Some of you may remember my thread:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/paint-issue-what-photos/88157/

An update/summary:

I found these lumps a month or so after delivery.

Told dealer who did nothing for 2 months as they forgot.

Dealer then tells Skoda, skoda want pictures then an inspection by their paint bod.

Paint bod says they are stone chips.

I complain and say how can stone chips be a paint blister and lumps?

Skoda say tough.

I complain again, Skoda still say tough.

Trading standards advise I stop talking to Skoda and deal only with dealer.

Dealer says tough, they are bound by Skoda. But they will ask Skoda for paint bod to come back and see me to explain/show me his decision. Skoda say tough, they won't send him to see me. Nor will they let me see his report due to "DPA".

Dealer offers to sort paint as cheap as possible. I give up and say ok.

Dealer gets their stone chip repair man to give me quote.

Stone chip repair man says he can't repair them.

Dealer says a whole roof respray at £600 is needed. I say get knotted.

Dealer offers to touch up problem area. I say ok as I can't be bothered to push this any further. Dealer says trade-in would only be affected by £200 if I leave it anyway so I'll do that and get rid in 3 years.

So that's the update really. My first and last Skoda. Shame really as it is a nice car, so I'll enjoy it whilst I have it over the next 2.5 years then I'll go elsewhere next time.

I had an Audi from this same dealer network a few years ago, and both Audi and the dealer were useless then. I should have learnt my lesson then. Chap I sit next to at work has a Smart from the same dealer network and he is having all sorts of trouble with them.

Why are some dealers like this, regardless of the make they sell. Is it because they feel they have a large monopoly and if the customer doesn't like it, one of there other parts of the business will get the sale?

I'm just a bit miffed by it all!

Why did you not let them do the whole roof respray if they offered it?

That is terrible.

There is a warranty and the Sale of Goods Act, and they aren't living up to it. Surely there has to be some legal recourse?

Another dealer to avoid - who is it by the way?

Sad to see the Skoda image getting tarnished at every opputunity recently, their own fault though.

Why did you not let them do the whole roof respray if they offered it?

They didn't - sorry if I didn't make it clear, it's a bit of a long story! No the dealer said they would touch up the blistered paint but that is all. If I wanted the blisters repairing myself it would involve a whole roof respray. And depsite being told by Skoda they are stone chips, the stone chip man, who I am told is very good, couldn't repair them.

To be honest I wouldn't want a roof respray - what if it goes wrong, when it comes to trade-in will another garage wonder what happened etc. Best just to leave it, take the £200 hit on the chin when it comes to trade-in and give Skoda and the dealer a wide berth.

They didn't - sorry if I didn't make it clear, it's a bit of a long story! No the dealer said they would touch up the blistered paint but that is all. If I wanted the blisters repairing myself it would involve a whole roof respray. And depsite being told by Skoda they are stone chips, the stone chip man, who I am told is very good, couldn't repair them.

To be honest I wouldn't want a roof respray - what if it goes wrong, when it comes to trade-in will another garage wonder what happened etc. Best just to leave it, take the £200 hit on the chin when it comes to trade-in and give Skoda and the dealer a wide berth.

In a very difficult marketplace, it beats me why these Manufacturers and dealers take the seemingly most stupid decisions with regard to the most obvious quality issues, by going into Ostrich mode and being most un helpful and in complete denial as to the reality of the problems that are brought to their attention.

I am told that some dealers do look at this forum, if they do , it seems that they are not aware of the real damage that issues such as yours , have on the Brand, and company image in general.

The internet and forums such as this are awash with these sort of sad stories.

When will they learn .

Bob.

Another dealer to avoid - who is it by the way?

Sad to see the Skoda image getting tarnished at every opputunity recently, their own fault though.

Not sure if I should mention them - if they read this forum I'm sure they know who I am and I'd rather not have a strained relationship if I make their name public. Burning bridges and all that.

But as for Skoda UK.......not customer friendly at all - "we got your money, now stop bothering us" type attitude.

I've had Toyota's before and the service from them was very professional, even when they messed up. Suppose it comes down to how a company can right itself when it makes a wrong - in my books if they put you right they are better for it.

Not sure if I should mention them - if they read this forum I'm sure they know who I am and I'd rather not have a strained relationship if I make their name public. Burning bridges and all that.

But as for Skoda UK.......not customer friendly at all - "we got your money, now stop bothering us" type attitude.

That's fair enough, although from what I have read, their attitude seems as bad as Skoda UKs and as for burning bridges, well, they have done that themselves by the sounds of it.

I absolutely feel for you, I really do.

What a steaming pile of sh*te....

Go and pay for your own independent paint specialist to report on that in writing, then take a copy of the report to skoda and then reject the car on the basis they are refusing to repair.

Within 6 months is is up to them to prove it is not a manufacturing defect. One paint report that you can not see is not proof. That wouldn't stand up in court.

I would definitely be onto trading standards and personally would reject the car to the dealer after taking pictures and getting your own report.

The DPA excuse is a load of horse **** and they just don't want you to see it, if they even have one.

I wouldn't buy a car with bubbles on the roof as that means the rust (if it is rust) is under the paint. Besides which if they are stone chips up there, how did they happen? Sounds like if they did it is transporter damage.

cheezemonkhai - I know what you are saying and I've been through the various thought processes - do I get a report, don't I, do I go to the small claims court, don't I. The dealer said that a stone can skip across the paint, causing the surface to break enough for moisture to get in and the paint then bubbles up. Skoda's paint inspector said it was a stonechip of other force that caused the bubbling. I don't know enough about paint to strongly disagree with them. A report will cost me a couple of hundred and may need the interior trim removing to ensure it was nothing screwed up from underneath.

At the end of the day if it is a stonechip I've lost the report money, which I could have used to offset the drop in trade-in value.

I'm between a rock and a hard place.

Even if I was to prove Skoda are wrong and my car is repaired, having had all this trouble I know I won't get another car from that dealer so what will I have gained? There is still a part of me who is saying I should take it further though.

I will write to the head of VAG and tell them of the troubles I've had as I think their customer service procedures need changing in places and some other bits and bobs.

You can reject the car for a full refund within the first 6 months and it is up to the dealer to prove it was not a manufacturing defect.

I would reject it and go to court as then they will have to release the report to you.

I couldn't let them get away with that since it is blatantly not from a stone chip.

If a stone hit that area skitted around etc you would see some white primer and you can't.

I just don't believe it and if you go to a body shop I am fairly certain they will tell you it isn't a stone chip for not much.

If it is a stone chip and has rust bubbled up, if you push the bubble firmly with your thumb the rust will crush and the bubble will go flat and not raise again after.

If it is solid, it isn't rust.

At the end of the day if it is a stonechip I've lost the report money, which I could have used to offset the drop in trade-in value.

The problem is, the dealer says about the £200 difference in trade in value, but hoever long it is until you decide to get rid of the car, the damage may get worse and who is going to want your car? You certainly would get hit for a lot more than £200 I reckon.

The dealer really should not be giving you figures anyway as these things could be differnt in 2 or 3 years time.

Dreadful service. Dreadful advice.

I agree that £200 is not a good figure, I wouldn't touch the car myself, but i would think most buyers would want it fully repaired so at least the cost of a full roof respray would be taken off the PX value.

Also don't forget you would have to tell a buy the full details of this should they ask at which point a sale might become hard.

Thanks for the comments. The dealer has now touched up the marks so at least you can't see the white primer (if that is what it is) which was showing through the largest mark.

How about pushing a complaint through Skoda finance as I have the car via a PCP - what obligations do they have?