Today, I was contacted by my dealer regarding my warranty.

So what?, you may say.

He proceeded to tell me that Skoda Technical had telephoned him today, to say that due to the nature and content of my posts on Briskoda, they believe my car to be modified, and have issued a block on any warranty claims concerning my ecu, and related parts.

In fact, they went as far as to reclaim a small amount of money from my dealer for a small unrelated warranty item from a few weeks ago.

So fellow members. Please be aware, that someone, somewhere, with too much time, and not enough to do, is reading posts, looking in profiles etc, picking information up, and forwarding that info to relavent dealers, to shag you over on your warranty. All based on what is written on an internet forum I might add.

I have been invited to let a representative of Skoda Technical inspect and test my car for any modifications to see if it is modified, or indeed standard.

Should he be satisfied my car is standard, I get my warranty reinstated.

Now then. I am perfectly aware that modifying my car is liable to void the warranty on any affected parts. And I accept that.

What I don't accept, is the underhanded way in which Skoda are going about voiding warranties, based on speculation and hearsay on a website.

To the underworked spy from Skoda -

Please mate, why don't you get on with issuing your dealers with a technical manual, so they have some information on these vehicles.

Even though you have voided my warranty, should I have made a claim for some repair or other, because you spend all your time looking to save a few quid here and there by checking to see if anybody has modified thier car or not, nobody would have known how to fix it would they?

The most irritating thing about this is, you didn't have the decency to contact me directly. You phoned my dealer, and told him my warranty was void pending an inspection.

What sort of customer service is that?. What message are you trying to send?.

I will be taking my car to my dealers at my convenience for an inspection. You are going to provide me with an Octavia VRS as a courtesy car. When you have finished inspecting my car, you are going to buy it back off me, and I am going to buy something non skoda.

I will never ever as long as I am able to drive, purchase another VAG car. If you have to resort to such underhanded ways to save money, then so be it. It is the most outrageous situation I have ever encountered in my 34 years of being alive.

What would be acceptable at this point, is a written apology.

So to sum up then.

An employee of a global car manufacturer, lurks on an enthusiast's forum, looking to void warranties.

Unprofessional, pathetic, disconcerting, shamefull, are but a few words that spring to mind.

I am truly appalled at your methods Skoda.

Shocked and disappointed to read that :thumbdwn:

Unbelievable!!

Has your dealer anything to say about this?

Surely most people on any manner of forum websites say all manner of things, some of them true, some of them not.

I'm sure if you went to the trading standards in your area and told them that a multinational company was withdrawing from a major part of its contract with a customer, based on gossip spread on an internet forum, it would be very interested.

I have also seen threads on this forum that have described how some Skoda dealers are giving test drives in 'Chipped' Octy VRs'.

I wonder if 'Deep Throat' from head office is voiding their warranties?

Unbelievable!!

Has your dealer anything to say about this?

My dealer is only involved as a messenger at this point.

Hearsay and speculation will indeed be absent from this thread. Facts will be updated regularly, as I recieve them.

Whilst I understand Skoda being not willing to entertain warranty claims related to modified parts, to not even give yourself a call is just shocking.

Makes me glad mine is standard.

Hope things get sorted Dave, would be a shame to lose a stunning car for this rediculous behaviour.

I think the recent libel case against a women who made statements on a bulletin board would appear to prove that anything said by a person on a bulletin board (or forum) would appear to have legal implications if they go against/defame person or persons/companies.

In other words, they probably would win their arguement in a court of law. (My take on it anyway)

Good luck fella.

As mentioned, I wonder how Skoda deal with their franchised dealers who sell modified cars from new?

I can't imagine a dealer wanting to pick up all of the warranty costs themselves, otherwise the said costs would put them out of business.

Sorry off thread, but I am disgusted.:(

I think the recent libel case against a women who made statements on a bulletin board would appear to prove that anything said by a person on a bulletin board (or forum) would appear to have legal implications if they go against/defame person or persons/companies.

In other words' date=' they probably would win their arguement in a court of law. (My take on it anyway)[/quote']

That may be the case, but nowhere on this forum, have I claimed publically to have modified my car. I know of one that has been modified. For Skoda Uk, and thats who the chap is an ambassador for, has assumed I mean my car.

The fact remains, whether I have, or have not modified my car is not the issue. The fact is the manner in which this has been carried out.

Very underhanded indeed, most of us on here are just black type, very difficult to know who we are communicating with.

Admin could of course do a sweep to see which member is or guest is lurking from Skoda HQ. And block that MAC / IP address

We know who they are.

IP's are hidden, but not undetectable.

Any way to tell if they're freedom members?

I might be going against the grain here but TBH I think it's fair enough.

Someone from Skoda has asked your dealer to suspend any warranty work on your car until it has been inspected to see if it has any modifications which my void the warranty. Fair enough, it it isn't modified you have nothing to be concerned about.

Regarding the lurker, it's in Skoda's interest to monitor sites such as this. I think in virtually any industry people keep an eye on competitors and customers via the web.

*Prepares for the flaming*

Any way to tell if they're freedom members?

Yes.

I might be going against the grain here ......... snip

No, you are just missing the point.

I might be going against the grain here but TBH I think it's fair enough.

Fair enough if Dave recieved a letter from Skoda U.K, but he didnt, I think thats his issue.

This is crap... hope you get it sorted shifty....... do keep us updated...

Regarding the lurker' date=' it's in Skoda's interest to monitor sites such as this. I think in virtually any industry people keep an eye on competitors and customers via the web.

*Prepares for the flaming*[/quote']

agree with this statement to the point of helping them improve their service, ie identify trends and recurrent faults, but would have thought a call to Shifty in the first instance would have been the way to go presuming they have access to his details.

I am sure we all realise that Skoda peek at this website, but I think Daves' point is that no-one contacted him regarding his warranty issues.

I am sure that if Skoda would have explained that it was their understanding that his car had been modified, and therefore his warranty may be invalid, he would have said 'point taken, fair enough'

Or am I surmising, and speaking for Dave, when I know he can put his own point across.

The warranty issue is a well known fact , as is that Skoda read this site.

It's a very good source of information that they would be daft to ignore.

I doubt that their primary purpose is to try and catch individual owners out but more to keep an eye on what their dealers are up to.

I've seen mention of several dealerships selling remapped cars with a full warranty , and they are even more aware of the implications of this. Skoda are quite right in wanting to know about this.

That said , if they do see evidence of people that have remapped or otherwise modified their cars do you expect them to pretend they havent seen it knowing it may cost them money?

Shifty , it's pretty obvious that your car has been modded and you said you were getting it remapped here.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/tuning-vrs-2-a/47377/2/?highlight=250

That and your other posts with lots of "hint hint" smileys would leave me in no doubt that it's been done and Skoda obviously feel the same so they have blocked any warranty work on affected bits of the car. They have to notify the dealer of this and they have passed the information on to you.

Your posts are a lot more than hearsay , and Skoda have given you the opportunity to set the record straight at no cost if you feel that this is necessary.

It's no great surprise to be honest and to me they don't seem to have done much wrong.

What on earth do manufacturers think they are going to gain from going about business this way?. This is a forum of over 10,000 devoted Skoda enthusiasts, and yes some have modified vehicles but most have not.

If Skoda UK had any sort of foresight they would look at this forum as an enourmous database of existing, potential and repeat customers which if treated properly could be a huge benefit to sales in the UK.

COME ON SKODA, WAKE UP AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE HERE!!!!!!.

Fair enough if Dave recieved a letter from Skoda U.K, but he didnt, I think thats his issue.

He recieved a phone call from his dealer, much quicker and personal. If I had recieved an anonymous letter from someone at Skoda HQ accusing me of whatever I would find that quite offensive.

Its the underhand tactics that they have adopted that wrankles. Why cant they speak to him on the phone or write a letter??

THIS STINKS SKODA.

GET A GRIP OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MOST VALUABLE CUSTOMERS

He recieved a phone call from his dealer, much quicker and personal. If I had recieved an anonymous letter from someone at Skoda HQ accusing me of whatever I would find that quite offensive.

Agreed , and in a lot of cases the vehicle might be identifiable but the owners details wouldn't be known.

It's probably standard to go through the dealership.

GET A GRIP OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MOST VALUABLE CUSTOMERS

No they won't.

Don't kid yourself about the importance of a few hundred regular users of a net forum.

Skoda are a mainstream volume manufacturer and people that modify their cars are a tiny minority. Their core audience are company car users , and private buyers wanting good value for money.

If they wanted to aim at people who want performance upgrades then they would sell them themselves as Mercedes and other makes do.