So bought a car from a dealership last month. I originally seen a candy white one with black wheels and was traveling down to see it when they rang me and told me that they sold it but they just got one in before the weekend and it was waiting to do a pre showroom inspection.

So i continued on my 100 mile trip down to the showroom with the hope this one was just as good as the first one i wanted.

 

I arrived and was seen to strait away by the person i had been dealing with over the phone. They brought the car round but mentioned that it hadn't had any work done to it yet and how i was seeing it was how it come in. 

 

The car had a few bits that i wanted sorting on it, that was the condition to me buying the car. It had a chip in the windscreen that i deemed as being a cause for replacement. They told me that their *windscreen man* would have a look and decide if it could be replaced or repaired. Turned out it was "repaired" and i say that in inverted commas because the repair was botched and not done properly. I had a feeling i would have trouble with it thats why i originaly wanted a replacement to avoid any 100 mile round trips to get it sorted. 

 

The front offside fog light was smashed which they replaced. (The only thing they actually did without a cockup)

 

 

There was a deep scratch on the rear of the car, *pillar that runs down the side of the boot lid*. I did show my disatisfaction at the time of her pointing it out. The sales person did assure me that it would be repaired. That was one of the conditions that i would purchase the car if it was repaired. 

 

 

 

Thats the repair thats missing a bit of paint and lacquer from the top bit if you can see by the picture.

 

The car was fitted with a tow bar that was removed before i took delivery because they told me they don't leave *aftermarket* parts on car because its not Skoda approved. There was a small dent behind the tow bar that i asked if it would be repaired and they also agreed to that.

 

But what confused me was why they left a cheap china made head unit (satnav) in the car trying to pass it off as a Skoda part ?. At the time i didn't know about the Bolero and the Columbus head units so i basically took their word for it until i found out when i tried to update the maps that i couldn't find any information on it. ( They haven't commented on this )

 

Lets cut a long story short, the windscreen got replaced because turned out the "repair" they done wasn't sufficient and whatever they injected actually chipped out when i got it inspected by a AutoGlass technician. (Took 4 weeks to get everything in place mind !)

 

So now we are onto the deep scratch that they didn't repair, they just blotted some chip repair paint into it and then some lacquer over it *very shoddy*. Iv been in touch with the manager and they have agreed to get it done properly but give me two options as i got a quote from a dealership closer to me to avoid the travel. 

 

So heres my to choices i need your opinion on. 

 

Take the car back to that dealership bearing in mind all the problems i have previously had with the car and hope it gets done properly and not just a cheap and nasty *Spot repair*, and they will provide me with a courtesy car whilst its being done. 

 

or

 

Take the car to my local Skoda and get them to pay them directly for  the work, but if i do this i wouldn't be able to get a courtesy car because my local dealership doesn't offer insurance on their company it would have to be on my own insurance, i rang my insurance and they aren't prepared to insure it on mine so thats that out the question.

 

 

To conclude, do you trust a dealership that you have been seriously bitten by to do the work and take the courtesy car. Or do without a car for  a bit while they hopefully do the job properly as thats the price they are being payed for it. I just feel that the original dealership will try and scrimp as much as possible to get the cheapest repair done , where as my local dealer is being payed the correct man hours and labor costs....

 

I just don't feel like i trust them enough to do a good job. They didn't even valet the car properly before i picked it up, had all cobwebs in the rear  and you have possibly already seen the state of the engine bay, not even a flick over with a damp cloth.

 

 

Let me clear up that i understand its a used car and had 37,000 miles when i bought it. I understand that its going to have a few battle scars but i don't feel like I'm being overly picky about the things i wanted repairing, i also don't feel that I'm over reacting that the repair hasn't been done to what you would expect from a dealership when they say they have repaired it? Im not here to bad mouth a company as it seems like they are trying to make a mend to the damage they have already done. 

Thoughts

There's something that doesn't look quite right about that scratch in the first place to me.

 

The paint looks incredibly thick for it not to have exposed metal.

 

Could just be a misleading photo of course.

I thought that when i first seen it, that picture is the "repair" so you can imagine how dissatisfied i was.

There's something that doesn't look quite right about that scratch in the first place to me.

 

The paint looks incredibly thick for it not to have exposed metal.

 

Could just be a misleading photo of course.

I suspect that you'll have to give them the opportunity to rectify however I'm not sure how distance affects that.

 

Tow bar will have been removed because it puts some buyers off (i.e. me), It's something I ask ask about because it may affect the life of the engine and clutch.

 

Personally I'd have liked the OEM head unit back because if it's a cheap Chinese double DIN replacement it'll more than likely be kaput in a year or two.

 

TBH I wouldn't have expected then to do anything with the engine bay. If I opened the bonnet and saw a sparkly clean engine it would make me suspicious not pleased.

 

Glass  is a  PITA. I bought my current car with a chip in the screen, it wasn't an MOT fail so they wouldn't touch it.

Why did you accept the car in the first place?

Why did you accept the car in the first place?

Because when you get someone to go out their way to take you down there and they say the works going to be done and the lift you got down there had to go home because he was due in work 3 hours later kinda leaves you feeling forced into having to take it [emoji19]I know that's not the dealers fault but I recon the only reason the MoT got passed with the window screen the way it was is because they have a in house MOT test station so kinda bound to pass

Not really,

 because if the chip is in the area that meant the MOT examiner should not have passed it,

you could be getting in touch with VOSA.

 

So call into a friendly local MOT station and they might check for you if you think it is,

or a Windscreen Replacement place and they can easily tell you.

Not really,

because if the chip is in the area that meant the MOT examiner should not have passed it,

you could be getting in touch with VOSA.

So call into a friendly local MOT station and they might check for you if you think it is,

or a Windscreen Replacement place and they can easily tell you.

The screens already be replaced by them . And that's the reason I think they bit their tongue regarding it .

I would get it repaired locally if the supplying dealer is going to pay for that.

I would press for the stereo to be replaced with a Bolero unit (or a columbus if they sold it as having sat nav) quoting back to them the whole removal of tow bar as it's not a Skoda part. If they try to back pedal that, that is not the case, then ask for your tow bar back. Try your luck or get them to specify in writing that the one in car is not OEM and they are prepared to give warranty on a ebay china unit. Then when as suggested above, it fails you are not faced with sorting it yourself. If car was leased to you (speculatively speaking), what would their view be on return if they have not specified that it's a knock off one and try to say you must have changed it and owe them £2K for the likes of a Columbus if they mistakenly marked it down as having one. If no positive answer I would contact SUK that you got an approved used Skoda with a pikey stereo in it. 

I would hand back the keys.

I would get it in writing why they removed the towbar. Once that is in your hand, you can use that against them regarding the 'Chinese' head unit.

If nothing official it is your word against theirs. I hated dealing with 'he said, she said' situations, very difficult to prove one way or the other without evidence or independent witnesses.

No paper, no trail.

Fin

When a towbar is fitted is it place of a rear crash bar? If so has that been replaced?

Btw

What dealership?

Name n shame 'em!

When a towbar is fitted is it place of a rear crash bar? If so has that been replaced?

Good point I'll have to check !

When a towbar is fitted is it place of a rear crash bar? If so has that been replaced?

Its has been replaced only just got the chance to climb under it today ! 5HIT would have hit the fan if it hadn't !