New Superb Disaster and disappointment

[noskodavan]

We have been patiently waiting for over three months for the arrival of our new Skoda Superb SEL 2.0 TSI 220 which would be the fifth Skoda we have purchased from new.

 

We decided to change from diesel to petrol since our short distance type of driving and low mileage is really not doing the diesel DPF any good, and we do not want to end up with a big repair bill for a new DPF.

 

However upon arrival at the dealership (Lightclffe Skoda Warrington) our excitement was soon ended and we are now left frustrated and annoyed. 

 

We sat down and completed the paperwork to trade in our current car and were then taken to see our gleaming new Skoda Superb SEL 2.0 TSI. All looked great until we started the engine, since the smooth petrol engine sounded decidedly like a diesel!

 

Turns out that despite all our order paperwork being correct showing a 2.0 TSI 220 engine the dealer has performed a monumental **** up and ordered a 2.0 TDI 150 ps car.

 

Even more annoying is that upon the red faced senior sales representative admitting this, he then tried to dig himself out of a hole by persueding us to take the diesel car.  Even though he offered to refund #1000 I said no because it is not what we ordered and the DPF problem will still be there. He then tried to convince me that the DPF had been improved and it would not be a problem and perhaps if it was a problem in the future they would stand the cost replacement! 

 

Obviously I said no way, not taking a 150ps diesel car instead of a 220ps petrol just to save their embarrassment and financial **** up. 

 

I am now told that if they put in a new factory order that I will have to wait another three months. Totally unacceptable!

 

I asked them to phone the factory and explain the circumstances and get us moved to the front of the production queue. This cannot be done apparently.

 

Maybe they do not have the authority, but surely someone in Skoda management can arrange this for a loyal customer.

 

I am not prepared to wait six months for a family car, and if this is the case I will take my deposit back and go and purchase a new Ford Mondeo or something else.

 

Even worse I am told that I cannot have my existing car back since it now belongs to VW finance. 

 

They have loaned us another Superb until Monday, but then what?

 

We are not prepared to drive around in a tiny little courtesy car or a car we did not choose for three months.

 

Simply Ordering a new car with the correct engine does not take away the unpleasant disappointment and deflation we have suffered, and  I feel that if they want me to stay as a loyal Skoda customer I am owed some form of compensation to make up for this disaster.

 

I will be taking legal advice first thing Monday morning.

 

Has anyone else had anything as bad as this happen?

 

 

[Alpha2110]

Depending how acomadating they are they should let you drive a equivelent car for three months for free. Or bill them for the extra expense incured for a lease car.

[James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale]

"I asked them to phone the factory and explain the circumstances and get us moved to the front of the production queue. This cannot be done apparently."

Unfortunately dealers don't have any direct contact system with the various VW production sites nor do they have the authority to push their orders through to the front of the line...

This is obviously a dealer specific fault and not of skoda so the best thing to to would be to inform Skoda UK of the funk up and press the dealer, hard.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by James@RRGRochdale

[Sheldon.Cooper]

We have been patiently waiting for over three months for the arrival of our new Skoda Superb SEL 2.0 TSI 220 which would be the fifth Skoda we have purchased from new.

 

Even worse I am told that I cannot have my existing car back since it now belongs to VW finance. 

 

[/size]

 

Why can't you have your car back? Rip up the paperwork and its as if nothing happened.

Unless another garage has the exact spec car you are after in stock, a factory order will be another 8-12 weeks.

[Phil-E]

Maybe they should let you drive the car they incorrectly ordered until yours arrives?

I think the least they can do is provide an equivalent car until your correct car arrives. Just tell them thats what you want and go from there.

[kevberlin]

That's a cracker of a mistake. It could have been worse.......they could have ordered you a Rapid.

Good luck. I am sure it will come good for you.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by kevberlin

[Orville]

Maybe they should let you drive the car they incorrectly ordered until yours arrives?

My thoughts exactly. At the very least the Dealer should let you drive the new wrong car until the new right one arrives. You will still be saddled with a "lesser engined car" for three months, so you would actually be doing them a favour.

Don't simply demand your money back because that will let them get away with things and simply sell on the new oil-burner. You'll be the only loser.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by Orville

[SkodaVRS1963]

What Alpha2110 said: inform them, in writing, that you'll be leasing a vehicle from Hertz and will hold them liable for the charges.

 

I wonder at what point during the PDI that someone looked at the vehicle spec and compared it to the customer order form?

[ExSEAT]

Bit of a shocker that one. I'm sure we have seen similar on here, people with incorrect interiors etc. When I ordered my VRS they were meticulous with the paperwork as an order had come correct to the sheet but the sheet was wrong (customer wanted a hatch but estate delivered). I'm that case he walked and the dealer sold the car within the week.

I doubt the dealer will be overly concerned as they will probably shift the incorrect car soon so it depends on how good they are with their customers.

Legally, I don't think there's any action you can take. Everything would be on good faith as the contract is essentially null and void.

I'm interested to see how it works out, I hope they suck it up and do something for you.

Best of luck

[Oldgits]

As if it's not bad enough having the misery of cancelled orders through NCD, truly sorry to read this.

I suggest you call Skoda UK tomorrow and ask for "Kate" she operates out of a Leeds office.

[Alpha2110]

Maybe they should let you drive the car they incorrectly ordered until yours arrives?

I think the least they can do is provide an equivalent car until your correct car arrives. Just tell them thats what you want and go from there.

Garages actually do this, if they have a batch of cars they can't get rid of they use them as pool cars then sell them after 6 months, they also give them to staff to drive around in, so i dont think its a big deal for them.

[Skodev]

What baffles me here is that bit about you not being able to get your old car back!!! Surely the best bit of business for the dealer is to let you have it back whilst they sort out the mess. By not letting you back into your old car, they're creating an extra problem.

Understand your frustration, but thinking that the dealer could "bump" up a replacement at the factory was never realistic. Hope some resolution is found soon though.

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[davitc]

****

 

 

Speak to Skoda UK if you haven't already, they may pick up the pieces with the Dealer. Human mistakes do happen but you should not suffer and the dealer should be more helpfull and not trying to persuade you to have a car that you did not order.

 

 

 

 

Good luck.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by davitc

[noskodavan]

Thanks for your input all.

 

I have emailed Skoda customer services and hope for a response on Monday.

 

They say we can't have our old car back because the finance has been settled/closed (PCP) and the car now belongs to VW finance. But at the end of the day they should have spotted this mistake before they took that car off us.

 

We also collected a Citigo Montecarlo for my daughter on Friday as well, at least they got one car right! 

[paulwebster]

An easy mistake to make but with a sickening impact on you. Be understanding of the mistake but firm in fighting for what you want.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by paulwebster

[Skodev]

Thanks for your input all.

I have emailed Skoda customer services and hope for a response on Monday.

They say we can't have our old car back because the finance has been settled/closed (PCP) and the car now belongs to VW finance. But at the end of the day they should have spotted this mistake before they took that car off us.

We also collected a Citigo Montecarlo for my daughter on Friday as well, at least they got one car right!

ah ok got it. So your old car was on PcP and effectively formed the deposit for your new car. That now makes sense however I still believe that at the time they were doing the hand over they must have known of this error and so I'd say they've been a bit naughty there. All Round your whole experience has been dreadful. Feel for you. Genuinely.

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[SurreyJohn]

If you were doing a part exchange there is no way they could have completed the paperwork for the whole transaction. Yes you might have signed both selling the old car to them and a seperate document buying or financing the new car. As they couldn't deliver the new car, why didn't they just tear up the paperwork for both parts and give you the old car back.

I really can't believe VW financial had actually done a bank transfer for the old car by the time the mistake was realised, and the likelihood is paperwork hadn't even been submitted unless they actually interrupted the process to scan and send it before showing you the new car.

A good dealer would have been apologising profusely and given you the best car possible in the interim, Even to the point of taking a demo off a member of staff. If the salesman or their manager drove home in something better than you got that day, then that demonstrates any apology was hollow.

On Monday, insist on seeing the dealer principle, ask why they didn't delay the old car paperwork. Ask for copies of order paperwork and see who has signed it, and approved it. Then ask what car anyone that is named is driving home in, and in comparison what they intend you to be driving home in.

Demand as a minimum a loan of a similar spec vehicle at no cost until they sort the problem.

Be polite, but if they don't play say you are writing to MD of Skoda UK and will be sending copies of order documents.

Finally ask them to acknowledge if they don't provide a suitable temporary replacement, you will hire one, and then bill them, or sue them in the small claims court if they don't pay.

There is no way someone would have gone round the back with an order for your petrol car, driven it to the handover area and not noticed it was a diesel car. First reaction is must have keys to wrong one, so where is your car.

One thing they could do is try and find an unsold Christmas tree (a car with loads of extras) and offer you that instead, absorbing the cost of the additional extras as it was their mistake. Not really your problem if salesman looses bit of his bonus to cover cost of his error.

Good luck, stay calm, don't show any emotion even if staff are squirming until you are satisfied. Remind them of the new Consumer Rights Act and that is they cannot resolve the situation they need to return your other car as restitution, tell them calmly you have looked it up which will put them on the back foot because they won't know the Act in detail. (Just make them think you know what law is, even if you have no intention of using it). In reality suggest you keep the loaned Superb until your correct car is delivered as they wont give you your old one back.

Edited 12 June, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[skyjawa]

This has recently happened to a guy on the 3 series forum. As a result of the dealer mess up he keeps the wrong spec car for three months while they build the correct one, then "trades in" the mess up car for the correct one at absolutely zero cost to him other than fuel.

[octavianestate]

The previous comment is the way forward.

Everyone makes mistakes but when doing a deal for a car over £25K I personally would check and double check everything.

They knew the engine was wrong before you went to collect so instead of being up front and honest about it they 'hoped' you would not notice. That's pretty lame and devious. Would you choose this dealer again I certainly would not.

Comical, unfortunately.

Glorious Incompetence.

[jthyssen]

Something similar has happened to me in the past when I ordered a Citroën, so when I ordered my Octavia I made the dealer take screenshots of their order entry system so I could verify that engine and all options were correct

[noskodavan]

Yes I think you are right, I said to my wife yesterday if they ask for this loan Superb back and try to give me a Fabia or something I will refuse to give it back. I think it was the demonstrator used by the guy who made the mistake so he kind of deserves it!

 

Just waiting on Skoda customer services, the wife and I both took today off work as we were planning to go out in our new petrol Superb to put some running in mileage on it and try it out. Oh well I guess we will go for a bike ride instead!

[GoneToBeemer]

+1 for getting the dealer to put you up with a similar car for their error.

 

I remember back when I ordered my MK2 FL vRS and I had sold my current car privately a lot quicker than I anticipated - the dealer really kindly put me in one of their pool cars for 6 weeks while I waited for mine to arrive, so they can do it.

[jonro2009]

All staff at the garage who have a car issued to them by the garage itself are fully aware that it is a privilege and not a right. If the car is required for a customer then they have to just hand it over. I was in a position were my car got towed in and was going to be in the garage for a few weeks waiting on parts and a 'master tech' to do remedial work following them 'fixing' a problem. They tried to give me a car equivalent to a class A vehicle and mine is a class E I politely said that I would not be accepting that and I wanted an equivalent vehicle to my own, I was told there was none, I asked for the dealer principles car and he could drive the smaller car. They found a salesman with a similar car and gave me his, so it can be done. Once you have it then it's hard for them to get it back

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[Coops]

So not only did you buy a Superb but also a Citigo - would have thought the dealer would have treated you a little bit better IMO. They would have noticed on the paperwork during PDI etc that it was diesel and not petrol. Errors do happen, but it's the way it is resolved which matters. Friend ordered a 2.0 TDI Audi A6 once and it was 3.0 when it arrived, dealer let him keep it for no charge.

 

Logical solution - dealer places order for replacement PETROL Superb, you keep an equivalent Superb (even it it's the diesel version) and change over once the new one arrives. Dealer then sells on the diesel as a low mileage example. Win win, everyone is happy!

[Tech1e]

What Alpha2110 said: inform them, in writing, that you'll be leasing a vehicle from Hertz and will hold them liable for the charges.

 

I wonder at what point during the PDI that someone looked at the vehicle spec and compared it to the customer order form?

Generally the technician won't see the customer order form. As long as the job card is correct which it will be as its created from the chassis number then as far as they are concerned it's just a diesel.