Well Thats The End Of That Then

[dstev2000]

thats right carry on argueing, that way you won't fit in and they'll end up just ordering you the car they want you to have and give you no chice at all

its only a car FFs and a free one at that!

It's worth arguing for a car you'll be spending 8+ hours a day in for the next three years.

[tux]

its only a car FFs and a free one at that!

Not free by a long way. I will have to pay tax on it which for the L&K petrol is around £1600 a year. Probably more than I would spend running a car of my own. I'll also have to make a contribution towards the cost of it which is likely to be around £400.

Its also a car that I will spend up to 8 hours a day, every day driving so I don't think its unreasonable to be allowed a car that I like and am comfortable driving. Sure there are alternatives to the Octavia, but most of them cost way more than I am allowed to spend.

By the end of the coming week the matter will be decided one way or the other. Either I will be allowed to order the car I would like or I will choose something else. I suspect it will not be the former. While I have the opportunity I will continue to argue my case. There is currently no animosity between me or my managers, things have proceeded very amicably and there is no question of them ordering a car on my behalf.

[Silverware]

Why is a cash allowance not an option at present?

[bahnstormer vrs]

Alternative, cop out, option that has not been mentioned yet ...

.... go and work for another Company!

[bengie]

i really can see where the company is coming from though, as you have pointed out everyone has what is percieved as a prestige german car(audi/bmw/merc) and you would stick out in a lowly skoda and this might not fit in with the company image they are wanting.

£1600 a year for a brand new car every 3 years is nothing though is it?

no servicing, no insurance, no tax, no mot and probably no fuel costs either so boo hoo you only get a free 140bhp diesel audi. poor you

[dilly]

I've been there too! My firm has 100s of (mostly German) company cars and Skoda doesn't appear on the list at all, though Citroen and Renault do (so it isn't anything to do with quality then).

When I told the fleet manager that I wanted a Skoda Octavia I was told in no uncertain terms that it was a no-go because, if I left (or got sacked!) they'd never be able to pass it on to my replacement or anyone else.

Luckily my line manager took the view that if it was the car I wanted, I should have it. And so that was that and I'm extremely happy with it.

Extremely tiresome nonetheless.

the dill

[tux]

Thats a lucky break. Glad it worked out for you.

The thing that annoys me is that in among the German stuff we also have the run of the mill Fords and Vauxhalls a couple of Hyundai's and even a Kia. Wouldn't have thought a Kia has any better an image than Skoda. Quite the contrary if you ask me.

[golfturbo]

I was the 1st to get a Skoda in our company, out of 20 cars almost half are now Octavia's. Previously pretty much everything was Ford.

[dan123]

My situation was similar to other posters, in 2003 I was the first in my company (out of a fleet of about 200 cars) to choose Skoda (it was a Superb).

I was mocked from the stage during a national sales conference and it became known that the car was being delivered to the conference venue on the last day.

I always felt I had the last laugh as, as everyone left the meeting my car was there in the car park (don't they look great when they are BRAND new) and an appreciative crowd gathered round to inspect the car. It was a Comfort PD 130, most of the reps drove Passat S's with the PD 100 engine and 15" steel wheels. When I was promoted a couple of years later I took a cash option (eventually treated myself to a petrol vRS:) ) and the rep that inherited my car was polite but I could tell he was not happy, anyway he phoned me two days later raving about the car! Another convert!

I left the company earlier this year and at that time there were about 8 Skodas on the fleet.

Dan

[soldatov]

Hi

My wife works for a very large Austrian company, their policy being for using "pool" cars. Only top directors, get to use their company cars 100% of the time. The purchasing of any of the "pool" cars is left to the local managers in their different countries , reason given. that they will be more familiar with the best deals on offer. Now the company is very large and operates all over Europe east and west, and certainly Audi and Merc etc are used in the top spots like Austria or Germany, but Peugeot is also purchased when they offer good deals. When managers are operating in former Jugoslavia countries, or Ukraine, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Albania or CZ, insurance risks will play a part in that choice, as VW, AUDI, BMW and MERC are in high risk category for theft. So in my wife's case Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Ford etc and of course Skoda is a better choice, when you place risk of theft in the equation. Currently they have 2 Octy in her dept, one used as a pool car, the other her personal car used for business and pleasure, chosen on its merits, and its insurance risks. If I understand correctly some Euro Rent Car companies only offer Opel ,Ford, for those wishing to drive into some eastern countries, and that fact would guide some companies in our area possibly.

------------------------------------

Octy 2, 1.9 TDI PD Ambiant 4x4 Estate and Nissan Sunny 2.0 DLX, Company Octy 1.9 TDI Tor Estate.

[Timo]

Our company are very VAG orientated, can have a fabia vrs spec ed on my grade but can't get an octy vrs unless two further grades up. No one has taken those though, by the time you get there you are also offered Audi A6 or BMW 5 series.

[JP01]

I think you need to change jobs.

Any company with that attitiude isn't worth working for.

[sandyacreuk]

How shortsighted of your Company. Our business has a massive fleet of cars and offer virtually anything. I test drove the usual, BMWs, Mercs...etc. None of them in my opinion offer the all round benefits of my Octy Vrs. Room, boot space, performance, economy and of course cost.

In fact, I stand out from the crowd and get a lot of good comments about it. Looks great in the sun when its polished up!. And of course, nice to leave many of the "professional" cars standing:thumbup:

[ednmra]

Fit BMW badges to an Octy and tell them it's Beamer's latest model - they're probably too daft to know any different.

[ishj]

I have had to opt for the cash, otherwise i get no choice, sorry i get the choice between a base 1.6 TDCI focus and similar Astra. so i have gone for a 2.0tdi elegance with extra toys going to be very happy.

Keep badgering mate!

[briang]

Tux, you should name and shame the company to ensure none of us ever use them!!!

Mine is on a lease, when I compared similar specs of Passats and Mondeos they were going to cost much more over the 3 year period, particularly the Mondeo as thats worth £50 after the first year. To my mind the blue oval is a damn site worse than a Skoda badge!!

cheers

[madfiddler]

Been negotiating with our company's leasing department today and the gits have stopped me dead in my tracks.

Aparently Skodas fall foul of our company car policy because they are

"not in keeping with a professional business image."

FFS!

Well pigged off now.

hmm interesting...the company I work for is in nottingham, we use masterlease and I've had no probs ordering an octavia and there are far less illustrious vehicles on the list that is available to me!

[Tomo1971]

Tux, point out to the company that the image that would be portrayed to any prospective clients is not one of extravegance. In other words why spend a fortune on an Audi when a Skoda is better value. Any business offering better value to a client is surely a winner?

Steve

[vrswhite]

Been negotiating with our company's leasing department today and the gits have stopped me dead in my tracks.

Aparently Skodas fall foul of our company car policy because they are

"not in keeping with a professional business image."

FFS!

Well pigged off now.

lol this sums up all that is wrong with our society! A bloody badge on a car! no wonder everyone's in credit card debt for the latest trainers!!!

[skorob2007]

Skoda did a survey recently that found more than 2 thirds of Company car drivers prefer a top spec model from a 'normal' brand to a base spec model from a 'premium' brand.

I'd tell the management to look on the web and see what the press says about Skodas.More importantly, see how the motoring press continually stress that Skoda make more financial sense than any of their rivals.

I think your company's management need to drag themselves out of the dark ages when it comes to cars!

[DaveI]

Skoda did a survey recently that found more than 2 thirds of Company car drivers prefer a top spec model from a 'normal' brand to a base spec model from a 'premium' brand.

I'd tell the management to look on the web and see what the press says about Skodas.More importantly, see how the motoring press continually stress that Skoda make more financial sense than any of their rivals.

I think your company's management need to drag themselves out of the dark ages when it comes to cars!

Indeed I could have had a lowly A3 or A4 but went for my Leon FR TDi with a few toys for the same price. For my next car they are talking about a "little" BMW or similar (in my managers words) No thanks, i'll have a Alfa 147 or 159 Sportwagon please.

I was the first person to get a Skoda at my company and one of the Directors was in the process of choosing a new car, he said he wanted a Skoda after seeing mine but the MD told him it was to be Audi or BMW.

[CappoRob]

At the end of the day, it is your company's clients/customers who pay for the car.... so surely they would rather see you turn up in something that makes economic sense. Maybe that argument would work. Or maybe whoever made this decision is happy with the image that your company charges customers extra so your colleagues can drive "flash" badges.

Years ago, when I worked in manufacturing, our buyer used to check out the window what car salesmen had turned up in before going to collect them from reception. He felt it gave him a good indication how much that company was making out of us.

Good luck!

[veloplus]

I find it hard to believe any business can be so short-sighted and uninformed (JD Power survey etc).

I work for a firm of Chartered Loss Adjusters where one of my colleagues has a company Octy I 1.9 Tdi 110 Elegance estate with 110k, while another ran a Superb 1.9 Tdi 130 Elegance for 120k. I myself have a Octy II 1.9 Tdi Ambiente with 98.5k and have just chosen a replacement car; a Octy II 2.0 Tdi Elegance hatchback.

My colleague with the Octy I simply adores the car (good for continental wine runs) and refuses to allow it to be replaced.

Personally, I was hoping for a Focus Estate, however, it was not in my entitlement, therefore, I selected another Octy. I could have opted for a Golf Estate, however, it would have been the 1.9 Tdi engine and delivery takes 5 months! The base Passat didn't appeal and I had read negative reliability reports. The Vectra is due to be replaced and doesn't drive as well as the Skoda, while a Golf hatch, Mazda 3, Auris all have significantly smaller boots than the Octavia hatchback.

[sms]

ok my 2.0 fsi sport isnt a company car, its my own. but the amount of people who say it looks smart and posh looking is unbeleivable, only a couple have said "oh god its a skoda" at the end of the day it has the same engine as the audi (even has the audi logo on it if you look) and all the other parts from the VW (it is a VAG group vehicle).

[sms]

ok my 2.0 fsi sport isnt a company car, its my own. but the amount of people who say it looks smart and posh looking is unbeleivable, only a couple have said "oh god its a skoda" at the end of the day it has the same engine as the audi (even has the audi logo on it if you look) and all the other parts from the VW (it is a VAG group veh