to, he didn't have much positive to say about the current Skoda garage.

Hector - why do you ask?

John

Hi John,I am aproaching a big service, and have not heard too many good things about AC

[JohnMcL7]

fabdavrav - Yep, he'd commented that the price for the service was much better than Skoda to which I replied I hadn't been able to book the car in there at all.

Hector - Slightly tougher call for you I guess with a newer car but I certainly won't be taking mine back to Delmore.

John

[Hector]

Thanks for all your replys guys,sadly Delmore do not seem to be one of the better dealers, perhaps AC will lose Skoda,as they seem to have Citroen,in Inverness

[JohnMcL7]

They've only just got Skoda (and I think it's their first Skoda franchises?) so I would expect them to have it for a minimum period of time, I've heard a rumour they're planning to shuffle things around a bit which means Skoda won't be staying in that garage.

John

[fabdavrav]

I've heard a rumour they're planning to shuffle things around a bit which means Skoda won't be staying in that garage.

I wonder if thet'll move it to the "car mile" nearer to Hawco??? What I would like to know is why Hawco didn't buy it!