7 hours ago, Offski said:

^^^ Exactly. £1.73 for a Sump Plug plus VAT.  Why would you not buy at the dealership, many Motor Factors say they do not have them listed.

Dont buy a washer.

 

The Oil filter to OEM spec is £5-£9 from any Motor Factors and the Parts Desk might want £9 plus VAT.

Air & Pollen Filter to OEM spec comes from any motor factory cheaper than the Skoda / VW Parts Desk.

Brake Fluid is something surely the Garage you use sources from the Motor Factor / Supplier they get all their fluids from.

 

VW Group do not make Spark  Plugs, Filters, Sump Plugs or Fluids, and because they have VW / Audi on a Box / Container does not mean they are not made by others.

Here is a thing, the drain plug seal for some newer engines cost about £3 inc VAT  before discount, also, maybe a curious thing, my wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI 16V has been in for its year 3 service on a dealer supplied service prepaid service plan, they show charges for parts used for that service, and it includes a new drain plug O-ring seal and a new drain plug??

Just go to euro car parts. Save you all the bother.

11 minutes ago, Beachy said:

Just go to euro car parts. Save you all the bother.

 

Oh yes, if you plan ahead you can get the oil filters at very good prices, and the "better than OEM" pollen filter, Frecious,   spark plugs I tend to get from an online spark plug supplier.

16 minutes ago, Beachy said:

Just go to euro car parts. Save you all the bother.

And after a couple of trips back there, you'll eventually get given all the right parts...

31 minutes ago, Wino said:

And after a couple of trips back there, you'll eventually get given all the right parts...

 

Yup, I've been there done that, at the second visit, the correctly ordered in parts were taken away before the Polish front desk guy could swop them over with the wrongly supplied ones - that was annoying and prompted a 3rd visit but by this time I had delved deeply so I knew which suppliers part numbers should be on any box offered to me, obviously 4th visit was another waste of time, but at least I managed to talk to the Polish front desk guy again - this guy did know his stuff, though his seniors didn't, so he quietly reordered in the correct parts, what a lot of nonsense. Now when I order stuff, always order online, I make sure that I've done all the digging deep before placing the order, that works very well.

 

So, by all means use ECP, but if you can't do your own "research" and just use the front desk direct approach - which costs more normally, then plan for a few return visits.

I find it really surprising with ECPs website that if I search 'brake discs' after putting in the reg number of the missus's car (which has 239mm fronts and drums at the rear); the 4 results, in order, are for 256mm discs, then rear discs, then 288mm discs,  lastly the correct 239mm ones.  None of the PR codes they offer by way of disambiguation appear on the vehicle data sticker.

What's the point of putting the reg number in? I might as well just say "Skoda Fabia Mk1" and I'd get exactly the same selection offered!

 

Edited 20 July, 20187 yr by Wino

Wino, yes, I think that is why just too many people post into these forums asking why ECP has given them a choice of brake discs and pads, my mate that runs old SAABs is also a bit inclined to go for the cheaper option trustingly without checking if the offered cheapest option is actually the part for his car!

I find the only way to get a proper list of relevant PR codes is to request a printed copy of "CAR DATA" from the dealer's parts guy - or maybe it can be sourced from within Erwin?

 

Edit:- that reminds me, I really do need to try to remember to drop by the "other" branch of my local VW dealership as the old guy still working in parts did know years ago how to get hold of "CAR DATA" for our previous VWs, the newer branch has never really understood what I was asking for - and basically looked at me as though I was in the wrong place when I asked for that once, though there is a new young keen guy in there now, so maybe he has worked this out.

Edited 21 July, 20187 yr by rum4mo

                 Regular Briskoda   readers with good memories will recall my posts of March 2018 concerning my local Skoda main dealer. The dealer in question was Mitchell Skoda near Chester. I went into quite a lot of detail in March and my post today is about providing an update.

 

                 Because the salesperson I posted about in March had made an implied threat about a car warranty ,I left things until this month before contacting the dealership again. I emailed the salesperson and the Skoda brand manager who were the people involved in March. I wrote by first class post to the brand manager and I also emailed the salesperson and copied the brand manager in.  Any hopes I might have had that time had mellowed their attitude have been speedily dispelled, Neither of these worthies have even bothered to reply to me by post or email or by phone which I think is truly shocking.  I have purchased a lot of different cars  during  my motoring life, lots of different makes and models, and I can honestly say that this treatment is the worst ever. Even decidedly "dodgy"car sales places have responded yet this place is a main dealer and clearly doesnt give a hoot about me.

 

            I will not be going near them again, you can be very sure of that.  If you are considering approaching them that is your choice of course. I am choosing my words very carefully because I wouldn`t put it past them to think about resorting to the law to shut me up. All I would say to any prospective customer is to do your homework even more carefully than normal.

            

             Thanks for reading. I hope it helps.

        

               

    

               

  

     

            

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/452880-skoda-now-even-more-unhelpful-and-secretive

Could you not have looked at your previous posts about what ever is wrong and done an update?

 

Do they have an entry in Dealer Reviews on BRISKODA that you could post in?

 

?

Did you make Skoda UK Customer Services or the Skoda UK CEO Rod McLeod aware of the issues you were having with one of their Approved Main Dealership and repairers?

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

 

Edited 10 October, 20187 yr by Offski

Offski,

          Yes, I have contacted Skoda customer services several times about  this. They are simply not interested. They claim that they contacted one of the very people I complained about, the Skoda brand manager. They say that he refused to acknowledge that I had a grievance and that he had done anything wrong.

            

              I do have to be careful what I say, I do have to choose my words. I have been advised by a legal friend to be wary of saying things that could result in the company in question losing business and they then come after me.

         

              My previous  posts on this in Briskoda  were in early March 2018.

 

             I am going to have to leave it there as  I really am wary of this company.

You are already calling them out and publishing / printing stuff.

 

They seem to be getting positive reviews.  Great for those doing their homework.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/34781-mitchell-skoda-chester/?page=5

 

If you are truthful with the facts and you can back them up then that will not be defamation or liable. Or slander if spoken.

You can see them in court and they can show their good reputation you trashed.

 

What do you mean Skoda Brand Manager?   Do you mean a Dealerships Manager, or Principal Dealer or what?

 

?

Have you spoken with the Dealerships Owner, Director or Directors or whoever, those being the Organ Grinder and not just the monkey?

Is it a Dealership Group or an Independent Dealership.

Edited 10 October, 20187 yr by Offski

I have used four different Skoda approved dealers - they are all the same - awful.

The only workshop in which I have any faith is a local independent that I have used for years, with a variety of motors.

They are great but because of the potential future problems with a vRS I only ever go back to an approved Skoda dealership for servicing.

Offski,

     

                         The Skoda brand manager is simply the title they use at Mitchell Skoda.  There are several franchises on one big site all under the Mitchell umbrella. I have only ever dealt with the Skoda franchise but I believe there are brand managers for the other franchises.  The owner and managing director of the whole setup  was taken very ill some time ago now and I was told back in March 2018 that he would not be in at work for some considerable time. If I had not been told that I would definitely have been in touch with him direct to complain to him. As he has been seriously ill and is still not well  I have no wish to give that person more stress  and maybe set their recovery back. If that makes me naive or a soft touch so be it.

             

                         I cannot help the the fact that this dealership has had some  good reviews. I have found some poor reviews on Trust Pilot and the like but they were a few years back now.

                   

                         I have been 100% truthful with the facts but i am very aware that a company has access to legal  counsel and I do not. I am simply a retired person on a limited income.  I had a possible legal case  a few years ago that involved medical issues that might have been actionable but I was told then that I  definitely did not qualify for Legal  Aid. Since then the Government have made it much harder to get Legal Aid and I simply cannot afford to fund a legal case. It isnt  a question of me being  truthful, I am, its a question of who can afford the best lawyers and that would definitely not be me.

    

                         I have updated the events of last March which caused me a lot of grief and I am leaving it at that. I will not be going near this company again, thats for sure and its up to everyone to decide who they want to buy their cars from. 

          

                 

I must just not have been bright enough, i never understood what the issues you had were.

 

EDIT. 

Got you, was it the Warranty and the Heater fan?

and the terrible service you received, that should have been sorted out and you should have taken that up with the Warranty Provider and the Warranty Manager IMO.

Edited 10 October, 20187 yr by Offski

 This is just to say that I eventually heard from Mr Macklin, Skoda brand manager at Mitchell Skoda. He made no reference at all to my request to know what the owner of the business thought about this debacle even though I had asked him this specifically. I know he has been seriously ill which is why I asked the brand manager to find out. I dont believe for one moment  he has forgotten, he is just stalling so I will give him a chance to do it and get back to me and then contact Mark Mitchell myself. He actually had the gall to accuse me of being one sided and unreasonable and refusing to listen to the companys views!  He also said they would not be engaging in any more correspondence with me which is the real mark of the person who cannot win an argument so shuts it down. I wasnt expecting much and I got even nothing, thats how these people operate.

   

       Offski, I have done a dealer review on Mitchell Skoda as you suggest.

 

        I will not be doing any more posts on this, I have said everything   that needs saying. These people go through the motions of customer service with their fancy premises. flowers, free coffee and free car wash but thats all it is; the motions. When the chips are down they will "shaft" you most royally and they are simply not to be trusted. 

Topics merged and put somewhere less isolated.

VAG dealers are not going to give out part numbers over the phone. If you need the parts and plan to buy from them they'll do the lookup when you're purchasing. If you only want the part numbers so you can buy elsewhere, why would they bother?

 

Over 12+ years of VAG ownership, I've developed a pretty good relationship with the parts guys at my local dealer to the extent that they'll give me most stuff at trade prices. They still won't give me a part number, whether on the phone or in person.

 

If your independent is as good as you claim then I would expect him to already have a good relationship with the parts counter at the local dealerships, and be able to get the parts at a good price without needing you as an intermediary.

 

For routine service consumables, there are plenty of OE spec parts available after market. Or, if you have the invoice from the last dealer service, the Skoda part numbers will be listed on it.

 

At a guess, the pay as you go system that was suggested to you was Erwin which is a service portal available to those outside the franchised network. It doesn't have a part number lookup facility, but it does give you access to all of the service manuals for any vehicle you have the VIN for, plus you can download the full list of PR codes for your car, which is a lot longer than what's printed on the sticker in the boot. It's about €30 for 24 h access which is loads of time to get what you need from it. If you know your way around, you can grab everything within an hour which is less than a tenner.