I wouldn't worry about getting your deposit back, as they can't confirm delivery date they will have to return your deposit if you choose to cancel. I've just had same discussion with my dealer. They can't confirm delivery date until they get a confirmed manufacture date from Skoda. My dealer has no idea when this will be on my recent order. Suspect 6-8 months with summer factory shut down.

Cheers

Steve

Almost no mainstream dealer can confirm delivery date when you order the car. It is extremely difficult for them and usually impossible. Some manufacturers like BMW, may have a slot for say a 1 series and know the date of that build. You could then buy a 1 series in that slot and populate it the details of what you want ie engine , trim options and so on.  That way you could know within a couple of days either side when you should be able to expect delivery.

 They'd even added fuel in which don't really wanting added to my pcp! Anyway discount I haggled was all on the extras they'd added. I went back in a week later to add a few more extras and had them remove all extras except service tyres and maint. Now it was clear I was paying list price for the car £29.5k inc options. Just used carwow as recommended by others, already saving over £1k. I have £250 deposit at dealers, is it worth haggling and potentially moving my order?

As you have taken the PCP option, a saving of £1000 pounds would result in a reduction of monthly payments of about £30 assuming you took it out over 36 months. So if you take into account that you might lose your deposit,  but could still get the same rate at a different dealer/broker you would possibly get an around £22.50 a month saving over your current deal (this includes the adjustment for a lot deposit). Also, it is possible (although unlikely I suppose) that the dealer did you a decent deal by fiddling the PCP figures to reduce monthly payments a little but keeping the maximum profit showing in the cars 'full' price.

I sympathise with your dilemma, but I honestly feel you made the deal and signed on it. You would be furious if a dealer did the same thing to you in reverse. eg, " we reviewed your deal and we don't think we are going to hit out monthly profit target, so we have removed the folding wing mirrors from your spec. Don't worry we have left everything else as you ordered, including the price". If you see my point. I think you should take this one on the chin as the dealer probably didn't do anything wrong, you just didn't make the best of choices when you ordered the car.

 

Sorry :(

Hi Amanda

You seem to be under the illusion that an order form is a binding contract. It is not, and there is also a reason why it's called a "deposit" and not a down payment. In addition, the illustration you give above happens quite often and even to people here on this forum that have ordered a VRS from Skoda. Manufacturers often stop producing certain models, particular colours or remove options. For those that have ordered these it's tough luck. Normally they get a goodwill gesture from dealer or manufacturer to keep their custom, but not always.

Equally, as the customer can change or cancel the order with a reasonable justification and expect a full refund of the deposit. In this case, 3 weeks after ordering and still not having a confirmed delivery date would be justifiable cause to cancel and expect a full refund.

Almost no mainstream dealer can confirm delivery date when you order the car. It is extremely difficult for them and usually impossible. Some manufacturers like BMW, may have a slot for say a 1 series and know the date of that build. You could then buy a 1 series in that slot and populate it the details of what you want ie engine , trim options and so on.  That way you could know within a couple of days either side when you should be able to expect delivery.

 

Having ordered dozens of new cars from BMW, Land Rover, Fiat, Mercedes etc. This is not the case. Often by the time I've ordered and place a deposit the dealer has a slot and expected delivery time that is within a few weeks of actual date. The only time I've had to wait months after ordering to find out the delivery date is on one car that was preordered before launch. Waiting months to get an actual delivery date from Skoda is not the norm for buying a car. Admittedly it happens with other manufacturers, but it is not the norm or expected by majority of purchasers.

Cheers

Steve

 

If you have found a better deal elsewhere i,d cancel the order. I would say the most important thing is to take your time sort out the details first then place the order. As said before as the dealer has not got a delivery date for you you will have no problem in getting your deposit back. The sooner you do it the better as you will be kicking yourself knowing you could have had the same car but a lott cheaper. It is harder to haggle on price when you have already placed the order. Goodluck 

My other half was giving birth and I popped into the dealer on my way to the hospital.  Managed to land a Citigo for £38k....

 

Who buys a car when they're in a rush....  :think:

 

Sorry, I'm all for buyer-power, but my sympathies lie with the dealer on that one.  Caveat emptor.

 

After arranging the deal in that fashion and then tweaking and complaining later, the dealer might be glad to refund you the deposit and see the back of you....

 

Try Carwow or similar, take your time and have a sleep on it.  It's a huge financial commitment and not one to be rushed into lightly.

Edited 21 February, 201412 yr by fiisch

The contract you signed - what does it have on it - Does it have the extras discounted or is it for just the basic car?

 

If you cancel I am pretty sure there will be some form of fee as it will have cost them a certain amount of time to process which they are able to charge you for.

Just to point out for those who missed a key fact:

I haven't paid 29k for a car, I've paid £250 deposit that's all. I am well aware of my commitment. When placing the deposit, I made sure of the terms which covered the order being placed, so I don't expect to get my £250 back if I cancel. That was a risk I took at the time!

At the time I had done a lot of work on looking around at different cars. I couldnt afford a new car from the likes of Audi or Mercedes. Was looking at 3 year old cars in the 20k mark. The skoda apr offer made a new car fall in budget. So I ordered the vrs. I still think the vrs is the best car I have tested and that's why I'm prepared to wait. However I since hearing of carwow and using it. It's a brought a lot of cars into budget, and most can be delivered a lot quicker. The VRS is loosing its appeal purely on unknown delivery time.

I think I'll stick with the dealer and swallow the extra price but I will insist if the car is not delivered by the 1st of September then I should be given a car to use until it arrives!

I have a lot of travelling to do in October attend various family events up in Scotland. My 8 y/o transit connect isn't ideal for long journeys.

It is up to you really if your prepared to wait and swallow the extra price then cool. I do feel if you were to change your mind and were to cancel the order that you should be given your deposit back if the dealer cannot give you a date for when you will get your car.

Hi Amanda

You seem to be under the illusion that an order form is a binding contract. It is not, and there is also a reason why it's called a "deposit" and not a down payment. In addition, the illustration you give above happens quite often and even to people here on this forum that have ordered a VRS from Skoda. Manufacturers often stop producing certain models, particular colours or remove options. For those that have ordered these it's tough luck. Normally they get a goodwill gesture from dealer or manufacturer to keep their custom, but not always.

Equally, as the customer can change or cancel the order with a reasonable justification and expect a full refund of the deposit. In this case, 3 weeks after ordering and still not having a confirmed delivery date would be justifiable cause to cancel and expect a full refund.

 

Having ordered dozens of new cars from BMW, Land Rover, Fiat, Mercedes etc. This is not the case. Often by the time I've ordered and place a deposit the dealer has a slot and expected delivery time that is within a few weeks of actual date. The only time I've had to wait months after ordering to find out the delivery date is on one car that was preordered before launch. Waiting months to get an actual delivery date from Skoda is not the norm for buying a car. Admittedly it happens with other manufacturers, but it is not the norm or expected by majority of purchasers.

Cheers

Steve

 

Having bought BMW Audi and Mercedes myself I can say that you definitely can get the build slot (perhaps they just liked me) 

 

If a manufacturer changes the spec of the car or drops a certain item, then of course the buyer can get a full refund.  also having sold several hundred cars myself, the customer will most likely not receive their deposit back unless they can justify the cancellation. We would refund a deposit if the customer was deeply unpleasant or offensive (sadly), but that isn't a good way to do business :(

 

'Found a cheaper deal' is not a justification. but the car (for instance) not being available in that special shade of Beige that you ordered, is.

 

(Other colour choices are available and no relevance as to the actual colour chosen should be inferred)

Edited 21 February, 201412 yr by Lady Elanore

Just to point out for those who missed a key fact:

I haven't paid 29k for a car, I've paid £250 deposit that's all. I am well aware of my commitment. When placing the deposit, I made sure of the terms which covered the order being placed, so I don't expect to get my £250 back if I cancel. That was a risk I took at the time!

At the time I had done a lot of work on looking around at different cars. I couldnt afford a new car from the likes of Audi or Mercedes. Was looking at 3 year old cars in the 20k mark. The skoda apr offer made a new car fall in budget. So I ordered the vrs. I still think the vrs is the best car I have tested and that's why I'm prepared to wait. However I since hearing of carwow and using it. It's a brought a lot of cars into budget, and most can be delivered a lot quicker. The VRS is loosing its appeal purely on unknown delivery time.

I think I'll stick with the dealer and swallow the extra price but I will insist if the car is not delivered by the 1st of September then I should be given a car to use until it arrives!

I have a lot of travelling to do in October attend various family events up in Scotland. My 8 y/o transit connect isn't ideal for long journeys.

As I said you might be able to get the £1,000 saving elsewhere and make a net saving of around £22.50. But for my money, I think you are doing the right thing (which isn't always the cheapest thing). There is very little honour and integrity in this world and consumerism seems to reducing what precious small amount we have left even further.  It would be a reasonable thing to tell the dealer that you want a set of wheels to get you round after September if you car hasn't come too.  

Out of interest why did you do the deal in the first place. Was it an amazing deal they offered? If not then why not just go back another day when you have time to go over it?

Out of interest why did you do the deal in the first place. Was it an amazing deal they offered? If not then why not just go back another day when you have time to go over it?

It's that new car smell it's super easy to get sucked into buying then and there if you suddenly find you can afford the one you want. It's a bit like drinking, You think that buying that last beer/wine/whisky is a good idea until you revaluate that purchase in the morning

It was more of an "let's get your order on the system" deal. Negotiations and details to be agreed when I had more time. I had been in the week before for a test drives and was told 20wks lead time. The day I signed it was 6 months, was worried if I didn't get my order in, be lucky to get it in 2014

I ordered a car about 10 years ago, again long wait but it was what I wanted. I said to the dealer what happens if it turns up and I don't like it, as it was limited build numbers and none when built would be demos, (original focus rs). He said "do you think I'll have any issues selling it on with zero wait" same with Octavia I would say, if you could buy one tomorrow brand new with zero wait, would you????

Know I would!

It was more of an "let's get your order on the system" deal. Negotiations and details to be agreed when I had more time. I had been in the week before for a test drives and was told 20wks lead time. The day I signed it was 6 months, was worried if I didn't get my order in, be lucky to get it in 2014

I ordered a car about 10 years ago, again long wait but it was what I wanted. I said to the dealer what happens if it turns up and I don't like it, as it was limited build numbers and none when built would be demos, (original focus rs). He said "do you think I'll have any issues selling it on with zero wait" same with Octavia I would say, if you could buy one tomorrow brand new with zero wait, would you????

Know I would!

It is a big lead time :( Dealers hate them as they often have a part exchange coming in for the swap and trying to guess how much your trade in will be worth when the car eventually arrives can me a real headache

I'm in a similar situation, have seen a deal €500 better after placing a deposit. I'll probably stick with existing deal though if nothing goes wrong.

 

Reason I'm posting, slightly off-topic I know, but I placed deposit last week and have heard nothing back from dealer. This guy never gets back to you anyway so maybe normal but what is the normal process; do they only contact you again when they have a delivery date?

All dealers, and employees thereof, need positive feedback. Its how performance is measured in dealer-land and feeds into JD Power surveys and how much bonus salesmen get paid. This also determines ranking on the UK manufactures stage, which, in turn, is reported upon in industry newspapers etc. all of which the  board of directors take notice of. A good friend of mine who works for a Lexus dealer suggested asking for extras (noting unreasonable) upon collection or a poor survey would result. I achieved free roof bars, a tank of fuel and a rubber boot mat, about £300 worth. This was after signing up to a finance deal, but leverage is still possible.

Good luck!

Pete