When I bought my Rapid in June it was supposed to come with x2 free services, one major and one minor. After about a month paperwork came through saying welcome to Skoda we confirm you have two free minor services which run consecutively. This was wrong and I questioned it. I have written about this previously on this site but can't find the post. I had a lengthy battle with Skoda uk as you can't have two minor services back to back and in any case I was promised one major and one minor.

This argument went on for about two months and they simply wouldn't give in. They told me to take it up with the dealer who supplied the car. The dealer entirely agreed with me and they spoke to Skoda Uk who also told them they weren't giving me a major and minor service, but two minor services. The dealer felt sorry for me and agreed to foot the costs themselves and that's how it was left.

Now for the strange part, two days ago out of the blue Skoda uk wrote to me telling me that they had sent out a letter when I bought the car telling me about my servicing which was wrong and now confirmed that I should have a minor service and a major service. They didn't explain any more than that? The lengthy calls and emails I had to endure all fell on def ears at the time, yet 7 months later out of the blue they write to me as if nothing's happened, I'm baffled and I'm considering ringing them and asking how and why they have suddenly changed their minds out of the blue and with no apology? Has anyone had a similar problem and why would they suddenly write and change it after all this time?

To be honest I would keep with what your dealer says if they promised you a minor and major service.  I hope they keep to that in writing

They are effectively the same service - you are stressing yourself out over this when it isn't going to amount to anything.

 

On another thread recently they described how all the additional items on a major service are mileage dependent - and a new car with 20k on isn't going to be at any of the option points.

 

I totally agree with you on the principle - get what you paid for, but I'm sorry to point out that your minor/major services will be the same.

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/382512-servicing-cost-and-grade/

Edited 2 January, 201610 yr by camelspyyder

How will they be the same? My car has just turned 1 year old and is about to reach 10k so it will have its minor service this month. Next year when it's 2 with 20k on the clock it will have its major service. How will they be the same??

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed

Not sure if this opens ok but it's on the Skoda website and it says on the major service they DO change the plugs, nothing about maybe or if required, or when the cars 3, it says it will be done every 2 years or 20k. I will insist that everything they say will be done on a major service, is done. If it's in black and white then it's legally binding in my opinion.

Have a look in the service book, at what the dealer actually replaces or adjusts part of a major service.

Oil and filter are changed at every service, but the majority, if not all the other items are inspect and adjust if necessary.

Eg brakes. All they seem to do is look at them without removing the wheels.

Basically, what I'm saying is that the major and minor service are the same.

20k isn't a major service anyway.

just had the second service, they don't change the plugs at 20k.

on the thread I linked earlier several posters note that you dont get new plugs, air filters etc unless the car needs, i.e. 3 years old.

so in effect the 10k and 20k sevices are the same, unless the car is an old, low mileage one.

Edited 2 January, 201610 yr by camelspyyder

As above, the 10,000 mile / 12 month service (1st service) and 20,000 mile / 2 year service (2nd service) are identical (assuming the car is on fixed intervals, which when on a service plan it should be).

 

Both are minor services, regardless of what Skoda UK want to market them as.

 

Skoda have been misleading their customers for years.

 

Minor service = oil and oil filter at £139.

Major service = oil and oil filter + air filter + pollen filter + fuel filter (diesel) + spark plugs (petrol) at £259.

 

However, and it is a big however, the extra parts changed on the major service are only changed "if required". A nice little note in the small print on their fixed price servicing regime linked in an earlier post.

 

The extra parts are generally only required after at least 3 years or 60,000 miles, very rarely before, as per Skoda's own servicing requirements.

 

Therefore anyone forking out for a major service before 3 years or 60,000 miles is basically getting ripped off. It is quite scandalous.

 

Now, Skoda will as you'd expect fluff up the major service and claim it includes many more visual and safety checks. Absolute tosh. Any franchised dealer, whilst they have your car on the ramps, will be looking for extra work, whether that be warranty or chargeable work, they are of course a business. So rest assured, which ever service your car is in for the same checks will be being carried out.

 

Please, please, please never pay for a major service unless you can be absolutely sure you are getting the extra fuel (or plugs), pollen and air filters.

 

So, to the OP, whether the paperwork stipulates two minor services or one minor and one major makes no difference to what will actually be done to your car.

 

Some service plans include a brake fluid change (the first is due at 3 years old, then every two years), and some include an MOT or air con service, all to help complicate things and make it harder for you and me to work out if they are good value or not.

Edited 2 January, 201610 yr by silver1011

They also have a duty of care so at every visit your car should have a vehicle health check (VHC) which is quite comprehensive to be fair.

To everyone who has replied to my post, thank you I didn't realise how naive Ive been. One of the many reasons I chose to buy a Skoda was because I believed they were a bit more caring than other manufacturers. Ironically we also bought a new BMW last year and that comes with 5 years free servicing, I bet they will need to do at least one major service and a brake fluid change in that time and you'd think of BMW as far less customer focuses than Skoda.

BMW have far more profit to play with.

Sorry can I just ask one last question, when would they change the plugs at 20k, there must be a chance they would change them otherwise why say they would. How long do plugs usually last? What makes plugs last longer or shorter periods of time. Sorry that's actually a few questions but I would like to be better armed when Skoda try and fob me off.

Plugs historically were done at 40k. Might be 60k these days, not 100% sure.

Tech 1 e you might be correct there but the dealer I bought from striped their profit on mine to the bone, they took my existing BMW off my hands when it was still in negative equity, I hated it and they said they'd rather have me in a car I would be happy with and would replace with another BMW, which I now would, they took 3k off list price, I didn't give any deposit, good Apr and 5 years free servicing. Not sure if it's true but they told me they only made £200 from BMW for getting another new car on the road. I was pleased and duley recommend them to a friend who also bought from them. The car has also been faultless too.

Funnily enough guess what Skoda did recently?

 

Yep, you wouldn't believe it, they now stopped supplying their new cars with service books, the one piece of vital information every vehicle owner should have access to. A detailed explanation of the service requirements of their vehicle so the likes of you and me can determine what is needed to be replaced and checked and when.

 

Why would Skoda remove this book that costs 20p to print?

 

To save money? To save the planet? To make our life easier?

 

Call me cynical but I'm pretty sure it is to give their franchised dealers more control over how, when and where we have our cars serviced. Unfortunately given the experience the OP has had with Skoda UK customer services, together with the many, many threads on here full of duff information provided to them by their 'trusted' dealer networks means this isn't a forwards step for us, the vehicular owners, it is very much a backwards one.

 

Skoda will claim that all their records are electronic, that's great, but how do we access it?

 

So the usual response I give of please check the service book no longer works. I've no idea when the spark plugs are required to be changed. Chances are the dealers won't be too sure either.

If they last that long Skoda are cheeky bas+€rds!!!!

My Mazda has plugs that last 40k miles, not sure what type Skoda/SEAT fit?

My car doesn't have a book either, Skoda still write on emir sites that you get your book stamped as part of the service, you don't because you don't have one. It's something I like to look at when I buy a car, it's a good indicator of how well it's been looked after.

Think Mazda stopped supplying service books years ago.

Dealer can just print off the service record.

Both my Skoda's are old enough to have service books, call me lucky.

 

If they didn't I'd be asking Skoda UK for an equivalent. I wouldn't mind if it was scribbled on the back of a fag packet, but after spending £10,000, £20,000, £30,000 or now with the MkIII Skoda Superb close to £40,000 I'd be wanting to know the service requirements to ensure my rather expensive Skoda was being maintained in accordance with the manufacturers requirements.

 

If you get a chance fill in their contact form here and ask them for a copy, I'd be interested to hear their response, although I'd also be prepared to be hugely underwhelmed...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us

I'm going to be simply clever and ask why they say spark plugs and filter may be changed at 20k when the plugs probably won't need replacing until 30k or more, I might even be cheeky and suggest they are making us think the major service is worth the extra £120.

After the service they give you a print out of what has been done. Just keep this with the handbooks as proof.

There are two important pieces of information provided by the service book which are:

 

1) Service history - which as above isn't so much of a loss as most owners shove the invoice in the Skoda wallet for future owners / reference.

 

2) Service requirements - which Skoda don't want you to know. Important stuff like when the cambelt needs changing, the air, fuel and pollen filters. Spark plugs, brake fluid, DSG gearbox oil, Haldex 4x4 oil etc. etc.

 

Skoda hope that by removing this information it'll force more of us into their franchised main dealers. They're probably right, which is worrying considering that two out of three dealers I spoke to had no idea my Octavia Scout needed it's Haldex oil changing at 40,000 miles.

Edited 3 January, 201610 yr by silver1011