New Car Discount & UK Car Discount

[Luke997]

But that wasn't just it, if your car developed a fault would you take it back to the broker or a local Skoda garage?  It's the latter of course so Skoda will have to pay to support that car for three years and if it's a very tight margin they clearly feel it isn't worth their while particularly if they can shift the car elsewhere.

 

Just so I don't appear completely callous, I'd be absolutely furious if this had happened to me although my blame would be at the broker than Skoda since so far, no-one has posted about Skoda cancelling any other broker deals.

 

John

 

Dealer doesn't pay for warranty repairs, bill goes back to Skoda UK, it's a win-win for them.

[JohnMcL7]

Dealer doesn't pay for warranty repairs, bill goes back to Skoda UK, it's a win-win for them.

 

Yes, it's a win-win for that individual dealer but not for Skoda who are the ones paying for that and they're the ones that have decided not to supply these cars.

 

John

[maffyou]

It is the same - you can bulk buy items through the supermarkets if you wanted for a lower price (some restaurants used to do it through Safeways here when they were stuck) or in reality, get a better deal through their suppliers.  They're not buying the same,  it's a bulk order and the margin is reduced due to the quantity.

Well I've never come across or heard of anyone buying bulk and getting a discount at a supermarket, not that I claim to be an authority on such matters. However, getting a better deal through their suppliers is like using the broker - you cut out the glossy, pricey shop and buy from a small office, or whatever it is.

Furthermore, a consumer sale is not the same as a fleet sale in that there's likely to be more garage involvement in the supply and long term support of a consumer purchase vs a fleet purchase which over a large amount of cars will be noticeable savings.  Also business users have far less legal rights than a consumer which has to factor into the consumer prices particularly now that consumer rights have been strengthened.

I don't understand why a consumer sale will have more garage involvement than a fleet purchase? I also don't understand why improving consumer rights should equate to increased costs.

 

Amazon is absolutely not the equivalent of a broker - once you buy an item from Amazon, Amazon are the ones that are legally responsible for it in case of faults or similar but when you buy from a broker, you have no further involvement with them.  Instead it's your local Skoda garage that does and you'll need to use that nice showroom and shiny service department you're claiming aren't used in a broker purchase,

 

Whilst it is true that Amazon are legally responsible for resolving the issue, but that just means they deal with the manufacturer/supplier themselves (or choose to run it as a loss). The reason you don't go back to the broker is because they effectively only act as an intermediary between you and the dealer, so the car is still ordered through the dealer. It's a bit like you paying a friend some nominal fee to go and buy something from a shop, online or otherwise, for you. The retailer is still the shop the stuff is purchased from and your friend merely provided a service for you, which is what they got money for.

As I said elsewhere (possibly another thread) I'd rather take my car to my local independent garage - I trust them and know they don't overcharge me ludicrously for the work they do, at least relative to a dealer. Alongside that, if I need something resolved I don't need their show-offy showroom with people in suits and "free" coffee, I just need a mechanic who knows what they're doing with some tools in a greasy garage.

Just so I don't appear completely callous, I'd be absolutely furious if this had happened to me although my blame would be at the broker than Skoda since so far, no-one has posted about Skoda cancelling any other broker deals.

Someone's post showing the email they received from NCD suggests otherwise, but of course we only have their side of the story. I doubt we'll ever know!

Ultimately I think a car should have one price, whoever is buying. I guess that would mean fleet prices increased a little and private prices dropped a fair bit, but overall this would clearly be a fairer system.

[expostmanpat]

I don't think it is a case of bulk buying attracting a discount, so much as the proposed final user attracting a discount. Skoda have found out that the declared final user is no longer the actual user and have pulled the plug.  No doubt car manufacturers see some positive return from selling into fleet as compared to selling to private individuals, whether that is lower warranty claims or tax breaks for themselves I know not.

 

I guess it is a similar contract as with dealer demos though, were the dealer only gets the discounted price if they agree it will be kept by themselves for x number of months, the fleet will only get y units on promise they don't hit the retail market for x months.

Edited 31 May, 2016 by expostmanpat

[kmc]

I have noticed that buyanewcar.co.uk have now reduced their discount on Superbs as well as pulling the Superb SE Business variants from their lists. Looks like Skoda are tightening things up.  I wonder about pulling the SE Business version as when I spoke to my local dealer, they said they could sell them to Joe Public.

[ColinD]

Of course we have, Skoda UK and/or Skoda Dealers would be stupid not to take advantage of the wealth of information contained in user forums, wouldn't you tap into it if it was your business?!

 

You know... I think that too, some don't :p. Many dealers won't take my calls, some 'clever' ones do return them Higher up the tree... well we're not facebook, we have many more monthly visitors & readers;  from the uk alone & 90+countries, than many magazines...

 

I don't know, maybe an irrational fear that embracing 'us' is not good for some reason... I of course support the opposite view. After 14years there is melt water trickling

 

I think it's because we're already converted to the marque in some way. It's why we get advertising spend and revenue from other marques like ford, volvo, kia to attract us away... then this is done.

 

I suspect this is an action that was intended to have this outcome but perhaps a mis-understanding in a meeting has been actioned sooner, because whilst it makes sense the potential negative outcome does not.

[SurreyJohn]

I have noticed that buyanewcar.co.uk have now reduced their discount on Superbs as well as pulling the Superb SE Business variants from their lists. Looks like Skoda are tightening things up.  I wonder about pulling the SE Business version as when I spoke to my local dealer, they said they could sell them to Joe Public.

 

 

Logically the SE business spec shouldn't be available to the public through the dealers,  but if you apply the logic then conversely the fleet shouldn't be able to buy the retail spec versions.

 

The whole system has become a muddled mess

1) a brochure price which means nothing as there is a continuous deposit contribution (could just reduce the price and scrap the contribution)

2) a fleet sales system that has shrunk as many companies move to offering car allowances, rather than giving cars that the user doesn't choose

3) personal contract hire and PCP which are causing large numbers of cars to trash the used market around the 3 year mark

4) information : used to mean visting or phoning dealers to get a good price, now can be done in minutes with a few clicks. 

5) fixed delivery charge, you pay same if you collect from local dealer or broker arranges it to be transported from 200 miles away, so what incentive to you have to go local

6) Skoda has trashed the dealer network, all the smaller dealers have gone, larger ones have moved to out of town sites away from where most people work, again no local loyalty anymore

7) Dealers might have got jazzy new buildings, but none seem to offer a Amazon style click here to buy service,  whereas brokers do.   They seem to assume no-one researches via internet, does your local dealer have a dropdown where models are listed to buy (surely should be able to see a list of brochure price and our price,  eg Superb £20000, our price £16950, click here to start order process)

8) The over reliance by Skoda on the fleet market,  if a chunk is actually private buyers going through brokers, is the fleet market 50% or in reality only 20%  

9) Surely the fleet market should be getting discounts on cars hard to shift, not ones with 6 month waiting lists.  Why aren't fleets being restricted to certain models or specs

10) The decision to display used cars on the Skoda UK website, but not available new cars,  those built without buyers,  why can customers not find out about these online,   in most cases cant even find out from a dealers website what cars are in their showroom and for sale today

11) Many dealers run cars for their own staff for 3 months then resell as used.   How does this benefit the consumer, especially as these are often spec'd differently to what consumers order. 

12) The silly situation where a dealer wont sell you a car that they have on display,  ever been told cant buy that as we wouldn't have a demo.   Understandable when there were small dealers, but crazy when most dealers have 50+ cars on site, this just drives people to buy elsewhere, having seen it and tried it, if dealer wont let you have it, may as well go and look up who will sell you one at lowest price.

13) Some dealers seem to have spent about £2m updating their premises and showroom, but only £9.99 on their other shop window (their website),  why don't they want to compete with online companies (brokers etc)

 

It seems to me Skoda UK don't care about their customers, they would rather chase the diminishing fleet market rather than accept it as a place to offload the slow selling models and specs at a discount.  

 

I suspect the whole business model is stuck in the 1980s and they haven't recognised the new world where people are used to buying items by click of a mouse, searching for best price in the evening from a computer at home. 

There are 2 ways people buy nowadays, go out and expect to collect it straight away, or order it.  The Dealers dont deliver on first as they put cars for sale without them being ready to take away, so the customer is given time to find a better deal.  If you going to order it then the internet allows you to find best price, also if you are going to have to wait 3 or 4 months, and dealers don't highlight their best price, you will soon find a better price at alternatives like brokers.  Why pay more for a product than have to.

Edited 3 June, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[ColinD]

 

I suspect the whole business model is stuck in the 1980s and they haven't recognised the new world where people are used to buying items by click of a mouse, searching for best price in the evening from a computer at home. 

 

 

I totally agree. Over the last 2+years at various points I've looked at points you raised. I'd say with the exception of one manufacturer, most all of them have the same entrenched view. We're not about to change that, but I think en-masse a change is in progress. Investors must think so too throwing 10's of millions into web companies/brokers.

 

I feel a non broker/masked model will work, but it's not coming from the manufacturers! I maybe alone for sometime.

 

Often the available options in a brochure, are not available, or regionally not an option, and it changes weekly. This makes setting a set of options more complex as it needs to be maintained. I enquired about a 'data' feed to power a comparison tool, this is data about cars, ins grp, fuel consumption, colours etc... we're looking at north of £10k a year in license costs. 

 

That's too much to bear for every dealer to make their site all singing all dancing. I am making a site that all the dealers can use to supply this community with cars at a 'club' price, locally if needs be or nationally if better & delivered to where ever you want. All the stuff the entrenched manufacturer cannot nor wants to do.

 

Specifically on point 10, there is a way, but it's not public. Same goes for those new cars in the showroom, there are over 500 of them not on the books 600+ after kodaiq. After a few months the dealer has to pay for them, or found someone who wants the options as they are. They eventually appear on the 'books' and thus 1owner reg used after 3 months, but up till then, they are, to the outside of the dealers walls, invisible. Again I have a design to allow dealers to list them.

 

Getting them; the dealers, to consider using it is actually harder than building it. With only a few committed to it I'm going to build it anyway; they will come, which is risky as it's a sizeable investment for me. I believe we, as buyers would use it. I believe, from the last few months evidence, dealers are willing to beat the prices for carwow etc, and still have a small profit as they have not borne the cost of your coffee and test drives. If the process is light weight and easy to use and not going to be used by quote kickers, it should work for everyone involved.

 

Skoda don't think people use this site to research and buy. I've been suggesting they do for the last 10 years, they only perceive it ( I think ) as a site full of road racers and how fast will it go, which it isn't... but you can't change perception overnight, or a decade it seems

[AGFalco]

Hi All

A follow up to my previous post

 

Ordered from NCD on 29th March.

Built 8th May.

Invoiced on 19th May.

Registered on 3rd June.

Collected from NCD on 6th June.

But it is a Fabia so maybe the problem is the Superb and not NCD.

 

Thanks AG Faclo

[Oldgits]

Hi All

A follow up to my previous post

 

Ordered from NCD on 29th March.

Built 8th May.

Invoiced on 19th May.

Registered on 3rd June.

Collected from NCD on 6th June.

But it is a Fabia so maybe the problem is the Superb and not NCD.

 

Thanks AG Faclo

Well done on getting your new car. The fact NCD has removed ALL Skoda models from their site plus other marques too, means you've been lucky to get in the nip of time and to my way of thinking shows NCD is definitely part of the problem.

[philpix]

Well done on getting your new car. The fact NCD has removed ALL Skoda models from their site plus other marques too, means you've been lucky to get in the nip of time and to my way of thinking shows NCD is definitely part of the problem.

Yep well done. I ordered on Feb 22, due for delivery next Monday. It's somewhere in Skoda UK demo fleet now. You win some and you..........

[Oldgits]

Yep well done. I ordered on Feb 22, due for delivery next Monday. It's somewhere in Skoda UK demo fleet now. You win some and you..........

Just been reading your 280PS posts, nice one, broker, introducer or dealer direct?

[philpix]

Just been reading your 280PS posts, nice one, broker, introducer or dealer direct?

I've PM'd you.

[rogerdyer]

NCD have Skoda back on their site, only one car to buy though, Octavia 2.0ltr CDI CR SE L Hatch.

Edited 16 June, 2016 by rogerdyer

[rogerdyer]

More coming back to their site now, Octavia Hatch and Estates, The Yeti too! Something must have been sorted, still feel so sorry for poor buyers who never got their cars though, anyone think it might happen again?

[Decto]

Back at very good discounts too. Will it happen again, who knows.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[Robbydazzler]

These discounts seem too good to be true. Are you able to part exchange your present car as part of the deal?

[ColinD]

Any prices mentioned or listed before April 4th 2017 are, or should, not be taken as available today. Things change each quarter, heck even week to week...

 

It's still the safest path to deal direct with a dealer and not a middle party. Discounts vary as does service, some dealers discount, some don't. Some will do a crazy deal to get the backend volume bonus.

 

PCH deals are available, We've seen ok, bad and great. I think we have a fairly good avg floor now, some again go below but recoup cost.. after all the profit pie is only so big and new showrooms cost!

 

https://cars.briskoda.net for an overview.

 

 

 

 

[Derek_Mac]

17 hours ago, Robbydazzler said:

These discounts seem too good to be true. Are you able to part exchange your present car as part of the deal?

 

 Yup, I'm part exchanging my 59 reg Mondeo Estate for an L&K Superb Estate through NCD.

Getting book price for the Mondeo supposedly/hopefully.

[frazered]

i have had carwow offers from dealers that beat the new car discount prices by over a grand, so dont seem extra generous.

[Derek_Mac]

 The Carwow offers that I got nearly equalled the NCD offers simply because Skoda were offering £750 on cars registered before the end of June, also it was near the beginning of the month which probably didn't help with the dealers offers.

  I didn't think my that my car would be registered by the end of June, so I went with NCD.

[skidpan]

I bought the Superb and the Leon before it through Carfile.net. Compared to the local cost to change deals I saved just over £2000 on the Leon and a similar amount on the Suberb. Got the same PCP and finance deals. It was just like buying from a local dealer but you pay less.

 

So why not use a broker. Whats not to like?

[rogerdyer]

I saved over 5k on my Scout last year, just before Skoda was pulled from NCD, but someone I know has just been informed the VW van he had ordered with them and was due to pick up around now, has been cancelled and went to a dealer somewhere! And yes, NCD do part exchange, but I sold my Honda CRV privately and got another £1000 on top of what they were offering, so just took it out of the deal around a week before the Skoda was delivered. Would use them again, if ever I change my car in the future.