I got my Octavia as an Approved Used from a Skoda dealer in June 2022. It came with an extended 2yr warranty, two free services and a few other bits & pieces. When it was bought, the salesman told me it had just recently been serviced. We do about 10k miles per annum.

 

Nov 2022: the "Oil Service" message came up on the display. In my ignorance, I didn't realise that this was a "proper" service, in the sense of an annual full/interim service; I thought it was some sort of oil-check. I was also probably waylaid by being told in June that it had only recently been serviced.

Jan 2023: another dashboard service message. Can't remember exactly what it said but I got booked-in and got it sorted. Only 2k miles since the Nov '22 visit.

Mar 2023: a letter from the dealership inviting me to book in for another service.

 

At this point, I wrote an email to the dealership asking why they thought it needed yet another service. Got a call from the service manager to apologise and to say they'd update their system to send a reminder in late 2023.

 

Now that I genuinely do need a service, the dealership is telling me that I've already used my two complimentary services. After some argy-bargy, they've offered to share the cost of this (so-called) 3rd service. 

 

The thing is, I'm working on the assumption that the onus would've been on them to:

• reset the service interval setting (or whatever it's called) after the Nov '22 "service"
• flag it up when I was returning so soon after the Nov visit

 

... therefore, they're the ones primarily at fault. As mentioned above, I didn't challenge them in Jan '22 as I simply didn't think the Nov thing was actually a service. And given the service invite in Mar 2023, there's pretty clear evidence that their admin is suspect.

 

Question: Am I right in thinking they should've reset something in Nov '22 and, if they had, the car wouldn't have pestered me in Jan '23? 

 

A final point... I couldn't find any paperwork to verify the terms of the Approved Used sales deal (serices, MOT, AA membership, etc). Over several months, I've asked them three times for a copy of that and they haven't supplied it.

 

Cheers.

 

M

 

1 hour ago, Mivart said:

"Oil Service" message

 

Is the car on the Fixed or Variable servicing regime?

 

Do you have the Skoda Service record printout?

This lists all the service records done to the car that have been put on the online Skoda Digital Service schedule.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

2 hours ago, Mivart said:

I got my Octavia as an Approved Used from a Skoda dealer in June 2022. ...

 

Is the car on the Fixed or Variable servicing regime?

I'm assuming "fixed". Last March, I found the wording of the Approved Used Service Plan. Can't guarantee it was the same as when I bought mine but it read:

Service Plan covers two years servicing limited to: 1 x Service, 1 x Pollen Filter, 1 x Brake Fluid change for Electric Vehicles; 1 x Minor Service and 1 x Major Service for all Petrol, Diesel and eHybrid vehicles.

 

Do you have the Skoda Service record printout?

This lists all the service records done to the car that have been put on the online Skoda Digital Service schedule.

Not that I'm aware of. All I can say is that the people at the dealership insist that their records state that I had two services. They said they have records of having done 2 vehicle health checks which, apparently, implies that the Nov '22 and Jan '23 jobs were both services. 

 

BTW, I don't think I made it clear that I did, in fact, take the car in, in Nov '22. 

 

Although I need to check my own paperwork, I'm not doubting that we took the car in twice. For me, it's more about whether they've failed to reset the car's service indicator after the Nov ''22 job and maybe that explains why the car was alerting me to get a service only two months later. Not looking forward to a £414 bill for the service, when I should have had it done under the service plan.

 

This is a dealership who sold me the car with the previous owner's details still in the Infotainment sys; address, phone number, name... I deleted it myself but I'm now wishing I'd reported them to the Info Commissioner.

Get what you can from them towards this genuine service and double check with them that the reminder is reset.

After that, vote with your feet and don't ever go there again. 

Well, Marky... for my last car (Citroen C3 Picasso), I used a nice little back-street garage in Seaham. Can't wait to get back there; he's a proper old-school mechanic and can seemingly do anything.

21 hours ago, Mivart said:

Not that I'm aware of. All I can say is that the people at the dealership insist that their records state that I had two services.

 

If you PM me your VIN I can look it up for you.

 

Thanks. AG Falco

This worries me, I purchased approved used at the start of November and took out a service plan. Apparently the car had just been serviced and had the cambelt changed although they gave me no proof of this 😕

 

As above, old owner was still fully connected with the Infotainment, they hadn't reset it. They even failed to update Skodas internal systems that I purchased the vehicle!

@Stacker93 Having now found the invoice from our Jan '23 service, I see that all the previous service records are attached to the back of it. If that's a standard method, I guess you'll get the same at your first Approved Used service. 

 

Re the Infotainment thing, makes me wonder whether that's a standard bit of incompetence. At my fingertips, I had the previous lady owner's name, mobile number, her recent comings & goings and numbers she'd called. Not good.

@AGFalco Thanks for the offer. I've noticed a "Complete record" attached to my most recent invoice, which seems to include a summary of all work done since new. Both Nov '22 and Jan '23 showing as "Inspection with oil change". Might explain why I've not understood one of them to be a service; in my head "inspection" doesn't equate to "service". They seem to use different terminology every time. 

 

Since spoken to a legal person and she reckons the 50:50 offer is probably the best outcome, unless I can prove that I was misled about what one of the garage visits was for. For evidence, submit a subject access request to get records of emails, etc. One thing I'd be interested in would be the wording of the form I filled in to enquire about the Jan '23 dashboard message. I think I was seeking their advice, rather than saying "I want a service". Anyhow... 

Oil & Inspection Service.    Then @ 3 years and after that each 2 years   the Oil & Inspection Service and the Extended Scope.

The car can come up each year showing 'Inspection' because it was left as that but there is no just an 'Inspection'. At different times from Oil Service.

 

Fixed regime on chart, not Variable / Flexible. 

 

 

 

 

@Rooted Yes, similar here: https://www.sinclairskoda.co.uk/pdfs/service/service-plans.pdf.

On the "Complete record", services during the previous ownership were marked as "flexible". Mine aren't. I've also noticed that the last service for the prev owner included pollen filter. Nine months later, my first service also had that on it.

 

The full description on the Jan '23 (last) service was "Carry out Service: oil and insp (20k)". By that time, it was on 29k miles and its fourth service. Beggars belief. Still... I think I'm approaching some sort of a compromise with the garage.

 

I have yet to find a Skoda Dealer who knows how to drive the MIB2 or MIB3 systems. If it's any consolation, my "new to me" Octavia L&K from a proper Skoda dealer wasn't setup at all. They didn't even do a handover. They were more interested in selling me insurance products.

 

First thing I did when I got in the car was reset the MIB system. This is really important to do because (as you said) all the owners details were on there (including their home address).

 

Fixed based servicing is a bit of a misnomer. If you do micro-miles it makes sense. Rather try to go with condition based servicing if you can (as the car will tell you when it needs attention).

 

Re: inspection service. See the screenshot above. The exact wording is Oil and Inspection service. I think this is actually bad English/German translation in all honesty from the original service schedule. Most people think that Inspection is: the techs look at the car, check it over and press the reset button. There is a lot more to this. I prefer the original minor and major service previously used by VAG, but people got confused on these terms too.

 

Oil and Inspection service is equivalent to the old "minor service" plus any age appropriate servicing (e.g. brake fluid, cabin air filter changes etc). Skoda will always do an oil/filter change, then do a complete inspection of the car underneath and in the engine bay. 

 

 

People were being just as conned up to 2020 when the Service Regime changed in 2020 & Skoda moved stuff.

 

The Fixed Price Minor / Interim & Major Servicing had customer think a fixed price had stuff done.

@ the First Major Service you were paying a price that would include Spark Plugs, or Diesel Filter. & Air Filter yet toy never got those changed at 2 years only at the SECOND Major Service.  4 years / 40,000 miles.   You might of got the Pollen Filter at the 1st and 2nd major service.

The Technician / Fitter decided. Now you pay.

The one year the £99 oil service was offered was good, that was an Interim OIl Change and a free Brake and Safety check should have been done then.

 

The Body Inspection @ Major Services was & is for the Corrosion & Paint Warranty and is shown, but often not done, not logged, Skoda knows it should be done and who never did it when they say, 'No record of a body inspection',   There are no T&C,s about Annual, Bi-Annual or Periodic Body Inspections for the warranty anyway. 

Back in the Service Books up to 2011 or so the Body Inspection Page was after the SERVICE check page. 

Edited 24 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

@varaderoguy Sounds like not clearing the MIB is a routine failing. Due to data protection rules, they could be in for a fine of up to 4% of their turnover if anyone raised it with the Info Commissioner. They'll get caught out, one day.

@Rooted Seems like moving targets. On that matter, I caught my eye on the recommended interval for cambelt changes; 50k miles or 5 yr. Previous cars I've had have been more like 70k miles. Seems that TSI owners have to pay in the region of £750 'cos they're more difficult than other variants to do. There again, I've seen a discussion suggesting that the recommendation has now changed to 100k miles, or more. Riddle-me-ree. 😕

 

 

The thing was up till 2011 there were still cars coming with a Oil Change Service Code for 1 year / 12 months.  (The CITIGO always has been.)

 

So the first service / Oil Change was at 1 year.  They called it Minor, the 2nd a Major.

 

On Variable the first Oil Change Service could be at 2 years, 18,000-20,000 miles and it got called a Major, but nothing major about it, it was the Same a 1 year Service but with a Pollen Filter.

 

The Skoda Offer, Fixed Price Servicing Minor / Interim & Major was cars 3-10 years old.  The MAJOR service as Dealerships called the First Service should never have been the same price as a MAJOR Service @ 4 years.    The 2nd Service a car might get.

 

But then UK cars get a 3 year Warranty and a MOT at 3 years.  EU ones maybe a 2 year warranty.   People were ripped off if they ever paid a Major Service price on a 2 year old car at a Skoda UK main dealer. 

 

They thrive on confusion of Customers on what is a Basic Oil Service and a look see and report, and the Diagnostics, and the maybe roadtest, and the report.

The Health Check, Brake Inspection, and supposedly wheels removed.

The very expensive Free Wash, maybe a vacuum, which takes longer than the service.    The wash if there is one should be before the Body Inspection. The one often not done as not on the Work Sheet.