Skoda say lots of things, like I've already said it is designed to confuse.

 

A fixed / minor service @ £159 is an oil and filter change. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

A variable / major service @ £279 is as above plus the extra filters.

 

This is as simple as it gets but Skoda don't want you to see this as they like to charge their customers £279 for an oil change.

4 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

Skoda say lots of things, like I've already said it is designed to confuse.

 

A fixed / minor service @ £159 is an oil and filter change. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

A variable / major service @ £279 is as above plus the extra filters.

 

This is as simple as it gets but Skoda don't want you to see this as they like to charge their customers £279 for an oil change.

 

I disagree and I have posted the evidence to support my position. You are conflating fixed with minor and variable with major but according to the Skoda website, you are wrong. We do however both agree that it seems to be designed to confuse!

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by nicknorman

Here is conflicting info.

VW Servicing, 4 wheel drive Oil change at 3 years,  Skoda will say 40,000 miles.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/what-we-check-and-why/four-wheel-drive-oil-change 

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes 

Then different prices above 2.0 litre engine, and 24 months / 20,000 miles.

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

You can't see past Skoda UK's marketing machine.

 

However Skoda want to dress it up on their website there are only two service types.

 

1) Oil and filter

 

2) Oil and filter plus other filters

 

If you are happy paying Skoda £279 for a £159 oil change be my guest.

4 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

You can't see past Skoda UK's marketing machine.

 

However Skoda want to dress it up on their website there are only two service types.

 

1) Oil and filter

 

2) Oil and filter plus other filters

 

If you are happy paying Skoda £279 for a £159 oil change be my guest.

But I didn’t, I paid £139 for the first service at 13,000 miles or so, pretty much just for an oil change with the car on variable servicing. Next service at around 30,000 will be a major or inspection service and another oil change, although I’ve just done an interim oil change myself. Oh and petrol engine so spark plugs in there somewhere!

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by nicknorman

There is a saying, 'you can lead a horse to water but you can not make them drink'.

 

I used to lead Skoda owners towards going to the Victoria Garage in Maud to get servicing done.

So your first service was a fixed / minor service; oil and filter.

 

Your second service will be a variable / major service. They will charge you £279 for an oil and filter change.

 

Nothing other than the oil and oil filter is changed before 3 years / 60,000 miles.

5 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Here is conflicting info.

VW Servicing, 4 wheel drive Oil change at 3 years,  Skoda will say 40,000 miles.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regime 

No, I phone Skoda customer services and they said 3 years for AWD. 40k is DSG.

 

But this thread demonstrates how confusing Skoda servicing really is! Skoda should be ashamed!

1 minute ago, silver1011 said:

So your first service was a fixed / minor service; oil and filter.

 

Your second service will be a variable / major service. They will charge you £279 for an oil and filter change.

 

Nothing other than the oil and oil filter is changed before 3 years / 60,000 miles.

No, but we are going round in circles so no point in continuing. Except that to say that what you say is in direct conflict with what Skoda publish on their website. Perhaps you are right and Skoda is completely wrong. But then since it’s up to them I rather doubt it!

Best always to have anything from Skoda Customer Services in writing and the Communication Managers or handlers name in the reply.

Obviously the answer will be correct except when wrong, and then when they change their minds or refute you were told something.

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

 

PS

I have been reading Skoda errors for years now, and typos, and important errors, quantities etc.

Owners manual lost in translation between German, Spanish, Czech, English and American English.

Even km to mile odd conversions.

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

5 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

There is a saying, 'you can lead a horse to water but you can not make them drink'.

 

I used to lead Skoda owners towards going to the Victoria Garage in Maud to get servicing done.

Funnily enough I recently visited Victoria garage. My husband’s elderly parents live nearby and they needed a new car, I went with them to Victoria and they ended up buying a nearly new Fabia. This was at the time my Haldex had packed up and I’d already gone down the road with John Clark but they are a pain to deal with and so I’m anticipating going to Victoria in the future. The chap we encountered, who I’m guessing might be the boss, seemed very level headed and honest - I was impressed!

You've just accepted Skoda's material is confusing and misleading.

 

Your car is set to variable but you had a main dealer service at 13K, changed the oil yourself and have your heart set on an unnecessary variable service at 30K.

 

I think Skoda's marketing team have succeeded.

3 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Best always to have anything from Skoda Customer Services in writing and the Communication Managers or handlers name in the reply.

Obviously the answer will be correct except when wrong, and then when they change their minds or refute you were told something.

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

 

PS

I have been reading Skoda errors for years now, and typos, and important errors, quantities etc.

Owners manual lost in translation between German, Spanish, Czech, English and American English.

Even km to mile odd conversions.

I’m pretty sure I saw the 3 years on their website recently, but of course I can’t find it now! Might have been on the VW website I suppose.

Exactly. 

 

And then in Service Plans & Full Main Dealer Servicing there are those owners that find after a fault develops that the Full Main Dealer Serving might not have had DSG or Haldex Serviced or even the Brake Fluid changed because they were not told it cost extra or that it was not being done, 

not following Manufacturers Schedule / Guidelines as the Manufacturers Warranty requires.

1 minute ago, silver1011 said:

You've just accepted Skoda's material is confusing and misleading.

 

Your car is set to variable but you had a main dealer service at 13K, changed the oil yourself and have your heart set on an unnecessary variable service at 30K.

 

I think Skoda's marketing team have succeeded.

Not necessarily. Firstly, with the 280 being fairly high performance not only was the variable service indicator getting fairly close, but I wanted the oil changed a little earlier. I’m old school! I think it was done about 1500 Miles early. Don’t imagine that variable servicing gives you 20k, it doesn’t.

As soon as the warranty is out I will be doing my own servicing. The car will be 3 years old in March 2019 so it will be touch and go whether there is any point in having the inspection service done, but overall it might be worth it in case there is need for any “goodwill” issues after the warranty has run out. But if I do have one major service, that will be it. So in the context of a near - 40k car it’s pretty insignificant.

3 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Exactly. 

 

And then in Service Plans & Full Main Dealer Servicing there are those owners that find after a fault develops that the Full Main Dealer Serving might not have had DSG or Haldex Serviced or even the Brake Fluid changed because they were not told it cost extra or that it was not being done, 

not following Manufacturers Schedule / Guidelines as the Manufacturers Warranty requires.

 

Well it’s been a struggle, but I think I now have a handle on what servicing is required and when! I did complain to Skoda CS that their servicing regime should be more transparent like it has been in all my previous cars, but not doubt that won’t change anything!

I hear you, I'm a fan of belt and braces servicing. I also do 30,000 miles a year and change my oil myself every 10-15K.

 

Nothing wrong with changing your own oil and changing it out earlier than the manufacturer recommends.

 

My beef is with Skoda and their deliberate confusion tactics to fool people into paying more for less. That was what the discussion was focused around. Whatever Skoda want to call it their franchised dealers are charging customers £279 for an oil and filter change hundreds of times a day which is wrong.

Nicknorman, 

some reading maybe,

SEAT have performance 2.0TSI engines, 265,280,290, 300 ps and manage to have very informative service information.

Work and cost.

(My TDI is on 20,000 mile servicing and now 4,000 miles away from the first service, used over 2 litres to top up in 12 months. (leased car)

http://seat.co.uk/owners/your-seat/servicing-maintenance.html 

Fixed Price Servicing Leaflet 2017.pdf

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

6 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

I hear you, I'm a fan of belt and braces servicing. I also do 30,000 miles a year and change my oil myself every 10-15K.

 

Nothing wrong with changing your own oil and changing it out earlier than the manufacturer recommends.

 

My beef is with Skoda and their deliberate confusion tactics to fool people into paying more for less. That was what the discussion was focused around. Whatever Skoda want to call it their franchised dealers are charging customers £279 for an oil and filter change hundreds of times a day which is wrong.

Confusion - yes definitely. But to be honest I don’t think that the fixed prices are too bad. Ok maybe the first inspection service is barely worth it, but I just regard it as a tax in order to keep the warranty going.

 

Anyway, now that we’ve finished falling out do you know how to find the recommended service intervals for the air filter and spark plugs? Do the TSIs have a fuel filter than needs replacing?

This is where'd we'll all check the service book, but haven't Skoda omitted these now?

 

I'm not into conspiracy theory's but its another black mark for Skoda who don't want us to know what to change and when, best leave it to their dealers.

 

Agreed, the fixed / minor service at £159 isn't too bad. The £279 service assuming all the filters are replaced isn't bad either. Its when they charge you £279 for the £159 oil and filter change they need calling out.

 

Sorry, not clued up on the TSI's.

 

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by silver1011

6 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

My beef is with Skoda and their deliberate confusion tactics to fool people into paying more for less.

This for me is the real value of this website. A numpty question leads to a really insightful debate about whether our supplier is ripping us all off. Thank you - real food for thought. 

 

And I'm not sure there was any falling out. Just a robust discussion among people who are passionate about their cars. I like it here.

Well it seems I’ve become collateral damage in an anti-Skoda Uk rant! I’m not trying to defend Skoda UK. I agree there is a lot of smoke and mirrors, the only question is whether it’s down to incompetence or conspiracy! To be honest I think it’s a pointless excercise to “dis” them - it won’t make any difference! All I am interested in is how to service my great 280, and how to minimise the time it has to spend at the dealers!

Edited 24 November, 20178 yr by nicknorman

Have a day in Dundee and book in there at Skoda Specialist Cars John Clark, great Master Tech and Service Desk staff and Courtesy Car Driver,

highly recommended.  

9 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Nicknorman, 

some reading maybe,

SEAT have performance 2.0TSI engines, 265,280,290, 300 ps and manage to have very informative service information.

Work and cost.

(My TDI is on 20,000 mile servicing and now 4,000 miles away from the first service, used over 2 litres to top up in 12 months. (leased car)

http://seat.co.uk/owners/your-seat/servicing-maintenance.html 

Fixed Price Servicing Leaflet 2017.pdf

Had a look at that link thanks. But it’s still confusing re the spark plugs. The way I read it, the first plug change is at 40k and then every 20k after that, which is not rational!

Just now, AwaoffSki said:

Have a day in Dundee and book in there at Skoda Specialist Cars John Clark, great Master Tech and Service Desk staff and Courtesy Car Driver,

highly recommended.  

What about Victoria Garage?