First Service - Disaster

[Charlieian]

Booked my 1.8TSI 4x4 SE+ for it's first service last week - £218 for an oil change! Never mind needed doing and at the sort of price you may well have the reassurance of quality service - wrong!

Whilst in their care they damaged the car (reversed into something) causing scrapes to rear o/s wing and bumper. Whilst they seemed to take pride in 'at least we've been honest', they offered no compensation other than repair. I had to push to get a parking dent repaired (some careless moron with their car door), even then only offered half (which amounts to £30).

Then to compound it: repair was arranged for yesterday, which they cancelled local traffic (A2) problems; apparently paint man couldn't get to dealer in time! So now have to rearrange for next week with all the inconvenience that entails - arrgh!

Thanks for listening to rant - have I been unlucky or is this common place?

Dealer identity deliberately left out at his stage - I'm going to give them a chance - am I too kind?

Ian

[hmibennett]

Dealer identity deliberately left out at his stage - I'm going to give them a chance - am I too kind?

Ian

Yes. This is poor service - even assuming the damage was a genuine accident, they should have been falling over themselves to put it all right at no cost to you as quickly as possible. Businesses like this don't deserve to survive.

[Skoda Al Coda]

Hard to say without actually being in your shoes. Initial reaction is that I would demand compensation but, if I was approached apologetically & diplomatically by dealer, I might be tempted to just put a hand on his shoulder & say "**** happens, just fix it please".

I would certainly want to keep my options open, though, particularly if metallic paint. I'd suggest making it very clear that you're disappointed with their lack of care, but that you'll let if go if the repair is absolutely, 100% invisible in all lights & from all angles. Make it clear that you reserve the right to demand compensation if there is any trace of repair & that you'll pursue it with SUK if that turns out to be the case.

[leckman]

My first service was less than perfect but it was not a complete horror show like yours.Hope you get everything sorted ASAP.

[Yeti_Man]

Hang on, I haven't got past the first bit yet... £218 for the oil change and inspection service?!? Oh my! Id love to know how they earned the additional £128 over what I paid for the first service on my 1.8tsi Yeti!

[r999]

I paid £103 for the first service, done while I waited. That price included the expensive long-life oil for variable service intervals.

[speedsport]

£199.60 for my first (variable) service.

£225.00 for the second (variable) service, plus £45 for the MOT. (1.8TSi)

£43.81 for the brake fluid change after 2 years.

Seems to be the going rate round here (Gtr Manchester), but a lot more than I was led to believe when I was originally looking to buy the Yeti 3 years ago.

[notyeti]

I went to the effort of asking 3 skoda main dealers within 25 miles of me for an estimate for a first service. All in, labour, consumables, pick up car, and vat, the same service ranged from £83 to £192. That speaks for itself.

[hmibennett]

So it would appear the anonymous (as yet!) dealer has charged you well above the going price for the service in addition to damaging your car and quibbling about meeting all the repair costs and expenses/inconvenience involved. I say: name and shame and tell him that the story has been broadcast on this site (some mildly critical information I put on about my dealer a couple of years back resulted in immediate contact, apologies, and improvements to the service that I have noted on subsequent visits: dealers are aware of the power of this site!).

[P6bJOHN]

I know time moves on, but 12yrs ago I had a Suzuki Vitara damaged on its first service. Appleyards Suzuki at Keighley, they rang me, asked me to see the damage, had it painted to an invisible match, gave me 2 free services and a towbar with twin electrics as compensation. It was only a small dent on the osr corner and a punctured spare tyre (which they also replaced). New Suzuki demo whilst it was repaired. That's why they got repeat customers.

[ernieb]

I know time moves on, but 12yrs ago I had a Suzuki Vitara damaged on its first service. Appleyards Suzuki at Keighley, they rang me, asked me to see the damage, had it painted to an invisible match, gave me 2 free services and a towbar with twin electrics as compensation. It was only a small dent on the osr corner and a punctured spare tyre (which they also replaced). New Suzuki demo whilst it was repaired. That's why they got repeat customers.

Good customer service and I'm sure you recommended them afterwards? Accidents happen, its how we deal with them that gets remembered.

[United 11]

the price is steep and damaging the car is totally bang out, my 2008 1.9 TDI octavia classic(don't have it any more) was serviced at parks Skoda of Hamlton in 2010 and i was charged £300!! for a oil change and oil and air filter plus a sump plug, and then had the cheek to charge me another £10 to put the hose in the boot back on for the rear wiper scoosh , just gave him £300 and he accepted it and when i went out to get to my car there was a score on the offside back bumper and wasn't there when i delivered it and the space in the car park is very tight but didn't want to go back in to argue, and for its next service i took it to Henry's skoda Glasgow and the service is much better everyone is polite its allot cheaper and they even gave the car a wash yes its a longer trek for me 35 mile round trip compared to parks of a 13 mile round trip but henrys is well worth it.

[Charlieian]

Thanks for the replies the cost of the service is kind of what I expected: New, very flash show room within close proximity of London. I think these 'type' of large dealers tend to deal with a lot of lease and company customers and consequently ramp up their prices. I've also got a Fabia and use a small specialist independent (Whitehills in Meopham) for that, they are a lot cheaper and the service is top rate. Just wanted to make sure there were no warranty issues by taking it back to the supplying dealer.

So I knew what I was getting into with the price, but what's shocked me is the quality of service - I agree with others that have posted - it's when something goes wrong this is tested!

I think I will wait till after repair Thurs before naming dealer that way can honestly report the dealers performance - although those close to me ( N Kent) may have worked it out!

[angrybeard]

With Meopham said to be your local independent leaves me to think the mentioned dealers might possibly be near a large Bridge...!

Edited 16 March, 2013 by angrybeard

[fireblade]

After waiting 8 months and two weeks for my yeti to arrive I booked it in with my local dealer( did not buy from them) to have a genuine dog guard to be fitted ( car 1 week old ) the dealer damaged the rear bumper to which the reply was , well you've got a dog it's going to be damaged anyway!!! To cut a long story short, I was called a liar and that I had done the damage myself, finally agreed on a new bumper of which I paid £40 to the cost of and I refused them to fit it...... They will never see any money from me ever again, oh previously to this I had also bought a car from them for £23000...... Name and shame?

[Skoda Al Coda]

Name and shame?

Think you should decide for yourself but, if you are going to (& same goes for OP) you should do it with an honest & open account over at the 'Dealers' section. It will quickly become lost & buried if reported here.

[jeep]

I always get the service man to look round the car with me when leaving it for a service, then we can agree no damage was done prior to the service and there can then be no arguments on responsibility if something happens during servicing.

[bluecar1]

maistone or gillingham?

[DaveLees]

Looking at OPs location, he could go to MSB when back 'up north'. They give good value, good service (£180 for 2 year service with long life oil and brake fluid change).

[hmibennett]

MSB is the dealer I referred to as having been a bit off the pace a few years back but listened and has given excellent service ever since. Recommended.

[vRSRG]

Yep.........I agree totally with Andrew and DaveLees. Use MSB in Darlington. Really down to Earth honest dealership.

[speedsport]

Right on cue - just after having my Yeti serviced before the warranty runs out - what drops through the letterbox but a card from Skoda offering fixed price servicing for cars 3 years (after first MOT) to 10 years old.

The maximum price is £129 for a 12 month/10,000 mile fixed interval service, or £249 for a 24 month/20,000 mile one. And an MOT is £39.

They point out that dealers cannot charge more than this but may charge less if they wish. Interesting!

[Charlieian]

Thanks for all the comments regarding the post - yes I think I will change the location for servicing from the SE to the NE in future, as MSB in Darlo has been recommended!

As promised now the 'issues' have now been resolved dealer was (tadah!) Motorline in Dartford. Yesterday they picked the car up from me (no courtesy car) and repaired the scratches to the rear o/s wing and bumper, additionally repairing a parking dent to n/s front doo, then returned car. All the repairs were conducted to a high standard and are completely invisible from all angles. I had to contribute half amount to dent repair to door, whilst not deep, it was a double crease (why do people show such disregard for someone else's property - makes me seethe!). The dealer has additionally offered me a free wash in a couple of weeks when paint has hardened.

So to summarise: paid top rate for the service, they damaged the car, but have now repaired all damage with some inconvenience to me, which they tried to mitigate by picking car up and dropping it back repaired. Positives: they readily admitted to causing damage and conducted repairs to a very high standard. Negatives: service was expensive and damage indicates lack of care (or does **** happen?), repair was cancelled once (reasonable explanation provided) and rearranged and I don't think the dealer went the extra mile to prevent my inconvenience. Total compensation was half contribution to passenger door dent - £30 + a free wash promise (don't think I will be taking it up though!).

Have to say the dent to the door (done by one of these 'dent' fairies with paintless repair) was to a very high standard - amazing. I also didn't think they would be able remove the scratches to the plastic (textured) bumper - but they did.

Regards

Ian

[rarrar]

Glad to hear you got it sorted, but dont think they even made the distance let alone the "extra mile."

I would have expected them at least to offer you a free service or not to charge you for the last one and I would still be tempted to write to their CEO and ask for something for the inconvenience and loss of value .

A free wash is often thrown in with a service of for some minor inconvenience by many car dealers.

[Arkaig]

A free wash is often thrown in with a service of for some minor inconvenience by many car dealers.

A free wash after a service is expected as part of Skoda's "Customer Promise" - see http://www.skoda.co.uk/Why-SKODA/customer-promise/default.