Damage to Courtesy Car and my nightmare experience with Gordon Lamb's Derby... (Fabia VRS)

[silver1011]

The faults with the car are largely irrelevant.

 

It's how as a customer you are treated. Even if it costs the dealer money, some you lose, some you win. Trust me they'll win more than they lose.

 

Even if the customer is the most awkward person in the world doesn't matter, the customer is always right.

 

A good dealer will bend over backwards to make things right, this one didn't get off to a good start. It sounds to me as though everything they've done has been a bit 'reluctant', it is the OP that has had to do all the legwork.

 

This particular customer / car might see them out of pocket, but if they'd got it right it is possible to turn a negative experience into a positive experience. The OP then comes on here singing the dealers praises and will likely return the favour come the day when he looks to change his car again.

 

It's not rocket science, its just good customer service.

[gtyler]

goneoffSki, is right in everything he has said and has been commenting and making useful suggestions and giving good advice to me since the second day I owned the car (first experienced the problems).

 

It is without doubt, 'the blind leading the blind'! There is far more to it than me coming on the forum getting arsey with the dealer. Backlog parts are no fault of the dealer but selling a car with so many issues and then taking 4 visits into the dealer (with the same problem) and having to point everything out to them myself, IS a fault of the dealer. I am always in agreement that these warning lights have so many causes and therefore can be difficult to identify the origin of the fault, but the diagnostics report originally from RAC the second day I had the car, said turbo over boost, yet the turbo was never checked until this last time I took it in I said, "Have you checked the turbo as thats whats coming up on the VAG diagnostics." Only then was it checked. 

They haven't got a clue whats wrong with it, and I do hope that after an ECU replacement it should be the end of it. 

 

I also cant agree with silver1011, any more! The dealer, in this case gordon lamb, have not rectified the problem soon enough and I am of the very strong opinion that no one that buys a car (ESPECIALLY FROM A SKODA APPROVED DEALER) should experience any were near the severity of problems with their car from day 2 of ownership and be without it for a month! You pay more to buy from a main dealer for peace of mind and although all repair work may be being done with the warranty, I don't see it in any way unreasonable to raise a complaint about the car purchase and my experience and expect some money off or a good will gesture. This was even suggested by Skoda UK before I even asked if it was a viable way forward. 

 

If I am considered to some as a 'nightmare customer', thats fine, but I post on this forum to inform others who experience the same faults and problems and deal/may potentially deal with the same dealer in the future - of the problems I have ran into. I post on here to help people and get advice such as that offered by goneoffSKi and silver1011, not to moan or rant about the dealer or my experience as that will have no positive outcome for anyone, myself included. 

 

It's too easy to say Im the problem, but put yourself in my shoes and having to deal with the experience and major 'legwork' myself over the past 2 months, irrespective of whether the dealer is out of pocket or not, you would be just as upset and wanting to resolve the issue.  

Edited 6 May, 2014 by gtyler

[damionp]

Why are you getting so worked up about a car being bought from an "approved" retailer having problems? Even brand new cars can have problems hence them having a warranty, just because it's a "approved" used car does not mean it's going to be 100% fault/problem free

[gtyler]

Completly agree! But are you meaning to say that having taken the dealer 4 visits and all this time to identify and rectify the fault is acceptable. To be without the car for a month over the same fault! You expect a standard when buying a car and as silver1011 was explaining...why should the dealer profit out of such a sale when things have gone wrong and taken so long to rectify!

Faults occur to new and used cars yes but after not even 2 months of ownership (a month of which spent in the garage) would you be satisfied? It's easy to say 'yes it's fine because it's covered by the warranty' and 'you were given a courtesy car on 2 of the 4 occasions' but you don't expect to be without the car for so long when you buy a veichle.

I say especially when you buy from an approved used dealer because the fault came on after 3 hours of ownership so it would be far to say the car wasn't checked over and therefore sold correctly. And when stuff does go wrong you expect them to have a clue about where to look. I had to question them over the turbo fault code because they had Completly overlooked checking the turbo, which was and had been the original

Fault flashing up on diagnostics from day 2!

If skoda uk and Gordon lamb hq had turned around and disagreed with me then fine but they havnt and they Completly agree it's not acceptable!