I have owned a skoda superb mark 2 170crdti for three years and enjoyed the car immensely.

 

Because it had a good service history and low mileage I decided to use RRG Skoda in Bolton to service my car and I took out a two year service plan, which worked well for me, the dealership were very helpful and I was so satisfied that in August  this year I signed up for another two year deal.

As a pensioner on a fixed income I started to pay monthly and booked an annual service for December.

Disaster struck at the end of November whilst driving on the M60 in Manchester when two cars piled into the back of mine and the insurance wrote off my car.

 

As you would expect I got less than the cost of a replacement for my low mileage FSH, almost perfect car.

 

I decided to buy another superb this time getting the 140 powered version, higher mileage but 2 years younger, still a mark2 but a face lift.

 

I contacted my Skoda dealership to tell them about the change in car, cancel the pre booked service and asked them to transfer my service plan to the new car, no dice!!

 

VW financial services who administer the plan refused to transfer the plan and also refused me a refund of my payments to date,  they did say I could transfer the plan to the scrapyard the Insurers had sent my car to.

 

So a warning to anyone before they take out such a plan, if anyone steals your car and you don't get it back or you write off your vehicle VWFS will try and steal your payments.

 

After a great deal of fruitless complaining to VWFS I wrote a  review on Trustpilot, within a week VWFS contacted me and offered a refund as a goodwill gesture.

 

Anyone in this situation should try this approach, a victory for the little person up against a very large business

 

 

On 14/12/2023 at 02:15, Drachir said:

I contacted my Skoda dealership ...and asked them to transfer my service plan to the new car, no dice!!

 

VW financial services who administer the plan refused to transfer the plan and also refused me a refund of my payments to date,  they did say I could transfer the plan to the scrapyard the Insurers had sent my car to.

 

...a victory for the little person up against a very large business

 

You really have this so wrong.  You signed up to an agreement which says:

 

"This service plan is fully transferable to a subsequent owner if you decide to sell your vehicle before the plan comes to an end, provided that you have made all the payments. You and the new vehicle owner will need to advise us of the transfer in writing within a period of 21 days following the transfer of ownership. The purchaser must also agree in writing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement. The agreement is non-refundable and non-transferable to another vehicle."

 

Therefore you have no basis for complaint.   Here's what should have happened.  Someone wrote off your vehicle. If there was a service plan you lost out on then it's the 3rd party insurer who pays the money - it comes under "additional losses".  And as a footnote, if you felt you were sold short on the price of your damaged car, that too should have been claimed for in 'other losses.'

 

VWFS had no legal obligation whatsoever to refund you the monies because they did everything according to the agreement. So rather than bash them, you should feel extremely lucky.

 

On 14/12/2023 at 02:15, Drachir said:

So a warning to anyone before they take out such a plan, if anyone steals your car and you don't get it back or you write off your vehicle VWFS will try and steal your payments.

 

VWFS trying to steal your payments?    Now that's just stupid.

 

The warning should be "read the agreement"

 

I certainly wouldn't have refunded you. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 22 December, 20232 yr by kodiaqsportline

If as you say the T&Cs are clear that the plans non-transferable and non-refundable that really doesn’t say much for VW does?  It’s difficult to believe that OP had his Skoda written off, he replaced it with another Skoda and yet VW have said “🤬 you, why should we help, you’re just the customer, we’ve had you’re money, you’re getting nothing for it, but will gladly take it again”

I love that they did suggest he could transfer the plan to the scrapyard 😂 That’s beyond insulting

 

5 hours ago, BTandSid said:

VW have said “🤬 you, why should we help, you’re just the customer, we’ve had you’re money, you’re getting nothing for it, but will gladly take it again”

 

Not true, he was paying monthly, he thinks they have stolen his payments but his vehicle was covered while he was driving it and making payments.

 

It is akin to me insuring my car for a year and choosing monthly payments, selling the car after 6 months and then expecting them to pay me back the monthly premiums that I had paid.

 

If he wants a service plan on the new vehicle he can pay for one as he did on the last vehicle, I note that they did in fact refund his payments, he has had his cake, eaten it and got the money back and seemingly is still not happy.

23 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

Not true, he was paying monthly, he thinks they have stolen his payments but his vehicle was covered while he was driving it and making payments.

 

It is akin to me insuring my car for a year and choosing monthly payments, selling the car after 6 months and then expecting them to pay me back the monthly premiums that I had paid.

 

If he wants a service plan on the new vehicle he can pay for one as he did on the last vehicle, I note that they did in fact refund his payments, he has had his cake, eaten it and got the money back and seemingly is still not happy.

Missed the bit about monthly payments. Agree with you entirely

Edited 23 December, 20232 yr by BTandSid

thank you kodiaq for calling me stupid, you have it in a nutshell, I was stupid to not understand all the implications of having an agreement that favoured VWFS and not me in my particular circumstances.

I am also stupid for not knowing I could claim the lost contract payments from the third party insurers.

I am also   stupid for expecting your support, I shall learn from my mistakes.

 

Merry christmas

What did you expect support for? you paid monthly for a service plan and then were refunded the money that you had paid but still feel hard done by.

 

Why do you consider the payments lost?  you were refunded, you had the benefit free of charge.

JR 

 I spoke to VWFS several times  I pointed out that I had made payments on a service contract and whilst I was willing to continue to make all the payments due under the plan they were unwilling to provide any of the services that would eventually be paid for.

I was not asking for anything not contracted for, I had received no service products from them and they would not transfer the plan to my new car, this would not entail any cost to them greater than the one they had offered as extras needed at service were chargeable and as the cars were near identical no difference in price for a new plan.

I asked them to escalate my complaint to the next level and then when they gave me a refusal of refund I could take the complaint to the financial ombudsman.

I also asked my local Skoda dealer who had sold me the plan for help, they agreed that I was being treated unfairly and took up my complaint on my behalf with vwfs.

prior to receiving their offer of a refund I had" paid for cake yet had not eaten any cake" .

There is a term in the contract where it states no refunds or transfers, my warning is that under certain circumstances through no fault of the contract purchaser they cannot utilise the plan and they cannot transfer the plan, as in my case where my car was written off and that prospective purchasers should be aware of this particular drawback.

I am not complaining about the eventual outcome of my complaint I am merely warning others not to make the same mistake I made.

You state I had the benefit of the plan, this is not true as I received no benefit it is not like insurance or warranty where you have cover for a set period, the service plan is to cover two years servicing and the plan had not been used and never would be used .

Skoda admit that their service plan is an effort to maintain customer loyalty for owners of older cars they incentive being Skoda service at a special savings price, by refusing my request in the first instance they were alienating me and creating the opposite to the intended effect.

I hope my detailed explanation better defines my reasons for sharing my experience, so others may be warned and that when you complain about unfair treatment and get knocked back you should continue your complaint as often in the end you will succeed.

Thanks for your explanation.

 

I have not eaten any benefit from the car insurances I have paid for the last 35 years and hope that situation will continue.