[WhiteKnight]

Hi all, unlike many other Skoda stories, we do not have first person account of the events.

If I were the unfortunate guy, first thing I would have done is to contact the person who is appearing as Owner on the bill. Even his telephone number is given there. That would get the me the real story.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by cpyder

And others who think it is not Skoda's fault, I have one question. If one could purchase directly from Skoda, faults would lie with the department from which the car would be purchased. It would still not be Skoda at fault.

In this case, why should it be dealership's fault even? It is the fault of the sales person who actually sold the car to the customer. He is the one who should be kicked and dragged to the court.

So you see, Skoda is definitely not at fault, or perhaps thats how they percieve it.

If it were a department, it comes under Skoda's control as the department is manned by Skoda employees. When it comes to a dealer, you must refer to the dealership agreement between the dealer and Skoda, which I am sure will absolve Skoda of any liabilities regarding such issues. Moral and ethical issues notwithstanding I doubt if there's anything here to sustain a lawsuit against Skoda as a manufacturer.

Who knows, the dealer may not have informed Skoda about the goof up, so Skoda may be under the impression the car has been sold to the earlier owner, or maybe it doesn't even know the car has been sold! Is the dealer even responsible to inform Skoda who the car has been sold to?

I am not trying to defend Skoda, but I fail to see how the blame shifts from the dealer to the manufacturer without solid evidence. As Vina said above, the manufacturer can always avoid responsibility by saying the dealership stepped out of the line, which is a genuine defense.

[AbiDas]

All said and done, I took delivery of a Skoda this Saturday evening.
My experience with the dealership in a nutshell:
First, dealer tries to sell me a display vehicle without any additional discount, saying it has been on display for just a few days. I find out later that it has been at the dealership since March, 2011.
Second, I ordered a certain shade for my vehicle, the required vehicle came to a sister showroom of my dealership, and the executive there said, "This car came to this particular showroom. I can sell you this car if you cancel your booking from our sister showroom and book it from me." I am later told the car has been sold off to somebody else - a huge heartbreak for our family as we had inspected and taken pictures of the car already. We later settled for a different shade.
Third, I had to threaten my dealer to hurry up the delivery of my vehicle, as they were quite unresponsive and it was mostly me who had to call them up to check on the progress.
Fourth, do not be surprised if any dealer stops treating you like a king after you have paid your booking amount. Yes, they do tend to treat you more casually.

Who, pray, would still say that all this is the manufacturer's fault? It is, but only to the extent of choosing wisely and keeping constant checks on the dealers.

[vina]

Originally Posted by AbiDas

...


Who, pray, would still say that all this is the manufacturer's fault? It is, but only to the extent of choosing wisely and keeping constant checks on the dealers.

So what it the explanation for other manufacturers not having the same amount of misfortune in having so many cheats as their dealers?

[AbiDas]

Originally Posted by vina

So what it the explanation for other manufacturers not having the same amount of misfortune in having so many cheats as their dealers?

Like I said, Skoda has been either unlucky or inefficient in choosing their dealers. I still would not want to hold this against them. A car manufacturer's job is to make cars, and nobody here can dispute the fact that Skoda has always been making really good cars.
I just feel that, just because of a bad dealership or service experience, people should not stop buying a Skoda, or any vehicle for that.matter. It's not like a bad dealership has anything to do with the brilliant European engineering and manufacturing of the VW AG.

[vina]

Originally Posted by AbiDas

Like I said, Skoda has been either unlucky or inefficient in choosing their dealers. I still would not want to hold this against them. A car manufacturer's job is to make cars, and nobody here can dispute the fact that Skoda has always been making really good cars.
I just feel that, just because of a bad dealership or service experience, people should not stop buying a Skoda, or any vehicle for that.matter. It's not like a bad dealership has anything to do with the brilliant European engineering and manufacturing of the VW AG.

I think we'll have to disagree then. Because I wouldn't ever buy a new car from anything except an authorised dealership (I guess hardly anybody would do otherwise) - and nor does Skoda want you to do otherwise - I think it is reasonable to expect Skoda to keep tabs on the dealers.

Now it is reasonable to argue that no matter how much surveillance you have, some bad apples will slip through - every manufacturer deals with them from time to time, to lesser degree or more.

But it is a testament to Skoda's customer focus that they have not just one or two, but a full basket of bad apples, and rather than throwing them out Skoda actually supports them and ignores the customers completely.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by vina

I think we'll have to disagree then. Because I wouldn't ever buy a new car from anything except an authorised dealership (I guess hardly anybody would do otherwise) - and nor does Skoda want you to do otherwise - I think it is reasonable to expect Skoda to keep tabs on the dealers.

Yes, in the end Skoda is in the market to sell their product, and if the so called ‘authorized dealers’ try to tarnish the brand image, they need to act.
Building a great product is only part of the business. Brand building is a huge exercise, but doing the opposite is quite easy – and the Skoda dealers are doing it in a very efficient manner. Irony is, the same manufacturer tops the customer satisfaction survey in many European markets like UK.

Originally Posted by vina

But it is a testament to Skoda's customer focus that they have not just one or two, but a full basket of bad apples, and rather than throwing them out Skoda actually supports them and ignores the customers completely.

Good point there. I guess the issue could be because of the spread in their dealer network. Their dealers in a state/city are normally the same business group. For e.g.; in Kerala, they have 3 dealerships (Cochin, Trivandrum, and Calicut), and all the 3 are by one business group. If one dealer do an unethical business, and Skoda decide to act on them, it could actually impact their business in the whole state. Hope they will gain bones to stand up and get tough with the dealers / dealer groups

[h@r$h@l]

Waking up this thread from a long nap. Yet another Skoda story from Ahmedabad and same dealer in news again.

TAKEN FOR A RIDE

After 9-month struggle, Amdavadi businessman gets back Rs 26-lakh car from dealer who had taken it in for repairs. Dirty and broken interiors, damaged side skirt and badly scratched exterior dulls his victory

When a car costs you Rs 26 lakh, you expect topof-the-class service.
Arvind Birla, however, found out the hard way that what you expect is not always what you get. The 52-year-old’s Skoda Superb broke down and had to be sent for repairs. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would have such a tough time getting his vehicle back. After making numerous phone calls and tackling countless excuses given by the dealer over nine months, Birla finally got his car back. But its ruined condition would make any proud car owner weep.

Birla, chairman of Rajni Group that promotes combustion engineering, has also accused dealer Torque Motors of behaving unprofessionally. “I bought the vehicle in 2006. Last June, I was travelling along the Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway when my car broke down. I called up the dealer who sent a towing vehicle to bring the car to their service station. They first told me that the petrol I was using was substandard. Then they said the silencer needed to be replaced at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. This took three months. Then they kept my car in the workshop of two more months claiming the car needed a pump replacement. In September, they informed me that the car’s starter needed to be changed. Since the spare part was not available locally, they kept my car at the workshop,” said Birla who lives at Kadamb Bungalows in Vastrapur.

Tired of the wait, Birla demanded a replacement for the car. “The dealer promised to pay daily taxi charges of Rs 1,800 per day. But they did not put down anything in writing,” said Birla, who had mailed his problems to Skoda’s Indian head office.

He even made several calls to Skoda headquarters in Germany. “The dealer said he could not repair my car as the company had no starter in stock. So, I called up the firm to find out what the matter was,” said Birla.

Finally, the 52-year-old threatened Torque Motors with legal action. This probably prompted the dealer to return the car pronto.

However, the car’s condition sank Birla’s heart. “There were dirty handprints all over car’s cream interiors. The handrest on the left rear seat had been broken. The side skirt on the driver’s side was falling apart. And the exterior was scratched badly. The dealer never gave me a receipt of the car being towed away nor warranty of any spare part that they claimed to have changed. If my car stalls again, I have nowhere to turn,” he said. General Manager (Torque Motors) Shaqqaf Hussain admitted Birla’s car had been in the workshop for several months. “The car is an older model which is why it took us time to get a spare part. We had to import it from Germany. We have returned the car. If Birla comes across any other problem, we will take care of it.”

Admitting that the car had been scratched, he said, “It happens when a car is in the workshop for several months. We will take care of that when Birla brings the car back to us again.”

Birla owns a fleet of luxury cars including Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Audi and BMW. While the Skoda did not have cost him as much as the other beauties, it is his favourite. He said, “I own seven cars. But I used the Skoda for long distance travel as it was super comfortable. However, they have destroyed my peace of mind. How can I take this car on a long trip without being worried it will stall in the middle of nowhere?”

Source : Article Window

[speedmiester]

Skoda woes continues. Pathetic to say the least. It is amazing to know how this company still takes it's customer for a ride.

[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Skoda woes continues. Pathetic to say the least. It is amazing to know how this company still takes it's customer for a ride.

Isn't it improper to entirely blame Skoda outright?

From the way this story and most other similar stories has evolved, points one in the direction that unfortunately Skoda seems to have caught hold of the "wrong" dealers. We, as a forum, must highlight and reach out to the company itself about the loopholes that these unscrupulous dealers are using to their benefit for a quick buck. I, for one, have experienced the difference in service quality between the ONLY two dealers for Skoda in this city and have my own reasons to prefer one over another from my personal experience.


I do not mean to send out personal attacks, but THINK ABOUT IT. If Skoda really had to take customers for a ride, that would have definitely shown in their build quality and technology. Despite all the slashings and smashings one may throw at Skoda, the car which is what you pay for and buy eventually does live upto expectations for most if not put on a smile for a lifetime of it's ownership for ALL. WHICH is WHY they still have customers.

I may be just another automobile enthusiast with no certifications attached, but, FRANKLY, how often has one come across an 'official' review from TBHP, Autocar, Overdrive, DWS Auto, etc. etc. that says, here's another shoddy car from the Skoda stable that's not value for the buck!! RARE-O-RARELY..

IMHO, the resolution lies in identifying the culprits aka 'dealers' who are tarnishing the image of a stable that has brought us Indians many many really worthy products that has won the hearts of petrolheads and 'diesel'-heads alike through the vRSs, Lauras, Yetis, and Fabia (cos I own one.... ). True, the dealer is the face of the manufacturer from a customer's point of view. Change the face, cos the BODY is still worth it!

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

Isn't it improper to entirely blame Skoda outright?

If you read the article, it mentions that the owner reached out to both the Skoda India and also the Headquarters in Germany. If the company is even slightly concerned about their customers, they would have stepped in and resolved the issue. It is this callous attitude of the company that makes the dealers resort to such unscrupulous practices.
So obviously the blame is on the company.

The ownership experience doesn't just end the moment you drive your car out the showroom. It actually begins with it. Just because the car is good, doesn't mean it would absolve the company of ruining the fun of owning one.

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

Isn't it improper to entirely blame Skoda outright?

IMHO, the resolution lies in identifying the culprits aka 'dealers' who are tarnishing the image of a stable that has brought us Indians many many really worthy products that has won the hearts of petrolheads and 'diesel'-heads alike through the vRSs, Lauras, Yetis, and Fabia (cos I own one.... ). True, the dealer is the face of the manufacturer from a customer's point of view. Change the face, cos the BODY is still worth it!

Who appoints dealers, Customers? Who should control quality of the dealers, customers? Its like issuing a cheque but not signing it, the piece of paper is meaningless!!

Skoda have formed a habit of associating it self with dodgy dealers who actually are their partners. If anyone then Skoda has to take the blame, making good cars is one thing but having a good experience owning it is another.

Because Skoda has not taken corrective steps their sales have taken a hit. It takes ages to create a brand but a bad word spreads like wild fire. The Skoda during Octavia days was a better perceived brand as compared to today.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

I may be just another automobile enthusiast with no certifications attached, but, FRANKLY, how often has one come across an 'official' review from TBHP, Autocar, Overdrive, DWS Auto, etc. etc. that says, here's another shoddy car from the Skoda stable that's not value for the buck!! RARE-O-RARELY..IMHO,

Once they know that you are a journalist from a reputed place they will bend over backwards to keep you happy.

The product is by and large good, but the dealerships and the service are shoddy to say the least. Even when they lost a case in the consumer court they (Skoda and not the dealership) had the gumption to go in appeal, and the main job now seems to be just get data after date. I was talking to someone from Germany and he said they are equally shoddy there. So at least we are not being singled out for special treatment.

[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I was talking to someone from Germany and he said they are equally shoddy there. So at least we are not being singled out for special treatment.

This is saddening to hear, diminishing any hope of replicating a service methodology they adopt abroad. At least as good as the Maruti service centers, if not the coverage area.

Nevertheless, the only hope now lies in the saying that the PEN is mightier than the SWORD, and hence some day the SWORD will need to give in to the PEN.

[9thsphinx]

After hearing such Skoda Horror stories, I fail to see the parent company taking any procedures to not let this happen in the future. I am sure these stories, in one way or the other, has reached Skoda HQ. The question is are they doing anything about it? And, if so, what kind of win-a-win solution have they come up with to keep both the customer and the dealer happy.