Good morn chaps,

 

Whilst my 2013 Superb estate was in the Skoda dealer's workshop to have the emissions cheating software fixed the dealer decided to inspect the car and quote to fix anything she could find wrong. She came up with £66 to change the windscreen wipers and £306 to change the front disks.

 

I ordered some new Bosch wiper blades for about £18 delivered to my house and fitted them in about 30 seconds per side - I couldn't help thinking that nearly £50 labour charge would have been a bit extortionate.

 

I've just had a look at the front disks (the car's first MoT is tomorrow, it has covered jut over 30,000 miles) and the lip that the dealer's workshop reported is almost imperceptible, so I'd say the disks are no more than half worn. I checked up the cost of disks online and could buy a pair for about £50 delivered. I suppose it would take me about an hour per side to fit them (and of course the dealer's workshop could do the job rather quicker), so the cost of labour would be something around £250.

 

I think you can tell where this is going: it looks like the supplying dealer is not only inflating service prices but also looking for work that is not there (in the case of the disks). I'm losing faith in the dealer; this was compounded by the workshop leaving the oil filler cap off during the recall work (luckily I noticed it before any real damage was done).

 

I like the car and don't see any reason to change it now that I'm not working full time, so I want to maintain it properly, but now it is 3 years old I'm wondering whether I should find a garage that will look after it without making up jobs, charging over the odds for simple jobs or losing bits during maintenance work? What do other owners think - Is it worth ditching the main dealer now?

Mintex front discs and pads are no more than £80, fitting £30 by local mobile mechanic

 

does the owner of that dealership have a helicopter or Lear jet?

Good morn chaps,

 

 

I think you can tell where this is going: it looks like the supplying dealer is not only inflating service prices but also looking for work that is not there (in the case of the disks). 

 

 

really?

 

shocked i am

Mintex front discs and pads are no more than £80, fitting £30 by local mobile mechanic

 

does the owner of that dealership have a helicopter or Lear jet?

Thank you for that, it rather confirms my suspicions about the dealership. I'm quite happy to do work like changing disks myself (I can't see it that it would be any more difficult than the 20 years old Saab 900 convertible I look after myself).

 

I'll probably keep this car until it is 10 years old now. I like the car, it suits my needs perfectly and I no longer need a new motor (as I've retired from serious work), so I think the answer is to find an independent garage to look after it. The downsides will probably be no smart waiting area with free tea and soft chairs, no loan car (which I've never used during a service), no dealer's stamp in the book (which would not matter much if I keep it a decade), and perhaps most significantly no pretty blond receptionist to chat with.

 

If anyone can recommend an independent garage in either King's Lynn or Corby areas I'd much appreciate it.

 

Alan

Edited 6 September, 20169 yr by Othen

Well my 63 plate facelift was in for a service and MOT last week, this is the last service under warranty which ends at the end of this month. I was prepared to pay for the 3rd year service but I got some good news that the previous owner had taken out a service plan and I got the service for nought and only had to pay for the MOT.

The dealer once they had done their health check stated I had some stepping on the 2 front tyres and tried to sell me two of the same for £110 each. I said no thanks and let it go through the MOT which didn;t even mention them as an advisory. so i'll swap front to back and get more years out of the them.

 

From now on my work will be done by a couple of chaps in Rugby who only work at the weekend and charge a lot less than main dealers, They have been servicing my Rovers and Fiat  for over 10 years and I trust them completely. Its a bit of a drive from Peterborough but that's the price you've got to pay for quality work. If anyone wants any contact details let me know. 

 

Stubs

Edited 6 September, 20169 yr by stubie141258

My main concern with independents is whether they will do work according to the manufacturer's specifications/procedures. For example, far too many mechanics still use tippex to do timing belts when they should be using lockdown toolkits. A lot of independents here don't use diagnostics either. It's a tricky line to walk between dealers overcharging and indies not doing it right.

I used to run 3 big vans as a Courier and my vans went to an independent HGV workshops, that was after Citroen charged me £180 for 6 ltrs of oil and a filter.... Citroen got the (many) warranty jobs bless em....

 

Citroen car dealers were totally lost with LWB class 7 vans....

Send a quick message to Skoda UK using this online form...

 

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

 

We are their eyes and ears for them to gauge the performance of their franchised dealers. If more of us fed back (both positive and negative comments) then there would be less for us to be unhappy about.

 

Dealers are in business to make money, they will charge what they can get away with. Anything safety related (tyres, brakes etc.) are always easy wins.

 

If however you feel the dealer is exaggerating or identifying non-existent faults then break with the English tradition and complain.

Thank you Silver, but I don't think this amounts to a complaint. I have a straight choice between the expensive but nice dealership and a much less expensive (but probably just as good - the oil filler cap incident showed they take no more care than anyone else reasonably would) independent garage.

 

I've already decided to vote with my feet: after the MoT and brake flush tomorrow I'll look around for someone else to look after the car. I just could not justify spending £66 on some wiper blades or over £300 on a couple of brake disks.

 

Alan

Thank you Silver, but I don't think this amounts to a complaint. I have a straight choice between the expensive but nice dealership and a much less expensive (but probably just as good - the oil filler cap incident showed they take no more care than anyone else reasonably would) independent garage.

 

I've already decided to vote with my feet: after the MoT and brake flush tomorrow I'll look around for someone else to look after the car. I just could not justify spending £66 on some wiper blades or over £300 on a couple of brake disks.

 

Alan

I am with you, and clearly, many others on this. My Superb will be 3 years old in October. It is going to a local independent vw specialist for any servicing work. I would not touch Skoda or VW main dealers with a barge pole. Up-selling rip off merchants.

Thank you Silver, but I don't think this amounts to a complaint. I have a straight choice between the expensive but nice dealership and a much less expensive (but probably just as good - the oil filler cap incident showed they take no more care than anyone else reasonably would) independent garage.

 

I've already decided to vote with my feet: after the MoT and brake flush tomorrow I'll look around for someone else to look after the car. I just could not justify spending £66 on some wiper blades or over £300 on a couple of brake disks.

 

Alan

So you're letting the dealer continue doing this to others?

 

It'll only take a few minutes to fire off an email to Skoda explaining what happened. At worst they'll ignore it but if they take it seriously the dealer might be warned to straighten up their act and everyone benefits.

So you're letting the dealer continue doing this to others?

 

It'll only take a few minutes to fire off an email to Skoda explaining what happened. At worst they'll ignore it but if they take it seriously the dealer might be warned to straighten up their act and everyone benefits.

Plus 1 from me as well. I am fortunate in that my dealer has never done anything like that to me nor do I expect it either as I have a very good relationship with them. Point to note I never pay the standard price for service and I always bring my own oil.

If your car is out of warranty I'd be inclined to look for a very good independent VWG garage, one that your friends, work colleagues or neighbours can recommend personally, but not a garage you don't have any recommendations for, then get some prices to see how they compare to Skoda.

If you have an extended warranty I'd personally still use Skoda.

Thank you Silver, but I don't think this amounts to a complaint. I have a straight choice between the expensive but nice dealership and a much less expensive (but probably just as good - the oil filler cap incident showed they take no more care than anyone else reasonably would) independent garage.

 

I've already decided to vote with my feet: after the MoT and brake flush tomorrow I'll look around for someone else to look after the car. I just could not justify spending £66 on some wiper blades or over £300 on a couple of brake disks.

 

Alan

 

All the more reason to let Skoda UK know of one of their dealers potentially dodgy sales practices. You won't be visiting them again so have nothing to lose.

 

Luckily you are wise enough to know better, what about the single mum or old age pensioner who gets told the same rubbish?

We have an excellent forum for sharing our dealer visit experiences here. The problem is this thread will eventually disappear down the page and be gone forever, perhaps consider copying your opening post here...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/289-dealer-reviews/

 

I'm sure the dealers take a look in here too from time to time.

We have an excellent forum for sharing our dealer visit experiences here. The problem is this thread will eventually disappear down the page and be gone forever, perhaps consider copying your opening post here...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/289-dealer-reviews/

 

I'm sure the dealers take a look in here too from time to time.

I did that Silver.

All the more reason to let Skoda UK know of one of their dealers potentially dodgy sales practices. You won't be visiting them again so have nothing to lose.

 

Luckily you are wise enough to know better, what about the single mum or old age pensioner who gets told the same rubbish?

You have a really good point here Silver; I wonder whether vulnerable people have been taken in and paid £66 for windscreen wipers that would have been fitted free at Halfords.

When I ran my small garage I used to look after a lot of MK1 Octavias and had the unfortunate experience of a good customer of mine with several taxis phoning me up and telling me that one of his cars is in Skoda for a recall item and they have informed him that the discs are worn below specification and he was not happy that I had not spotted this.......He then told me he had authorized them to do the work.

This was 1 week after I had fully serviced the vehicle including T/belt all parts supplied were O.E from TPS...

I drove up to said dealer with my digital vernier caliper and a print out from Autodata with spec of thickness.

You  can imagine what happens next  ..Lets just say they had to refit the "old parts" back on again 

The explanation was that in their consideration that they might not see the car for another 20,000 miles and therefore recommended changing perfectly serviceable pads and discs due to this..

You could imagine if I used this practice to every Taxi that came in  

As above they must play a percentage game to see what they get away with.... 
 

Edited 6 September, 20169 yr by DEL80Y

When I ran my small garage I used to look after a lot of MK1 Octavias and had the unfortunate experience of a good customer of mine with several taxis phoning me up and telling me that one of his cars is in Skoda for a recall item and they have informed him that the discs are worn below specification and he was not happy that I had not spotted this.......He then told me he had authorized them to do the work.

This was 1 week after I had fully serviced the vehicle including T/belt all parts supplied were O.E from TPS...

I drove up to said dealer with my digital vernier caliper and a print out from Autodata with spec of thickness.

You  can imagine what happens next  ..Lets just say they had to refit the "old parts" back on again 

The explanation was that in their consideration that they might not see the car for another 20,000 miles and therefore recommended changing perfectly serviceable pads and discs due to this..

You could imagine if I used this practice to every Taxi that came in  

As above they must play a percentage game to see what they get away with.... 

 

That is a very interesting story - and reminds me that I have a digital micrometer somewhere in the garage. When I have an idle moment I'll look up the specification for the disks and see how much material there is left.

I once had an advisory on our Octavia's first MOT carried out at a main dealer - front discs badly corroded.

 

5 years later, 5 more MOT's (carried out elsewhere) I sold the car still with the original discs and pads fitted.

With all garages get a quote when the car isn't in their possession. You'll find them a lot keener on the price when you're just on the phone

When my 4x4 was in for its 40 k service I asked how much would the haldex oil cost . they said 160 so I said don't bother. 20k later I rang them and asked how much just to do haldex oil and filter and they said 72 quid ! Which considering the oil is about 40 quid and I had a valet included was a good deal

Once out of warranty I go straight to an independent. The front discs on mine were replaced a couple of months ago (80k miles). I knew they were due as I've been tracking the thickness (one day I'll get a life). Main dealers have some big overheads, such as rent in expensive areas, but I see little point in using them if they are significantly more expensive than independents (assuming the independents know what they are doing!). 

It was the main dealer that quoted both prices and where I took it to get it done. I think if they see you as a soft touch they'll try it on. My independent garage said there's a special tool to remove the filter which they didn't have and would have cost 70 quid!

I once had an advisory on our Octavia's first MOT carried out at a main dealer - front discs badly corroded.

 

5 years later, 5 more MOT's (carried out elsewhere) I sold the car still with the original discs and pads fitted.

Good story Silver,

We'll find out if the dealer tries to pull a trick like that today as the Superb is in for its first MoT. This is the second new Superb estate they have looked after for me, so I must have been a customer of theirs for about 5 years, but I fear it will be the last.

Whilst the car is in for the test today I'll take a walk to the King's Lynn VW Centre (an independent) to take a view, I read some good reviews of that garage on the local newspaper's web site last evening.