On another forum there is a debate as to whether a car on a PCP has to have been serviced by a Skoda dealer to maintain the value of the car.

 

Any thoughts? Anyone traded in a PCP without full Skoda service history?

Hmm, mine is on PCP - at handover they said that it didn't need dealer service for the warrante but never mentioned anything for the PCP

Skoda servicing is quite expensive,especially for the first service (oil and filter change and check round).

 

I just wondered if it would affect the car's value if servicing was done by my local garage?

Have a read through your contract, it should say what they require from a legal point of view.

Also depends what you're going to do at the end of the PCP. If you're buying it, then it wouldn't matter.

I think for the PCP it must have Skoda service history, but check your contract.

Nothing in my PCP that says it has to be serviced at Skoda. However they could say it is worth less if it hasn't been serviced at a main dealer or Skoda service centre.

As long as it's serviced with genuine VAG parts & fluids, & at a bona fida Garage & fully documented it doesn't effect value.

We traded our 2002 Ibiza FR (PCP) in against our Monte (PCP) which had been serviced at our trusty independent & provided all receipts, there was absolutely no penalty. We also had it confirmed by the Skoda Dealer that this would still be ok for the Monte too.

As long as it's serviced with genuine VAG parts & fluids, & at a bona fida Garage & fully documented it doesn't effect value.

We traded our 2002 Ibiza FR (PCP) in against our Monte (PCP) which had been serviced at our trusty independent & provided all receipts, there was absolutely no penalty. We also had it confirmed by the Skoda Dealer that this would still be ok for the Monte too.

Skoda computerise everything now,on their own systems,so obviously they would need to see proper receipts from an independent garage if trading in at the end of a PCP.

 

I'm still a little unsure if it would devalue the car though.

Edited 13 May, 201610 yr by RickW

theoretically it shouldn't devalue the car but realistically people value the main dealer service stamps, by that I mean someone may be subconsciously more willing to pay a higher price for a car with a full dealer history over one with a complete non franchise history.

Personally I'd be happy with either providing it was a strong history with all the relevant items changed on time.

Some people either don't know about half the service items because the dealer let's them down and doesn't inform them or they point blank refuse, usually on the grounds that it would be expensive work, which is understandable.

Edited 13 May, 201610 yr by James@RRGRochdale

It is not devaluing a car having the service carried out at Volkswagen Group Main Dealers, 

so VW, Seat or Audi and these can sometimes be doing a lower priced Service but actually removing rear wheels and taking drums off a car, not just saying in websites that they do.

 

Then you have VW Independent Specialist with the access to the VWG System and can even carry out Warranty work when licensed.

 

Skoda Main dealers & others might rate Main Dealer Full Service Histories, while many know a Minor, Major, Minor service 

regime might mean very little other than the Oil & Filter changes, and the 'If required' parts were never required so not changed, 

no Pollen Filter, and nothing else either, so really it was Minor, Minor and maybe not even a 3rd Minor Service.

As I said it made no difference when we did the deal on our Monte.

There is no reason to value service stamps from a main dealer, it's myth nurtured by the dealers themselves . When I was a fleet manager the standard of service I experienced from main Dealers was truely shocking. I landed up having absolutely no trust in main dealers & their so called Technicians. I subsequently worked for a Ford main dealer in West London, & I saw first hand how bad some of the work practices were in the service department.

I never use main dealers for anything other than warranty work.

Edited 13 May, 201610 yr by pauldazzle

the biggest issue if you don't have it serviced at a dealer is if you need any "good will" from skoda, reading on here seems skoda are much more likely to entertain the need for a good will gesture if it has always been serviced at a skoda dealer

As I said it made no difference when we did the deal on our Monte.

There is no reason to value service stamps from a main dealer, it's myth nurtured by the dealers themselves . When I was a fleet manager the standard of service I experienced from main Dealers was truely shocking. I landed up having absolutely no trust in main dealers & their so called Technicians. I subsequently worked for a Ford main dealer in West London, & I saw first hand how bad some of the work practices were in the service department.

I never use main dealers for anything other than warranty work.

You're right it makes little difference in real terms.

I've seen so much terrible work from dealers, indys, men in vans, have a go mechanics that it makes the mind boggle.

Now I can understand a hobbyist (who usually has a job on the opposite end of the spectrum to a technicians) level of work being substandard but when you see it time and time again from so called dealer trained staff, qualified mechanics, people advertising and charging good money for a work at a "specialist" level then it's no wonder motor trade staff get a bad rep.

Mechanical workmanship is supposed to be being standardised through the likes of the IMI but I'm yet to see any great push from the government or any recognition from the public to enforce this.

Until that happens people will still spend their hard earned for the pleasure of any old droid, qualified or not to maintain their car.

the biggest issue if you don't have it serviced at a dealer is if you need any "good will" from skoda, reading on here seems skoda are much more likely to entertain the need for a good will gesture if it has always been serviced at a skoda dealer

That used to be the case.

You no longer need Goodwill from VW, Skoda, Seat, Audi. Porsche,

When they have fundamental Design, Manufacturing, Component choice and quality control failings you use your consumer rights.

Their faults, they sell not fit for purpose so they pay.

 

No more Das Auto, VW are honest and open, so let them prove it, admit when they have bad chain tensioners, leaking door seals, 

etc etc , the Internet catches them out now.

 

There are snagging faults appearing with some All New 3rd Generation Fabia so they know what they are while there are still no cars over 2 years old,

no excuse for Skoda not to find ways to resolve issues, just be sure to make sure the Dealerships Log them and contact the Skoda Customer Services.

EU Restrictive Practices means they can not treat people that do not use Main Dealerships for Servicing 

differently from those Meeting Servicing Schedules and Guidelines, OEM parts, Fluids, VAT Registered etc etc

All its led to after a court case in some European Court is:

rather than pay a goodwill contribution percentage based on brand loyalty and service history - which, in most cases was anywhere between 10%-100% parts and or labour, with pretty much all costs being covered on cars with full dealer history

has now resulted in everyone receiving exactly the same - the bare minimum amount of goodwill contributions required to appease the suits at the top of the ladder

for example the egr saga. at one point a 4 year old car with dealer history would get the full repair for free (parts and labour), now you're lucky if they'll fund the full cost of the parts.

The Volkswagen Group do not want Customers in England or Wales go into court with an Independent Experts Report on vehicle faults that VW knew were there for years and just ignored fixing those where they were not forced to.

They fix some they own, and they go back into trade, yet not fix private individuals.

Even less do they want taken to a Scottish Court.

 

It is why so many Engines out of Warranty have been replaced by VW in Skoda vRS Twinchargers.

Less than 2,900 of them sold in the UK and some have had more than 2 engines fitted now.

A failure rate greater than 20% of the CAVE Engines, and replacement engines failing.

Where a car has a Warranty after the Manufacturers 3 year warranty and issues the Warranty Provider is saying 'Known Issue' 

and Skoda / VW are assuming the position because it 'Was a known issue' and they knew.

 

Skoda, VW, Seat & Audi Dealerships might follow the usual Corporate Line, 

but VW know what they need to do, and that is not appear in a UK Court and have to give evidence.

They would really hate Engineers Reports being public, which is why Confidentiality Agreements are one of their 

settlement requirements when they buy back Lemons.

Edited 13 May, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

Skoda dealer that I use charge £129 for interim service and £249 for a full service.. I've got a service package on the car so my 20k service was free.. but should I take it somewhere else before warranty is up, well I generally don't do that - not with the issues I've had so far.. shudder to think what a non-dealer would have charged me recently!

I did take mine back to the dealer for it's first service (£120) and maybe I will for the second but my mobile man who I have used for years and is ultra thorough will get it after that. Quite simply I would trust him any day of the week vs dealer's mechs. E.g. There is some scoring on the rear discs (probably because where I have taken it a couple of times) but they never even mentioned it! Of course we all know that it has been illegal for manufacturers to impose servicing restrictions on owners for quite a few years now.

Eccles, the one slight drawback is that if you don't take it to a Skoda dealer you may not get your free manufacturers ecu updates that come in on quite a regular basis these days. Some independants can supposedly supply them but at a cost. And I'm not sure they would always be the geniune article either. 

 

Regarding the OP's question: I think the pcp company might not like an independant servicing their Skoda car. Remember you don't and may never own it and some can be fussy about such things.  I'd check with them by phone and get them to email you to confirm it if they say it's ok. 

Equally some Volkswagen Group Independent Specialists have the LIcensed Equipment to do all Servicing & Updates and have all the TPI's 

etc.

Even more trained and Qualified employees & owners than Maindealers because they left their employ and set up giving 

good customer service and value for money and a proper job done for the money paid.

 

A good VW Group Independent Specialist can be worth searching out in your own area.

this is one handy for Lothian / Midlothian.

http://autohausedinburgh.co.uk

Eccles, the one slight drawback is that if you don't take it to a Skoda dealer you may not get your free manufacturers ecu updates that come in on quite a regular basis these days. Some independents can supposedly supply them but at a cost. And I'm not sure they would always be the geniune article either. 

 

Regarding the OP's question: I think the pcp company might not like an independent servicing their Skoda car. Remember you don't and may never own it and some can be fussy about such things.  I'd check with them by phone and get them to email you to confirm it if they say it's ok. 

Getting it in writing is one thing but when it comes to the crunch we may get offered less for it at the end of the PCP if not serviced by Skoda.

From personal experience it makes no difference at all, as long as the vehicle is serviced at he correct intervals by a VAT registered Garage using genuine VAG parts & approved fluids with documentation to prove, the PCP servicing conditions are fulfilled & you are not penalised.