[veeru27]

Dear All,

Thank you very much for all your inputs, especially - Der alte for the technical inputs. It helped me a lot and making a strong case with the dealer.

Based on the inputs i have got from Evo-Satya regarding the installation ( HU + Amp + 2 front comps) , I have stressed that the audio installation has not played foul with the power window motor.

The dealer states that they have forwarded the case to Skoda who might or might not approve the warranty claim . Will know in couple of days and they will revert to me with the reply form Skoda india.

Dealer states that as the components speaker wires and the crossover are installed directly above the power window motor, skoda might consider them to be a problem-though I am skeptical about it. I plan to visit the dealer tomorrow to see the vehicle.

If the warranty is not approved, then I plan to take up the issue with Skoda management via email and through social media, don't know any other means, am also trying to meet the owner of the dealership to put forward this. As I believe that the warranty claim is only as strong as the dealer's opinion on this

The skoda dealer in Salem, Tamilnadu is "S7cars pvt. ltd"

if anyone knows as to how Skoda or any other car manufacturer deal with warranty claims, please do share here so I can learn and make use of it.

Special thanks to Nitin Bose for the Facebook link, will certainly post the details there too.

once again, thank you very much for all your inputs and taking time off to reply. Will update the thread as soon as I hear from the dealer/ Skoda.

Murali Kesavan

[VW2010]

Even the manufacturers know such ambiguous statements written in a Warranty can cut both ways - and will be legally untenable if questioned. They know for sure that simple technical questioning and testing will prove that components were bad, down to possibly a simple & stupid failure of a switch.

In this country legal option is the last option one would take. A civil case is as good as living with the failure or the money you spend on the case is far more higher than to fix the issue.

I have an excellent relationship with my Service engineer. I specifically ask him if i can make any modifications before i even touch the car. I have a window sill that is LED enabled. I took it to the SA, asked him to enter the same in the invoice as well as bill. This way i know it was done by VW in VW showroom itself. Inspite of this he keeps telling me that these guys will try to not honor warranty and give one data or another to avoid it. He says the best way to do is be assertive, stick to your points, dont threaten but demand and get your things done.

It was expected from VW group to not bother about customer service. Thats the last thing they worry about.

[Epic]

Originally Posted by veeru27

Hi ,

Am from salem, tamilnadu and I own a year old Skoda rapid ambient version.

Recently the power widow switch console on the drivers side stopped working. I gave the car for repair on 22nd April, and the service advisor said that the main motor has conked off and the same will be replaced under warranty as the warranty is still available for another year, for which I agreed and asked them to process the same. However, by evening the service advisor called back and said that the warranty will not be applicable as I have installed a music system.

Now , I had installed a music system at Evo - Bangalore and had taken sufficient care to ensure that the original wires are not cut or tampered in any way. It is my understanding that as long as the original wires and parts are not tampered with the warranty is not affected. However, the Skoda dealer says that Skoda does not entertain any warranty claims if any 3 party components are installed.

I find it ridiculous to void warranty just because a music system is installed despite the fact that the original wiring is intact and not tampered with.

Does anyone have any similar experience , I need a little help / advice from you fellow brothers as to how to tackle this issue.
Thanks
Murali

Hi Veeru,

Firstly before you go any further I have just one question to ask. You have said that your power window switch console on the driver's side has stopped working. Please clarify the following:

1. I am assuming you can control all 04 power windows from the driver's side? I am asking this as I own a Polo and one can only control the front power windows from the driver's side.
2. Are the rest of the individual power windows working? If yes, it is probably the motor. If not, it could be a lose connection and yes probably because of the ICE install.

Now l am asking this as I faced a similar problem and the cause was just a loose connection which showed up 2 months after my ICE install. Let me explain - Obviously, in order to get your ICE done, one has to remove the door pads and disconnect the power window console. Now the main socket that connects to the power window console is pretty flimsy and does not lock easily unless a great amount of effort is taken to do so. It shows no signs or symptoms of loose connections.
So one fine day, all my power just stopped working. I was lucky that all my windows were closed. But I just called the guy who fitted my ICE and we observed that the socket to the power window console was not locked properly. After much effort we heard the 'click' locking sound and I have not had an issue since.

So before you go any further with changing the motor, please check this first. All the best.

[veeru27]

@epic,

Yes, I can operate all the 4 windows from drivers side console. Right now the issue is with the drivers side console which is not working, the individual switches for the rest of the 3 windows are so working.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by veeru27

... Dealer states that as the components speaker wires and the crossover are installed directly above the power window motor ...

Apart from being technically-challenged, these people also seem to be spatially/visually-challenged too! OR, even worse, their *only* skills must be a. wielding a screw-driver and b. flapping their mouths
- The Power Window motor is mounted on the the assembly on which the window glass is mounted. This is *inside* the door cavity - between the outer and the inner metal layers
- The ICE installer would have mounted the Crossover box *on the inner metal later*
- For his cockamamie logic, someone should show this blessed gentleman the area behind the dashboard of any car, where the wires in the harness go around, over and under each other and many other devices. Yet nothing else fails there? I am sure the manufacturer didn't hang the ubiquitous 'lemon & chilles' from each to prevent mutual 'buri nazar'

Originally Posted by VW2010

In this country legal option is the last option one would take. ... asked him to enter the same in the invoice as well as bill. This way i know it was done by VW in VW showroom itself ...

Fear prevents one from simply thinking straight.

If you ask VW, they will say this was done by 'XYZ Pvt Ltd', NOT VW. Only you are associating it unilaterally with VW. There is no safety nor legal standing in what you did. And the dealer will simply say - "you asked for, we didn't tell you to put it". As long as your SA is around, it will be fine. Once he is not there, the next guy will simply throw the rules book at you!

Originally Posted by VW2010

... the best way to do is be assertive, stick to your points, ...

THAT is the best advice anyone can give on this subject.

Originally Posted by Epic

... Are the rest of the individual power windows working? If yes, it is probably the motor. ...

No, it could be that just the driver side window switch is kaput.

Originally Posted by Epic

... If not, it could be a lose connection and yes probably because of the ICE install. ...

Lest you are misunderstood, could you be a bit more specific? What in ICE would cause that - loud music???

[Epic]

Originally Posted by Epic

Let me explain - Obviously, in order to get your ICE done, one has to remove the door pads and disconnect the power window console. Now the main socket that connects to the power window console is pretty flimsy and does not lock easily unless a great amount of effort is taken to do so. It shows no signs or symptoms of loose connections.
So one fine day, all my power just stopped working. I was lucky that all my windows were closed. But I just called the guy who fitted my ICE and we observed that the socket to the power window console was not locked properly. After much effort we heard the 'click' locking sound and I have not had an issue since.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Lest you are misunderstood, could you be a bit more specific? What in ICE would cause that - loud music???

Explained above. Its not the ICE in particular but the procedure during ICE installs.

Originally Posted by veeru27

@epic,

Yes, I can operate all the 4 windows from drivers side console. Right now the issue is with the drivers side console which is not working, the individual switches for the rest of the 3 windows are so working.

Ok so you can operate all the windows through their individual switches but cannot operate any windows from the main driver's side console right? In this case it has to be an issue with the console itself. Doubt it would be the motor.

Have them test the console from another car and see if it works then which would identify the problem clearly.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by Epic

Explained above. Its not the ICE in particular but the procedure during ICE installs. ...

It pays to be accurate. There is a lot of difference between saying "it was because of the ICE ...", and saying "it was because the doorpad was opened ...". One's own position must be accurate and clear.

[veeru27]

minor update:

After a mail to skoda, they have responded with an acknowledgement and have stated the they are awaiting the investigation report from e dealer.

Spoke to the dealer, they say they have sent a report stating that there are aftermarket fitments, but the OE wires have not been touched or damaged. will probably get a peek of the report today or on monday.

[veeru27]

Just received a call from the dealer, he claims that skoda india informed the, that they will not entertain my warranty claim as there are 3rd part components installed. I asked them for a copy of the email sent by skoda, but he claims that it was done telephonically.

At this time , 2 mails to their customer care seeking details of the warranty claim dismissal are yet to receive any response.

Skoda, would be better off NOT providing any warranty to their vehicles, to avoid such heartburn and negative feedback from customers ( sarcasm)

Originally Posted by veeru27

minor update:

After a mail to skoda, they have responded with an acknowledgement and have stated the they are awaiting the investigation report from e dealer.

Spoke to the dealer, they say they have sent a report stating that there are aftermarket fitments, but the OE wires have not been touched or damaged. will probably get a peek of the report today or on monday.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by veeru27

Just received a call from the dealer, he claims that skoda india informed the, that they will not entertain my warranty claim as there are 3rd part components installed. I asked them for a copy of the email sent by skoda, but he claims that it was done telephonically.

At this time , 2 mails to their customer care seeking details of the warranty claim dismissal are yet to receive any response.

Skoda, would be better off NOT providing any warranty to their vehicles, to avoid such heartburn and negative feedback from customers ( sarcasm)

This dealer is defrauding somebody in the loop.
How can a claim be denied by skoda itself without any written communication? The other scenario is that both of them are hand-in-glove, and know that at least on TBHP everyone is aware how much legal wrangle they make a customer desirous of going to a consumer court face(ref harish), and will be most disinclined to take that path.

http://www.complaintboard.in/complai...erb-l4262.html
try this page, there's a lot email ids you can flood with the whole chain of emails.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by veeru27

At this time , 2 mails to their customer care seeking details of the warranty claim dismissal are yet to receive any response.

Instead of approaching Skoda via customer care contacts, approach them via their official Facebook page. Same is the case with VW, contacting via Facebook is effective way and you can expect some prompt reply and resolution as well.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by nitinbose

There is a sentence in the warranty document which they misuse against us, "unauthorized accessories/modifications will void warranty". So if the dealers find anything outside of OEM, they'll use this against us and deny warranty.

Doesn't this mean that any installation that's not authorized by Skoda or dealer (if he has the authority to authorize after-market installations) will simply void warranty?

I'm with the OP here but if the warranty claim says what's mentioned, isn't the warranty void, technically?

[jacs]

Its not just with Skoda but its parent VW also creates serious trouble to customers in terms of warranty claims.

I thought only upsized tyres and higher wattage lights were the key targets for rejection of claims. If customers should not use after market ICE, why not they make ICE a standard among all variants?

[veeru27]

Can anyone please share the email ids of Skoda management - customer care etc. If you have , the old ones I found here for Srinivas Sudhir & Rahul kulkarni are not valid anymore. Thanks.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by veeru27

... he claims that skoda india informed the, that they will not entertain my warranty claim as there are 3rd part components installed. I asked them for a copy of the email sent by skoda, but he claims that it was done telephonically. ...

Such communications are NEVER done telephonically. The person you are talking to is out to some mischief, and won't stop thinking that you don't know the ropes. The only thing that will work with him is what works in this situation in native circumstances.

Originally Posted by veeru27

... are not valid anymore. Thanks.

They never are - since they go off with the people. Plenty of attrition in this field. Use the FB page.