I'm considering swapping my VrS Blackline for a new VrS TSI DSG - primarily for the want to move to the DSG gearbox and also for the extra hmmph of the petrol lump 

 

Can anyone offer any advice / experience of getting the right deal out of the dealers? I'm loathed to pay the full RRP price quoted using the car configurator of £29k (by the time I've added various options)...

 

Using "Drive the Deal" or "Buyanewcaronline" I can get the same car with all the options for about £25k.

 

How receptive are the dealers to matching these online car prices? Any tips for getting the best deal?

 

p.s - I'm aware of the extensive waiting times for delivery but having looked around at various other makes (there are few estate cars with as big a loading capacity as the Octy) the Octy is still a pretty good deal so I'm willing to wait.

My dealer price matched carfile.net which at the time was 13% discount and I also got the SUK £500 deposit and free servicing deal which was the offer before 0%, then paid the SUK finance off, funded with a lower APR tagged with my mortgage deal.  I understand current carfile deal is 14% discount for cash buyers or 7% if you take the SUK finance or PCP so you should be able to get a decent dealer to match this.

Edited 18 November, 201411 yr by Matt Pez

The dealership network is franchised, meaning Skoda themselves don't discount, the dealers do. On this basis, your local dealer should be receptive to matching the discounts offered by online agents. I wouldn't worry if they don't though, they will still still be happy to handle any future warranty/ service work for you, as that is clear profit they invoice the manufacturer for. If 'Drive the Deal' strike a deal with the Inverness dealer, the car will be delivered to you in Berkshire. When hunting for the best deal myself, after i'd decided on a spec, I rang a few dealers, gave them the config ID, best deal, and asked them to beat it. Ask your local dealer last.

 

Extensive waiting times: I ordered my TSI DSG Estate 08/09. it arrived Thursday at the dealership, now awaiting PDI, hope to collect it this weekend 22/11 - 11 weeks. Some on this forum have spoken of dealers pre ordering VRS's in popular specs to reduce the delivery time, which has then conversely further slowed delivery times. Maybe worth checking when you call/ visit to see if the dealer has any "unallocated" orders in the system you can tweak the spec on. I didn't know about this when i ordered mine.

 

Good luck. 

Sounds positive, many thanks for the advice!

I got ~14% off with carfile.net, after a bit of nagging my dealer managed to go down to £400 more than their quote, so I just went with carfile in the end. From their attitude I doubt the dealer would have even gone close to that figure if I didn't have the paperwork from carfile.

 

Think it'll really depend on your dealer and how much they need the sale.

 

Also got mine in just under 12 weeks, which seemed good compared to stories on here.

You could try one of the proactive dealers on the forum, so:

 

Preston Motors ( London ) ~ ask for Lee.

Denis Horton & sons ( Lincoln) any issues, track down Oliver, as in Oliver Horton.

 

If you can get close or better, then it's a fun day out to get a train and collect a car I know some from Scotland have been to London

 

Upside the running in is well under way by time you get home.

 

HTH

 

Not for you, but Horton do have a new car with a 5k discount, a 170ps superb So deals and offers can be done, really depends on timing and options

+1 for Norton's at Lincoln. I achieved almost £2k better than deals elsewhere thanks to £500 off from Skoda plus a Horton deal of a further £500 off at the time. They gave me a better p/ex and discount on a number of extras & a couple of freebies. Along with free servicing for 3 years I was pleased with my deal.

Will you be trading the Blackline in? If so the cost to change has more relevance that what the mk3 will 'cost'. If you're not trading in then please ignore my post.

Depends what they offer me for the Blackline! !

+1 for Norton's at Lincoln. I achieved almost £2k better than deals elsewhere thanks to £500 off from Skoda plus a Horton deal of a further £500 off at the time. They gave me a better p/ex and discount on a number of extras & a couple of freebies. Along with free servicing for 3 years I was pleased with my deal.

I got mine from Horton, deal as mentioned in post 2 above and that was done over the phone on launch weekend in Feb 2013, I spoke with Oliver directly after just cold calling and asking for the sales manager. Sheffield dealer was way off the mark and still waiting for Mansfield to call back! Also got to say Hortons give great customer service and I have signed up with them for next 3 variable services having used up all my free services.

Depends what they offer me for the Blackline! !

fair enough. My father in law could never understand the concept of cost to change. He was totally focused on how much the dealer gave him for his trade in and used to think he'd got a good deal when he'd actually paid full list price for his new one. I think it was a sort of pride thing being able to say how much he'd got for his old car, irrespective of what it had actually cost him overall.

I did my deal through Skoda store and then dealt with dealer directly. It was a very painless experience and saved around £2k from visiting a few dealers locally and getting quotes that way. local dealer wasn't interested in matching the deal.

Think a lot of this was due to demand and waiting lists. i suspect volume discounts played a part as the supplying dealer was looking for numbers.

 

I have a VRS Diesel estaste - Blue met, leather, Columbus, black pack, sunset, Canton, Colour maxi, Cruise and 2yrs extended warranty..£24.5k which is about 13% off list inc' extras.

 

Steve

My dealer matched the quotes I'd obtained from other Skoda dealers via CarWOW (around 13% discount). Very impressed with my local dealer, friendly, knowledgeable, no bullsh1t approach - just got to wait 3 months for delivery now. Went for a Metal grey vRS TSI DSG estate, leather, winter pack, columbus, canton, black pack plus, detachable tow bar, colour maxi etc...

What no spare wheel ?

What no spare wheel ?

Nope - reduces the amount of beer I can fit into the boot when I go camping (the whole reason for owning the Octavia Estate as it has the biggest boot!)

LOL, Asda online will deliver to campsites nowdays though, got some of the most envious looks every at southsea this summer.

Edited 27 November, 201411 yr by themanwithnoaim

What's the etiquette on contacting a dealer for a price match? Is it a tad out of order just emailing stating an existing quote and asking to match or is it the best course of action to go in face to face?

Dont beat about the bush, tell them what you are prepared to pay and when you want the car. Be prepared to place an order same day and tell them so. If they play silly or bog you down or try to intimidate you, tell them they just lost an order, walk out. If they dont chase after you or call you next day, phone a nearby dealer if you must, but ultimately go via an internet broker.

 

If you think you'll get preferential treatment by buying from the dealer, you'd be mistaken. They treat all customers the same, cash cows......

Edited 27 November, 201411 yr by xman

What's the etiquette on contacting a dealer for a price match? Is it a tad out of order just emailing stating an existing quote and asking to match or is it the best course of action to go in face to face?

I made appointments for test drives at 3 different dealers so I knew who I was dealing with, whilst using Carwow to get the best prices, I then telephoned only the dealers I'd visited and knew and just straight told them I'm buying this car on that date (days before the end of quarter) and this is the very best price I've got from Carwow.  If you can match it, you've got the order if you can't I don't mind because I'm buying a car that day the only question is "from Whom" 

 

A local dealer matched the carwow price and I got a good deal only 20 miles from home.

It is year end.  dealers have to reach targets which some will not have done.

Calendar year end doesn't seem to matter so much in the UK, end of quarter though is when the dealership targets are most relevant and therefore, most discount is available due to them being just short of a good outcome but, you've gotta find that dealer.

I ordered my new VRS via quotes from Carwow, which is due in March (my requested for 2015 plate).. I looked for closest dealer and got them to match cheapest price. Added loads of extras inc leather with heated seats, sat nav, colour maxi dot, sunset glass, black styling, heated screen, extended warranty etc and came in less than base model.

Very pleased.