Originally posted by LadyLoki in this post

And yes, other Skoda Europe companies do underwrite the cost of agreeing mods; we in the UK don't because we've heard too many horror stories.

Are these horror stories about cowboys modifiers, or from the European Skodas who have allowed mods?

Rob.

Cannot believe I posted that. You can tell I just had a row with them can't you?

Keep it up Niki!!

You might want to edit the post, LadyLoki, just in case "someone else" is reading...

The way Skoda are going at the moment, I suspect my next car purchase (which will probably be in about 2 years time) won't be a Skoda.

Originally posted by Witchfinder in this post

The way Skoda are going at the moment, I suspect my next car purchase (which will probably be in about 2 years time) won't be a Skoda.

Traitor... :p

What do you need with a more powerful car anyway?

Rob.

Originally posted by robmawer in this post

Are these horror stories about cowboys modifiers, or from the European Skodas who have allowed mods?

Both, Rob. There was a horrid story doing the rounds about 5 months ago about a modded car in Spain basically going schizoid on the Spanish motorway (the name for those eludes me right now) and causing a pileup. Thankfully nobody was killed.

When the investigations were done, it surfaced that the chip was adding only 15bhp to the car and the fitting had been bodged terribly. Last I heard, the driver was facing prosecution for failing to mantaining his car properly, and a prison sentence of 5 years. Not good huh?

Got a number for warranty?

I feel like venting at them.

I have had to replace 6 coil packs, at my own expense as VAG in their infinite wisdom couldn't supply them to Skoda dealers, so by phoning round I've had to buy them from Audi, VW and Seat dealers.

I now want them all replaced with type L ones, but oh no, due to their ineptitude and me not wanting to have my car off the road for 15 weeks whilst they try to sort it out so going and buying them, they have no record of the failures.

Sorry, just felt the need for a rant

Originally posted by Tavia4x4 in this post

Keep it up Niki!!

Oh you should hear me on the phone to them... Queen Bitch from Hell at the best of times. Grrrr.

Originally posted by TaviaRS in this post

Got a number for warranty?

I feel like venting at them.

I have had to replace 6 coil packs, at my own expense as VAG in their infinite wisdom couldn't supply them to Skoda dealers, so by phoning round I've had to buy them from Audi, VW and Seat dealers.

I now want them all replaced with type L ones, but oh no, due to their ineptitude and me not wanting to have my car off the road for 15 weeks whilst they try to sort it out so going and buying them, they have no record of the failures.

Sorry, just felt the need for a rant

Ah the coil pack problem of earlier this year. You should have called me, you know- we were given free rein to aiuthorise hire cars due to VAG's monumental fackup in not having obtained enough coil packs. Still, you know next time eh?

Ring Barry at Warranty and go ballistic... he deserves it!!! Wish I could give you the number!

excellent!

Originally posted by LadyLoki in this post

Originally posted by robmawer in this post

When the investigations were done, it surfaced that the chip was adding only 15bhp to the car and the fitting had been bodged terribly. Last I heard, the driver was facing prosecution for failing to mantaining his car properly, and a prison sentence of 5 years. Not good huh?

Not good indeed. However, was this a factory approved chip? If more manufacturers offered modifications, the cowboys would lose out on business and suffer financially. Unless people start to buy manufacturers' modified cars, then deciding they can push it further by going to a dodgy place.

With regard to the Spanish chappy not maintaining his car properly - this doesn't sound like the fact it was modified being blamed at all! Seems no different from if he had an accident using bald tyres...

Rob.

Originally posted by robmawer in this post

Traitor... :p

Loyalty is earned, not freely given to the undeserving. If Skoda don't build the type of car I want, then I don't buy their cars. Judging by current trends, the next generation Octavia will have about as much balls as a eunuch.

What do you need with a more powerful car anyway?

So I can bloody well keep up with Ian!

Yeah, a hire car, of comparable price/spec, for 15 weeks at 1,500 miles per week

Bet it would have been sorted really quickly. I gather Audi spent a fortune on hire cars as they ran out of dealer stock to give out as "loaners"

Originally posted by Witchfinder in this post

So I can bloody well keep up with Ian!

But Ian's driving a Skoda, and an estate at that!

I take your point on the feeling that the next Octavia will be a bit gutless, but isn't that due to emissions legislation, etc? There seems to be a growing trend to produce cars with bigger engines and more horsepower that don't go as fast...

Rob.

You'd get rid off precisely these sort of problems by supplying factory-approved chips installed by certified engineers at the official dealers.

If I may make a bold comparison with the Dutch policy with regards to soft drugs - we have legalized their use with the aim of taking them out of the dodgy suppliers' hands and get control over their distribution. As a result, our drug-related health problems are the lowest in Europe, whereas they remain a big cost factor in other countries where it is still a crime and business is run by underground cowboys. The policy would work even better if the rest of the EU would follow... (BTW, I'm not intending to start a political debate on drugs here!)

I suspect this Spanish case is a cowboy installation. A shame we don't have a Spanish member to check whether Skoda Spain have any kind of authorized supply set-up similar to Skoda NL or GR.

Originally posted by LadyLoki in this post

But that's not how Skoda see it Ian- if you fitted a chip, you messed with the control system of the car... it's brain, if you like. Therefore you ignored our advice, so we have discharged our responsibility to you. It sucks the Devil's big fat one, sure, but *that* as I say is why *we* are here to argue with Warranty.

Who for the record are miserable ******s incapable of normal human conversation.

you are aware that in court skoda(uk) would lose and would be forced to repair the car under warranty.... other mfrs/ dealers have been challenged and lost (inc TVR and Porsche)

Rob (witchfinder - ok, actually, I have never, but it has always bothered me - where did that name come from?)

Thursday night pace is just about knowing the roads, and I do know those roads.

See you tomorrow then, you'll soon get to know the route....

Originally posted by Dutch4x4 in this post

...we have legalized their use with the aim of taking them out of the dodgy suppliers' hands and get control over their distribution. As a result, our drug-related health problems are the lowest in Europe, whereas they remain a big cost factor in other countries where it is still a crime and business is run by underground cowboys.

Mattijs, can you name another country in Europe which agrees with your policy? And am I wrong in thinking that Holland is getting a bad reputation with its neighbours for being one of the major sources of illegal (once they cross the border) drugs in Europe? :(

the drugs thing always worries me... i dont use them... but im not bothered by those that do... ditto smoking..extreme sports..alchohol.. all in moderation.. all are addictive.. i will need modding rehab soon and it will ruin my life/marriage/friends etc... should they ban it?

We had some scary car hire bills for Audi -- including one that came to nearly £4K !!!!,average we had was around 2-2.5K per car,plus the £3,000 they paid us for off site storage for the 75 cars we had for 3 months......

LadyLoki

As has been said if a part that was NOT related to mod's failed I would be very peed off -- and I suspect if it went legal I would win.

Originally posted by DGW in this post

Mattijs, can you name another country in Europe which agrees with your policy? And am I wrong in thinking that Holland is getting a bad reputation with its neighbours for being one of the major sources of illegal (once they cross the border) drugs in Europe? :(

Denis, no, I can't, and no, you're right, and I'm very sorry for both. The thing is, why should we give in and adopt a wrong policy just because everyone has?

But as I said, I don't want to start a debate on drugs. I was merely using it to show that regulation and facilitation are more effective ways of policing abuse than simply making things illegal.

ok, dragging the tone lower (hey, it's why I'm here) - wasn't there some pretty clear links between:

Legal availability of pornography.

Legal availability of prostitution \ brothels.

Lower number of rape victims.

From the outside, it's easy to be envious of the Dutch attitude to chipping, drugs, etc, as they seem to be live and let live.

Just cos something isn't for me, I see no reason in stopping anyone else.

best way to make something popular is to ban it...

look at al quaeda.....

Originally posted by Tavia4x4 in this post

Just cos something isn't for me, I see no reason in stopping anyone else.

What about driving with fog lights on when it's not foggy?

Rob.

This is the wrong place for this but:

Hard drugs are addictive

Hard drugs are not cheap

The addict will need money to feed their habit

Unless they are millionaires or very well paid eventually they will turn to crime

Hard drugs will kill you in the end

I don't want my children to get a drug habit

While I can understand the "live and let live" attitude up to a point I'm not sure how you can use that argument to help you keep drugs out of schools, and keep addicts from turning to criminal activities to finance their habit.