I mentioned in another thread that I'd successfully installed the Skoda Connect app on my iPhone and it was all working except for remote lock/unlock which I had been told had to be enabled in the workshop. I just rang up to enquire about it and was told the car would be required for a half day and there would be a charge of "about £200.00".

 

After I stopped laughing, I thanked the lady I was speaking to and said I would be passing on having that facility enabled

Hi,

 

it should be a free service, all they need to do is verify that you are you (take in some photographic proof) the manager then logs onto Skoda's portal to enable.

I would ring them and tell them the error of their ways 🙂

 

John

I've sent Skoda UK an email outlining what I was told and saying it feels like an attempt to 'squeeze the last drop' out of me.

p.s. Skoda have acknowledged my message with an autoresponse to say they'll get back to me within the next couple of days. I'll post again in due course.

Edited 2 March, 20206 yr by longedge
Update

Had a call this morning from Skoda UK who are "looking into it" and getting back to me next week.

You wouldn't have thought it would take much looking into. Either the dealer is right (unlikely), or jjc is.

 

Skoda UK on form as ever.

Hi,

 

finally got round to taking my V5 down to the dealer Hendy Skoda  at Salisbury, Adam did this in seconds once he had seen the documents and we tested it and it all worked great.

All free, so if you are being asked for money I would avoid that dealership or report the to SUK 

 

John

Edited 7 March, 20206 yr by jjc
typo

Good to know, thanks.  As I've already referred it to Skoda UK, I'll wait to see what they come back with and then probably go down to Bristol Street Mtrs (Skoda) in Chesterfield to have a face to face chat 🤨

Reply from SkodaUK - Bristol Street Motors will enable lock/unlock on your car free of charge if you take it in with ID & V5.

 

My reply - I already knew what the outcome would be to be honest, but thank you for the confirmation. It doesn't answer my real question though which is, was it a) an honest mistake or b) were they trying it on to see if they could squeeze an extra £200 out of me? I know the answer that I'd get  if that question were pursued and I'm sceptical that I'd get an honest answer. Unfortunately, I no longer trust the dealership.

Edited 13 March, 20206 yr by longedge
typo

4 hours ago, longedge said:

Reply from SkodaUK - Bristol Street Motors will enable lock/unlock on your car free of charge if you take it in with ID & V5.

 

My reply - I already knew what the outcome would be to be honest, but thank you for the confirmation. It doesn't answer my real question though which is, was it a) an honest mistake or b) were they trying it on to see if they could squeeze an extra £200 out of me? I know the answer that I'd get  if that question were pursued and I'm sceptical that I'd get an honest answer. Unfortunately, I no longer trust the dealership.

 

 I would say (A) The person on the phone probably didn't know about lock/unlock with the app. I have bought my last 4 cars off them (Lee Maysfield) and serviced with them and had no problems at all

It was in fact Lee with whom I dealt and I can't speak highly enough of him but he is of course just one reliable cog in the whole machine which is only as good as it's weakest point. I've bought a Fabia, a Citigo, two Yetis and most recently this Kamiq from there over quite a few years now.

 

When I rang the service department to make an appointment, I asked if there would be a charge and the lady I was speaking to said straightaway she wasn't sure and would have to check. I waited several minutes whilst she went away to do so. The above is what she came back with and my reaction was as I initially posted. If for some reason she had been unable to check with anyone who actually knew she should have said so rather than 'winging it' if that was what happened.

I suspect, as usual, it was simply incompetence from Skoda UK customer services.

 

The £200 wouldn't be going their way, it would have ended up in the dealers bank account so there's little incentive for them to tell you it's chargeable when it shouldn't be.

 

I don't think it would be unreasonable for the dealer to charge a small fee given the fact it'll tie up their staff for half an hour or so?

A moot point as it's not going to be done.

 

As I understand it, it just requires someone to log into the Skoda system at the dealership and tick a box, takes a couple of minutes I'm told. As a matter of security, the norm is for the owner to attend the dealership together with driving licence and V5 to confirm the owners ID.

 

The dealership have already got a scan of my driving licence, they supplied the car and I know the salesman personally (he lives a few hundred yards away from me).

 

I'm not sure that I implied incompetence on the part of Skoda UK but rather tardiness. I asked a simple question which I would have thought could be answered straightaway rather than taking a couple of weeks.

Oh, so they do't have to plug the car into the diagnostics machine i.e. it doesn't have to move from where you parked it at the dealer?

 

27 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

Oh, so they do't have to plug the car into the diagnostics machine i.e. it doesn't have to move from where you parked it at the dealer?

I am assured that is the case. Don't necessarily have to take the car in at all.

Edited 27 March, 20206 yr by longedge
Typo

My 5 day old - not going anywhere soon - Kodiaq is sitting outside my door. I got the APP working OK, but from previous experience I knew it was just a bit of a kiddy novelty. For 12 months.

 

Can’t imagine traipsing off to my dealer to turn on remote locking. That facility has never reached the top of my Must-Have list in almost half a century of motoring 😀

 

FRO Skoda, yer havin’ a laff!