Sandicliffe Skoda - Leicester.. (formerly Farmers)

[andyvee]

Looks like Nigel Grimshaw is no longer at Farmers Leicester.

In the words of the Retailer Principal (Stephen Averill) on Friday, Nigel left them 'rather abruptly' last Friday.

Took my car back on Saturday for warranty rectification work - lets hope they stay true to Nigel's word on the warranty and don't try and fob me off now he isn't there any more.

Andy

[SWyPER]

I've been using Farmers since 2006. Unfortunately my latest experience was not a good one. To cut a long story short, I needed a 4yr service plus cambelt and water pump change. After a scary intial quote from Farmers and a bit of ringing round by me, I rang Farmers armed with VW's fixed price servicing costs and Carl (Service Dept) agreed to match the VW prices in order to keep the business. Great I thought....

The car went in yesterday and when I went to pick it up, Carl presented me with an invoice that was £120 more than the agreed price. He then went on to claim that the Water Pump replacement wasn't part of what we had agreed. Clearly I was not happy, I had no written quote and a service guy who suddenly couldn't remember our conversation. Anyway, after some debate and a point blank refusal to pay, Carl did begrudgingly back down - but he was clearly not happy about it.

This has somewhat tainted my opinion of Farmers as until yesterday with the exception of their salesman Mike (who I found to be arrogant) I would have recommended them to anyone - not anymore I'm afraid.

[JWHinckley]

I wouldn't touch them again, ordered a new car at the beginning of the year, only arrived last month, didn't have an issue with that, my main issue is the customer service, asked the sales man to keep me updated and he failed on multiple occasions to do so, ignored my emails and didn't return phone calls. Picked the car up but they failed to give me the yellow section of the log book for my PX. Rang them, passed a message on but they ignored me. Asked about voucher compensation but have heard nothing. Now got Skoda customer services involved, and even they are having problems with them, i.e. the dealer promised Skoda customer services that they would ring me but have failed to do so, going on nearly 3 weeks now. Be warned!!!!

[Didescharlie]

Have had a great overall experience with Farmers. Saleslady Andrea has kept me fully informed over the last few months as the factory's lead times have waxed and waned. Handed over on Saturday very smoothly after going through paperwork on the Friday. The garage even offered to take the car out of the garage where it was being prepped so I could take some piccies!

Nothing really to report other than £300 Skoda GAP price was unable to be matched to £150 found elsewhere. Other dealers have been able to price match their GAP, so why not Farmers? There was no issue with me declining their price though.

[rojtatton]

hi

bought 2nd hand skoda superb 2, elegence with dsg. 60k on the clock and they has serviced it.

got good value for my trade in and a years skoda warrenty thrown in.(they even updated the satnav maps)

has some minor niggles but had no problems getting them sorted. skoda courtesy car (fabia)

half the service department used to work at Kia had no problems there either.(traded the sedona in)

yes would use them again

[Naths vRS]

Bought my Fabia VRS from here. Dealt with a chap called Mark Bartlett - Top bloke recommend him. had no problems what-so-ever. They even paid the number plate fee to swap my private plates over).

[walrus2106]

If you are thinking of getting a car from here don't bother.

I had a car from them through Motability, the rear wiper failed within a week. I took it in to them for a replacement under warranty to be told they are on back order with no known date for delivery.

I returned again in January to be told they are on back order with no known date for delivery.

In February I emailed them, no reply.

I emailed the Disability Manager and the Dealer Principal. No reply

I March I went in again to be told they are on back order with no known date for delivery, this is now 4 months down the line and my car is still not fit for purpose.

[Sidyboy75]

I bought a car from this dealership last week, the reason being, they seemed to have one of the few remaining Octavia VRS Blackline's in stock. Most of the deal was done by telephone and via email, and I use deal in the loosest possible terms, as I paid the full asking price.

I explained to the salesman, that as a car buyer, its always nice to feel like you've got a bit of a deal, whether that is getting a little off the price or something thrown into the deal. However I didn't get anything, perhaps because they knew they had the last remaining car and they knew I wanted it?

As for my experience on the day of collection, I was travelling to Leicester from London, at no time did the salesman offer or even consider perhaps picking up his customer from the station? So if anyone is wondering, it cost's £8 in a taxi from the station to the dealership. Upon arrival, straight into the vehicle paperwork, no offer of a drink after my long journey.

Next my brand new car is driven past from the workshop, and instantly spot that the rear number plate is lopsided, don't suppose a walk around inspection the vehicle before the customer arrives is high on their list of priorities. I point this out to salesman, and my brand new is quickly dispatched back to the workshop.

I'm now sat waiting at the salemans desk and I listen to the conversation taking place to my left between a customer, a pensioner and another salesman. The old chap was part exchanging his car and the salesman asked where the car tax was, the old chap explains he was going to send it back for a refund and the salesman says oh no, like it was some sort of deal breaker!!

Back to my car, brand new car comes out, with new level rear number plate, salesman goes through controls with me, and I am happy to report that there was the bare minimum fuel in the tank!! Salesman "We put £20 in".

Don't get me wrong, I really like my car but the dealership need to work on their customer service, there wasn't nothing from my experience that would convince me in three years to repeat my business with them. If they had been a little flexible with the price, then that would stuck in my mind, I'd be inclined to recommend them to friends and family, but they didn't, so I won't. Minimal fuel and making an old man hand back his tax disc, well thats just cheap.

[Naths vRS]

They put 1/4 of petrol in my VRS when I picked it up, luckyly for us the petrol station is less than 3 minutes away so not much of a hassle.

To be honest while you were dealing with them phone/e-mail you should've said will you throw this/that in, not just expect it!

[Didescharlie]

Now on my second consecutive car from Farmers Leicester, and the service whilst difficult to beat last time, was even better this time around. Salesman David Ilett looked after me from start to finish, keeping me in the loop on the car's movement from port to dealer, and provided me with a relaxed handover that made me feel like a truly valued customer. Swapping out my Fabia vRS estate half way through it's PCP was something they handled without fuss, and Farmers basically put together a deal that gave me everything I needed, involving them matching their trade-in offer to my outstanding finance, and putting up the deposit on the new car as well. Entirely coincidentally my ordering the car happened as Skoda's new 0% scheme kicked in so when I came to sign the deal another £50 per month dropped off the price too, along with the servicing deal. Result. 

[Naths vRS]

I've been informed by Farmer's, that they will be changing their name to Sandicliffe Skoda as they have been bought out.  All changes will be made starting end of the month/1st August.

[Damo]

Now Sandicliffe Skoda

Details changed in first post

[superseat]

Dealt with Andrea , very pleasant , nice showroom and got the deal I wanted.

Citigo elegance 3 door £375 deposit £99 a month.

[Didescharlie]

Dealt with Andrea , very pleasant , nice showroom and got the deal I wanted.

Citigo elegance 3 door £375 deposit £99 a month.

 

Ooh is Andrea back there again. She sold me my Fabia 2 years ago but wasn't around when I bought the Citigo.

[GeorgePole]

Bought my new fabia vrs from here in May, can't say their service stood out at all, nothing special, won't solely use them as a preference or won't not use them either. So far all dealerships I've used are all pretty much the same.

[Phil2013]

Just been quoted £918 for a major service with cambelt and waterpump on my Octavia VRS PD 170...   

 

Erm I don't think so...

[Didescharlie]

Just been quoted £918 for a major service with cambelt and waterpump on my Octavia VRS PD 170...   

 

Erm I don't think so...

 

Would be interested to know how much you end up paying, wherever you decide to go

[Phil2013]

Would be interested to know how much you end up paying, wherever you decide to go

Spoke to the Lion Garage in Hinckley in leicester, local VAG specialist who are quoting £350 for the belt and waterpump much better than £459 for the same at Skoda 

 

Probably do the service myself

 

90% of my mates with VAG cars who don't do their own work use them. 

[Didescharlie]

Thanks for posting. I have a couple of friends use the Lion Garage and are highly recommended. Seems a shame that Sandicliffe can't (won't) compete on price. I would be interested in seeing how the price could've compared with the Farmers of old. I swore many years ago (1993ish) that I would never again use Sandicliffe after being charged £980 for a doorskin on a 1989 Fiesta.

[ashley600]

took my mk2 octavia vrs FL in for a diagnosis due to the EML light coming on, so i get a call later in the day to say the turbo is knackered £1100  please!!  

 

stunned at their answer having never seen any smoke etc i made some calls to my normal friendly mechanic who also cannot believe the complete turbo is goosed.  He kindly call the dealership to get some more information to justify the car needing a complete unit..    only to be told by the service manager the turbo if fine but the actuator which is a common fault on these units across the vag platform is the problem.

 

The service manager also said a couple of weeks before my car going in to sandicliff they had another octy in with the same problem and tried to replace to part but could not complete the repair due to it "being too tricky to set up".  So once again charged the customer for a complete turbo.

 

I was also told by reception that the actuator was not available separately it only came as a part of the turbo unit!!  more blatant lies.

 

one call to darkside devlopments and the £120+vat genuine VW/Skoda actuator was in the post,  ready for my non skoda mechanic to fit the next morning,  which couldn't have been to tricky as the part was replaced within 90mins.  

 

£230 fitted instead of £1100.

 

I will most certainly will not be setting foot in sandicliff skoda again.       

[Picadilly]

2013 VRS DSG Octavio Estate TDi with a collapsed seat bolster rhs drivers seat.

 

Dealer, Leicester Sandicliffe, dismantled the seat and said it was obvious that it had been mistreated and therefore could not be repaired under warranty.

They quoted £880 to repair the seat including the minor leather damage or £350 to replace the foam but leave the leather damage.

 

I told them that was too expensive and to put everything back as it was in its damaged state and that I would go somewhere else for the repair. They then offered to replace the foam for £147, which I reluctantly accepted.

 

Still leaves a very bitter taste due to the fact that I no longer have any faith in the Skoda warranty and  my next new car will have to be a manufacturer whose warranty I trust.

 

I would have tried another Skoda dealer but next nearest is 35 miles away.

 

Got to have seats that last longer than 20 months.

[billblacoe]

I have just bought an Octavia vrs petrol dsg from them. 5 years old, 32k miles, one owner FSH .  had it delivered to Glasgow without viewing it . Thought was that what can go wrong as it's main dealer, etc etc .  Within 3 weeks of ownership the entire gearbox has had to be replaced, luckily under warranthy. It was driving jerkily as soon as I got it but thought  this was a peculiarity of the DSG gearbox..not so  .  Was it fine when they sold it, and it just happened to fail within a few days of me having it ?  I'll let you make your own conclusions

[laugemsue]

For over 7 days I have been trying to get in touch with What is now Sandicliffe Skoda.

This is just to get the price and availability of interior spares prices.

For 7 days I have not been able to speak to anyone.

The young lady on recieption tries to connect the call but no-one answers.

Today was the final straw, I live in Leicester but I will be taking my trade to outside the county, I would rather go to a dealer I can trust than one who obviously is so snowed under with business they

don't need any more.

So Progress in Northampton you now have my business.

A 10second wait for the phone to be answered and the first words were:

'Sorry for the wait'.

Prompt efficient and because one of the parts was showing as a 14 day wait, the gentleman even checked to see if he could expidedite by checking around other dealers.

I would recommend, (based on my first contact) Progress.

Sadly not Sandicliffe Skoda Leicester.

[Coops]

This is the way that most large dealer groups are going - a single point of contact and a call centre.

 

Tried to book my mum's car into Sandicliffe and it was just painful.

 

Sandicliffe are my local dealer but they just seem incompetent - I've called in before for some basic parts to find they don't have a dedicated parts counter and don't even carry touch up paint in stock!

[RapidPaul]

Progress Northampton are very good in my experience. I ordered some touch up paint and because it arrived a day later than thry said it would, they gave it to me for nothing.