Name and Shame!

This all sounds too familiar!

I didn't go through trading standards but I had a dealer damage my car whilst in for an MOT.

I carried out an inspection of their courtesy car at their request but no checks took place for my car.

When I noticed the damage they said that the tech noticed it when it was on the ramp but they hadn't caused it.

I complained to their service department, service manager and the dealer principal. I then filled in the comments slip provded from the dealer and sent it off to Skoda, I also phoned them and they said they would investigate.

Basically they gave the same response as you recieved that they are an independant retailer and Skoda have no control.

The dealer principal then phoned me out of the blue as he had been contacted by Skoda and proceeded to give me a hard time complaining about slander and saying that only someone who was stupid could believe that my car was damaged whilst in their possession.

I ended up giving up and using a different dealer would was considerably cheaper and better.

The silly thing was that I had the damage repaired later at my own cost by Chipsaway and it only cost £50. The dealer could have easily cover either the cost or half the cost and I would still have used them for servicing repairs and MOTs.

This whole thing actually put me off buying another Skoda, the cars are great but the dealers are dreadful.

Don't back down from this one mate. Keep at them.

While I would say name and shame. Don't just yet. Might not be to your advantage. Once things sorted though - let us know who it was.

Stand outside the dealer with a megaphone?

Sounds very like TransCity at Walthamstow??????

Only took the car there once, and again the car was left three streets away.

In their defence as to storage, they do have a major problem with the lack of it.

I used to deliver their oil in a tanker and anyone who has been there can imagine the problems that caused to them and the high st.

If they dont have enough parking, surely it would be a good touch for the said dealer to at least customers aware, that there's a chance their vehicle may be kept on a public road whilst in for whatever work is needed.

Beretta - I couldn't possibly comment

I was not made aware that my car would be moved off site. The car was not checked in when I left it - I'd have demanded an inspection if I'd known, simple as.

Skoda dealers seem to be an obstinate lot and would appear to like blaming the customer for any damage inflicted. Chatham's in edinburgh follow that same mould and to say that I was unimpressed when they were implying that I was lying has led me to never using their garage and instead revert to the backstreet garage who have done the work on all my previous vehicles for less money and more skill. I wouldn't trust Skoda to take a car in and not give it a thrash for some fun but at this other one I use they ask my permission and the guy who does it is a good driver with a mint Cav Turbo who's driving I trust (ie warm up/cool down). The skoda dealer experience after the initial purchase seriously soured what should have been a great experience.

I would forget it and move on. Legally you have no case - what you know and what you can prove are two different things - it just comes down to your word against theirs - deadlock. And the law is such that as you can't prove they damaged it, they would win damages against you if you publicised the fact that they did - unfair, but that is libel law. There was no contract that they shouldn't park your car in the street - and as they say it is common practice.