Arnold Clark Inverness

[ktm690rr]

Hi paulatthehug,

 

Sorry to read about your experiences with AC Inverness.

I live on L Broom nr Ullapool. I too had a Yeti, I was my 5th Skoda and a great car.  My previous experiences was with Newmarket Skoda in Stirling. I moved up about 6yrs ago and began using AC; I was warned about them, my Yeti was under warranty too. It was at the time when the Skoda franchise shared the same building as the Volvo dealership on the roundabout. It quickly became apparent that AC were bad to deal with. Many, many communications with Skoda UK proved ineffective, even their MD eventually ignored my problem. Coming from Newmarket where the service was very good I couldn't understand why life suddenly became so difficult. Eventually I took my Yeti to VW, almost next door and had it sorted. When I decided to change my car I was forced to look elsewhere due to AC's horrendous service experiences. Skoda UK were as useful as a chocolate fireguard, and as for AC I wouldn't pi*s on them if they were dying of fire. When you come out of warranty there's a good Audi/VW Tech in Invernesss who will look after your car.

[KenONeill]

Actually, your indie can do routine service and maintain the factory warranty.

[Guest]

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/service-repair/right-to-repair-campaign

[DaveAber]

Interesting. I had a PCH Yeti which has just gone back to WVFS (BCA actually).

 

The one service I gave it was @ AC Inverness - and all was fine. 

 

At some point, one of the headlight washer covers disappeared. I was in Aberdeen for work, so phoned Specialised to see if they had one in stock. "No, but we'll get one in for you" - the promise was they'd phone when it arrived, take payment and post it to me. 

This didn't happen, so I phoned again. "Oh, not sure what happened. We'll order one and phone you" - 2 weeks later, no call. Phone them again "Oh, not sure. We'll order one and phone you" - 2 weeks later, still no call.

 

Phoned AC Skoda in Inverness, part was with me in 3 days. 

 

A month later I get an email from Specialist asking if I still want this washer cover?

 

 

[Gmac983]

On 31/07/2019 at 16:40, ktm690rr said:

Hi paulatthehug,

 

Sorry to read about your experiences with AC Inverness.

I live on L Broom nr Ullapool. I too had a Yeti, I was my 5th Skoda and a great car.  My previous experiences was with Newmarket Skoda in Stirling. I moved up about 6yrs ago and began using AC; I was warned about them, my Yeti was under warranty too. It was at the time when the Skoda franchise shared the same building as the Volvo dealership on the roundabout. It quickly became apparent that AC were bad to deal with. Many, many communications with Skoda UK proved ineffective, even their MD eventually ignored my problem. Coming from Newmarket where the service was very good I couldn't understand why life suddenly became so difficult. Eventually I took my Yeti to VW, almost next door and had it sorted. When I decided to change my car I was forced to look elsewhere due to AC's horrendous service experiences. Skoda UK were as useful as a chocolate fireguard, and as for AC I wouldn't pi*s on them if they were dying of fire. When you come out of warranty there's a good Audi/VW Tech in Invernesss who will look after your car.

 

AC are not fantastic as I have had a few battles with them over the years (citroen branch as well as skoda) however I have usually managed to get the result I have wanted in the end. However highland audi/hawco VW are head and shoulders above everyone else for bad service IMO. Incompetent mechanics, compulsive liars in the service assistants/managers team and pompous asses in the sales team (ie if your not spend 40k + with them every couple of years they are not interested in your business) the issues I had with the HA are too numerous to mention hear, everything from down right lies, to putting my car back out to me after warranty work as "fixed" and "quality checked" without them actually having touched it, to giving me a courtesy car of theirs in winter on virtually bald tyres (1.5mm front, less than 2mm rear from memory). I saved the best 'til last (this one didn't happen to me) but HA' s most epic f*** up was dropping a customer's car of a 2 post car lift and the car was actually a right off. I could go on all day about them. Basically everyone has good and bad experiences. 

[Gmac983]

On 31/07/2019 at 11:30, paulatthehug said:

Pretty certain they have a workshop at the back.

 

Nope, not when they were sharing with Volvo. Both went along to AC Peugeot for service. Don't know what they do now that AC skoda have moved (again) to the old calterdon BMW garage, defo was a service bay there when BM had it. Don't know if skoda use that service space or do the still use Peugeot service as their hub?

[Gmac983]

On 31/07/2019 at 16:44, KenONeill said:

Actually, your indie can do routine service and maintain the factory warranty.

 

Are you sure about that? Usually it's only if they are approved agents not just any independent will do. Vauxhall do this a lot with many approved service centre's for routine servicing and minor warranty work but no sales and no major warranty stuff. 

[Kodiaquser]

Granttd73, I read your original post and could not stop laughing. They have given me exactly the same crap. They took my car for a 50 mile test drive for a sensor defective warning that another mechanic - (who I trust) said should have been fixed by plugging the car into a diagnostic machine. They told me that they couldn't find the fault but then told me I shouldn't drive the car away as it could be dangerous. They wanted to book it in for a week, so they could drive it around for some more good times! I have sent a stinking 2 page letter of complaint to Skoda UK about AC. I didn't want to go to them for anything but I thought under warranty would be safe! I tried buying a car last year, but went somewhere else who could not have be more different than AC staff. 

[john999boy]

A separate thread has been merged to this one.

Apologies if anything appears out of order.

[ktm690rr]

On 04/09/2019 at 18:39, Gmac983 said:

 

AC are not fantastic as I have had a few battles with them over the years (citroen branch as well as skoda) however I have usually managed to get the result I have wanted in the end. However highland audi/hawco VW are head and shoulders above everyone else for bad service IMO. Incompetent mechanics, compulsive liars in the service assistants/managers team and pompous asses in the sales team (ie if your not spend 40k + with them every couple of years they are not interested in your business) the issues I had with the HA are too numerous to mention hear, everything from down right lies, to putting my car back out to me after warranty work as "fixed" and "quality checked" without them actually having touched it, to giving me a courtesy car of theirs in winter on virtually bald tyres (1.5mm front, less than 2mm rear from memory). I saved the best 'til last (this one didn't happen to me) but HA' s most epic f*** up was dropping a customer's car of a 2 post car lift and the car was actually a right off. I could go on all day about them. Basically everyone has good and bad experiences. 

I see what you mean about Highland Audi, just had my first taste of their poor attitude via the Service Desk aka Service Prevention Desk. In response to a perfectly level and reasonable question I received a very unhelpful response; I'm considering dropping the Service Manager a letter. The car is now booked in at Stirling Audi for its service and aircon check, and I will let HA know why.

 

Mike

[Apprentice]

Didn't buy my Karoq from them but went to AC Skoda Inverness and had the recent 24EU recall update for the 1.5TSI EVO done there plus the Q2 update back in April, my first visit to them was in March to get a fault diagnosed and fixed which they did after replacing a door lock.

 

Thinking about whether to take the Karoq there for it's first service at the end of January 2020?

[HowardBury]

Covid-19 claims this dealership, according to the local newspaper. This thread details a number of issues that folks have had with them, but at least they were handy for getting parts and spares!

 

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/city-car-dealership-will-not-reopen-202486/

[paulatthehug]

On 11/06/2020 at 11:01, HowardBury said:

Covid-19 claims this dealership, according to the local newspaper. This thread details a number of issues that folks have had with them, but at least they were handy for getting parts and spares!

 

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/city-car-dealership-will-not-reopen-202486/

 

No great loss. I've still got one pre-paid service and MoT  with them but it's usable at any Arnold Clark and they've got a load of other dealerships in the same road so I guess I'll use one of those.

 

I wonder if Hawco Group will take on the franchise now (assuming they survive). They're already VW/Audi so it would be an easy one to add to their portfolio ...

[Guest]

I find John-clark's website very funny. They mention their dealership is near Inverness and then when you click on the map...   Same with Edinburgh, you click on their map and...     

 

https://www.john-clark.co.uk/skoda/locations/

 

 

Hopefully that's not going to be your local dealers!  Their 'same day service' might have to be replaced by 'same week' service .

Edited 21 June, 2020 by Guest

[paulatthehug]

That sort of thing is all too common when companies let ****ers design their web sites. 😞

 

Unless someone else takes on the Skoda dealership locally, so somewhere between Inverness and Elgin for me, my next car will not be a Skoda. Which is a shame.

Edited 21 June, 2020 by paulatthehug

[HowardBury]

I got mine serviced at Victoria Garage in Maud  last year and considered it well worth the 160 mile round trip. They were friendly, efficient and happy to schedule the service for straight after lunch, so I didn't even have to set off at the crack of dawn!   https://www.victoriagarage-maud.co.uk/

Edited 22 June, 2020 by HowardBury

[paulatthehug]

Yeah, I've heard good things about them. My problem is that for medical reasons I can't drive 160 miles in a day.

 

Thankfully we've got a good local garage who will be handling my routine servicing after the final AC service and MoT. They already changed the gearbox oil (and charged me considerably less than AC Skoda were quoting to do so).

[Octy0GG]

I see Hawko will now be doing Skoda servicing in Inverness

https://www.hawcogroup.co.uk/service-parts-repair/skoda/

 

Still a pity VW/Skoda/Audi/Seat couldn't manage a combined service centre up in the far North - It would at least put them on an equal footing with Ford for servicing.

 

 

[HowardBury]

In the good old days of the old Skoda garage at Delmore, they made a point of showing you that any part that had been replaced had VW very clearly stamped on it. Not a worry for me now that mine is over 3, but there doesn't seem to be any mention of warranty work being carried out? Servicing is surely the easy part and many independents can do it, but warranty work is potentially a lot more costly and needs a proper relationship with the manufacturer. Getting a servicing slot seemed to take a few weeks as well, so I'm not sure that Hawco will be improving that if they're using their existing workshop.

[fabdavrav]

Another reason why I went VW instead of Skoda when I bought my last car.....AC don't really care other than maximum profit...customer service is an alien concept to them.

 

Anyway I do my own oil changes, spark plugs, etc. & have VCDS....but I still use Hawco for the big stuff like timing belts...