I've had my VRS for just over 10 months so it'll be due a service soon.

It's on a 57 plate (4.5 years old) with 54k miles so I'm debating whether to go main dealer or independent?

I don't like my local main dealer (Aldershot), they're unhelpful and something about their attitude makes me not trust them.

Looking for recommendations for an independent ~30 miles from Farnborough, Hampshire.

Ah in guildford and mgm milford recommended.

I.use allams epsom. With briskoda discount price is similar

Ah in guildford and mgm milford recommended.

I.use allams epsom. With briskoda discount price is similar

Do NOT go to Camberley seat & skoda, apart from Richard, they have a terrible attitude and are bloody expensive to boot! Stitched up my ex's Leon a treat which ended up with a £600 extra bill which they wriggled out of.

Dunno if they're comparable but Martin's VW in Farnham (used to be Barnett & Small) have always been a brilliant garage for me while I had my G60. Unfortunately, since i've had my Octy, i've not been there simply because i've been going to Skoda dealers cos it's been under warranty since new which was 2008. In that time, Martin's bought it out so I don't know what it's like now, but if the staff are all the same, it'll be good.

White's VW in Camberley is pretty poor, and Ridgeway VW in Reading is even worse!!

But, dependant on if you wanna go this far, I've been going to Parkview Skoda in Reading since they opened up a year or two ago and they are absolutely brilliant, can't speak highly enough of them for customer service. A couple of times they've not sorted something out straight away or it needed a return visit to tweek summat, but it's always got there in the end, the car is well cleaned when it comes back, and they're very helpful with finding out techie type stuff for me too. Definitely my dealer of choice.

Only been to Garland in Aldershot once, and they seemed okay, but that was the service department: the sales bit in the town centre didn't seem that interested in selling me a brand new L&K and gave me the highest price of ANY Skoda dealer I called: about £1500 more than what I ended up paying!

These are all dealers, cos i've been under warranty until september last year so don't know any independants in the area. I USED to go to Fleet Autos in St James' Road, Fleet, who are really friendly, helpful (had a couple of issues on different cars which they checked out for free or for absolute peanuts) and VERY cheap, but occasionally they can't do absolutely everything, depending on how in-depth and technical it is, but from experience what they couldn't do was no different to any other independant. They are brilliant for most things though and would definitely consider going there again for servicing and whatnot.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and if you're looking to go to a dealer, give us a shout... i've got £100 in Skoda vouchers that i'm unlikely to use before they expire in June (unless it's something frivalous) and getting dosh for them would be very useful!

Edited 16 January, 201214 yr by blackspaven

Thanks for the heads up, I'm going to ring around a few garages to quotes but will probably end up going independent.

I've used MDM before, very good so may go that route again.

Did a search and these guys also get good reviews

VAS Motion

AH Autos

VAS in Guildford are highly regarded. Not the cheapest, but good.

The other garage in your links needs to learn where to use an apostrophe - draw your own conclusions.

Garland thought they might like to charge me £100 to convert my Superb's headlamps to vertical dip - £200 per continental trip. You can do it yourself in 10 minutes by moving the levers with a bent screwdriver. I've never been back.

rotodiesel.

Edited 19 January, 201214 yr by rotodiesel

Skoda have an offer on £299 incl. 2 services and mot failure cover.

Edited 19 January, 201214 yr by thewill

Got a price for a standard variable service last week and Skoda was cheaper than two independants. Never expected that to happen.

VAS in Guildford are highly regarded. Not the cheapest, but good.

The other garage in your links needs to learn where to use an apostrophe - draw your own conclusions.

Garland thought they might like to charge me £100 to convert my Superb's headlamps to vertical dip - £200 per continental trip. You can do it yourself in 10 minutes by moving the levers with a bent screwdriver. I've never been back.

rotodiesel.

Are you saying a garage may be poor based on poor grammar on their websites? Seems a rather dumb conclusion

Independent for me next week saving over £60 from main dealer and its only round the corner not miles away.

Ive used AH Autos quite a few times when the cars are out of warranty, always excellent service.

Travelled there from Winchester & definately worth it, especially when more complicated work than just servicing needs to be done. They have a great knowledge base, excellent mechanical skills and charge fairly for work done

Edited 20 January, 201214 yr by Stuart_J

I'm a bit weary using an Indy shortly after the manufacturer's warranty runs out. My last car was a Vauxhall Zafira and the DPF packed up after a differential pressure sensor fault. The bill came to £1500 but the real kick in the teeth was when the Main dealer looked at the service history he saw that I had the last minor service (Oil and filter) done at a local Indy. If it had a full Vauxhall service history, Vauxhall would have paid at least half of that cost....so the marginally cheaper Indy service cost me £750. :'(

I bought my vRS in Worthing, but my local Skoda is Garlands in Aldershot. Reading some of these posts is putting me off going there for my service when needed. Are they really that bad?

I bought my vRS in Worthing, but my local Skoda is Garlands in Aldershot. Reading some of these posts is putting me off going there for my service when needed. Are they really that bad?

Try & get a balanced view, people always tend to post bad experiences but often not good ones. If a main dealer is bad Skoda will usually get on the case if they get lots of bad reports so its not in the dealers interest to be blatantly bad. I find its always worth building a relationship with a dealer & then you tend to get looked after better. Winchester Skoda have been great for me, sometimes doing far more than I would expect. They also own Garland so hopefully some of the good rubs off their as well. Garlands dealer review on this site seems pretty favourable as well. http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/35090-garland-motors-aldershot/

Edited 21 January, 201214 yr by Stuart_J

I bought my vRS in Worthing, but my local Skoda is Garlands in Aldershot. Reading some of these posts is putting me off going there for my service when needed. Are they really that bad?

I've both bought new, and had services in the past, from Clarion in Worthing and found them good - ex main dealer but now indy. They seem to know exactly what they are doing and apparently warranty is not affected if servicing is done by an established, VAT paying garage.

Ok, thanks for the feedback. I will probably go to them as its only 3 miles down the road, and it won't be for a while anyway.

I've been ringing around for quotes

Skoda Aldershot - £399 for service plus £289(current offer) for cam belt not including water pump, that's £100 extra if it needs doing

Skoda Reading - £264 for service plus £532 for cam belt including water pump

Independent - £250 for service, waiting on price for cam belt.

That's for an inspection service plus all filters (oil,air,pollen,fuel) and spark plugs. According to my service handbook

I've decided to do the service myself using oem parts, will get either Skoda or an Indy to do the cam belt dependant on quotes.

That price for an inspection service seems a bit over the top,my dealer quoted 270 pounds for 40,000 mile forth service ,also 350 for cambelt only which I thought a bit steep.

Some cheaper dealer prices up here in Yorkshire if you fancy a day out on Leeds or York spending what you just saved

http://www.dmkeith.c...tersales-offers

Or get your local dealer to match these.

Edited 26 January, 201214 yr by Web Ferret

I'm a bit weary using an Indy shortly after the manufacturer's warranty runs out. My last car was a Vauxhall Zafira and the DPF packed up after a differential pressure sensor fault. The bill came to £1500 but the real kick in the teeth was when the Main dealer looked at the service history he saw that I had the last minor service (Oil and filter) done at a local Indy. If it had a full Vauxhall service history, Vauxhall would have paid at least half of that cost....so the marginally cheaper Indy service cost me £750. :'(

i think thats wrong my self.

It seems as if you are bullied into gettin the car serviced at a dealer even though technically you dont need to.

I've been ringing around for quotes

Skoda Aldershot - £399 for service plus £289(current offer) for cam belt not including water pump, that's £100 extra if it needs doing

Skoda Reading - £264 for service plus £532 for cam belt including water pump

Independent - £250 for service, waiting on price for cam belt.

That's for an inspection service plus all filters (oil,air,pollen,fuel) and spark plugs. According to my service handbook

I've decided to do the service myself using oem parts, will get either Skoda or an Indy to do the cam belt dependant on quotes.

Why don't you ask Parkview in Reading if they'll match the Garland deal for the cam belt? They're pretty accomodating, you never know... Jason or Andy are the two main guys in there.

Why don't you ask Parkview in Reading if they'll match the Garland deal for the cam belt? They're pretty accomodating, you never know... Jason or Andy are the two main guys in there.

Good idea, thanks, I'll give that a try.

Parkview tried but could not price match Garland in Aldershot.

Have relented and booked the car in at Garland this Friday, £389 all in was the best I could find.