So I took my recently acquired 2002 Octy to a main dealer for a service (overpriced for an oil service I know but I want to keep the book looking tidy with all skoda dealer stamps!).

They managed to not find the service booklet in the glovebox (!!?!?) so I gave it to them on collection, they then said they'd keep and post it. They filled it in incorrectly, stating that the next service is due on that days date (03/05/2013) and posted it to me.

They also did a free visual health check, and informed me that I should probably consider £2500 worth of work...

They obviously thought it needed a new cam belt despite not looking at the service booklet, quoted £575, this was done 5k or so ago...I wonder if if said ok what they would have done?

The rest of the suggestions were all accurate in terms of needing doing, the technician no doubt has his head screwed on, but the guys in the showroom were busy wildly guessing the labour costs for the items that needed doing as I sat there.

Other great value suggestions included replacement of rear bump stops at £235, and replacement of an exhaust clamp at £68.50.

I will be doing the work myself thank you Skoda, and if I'm not able then a good honest independent can have my trade.

I find this very upsetting, had I been completely mechanically unaware or trusting of this dealer I could well have spent more than I paid for the car for a mixture of vastly overestimated labour times and unnecessary work.

I appreciate that main dealer labour time is expensive, but that doesn't give them liberty to take advantage of people. The dealer in question is one with a lot of negative review on here so I was expecting to have something like this...

Mine is booked in for the coil pack recall, while I wait....they told me 2 hours! When I pointed out what was involved, I was told it included a free health check....I declined that lol

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Unfortunately, your not alone having these kinds of experiences. My main Skoda dealer IMO isn't fit for purpose. I've also had overpriced quotes then managing to slash over £200 off!! Trying it on with clutches needing replaced was another one. Despite having several heated discussions with the w****r on the service desk, and on one occasion having to write a letter of complaint to his manager about his attitude, just this morning I opened a letter from them offering me £5 off a combined service and mot even though the mot was due in April. Cheek! Needless to say buddy, I also do my own service/maintenance.

It would be fine to pay a bit more to have a main dealer look at or work on your car, but you really should be able to trust them, sadly this just isn't the case!

It would be fine to pay a bit more to have a main dealer look at or work on your car, but you really should be able to trust them, sadly this just isn't the case!

But the truth is the main dealer has a lot of overheads so thier labour rate is allways going to be 3-4 times more than an indy.

 

Its been 14 years since I worked at our local Jaguar dealer and the labour rate then was £110 per hour.

Also most jobs will have a book time dictated by Skoda themselfs.

A lot of service receptionists dont take into account that some jobs can be done alongside others without any extra time.

But the truth is the main dealer has a lot of overheads so thier labour rate is allways going to be 3-4 times more than an indy.

 

Its been 14 years since I worked at our local Jaguar dealer and the labour rate then was £110 per hour.

Also most jobs will have a book time dictated by Skoda themselfs.

A lot of service receptionists dont take into account that some jobs can be done alongside others without any extra time.

Yeah it was the service receptionists guessing labour times in front of me that was the issue - the labour costs are understandably high, I would much rather we could deal directly with the technicians.