Just been having a bit of an argument with my lease company. It seems that they've got the **** ache over the fact that myself and several of my colleagues have been speaking with their preferred supplier, instead of speaking with them. This is all the more ludicrous, given that it was them that gave us the details of who to speak to at the Skoda dealer.

Basically, we've all got Octavias of one sort or another on order with dealer X.

When we ordered the cars, the lease company simply put the delivery date as being exactly 12 weeks from date of order. That seems reasonable enough.

When I spoke to the dealer about two weeks ago, he reckoned that the car would be ready for delivery in the first week of June. In order to make sure this happened, I spoke to the lease company, and asked them to keep an eye on it.

I phoned the dealer again on Friday last week, and asked for an update, only to be told that they are no longer allowed to speak to me about the car, and that I should talk directly to the lease company. When I asked them to reconfirm the arrival date, or even the build date, I was stonewalled.

So, I asked the lease company to confirm the build date, and hence the delivery date, and they refused. They've now told me that the car will be delivered no earlier than the 20th June, no matter what happens.

My colleagues have all been given a similar story.

Personally, I think this is awful customer service. If I didn't have to deal with these people, then I wouldn't go near them ever again.

What do you folks think?

Should the dealer have a build date by now (given that it's 9 weeks since the car was ordered)?

If they do have a build date, surely they should be able to estimate delivery date?

How long does it normally take from build to delivery with the dealer?

Ahh, I feel much better now. It always helps to have a bit of a rant.

Bagpuss.

Can only say what I was told. The dealer was able to give me a build date within a week of ordering.

This is standard practice. I know I was treated the same with my Fabia through ing leasing, and I'm sure Rob (yashicamat) likewise. It sucks, but ultimately the lease company is the customer, not you.

The lease company couldn't give a monkeys when you get the car, you've signed on the line so they've got you by the short and curlys. Just a shame they don't offer better customer service really.

Just sit back and wait, you will get it, but fretting sure won't get you it any quicker... :( Like I say, it seems like standard practice... :(

I knew the dealer that my Mk1 and Mk2 came from, yet similarly the lease firm is the customer not you.

My dealer and lease firm were quite good, and I was kept uptodate throughout. Well except that the car was arriving a week early, but then that was a nice suprise!

I doubt the lease firm are holding back the car as it'd cost them in storage. So this seems to be a case of the dealer telling the lease firm "will you tell your customer WTF is going on, as he's your customer not ours".