Tax Band Chance New Higher Price

[DarkKnight54]

[Also posted on the KodiaqForums]

 

Well Guys,

Im completely pi#!ed off!

As you know, I ordered a Kodiaq Edition with high spec on 23rd December through Simpsons Skoda, recently been given week 19. This is a lease @ £438pm over 3 years.

This was my max budget, really pushing the ceiling but I had bought into it given the high spec.

Well Simpsons just called me tonight to say they are ringing all lease customers (Yeti, Superb also) to let then know of price increaaes due to the new tax bands. What the hell! 

They said it will push my lease to £450pm or I can front load it.

The 190bhp 4x4 DSG is 151g/c02 so its now £500 for the first year (apparently Skoda pay second & third) They had worked into the price originally only £145 for the first year.

My point is, the VED price changes were already out in December when I ordered and they new they were not delivering until after April so why advertise with the old tax band knowing it would not apply? (and not tell me - crucially)

I may cancel my order, I cannot justify such a price hike (reducing selected options just puts me off to be honest). £450 would lease me a new X5 or Q7 before April.. Absolutely gutted.

Check with your dealers!!!...

Thoughts..

Edited 17 February, 2017 by ColinD
Cleaned up formatting.

[ColinD]

Naturally I guess you're busy checking the paperwork terms. The rate change was well known about. Even I was seeing doubt in prices in December with our dealer contacts, we look at all models, so see more issues cropping up.

 

A trip/call to citizens advice might not be a miss, again it all rides on the paperwork signed. What was said, sadly isn't of much use. Might also be worth hunting down simpsons complaints procedure. It will get you on a different radar than sales and might alleviate the total cost impact.

 

If you're after cancelling, then the chances are you'll be looking at a similar rate now. The rates all went up in Jan, there was a note around the other marques for prices going up. We saw lots of old lease prices on the web, which could not be honoured. Again depends on your paperwork, I'd be arguing the toss while working out the cost to change. Most new cars have a lead time, unless you can grab a XC60 or 90 of a dock/parkinglot.

 

If you do cancel are you stuck for a car come April?

 

How brought into the car are you? You could opt for something else for 2years, let the kodiaq settle then come back to it.

 

A new order now would be May at least now. 

 

 

[Bugginbob]

Sucks. guess I'm not surprised though, think this has probably happened/will happen to a few people. I'd push aimpsons hard on it as well as skoda directly.

 

if you can find a q7 or x5 for £450 a month let me know ;-)

[Rooted]

You paid your £500 security, you agreed to a deal as they did with their T&C's so it is down to what those T&C's were.

 

[DarkKnight54]

13 hours ago, Offski said:

You paid your £500 security, you agreed to a deal as they did with their T&C's so it is down to what those T&C's were.

 

 

I have a copy of the 'front' of my order form, which details the lease, and Simpsons themselves have signed and dated and it says bound by the T&C's on the reverse of the form (which I dont have). I also have the finance approval docs but nothing more. :/

 

If its a standard 'new vehicle order form', does anyone else have a copy of the T&C's?

[Rooted]

Well best have them get you them.

I once challenged Scotland / Europe's biggest motor group over T&C's when i ordered a car and paid a deposit and then had to cancel because they did not meet the agreement.

Some T&C's were missing but they referred me to the ones i signed, i referred them to the fact they were English Law and not Scottish and then claimed 

the deposit back, Interests at the rate they charge and a Gesture payment or we could go to court over it.  I received the money quickly.

Sadly not the car that i ordered knowing the offer was too good to be true.

[andyvee]

All I can say is typical of Simpsons, and why I would never buy another car from them even though they are the nearest dealer to me.

 

Once they have your money they are not interested any more, their customer satisfaction ratings are not very good according to an inside source of mine at Skoda - they sell lots of cars but don't give 2 jots about customer service. Kwiksave springs to mind - stack em high and sell em cheap.

 

Anyway, the Ts&Cs don't apply if they didn't give you a copy .......... tell them it is their error, the VED bands were known before you ordered and they will have to pay the difference.

[DarkKnight54]

Quite literally 1 hour ago I was speaking to the Assistant Mgr at at NW based Dealer (not Simpsons) and this chap had been to the Portugal event (I was there moaning about my price hike/tax using this other dealer to compare), I also mentioned to him that I had heard they cannot sell before April and he said thats rubbish. He said up-to today they have had nothing to indicate they cannot release a Kodiaq should one arrive before April and they have fulfilled plenty of orders. I was quite surprised by this response myself.

 

Also, apparently my deal which was £438, ..and now (due to VED increase) £450 would actually cost £495 today (brand new deal) for exactly the same spec. Apparently it is because pre-Christmas orders were on last years promotions and Skoda have adjusted the current year promotion to persuade people away from PCH.

 

A couple of options then, I will try and have a moan at Simpsons but it looks like I have a good deal now given the national PCH pricehike so I may just have to suck it up..

Edited 18 February, 2017 by DarkKnight54

[Rooted]

Good,  but you have a deal, a signed agreement at the price they gave. 

[Danny 57]

Simply ticking a box without the t&c's being present is not proof that you have received them. We have all had to tick those boxes before. It is for them to prove that there has been a point at which you had them, physically. I stand to be corrected but I had a conversation with my next door neighbour who has dealt with this subject a lot and he agreed with what I have written above.

 

But as I said I stand to be corrected.

 

[SurreyJohn]

To me it's quite simple, if they forgot to give you all the terms and conditions as some were on the back, ask them to photocopy the original (both sides), ideally you should go in and check this to ensure the copy is of the version you signed and not a new revised version.  If you did it at a distance ask for a certified copy to be sent, or for them to take a copy and send the original. They won't send you original, but may back down as you could argue, you understand they will need to produce it in court and ask them the date of the court hearing (very unlikely thy will want to go to court) so they will be stuck.

 

The VED changes were announced in March 2016 in the budget (if not earlier) so were clearly known in December.  There is a law of what a reasonable man would do (often referred to as man on Clapham omnibus), basically if tax changes had been announced few days before, then would be reasonable for retailer to still be updating prices, but 9 months later wouldn't.  The customer would assume the tax changes had already been included by then.

 

In practice you will need to check the terms and conditions.  If it indicates delivery after 1 April then you could reasonably (thats the applicable legal word) assume the prices were based on new VED.  If however there is a clause which says prices may be revised to reflect changes in VED you are probably stuffed (providing the change equals the change in rate).

 

Remember the terms bind both parties, they can't enforce it if they don't deliver the car as ordered.  If they choose to cancel, does it meet their terms which are more likely to be when its beyond their control.  The unfair contract terms Act limits certain terms for individuals (but they can exist in commercial contracts as lawyers review those), so may be there, but aren't enforceable.