Just a little story, of how I owned a Octavia VRS for about a month! And now I dont!

Having looked a few times at a VRS I eventually bought a very nice 59 plate 2.0 FSI from a main Skoda dealer. It was 2.5 years old and only done 19k and 1 owner, declared new at first registered on the V5

I got the car home and looked all through the books and service manual etc, I noticed a foreign stamp on the first page, and big words saying 2 year warranty!

The next day I went back to the dealer and showed the service book and asked, they replied it was PDI'ed where it was manufactured and nothing to worry about. They would look into why it said about the 2 year warranty.

Several times I asked the dealer to confirm and when I looked up the garage on the Internet, I discovered it was in Malta (guess where this is going yet?)

I again spoke to the dealer and never really had an answer. Then the Skoda extended warranty arrived in the post, which covered a period of 6 months after the 3 year Skoda warranty ran out. I rang the warranty company to ask about the time from now until this warranty kicked in. They did some research and told me that as the car was an import the Skoda extended warranty would not cover my car!

Next I rang Skoda customer services, things did not start well when they could not find my car from the registration number and had to use the VIN number. They found it was an import and as such not a UK spec car, and the Skoda warranty was only 2 years. Normally the 3rd year is covered by Skoda UK.

They were most surprised to learn that I had bought the car from a main franchise dealer.

The next day I contacted the dealer and again received little response.

After a number of conversations with Skoda UK and the dealer, I was eventually offered a different warranty but still no recognition of the car being an import and in my eyes worth less and also not the car I have been sold! They told me they were perfectly happy with the sale of the car and infact they knew it was an import or they would of not given me the service book! They could not recall actually telling me the car was an import and also mentioned it was priced to reflect this. In my opinion the car was priced very much in line with other similar UK spec cars at other dealers.

I was then given a choice of their warranty and no compensation, categorically no compensation / negotiation or return the car and collect my old car back (which was still on their forecourt)

After visiting a couple of other dealers who were amazed at my story and said they would not touch my car I decided to return the car, I now have my old car back!

The v5 started new at first registration, so be warned, do some checking! Check the PDI, ring up skoda UK and ask they to confirm the car is a full UK spec and warranted car.

I believe that they never picked up the fact the car was an import (rather than the dealer misselling me the car) – I accept mistakes happen and my preferred choice was to come to some deal, there was no issue with the car itself, just its past! I was very disappointed in there lack of admitting a mistake had been made and also feel they have been very short sited as I will not go back there for service etc, Also one dealer I told this story to said - you have a good experience you tell and few people, you have a bad one and how many do you tell!

So currently on the look out for a new VRS, from a different dealer, how short sited of them!

A blessing in disguise; you've avoided the 2.0FSI

The Malta import isn't that uncommon, as are ones coming in from the Rep of Ireland. Motorpoint have sold quite a few of the Malta cars; they had a large batch of them they were working through, but that must have been 3 or so years ago.

Perfectly legitimate, although the main downside is the warranty position as you discovered.

well looking at spending a bit more this time and getting a FL model with the TSi engine in!

Yea I found on here about the car supermarkets buying the cars in from Malta and other places, cheers

If they offered you a warranty the same as if it had been a non import then I don't see the problem. Ok they should of known and therefore told you, and yes it's annoying, but if the car was in good condition and the spec you wanted what does it matter? Assuming you will be keeping it for a few years the effect on residual value will diminish over time.

I suspect it came in through a car supermarket, probably motorpoint.

If they offered you a warranty the same as if it had been a non import then I don't see the problem. Ok they should of known and therefore told you, and yes it's annoying, but if the car was in good condition and the spec you wanted what does it matter? Assuming you will be keeping it for a few years the effect on residual value will diminish over time.

I suspect it came in through a car supermarket, probably motorpoint.

Agree.I can,t see any problem.I would have kept it myself.

Agree.I can,t see any problem.I would have kept it myself.

I agree I'd of kept it too,iv bought lots of jap import sports cars !