Hi guys, i bought my fabia VRs brand new back in 2011, from palmers skoda watford. at the same time i purchased a 3 year 'palmers' service plan. this gave me 3 years annual service costs and a few extras, Of which i paid extra  for replacement tyres (4) and new set of brake pads and discs (front). This gave me a monthly cost of £29.88 per month. which in total came to something along the lines of 1075, which is pretty dear but i thought 3 years of motoring without having to pay anymore for breakdown things...

 

the other day i get a letter through the post saying that palmers skoda has been taken over by city gate, and that my service plan has ceased to exist, as they cannot transfer the service plan over (as they do not want to take it on, i was told). the letter told me that i had credit in the service plan, somehow, even though i pay on a monthly basis so i was curious how that works, and what happens as they have broken my 3 year contract. The letter stated i had £5 credit which was a joke...

 

I have rung up palmers today to complain... as after 2 years, i have only had 2 annual services and 2 new tyres from my service plan... from which i have paid £717.12 for the two years... I stated that that didn't seem good value for money for me and after a 20 minute heated discussion on the phone and going over the numbers, said that i had paid vat twice or something, so instead i am getting paid another ~£90 to balance the sheets...

 

so i guess i should be 'happy' with what i have got, as i have 'paid' for what i have got, not got what i have paid for tho... as i had 2 new front brakes and 2 new tyres left on my plan...

 

My biggest question though and i did state this on the phone, because i signed a contract for 3 years, and thus paid a higher premium with the knowledge that the 3rd year of motoring would put a greater stress on the cars well being, them terminating the contract early am i entitled to compensation, or anything like that as i presumed there was a contingency fund for payouts, to which she stated they do not have! I payed the premium for the 3 years, and if i knew it was a 2 year service plan then i probably wouldn't have gone for it! Granted they cannot read the future, but to just terminate the contract just like that and expect me to take it, i feel a bit hard done by!!! thus why i am asking for any legal help!

 

Many thanks, Max.

Edited 12 July, 201312 yr by max25591

Go speak to CAB or a solicitor rather than rely on us lot.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Is the Plan, & the financial arrangement with them,

or a Finance Company, who underwrites the deal.?

Were they just an agent doing the Servicing?

 

You need to go through the 'Terms & Conditions', and all the paper work you have.

Then maybe Citizens Advice Centre or a Solicitor/Legal Advisor.

Check with your 'Local Trading Standards'.

 

george

Is the 'Palmers Motor Group' no more, or only their Skoda Dealership? & under new Ownership or management.

Who does the Direct Debit or Standing order get paid to.

 

See if your Contract & financial agreement is with Palmer Motor Group & another of their dealerships are obliged to carry out the work required under your service plan.

 

Best contact Trading standards after going through your paperwork.

 

george.

thank for the advice ill get on it!

Hi

 

I was offered a service plan when I bought my new car but the service plan was not with the dealer but the dealer's financial company which was regulated by the Financial Service Authority. 

 

Read the small print and see who was the agreement with and how to complain if things go wrong.

ok thank you guys! i have looked at the terms and conditions and to me I understand it that no where is it written that they can terminate the contract at their own decision, ill get CAB or solicitors involved if i have too!

 

Im just thinking out loud for a sec... 

 

I paid for a 3 year service plan, which included: 3 annual services, 4 new tyres and 1 set front brakes. (Garage regiggeed total price to £1075.70, over 3 years, £29.88 per month) (paid £717.13 over the 2 year period)

 

IF i knew it was a 2 year service plan (which it has turned out to be, but i probably wouldn't have taken the service plan on if i knew it was only 2 years), it would have included: 2 annual services (total £396.7 over 2 years, £16.53 per month) and if i had 2 new tyres in that time (even though i would probably have got them done independently) 2 annual services + 2 new tyres (total £614.69 over 2 years, £25.61 per month)

 

So my point is that my monthly payments would have gone down, and over the 2 years i would have made a saving, no doubts about that!

 

From my workings, the things i haven't received (brakes + 2 new tyres), they would have totalled £436.99, and due to my contract over a 3 year period, i was paying £12.14 per month just for the priveledge, thus i have paid over a 2 year period £291.33 for things i haven't received!!! 

 

Thus my closing statement to palmers will be to reimburse my £291.33 or ill sue them for breach of contract, do you think this is fair enough?

 

thanks for the help max.

Hold up i forgot i had the final year annual service too, so if i paid for... im abit confused... BTW all prices include VAT!

 

If i add Brakes + 2 tyres + annual sevice and get a total of 679.19, thus my contract over 3 years, would mean i pay £18.87 a month for service/products i did not recieve, thus over 24 months i paid £452.79 And this should be new new figure to request a reimbursment of...

 

is my maths correct?

 

Because if the total of 1075.7 has 679.19 taken away then it is a 396.51. but at i have paid 2 of 3 years (2/3rds) i have 717.13 paid and 261.7 (which is 396.51*0.66), which leave a deficit of 455.43, thus im am abit confused any help would be much appreciated!

It's just the Skoda part of the Palmers group that was sold to Citygate.

I would have thought that Palmers and Citygate would have included all the currently running service plans in the negotiations.

Could it be that it's Citygate trying to be crafty and wriggle out of them?

Here's an idea... If your contract is with a third party then i believe they will still have to honour it.

If it was taken out with part of the Palmers group then I would think that the group is still liable to honour it.

Maybe a better course of action to take it up with them.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.

1075 for 3 services? That's an insanely expensive service plan! Why did you sign up for that? I thought the whole point of a service plan was to save some cash?!

yeah tell me about it...! i was advised by my parents (being 19 at the time) and they said it was a good deal!? only after did i know how little they did in services and the cost of tyres and brakes... i geuss we live by our mistakes...

 

dont forgoet it was 1075 for 3 years service, (2nd year is more expensive for some reason, but they charge double and im sure its not worth double!) £129 1st and 3rd years and £267.7 2nd year, and front brake pads charged at £219 and 4 new tyres @ £109 ea, (£435.98) so it doesnt really save any/much money, thus i had REALLY BAD ADVICE but hey ho, they are your parents and what can you do!

Edited 14 July, 201312 yr by max25591

I'm pretty certain that the cost of the plan is set by SUK, but it still doesn't excuse the cost.

We were offered the same deal on our Citigo and Octavia but declined as I've never been a fan of extended warranties and the like.

I prefer to put X amount of cash away each month and pay for what needs doing when it arises.

The trouble with being a parent is you try to give best advice, based on your own experiences, but sometimes it just doesn't seem to be the best thing to do.

It sucks when it goes wrong but feels great when it does.

I guess we live and learn too.