Hi there

I'm after a national number for Skoda GB's customer services and I've looked everywhere - including online and in my literature. Help! Anyone?

[jedi mode] Search the forums my young padawan 0845 7745745 is the information you seek [/jedi mode]

How come your ringing customer services? Not a problem with the car I hope!

wow, has someone sold someone something that the other someone perceives to be something of a lemon and both someones are somewhere on this somewhat remarkable forum?

i'll get me coat

wow' date=' has someone sold someone something that the other someone perceives to be something of a lemon and both someones are somewhere on this somewhat remarkable forum?

i'll get me coat[/quote']

I don't think someone I know sold this particular someone else a lemon, I'm sure someone who sold such a product would have been aware much before it got as far as customer services, if they did in fact sell a product as perhaps seen by someone else as a lemon.

I reckon someone was just curious as to why someone would phone customer services, usually someone phones customer services to complain about stuff that is totally irrelevent. Such as "If I pull the handbrake up sharply the handle slides forward and I have to push it back to fix it, can you repair it under warranty so it doesn't do this". Surely the only real answer is "Don't w**k the handbrake".

But I'm sure this particular somebody has a real issue, or perhaps *shock shock shock* is actually phoning to say how pleasant and helpful the dealer was?

There's a first time for everything.

I don't think someone I know sold this particular someone else a lemon' date=' I'm sure someone who sold such a product would have been aware much before it got as far as customer services, if they did in fact sell a product as perhaps seen by someone else as a lemon.

I reckon someone was just curious as to why someone would phone customer services, usually someone phones customer services to complain about stuff that is totally irrelevent. Such as "If I pull the handbrake up sharply the handle slides forward and I have to push it back to fix it, can you repair it under warranty so it doesn't do this". Surely the only real answer is "Don't w**k the handbrake".

But I'm sure this particular somebody has a real issue, or perhaps *shock shock shock* is actually phoning to say how pleasant and helpful the dealer was?

There's a first time for everything.[/quote']

:rofl: ..... love it

I did a little research and Rizlam bought a Fabia vRS from Saltdean last September, just had a service and found them rather poor. I imagine he is phoning to ask them why.

Sort of - I've had a service that may actually turn out to be a non-service - that is, they didn't actually do anything, charged me, and returned the car unchanged. My car is currently at another dealership who say there is no evidence of a service having been performed on it.

It all started back in April at my 10K service. My Fab includes free pick up for servicing, so I was surprised when they told me they wouldn't do it for the 10K service, as it was a 'while you wait service', only involving new oil and a filter and would take 30 mins.

So, I took it up there at midday, along with the aerial they posted me (incorrectly - the wrong specification, despite me telling them the exact model of my car) - my last one was vandalised outside work - and waited.

And waited. And waited. In an industrial estate in the **** end of Telscombe Cliffs (aka nowhere).

An hour later, I asked what was going on. Apparently, the car was 'done', but they were just putting together the paperwork.

One hour 15 mins later, they're still doing the service, apparently. Not the paperwork then.

One hour 30 mins later... there's nobody in service anymore. Dump break.

One hour 45 minutes later (I've been sat there slowly seething in their toilet-sized waiting room reading a copy of Autocar from Feb 2004) the car is done. The Aerial they sent me, which I couldn't fit, isn't the correct one for a VRS, which strangely I told them I had. So they'll give me a refund. Except, they haven't. So I have to get a manager to sort it out. They can't work out how to do it - or how to remove it from my bill. They have to get someone else to work out what sort of aerial I have, which is now 'on order'. They hand me a piece of paper with 'credit' scribbled on it. I basically have an IOU. I ask the woman if she's stamped the service book... 'yes, of course', she shoots snootily at me.

And the cost for 5 litres of oil, a filter, and 2 hours of my life? (make that 3 due to the 30 minute journey to Telscombe Cliffs) - £130. For a ****ing oil change.

Congrats to Saltdean Garage, you are officially ****ing useless. You didn't even reset the clock after removing the battery, and guess what? My service book isn't stamped. Big surprise. And - as discovered this week - the service reset wasn't actioned either, hence the spanner and the 'INSP' light. Which is how we got to the situation at the top of this post.

Unbelievable!

But I'm sure this particular somebody is actually phoning to say how pleasant and helpful the dealer was?

Me thinks that this ain't the case this time :P

Having read the reviews Saltdean don't seem to rank very highly, but then again not many dealers have good reviews, which would suggest some people have too high expectations. I'm going to make it my campaign to get everywhere to use the dealer review system, every time you have a service/buy a car/get warranty work done, you have to enter me a few comments!

Having read the reviews Saltdean don't seem to rank very highly, but then again not many dealers have good reviews, which would suggest some people have too high expectations. I'm going to make it my campaign to get everywhere to use the dealer review system, every time you have a service/buy a car/get warranty work done, you have to enter me a few comments!

Would be a great help as 9 times out 10 people will only post with a problem/complaint....

I fill in a review if I'm happy or not as I think the world could do with more feedback High expectations? Maybe the dealers have too low expectations of what their customer's want

FWIW, I much prefer the attitude of my local independent specialist to my local dealer. Bascially, even though the courtesy car is a few years old, it's clean, it's not running on fumes and it's free*, the staff address me with sir/my name (shock horror!), and they do a good job and return the car to me in the same state or cleaner than I left it in. All for a lot less than my local dealer charges. When I leave I feel like I'm a valued customer and not just another job, and as such I recommend them.

Chris

*I know the cost is probably swallowed in the price of the service, but it's still a lot cheaper than a courtesy-carless dealer

Would be a great help as 9 times out 10 people will only post with a problem/complaint....

That's what I think, maybe the admin could send everyone a PM reminding them that it would be very helpful to the other members, and indeed the dealers themselves will know where there is room to improve. Perhaps Briskoda could work with dealers to improve service!

usually someone phones customer services to complain about stuff that is totally irrelevent. Such as "If I pull the handbrake up sharply the handle slides forward and I have to push it back to fix it' date=' can you repair it under warranty so it doesn't do this". Surely the only real answer is "Don't w**k the handbrake".

But I'm sure this particular somebody has a real issue, or perhaps *shock shock shock* is actually phoning to say how pleasant and helpful the dealer was?

There's a first time for everything.[/quote']

:eek: I really hope you dont sell cars for a living! :eek:

If my handbrake handle was sliding off every time I used it i'd definately want that fixed under warranty, quite a safety issue really!

As for Saltdean Skoda, i'm really not suprised by your issues, I couldn't reccomend highly enough that people avoid them like the plague, I've made it my personal mission that every time someone asks me about the car, (which happens quite a lot, as it along with another 80 Skoda's on my fleet is a taxi), I tell them to avoid Saldean and if they really must have a Skoda to buy it elsewhere!

We even have a big poster in the office telling the independant drivers (who supply there own vehicles) to avoid Saltdean at all costs!

I got fed up with their total incompetency and then getting a snotty "i'm better than you, your just a cabbie' attitude!

Needless to say my local friendly, profesional mechanic now holidays 3 times a year!

:eek: I really hope you dont sell cars for a living! :eek:

If my handbrake handle was sliding off every time I used it i'd definately want that fixed under warranty' date=' quite a safety issue really!

As for Saltdean Skoda, i'm really not suprised by your issues, I couldn't reccomend highly enough that people avoid them like the plague, I've made it my personal mission that every time someone asks me about the car, (which happens quite a lot, as it along with another 80 Skoda's on my fleet is a taxi), I tell them to avoid Saldean and if they really must have a Skoda to buy it elsewhere!

We even have a big poster in the office telling the independant drivers (who supply there own vehicles) to avoid Saltdean at all costs!

I got fed up with their total incompetency and then getting a snotty "i'm better than you, your just a cabbie' attitude!

Needless to say my local friendly, profesional mechanic now holidays 3 times a year![/quote']

Yes I do, however I very rarely have any issues with my customers. They seem to be all very happy with the service. If I do ever get a problem I will always rectifiy the problem as best I can. However occasionally I know of some dealers having problems with certain customers. I can't actually ever think of one seriously dissatified customer, they might have been the odd one or two who have had to come back after a week with a fault but they aren't particulary annoyed.

I think you misunderstood my post, it wasn't sliding off all the time. It only "slid" off if you pulled it forward instead of up, and they are meant to do that. Someone may have told him it is not a fault with the car and that all Fabia's will do that if you pull the handbrake forward .

Needless to say my local friendly' date=' profesional mechanic now holidays 3 times a year![/quote']

Can you recommend them to me? Need a new mechanic...

Can you recommend them to me? Need a new mechanic...

do you still need an aerial?? i've got a spare one that i found at citygates attached to a car or thier forecourt. i dont know if it's the same as the vrs one but it fits my elegance model.

Can you recommend them to me? Need a new mechanic...

If your in Eastbourne then yes I can, try Visick cars, or another good guy is James at Bayham Motors.

do you still need an aerial?? i've got a spare one that i found at citygates attached to a car or thier forecourt. i dont know if it's the same as the vrs one but it fits my elegance model.

'fraid not. As I found out, to my annoyance, that the aerial Saltdean bought for me is not the same as the VRS. Still, they couldn't work out how to do a refund, so they wrote on the bottom of my invoice 'IOU' for the incorrect aerial. I wonder how much that is worth now the dealership has disappeared? Oh yes, nada.

Back on topic, I phone Skoda CS today because I wanted to find out how I could get my service book stamped after Saltdean forgot. Apparently, unlike VW, Skoda do NOT have a national database of work performed on their cars so they have no record of the first service, so surprise surprise another dealer could refuse to do warranty work. This is madness, and I'm astonished.

It was my understanding that the Saltdean service dept still exists?

It was my understanding that the Saltdean service dept still exists?

Tried to contact Saltdean service departments today (15th August). None of their branches are now functioning so we don't have an 'official' Skoda agent between St.Leonards (east of Brighton) and Chichester to the west, on the south coast. Seems they were relying on the bonuses for making sales targets and they didn't make the last lot and the banks pulled the plug. Maybe Skoda set the bar just that little bit too high. Still Skoda must have egg on their faces now with no official dealer to handle the cars in a large area including the biggest town on the South Coast (OOPS!). Perhaps they will have a more long term approach with other dealers or maybe even revert to the old approach of nurturing the private one site dealers they used to be so proud to have.

One thing worth considering, those nice people at Clarion Cars in Worthing, though no longer official agents nonetheless they have Skoda trained mechanics, the equipment etc. to handle Skoda work and they are very much 'old school' in that they are a private single site operation that lives or dies on its service and I have found them to be extremely helpful and a real pleasure to deal with. They seem highly knowledgable too.

OK they can't do warranty work but otherwise they seem worthy of serious consideration especially as nowdays you don't have to have a car serviced at an authorised dealer to maintain the warranty.