[GTO]

FACT ONE : Team-BHP is built on the principles of truth, honesty & transparency. Indeed, we are the ONLY source of information on the Indian car scene (of a respectable size) that does NOT entertain any source of funding from the automotive industry. Why? SIMPLY to maintain our unbiased attitude. Team-BHP is a community of, by and for the Indian car enthusiast.

FACT TWO : Skoda offers what is possibly the ABSOLUTE WORST after-sales service in the country. Simply put, here is a company that fails miserably in taking care of its premium customers. Customers who spend between 8 to 25 lakh rupees of their own hard-earned money on a supposedly premium car have to fight in court for a basic level of service. Search within the forum for actual owner reports of forged signatures, overcharging practices, inflated bills, outrageously priced spares, installing fake parts in place of original, mis-represented repair quotes, unreliability concerns and absolute lack of support from the parent company : Skoda India. This forum is full of actual Skoda HORROR stories by real-life customers of Skoda India.

FACT THREE : Member Harishv has been an unfortunate recipient of Skoda’s appalling standards of service. His only fault? That he spent 12 lakh rupees on the wrong brand. His Skoda had parts worth a whopping 4.0 lakh rupees replaced by counterfeit ones by Skoda's official dealer / representative; fake parts that could have taken a toll on his family’s life (e.g. fake brake discs installed in his car). Now, Skoda is busy fighting him in court. Not to mention, his Skoda Octavia has yet not been returned to him. IN A YEAR!

FACT FOUR : Instead of apologising and making up to its so-obviously-wronged customer for their dealer / representative misdeeds, Skoda continues to fight the poor gentleman.

FACT FIVE : Harish turned to Team-BHP for support and posted his entire Skoda ordeal here with FACTS and supporting pictures. Skodas response:

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

I have been advised to inform you that the hosting or publishing of such information (which , does not represent all of the facts) would instigate both Team-BHP as well as the various users in the ongoing court case.

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

Hi there,
I hear that there are disgruntled customers and we are doing our best to provide a consistently good service level.

As I have mentioned before, please get in touch with our customer services representatives who will be able to help you on any other matters not relating to the current court case.

I have been advised to forward to you the following notice pertaining to this thread of the forum.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rned-year.html

I have been advised to inform you that the hosting or publishing of such information (which , does not represent all of the facts) would instigate both Team-BHP as well as the various users in the ongoing court case.

It saddens us here at Skoda that things have escalated to this point and we have tried to engage but the truth is that some of the comments are now extremely offensive and defamatory. They are personal atacks on our company, staff and me as an individual.

We have tried very hard to engage but users are simply not being reasonable or letting us partake in the forum and allowing us to be heard.

Skoda India is a highly reputable company and does not entertain any kind of foul practices by their dealers. In fact, Skoda India is an active member of the society for indian automobile manufacturers who are against any conterfeiting in the market.

It is very simple- all of the facts are not represented here and we have been informed that from a legal standpoint, we cannot disclose them as doing so may affect the outcome of the case.

It is somewhat confusing to us that Mr. Harsih Kanchan feels he can!

Please contact customer services with any concerns or issues and we will inform you all of te outcome of the case.

best,

Meghna.

My only questions to you, Dear BHPian, are these : Does Team-BHP stand for the truth and nothing else but the truth? Are we going to let giant corporations walk all over us? Does the Indian customer want to be so ill-treated? Do we want to be walked over by a profit-hungry Skoda that cares a damn about it's Indian customers? Are we willing to stand up for our rights? Do we want ANYONE to take away our right to freedom of speech?

Team-BHP is blessed with the best-wishes of 40,000 BHPians. the entire body of Indian car enthusiasts and lakhs of regular visitors. I know, that with YOUR SUPPORT, Team-BHP has what it takes to stand up for the TRUTH.

Let me also release a FIRM PUBLIC WARNING to Skoda Corporate : If you attempt to threaten ANY Team-BHPian, your account will receive a permanent BAN. And yes, if you want to sue me for speaking the truth, be my damn guest.

[GTO]

Important posts from this thread:

1. Confirmation that member "Skoda Corporate" is indeed a Skoda official

A poor Skoda owner gets frustrated

2. Scooby STi's experience with a Laura & a Fabia
Diffsoft questions Skoda Corporate

3. Kapil Jolly's experience with an Octavia

4. Harish's emotional take on the last 12 months

5. A veteran's experience with Skoda

6. Nearly half a year to repair an Octavia

7. Fake Skoda brakes caused the accident!

8. Navin's experience with Auto Bahn

9. Kapil Jolly's email interaction with Skoda

10. An owners experience with a fleet of Skodas

11. Jasher commenting on a RS experience

12. Evo's experience with a Skoda dealer

13. And Skoda's shocking response!

14. Coverage in WhatCar? Magazine

15. Dr. Bhatti's narrates a Skoda experience

16. GTO's suggestions to Skoda

17. Navin's suggestions to Skoda

18. How to do it : The Maruti experience

19. Thad's fitting reply to Skoda Corporate

20. Is Skoda India merely an importer of cars?

21. Skoda comes visiting

22. What Indian customers actually want!

23. Dealership forges signatures and replaces alloy wheels & music system!

24. Dealership runs engine without oil during routine service.

25. Sai Automobiles (Skoda Dealer) found using counterfeit parts


External (and relevant) links:

1. Skoda India's Wiki Entry

2. Consumer Court directs Skoda Auto to replace faulty car

3. Mid-day Article on Skoda's fraud

4. Mumbai Mirror's article on the Skoda fraud

5. News Channel UTV's take on Skoda's service

6. Builder takes Skoda to court over poor service

7. Business Standard article on Skoda's threats



Team-BHP User Experiences with Skoda

Pathetic Skoda Service & my Fabia 1.4 woes

Is a Skoda more expensive to own?

Skoda owners dharna

Skoda Octavia experience with Continental motors Delhi

Defective Skoda Dealer

Problems with my Skoda Laura

Skoda dealer milking the compelled customer!

AutoBahn Skoda - Pathetic!

Nummer Eins Skoda - PATHETIC

TAFE Skoda sucks!

Save me from Skoda!

Is it worth buying a Skoda anymore?

Skoda vRS woes

Terrible experience with Skoda T.A.F.E.

Rs.60,000 for the 30K service of an Octavia!

Hello Skoda, do you read at all?
Skoda Trouble

NEED : Non-authorised Skoda Service

Rs. 2,300 for a single Skoda wheelcap!

No test-drive cars from Skoda

Fraudulent Acts by Skoda India

Breakdowns and problems in 5months and 7500kms of Superb ownership

Another Superb ownership/complaints thread

Skoda Fabia - The Fooling Machine




Consumer website complaints about Skoda India

Fabia 1.4 Technical Problem

Woefully Inflated service bills

Skoda Superb Problems

Another Superb problem

Skoda dealer refuses to return the car or the deposit money!

Laura air-con not cooling

Another Laura Problem

Incompetent Skoda dealer & an Octavia story

Fabia problems

Engine problems in an Elegance

Fabia engine stall issues

A Superb experience

Fed up of a Laura

Laura engine falls off!

Even more Laura air-con problems

SKoda Engine issues

Fabia stops on the highway

Unhappy Laura customer

Turbo failure on a 4,400 kms Laura

Autocar India Forums: SKODA - Terrible Experience

[amit_mechengg]

@ Skoda Corporate- thanks for the initiative you have taken to drop down on the forum and look into the ordeal.
as you said above you cannot comment- thats obvious. how can one comment on such a tragedy? how do you feel keeping yourself in Mr.Harish place?
Buy a skoda worth 12 lacs and then roam around with your family in auto
well whatever the fight between skoda lawyers and harish ends up, we a strength of 40000 team-bhpians can surely drive away thousands of customers who are going to buy SKODA.
On my side i will make sure that no one whom i know anywhere in this world buys a Skoda. I have already turned 3 people. 2 were corporators.
Thank me they didnt buy and get into this problem, harish was decent to fight, they are not.

[black12rr]

I dont understand this ATTITUDE of SKODA . They are willing to loose hundreds of potential customers due to this episode and in turn loose sales and also being branded as cheats .... but they are not willing to give a new car which costs like 10 lakh(which is peanuts to them) to a frustrated customer . With this ATTITUDE , the only way they are going is DOWN . This is down right ugly and CHEAP , wake up .

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

Hi, I'm the Marketing Communications Manager at Skoda India

Thanks to all the comments. Although we love good feedback, we think any feedback is worthwhile in helping us improve our cars and customer service.

We’re focusing hard on reading blogs and social networks to ensure we have good two-way communication with our customers. We try to cover as many posts as we can but if they aren’t responded to, you can rest assured they were read and taken into account.
Sadly on this post, I can’t make a comment, as Harishv knows, because this case is currently with our lawyers.

If anyone would like more information or has more feedback, feel free to contact our customer care executives at +91 240 2475999 or +91 240 6631256/64 or you can mail your queries and concerns regarding your Škoda car to skodadealersupport@misupport.net or post here.

Please leave your mobile number for speedy resolution of your concern.

Thanks, Meghna

I did post this thread directly on Skoda's website as a query on March 26th. The same day I got a call from your regional office in Bangalore to address my apprehensions. While i commend the fact that you did take cognizance of a feedback the response was hardly helpful..the same can't talk about it.

The only way you can address the issue is to follow what the consumer court has ruled. Going for an appeal does not in any way show your sincerity to a customer who has been wronged. Rather than prolong this issue further and loose more customers you would be better off accepting the obvious and setting right the wrongs.

As I already told your executive yesterday, do you think I'd buy a Skoda if resorting to the law is the only way I'm gonna get good service and that too for a so called "luxury" model?

Drive on!!
Shibu

[sandeep.mishra]

Originally Posted by harishv

Dear Kapil.

I am fighting with Skoda for the last one year now. You may be aware their dealer in mumbai, Nummer Eins had replaced spurious parts in my car to the tune of around 4 lakhs. They had even stolen the 3rd injector and the steering rack and substituted them with fakes. They did not spare the battery either......
....
....
....

Irrespective of wheather we are affected or unaffected, we will fight! This is a classic case of MNC's treating Indian customers like dung! More we get concious and informed of such things better it is! Let us know how we can proceed ahead...Any strategy in Mind as such ?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by harishv

The district court ruling is an interimn ruling for release of the car. The case continues.

Holy cow, you mean Skoda doesn't want to return the car to you? Why not? Bet they want to park it as a momento in their plant with everyone passing by it and saying "Yet another Indian sucker down the tubes!"

Originally Posted by jasher26

hey GTO, it would help harishv's case if you could send him a statistic on the number of viewers this thread is attracting. maybe at the end of one month period. he could send it to skoda.

Skoda is sure to loose a lot of customers due to this incident. Too stubborn. Leads to downfall

As of now, it's been viewed 15,810 times. This data is available when you look at the thread listings under the "Indian Car Scene" forum section.

[samyakmodi]

Originally Posted by black12rr

I dont understand this ATTITUDE of SKODA . They are willing to loose hundreds of potential customers due to this episode and in turn loose sales and also being branded as cheats .... but they are not willing to give a new car which costs like 10 lakh(which is peanuts to them) to a frustrated customer . With this ATTITUDE , the only way they are going is DOWN . This is down right ugly and CHEAP , wake up .

i somehow disagree here. just giving a new car wont mend anything. and what more, if the company does it once, it will in a way accept that it was responsible for it. BAD publicity.

@harishv

anyways i wrote to a lot of people yesterday after reading the thread. posted the link, sent them some mails about what is going to happen to their brand if they dont get their act straight, and also to some auto-magazines. one of the magazines has responded immediately and asked you to write to them also.

I got a prompt reply from Mr. Karthik Ramesh, within a couple of hours of writing to him. I was surprised to say the least with the promptness to be honest.

This is the reply i received from him. though not very encouraging but he responded immediately. Looks like he wants the matter to be cleared too.

Dear Mr. Modi,



We have noted the contents of your mail.



We would like to state that the allegations of Mr. Kanchan are extremely defamatory in nature and showcase a biased approach that does not disclose various material facts pertaining to the case.



However you may please be informed that the matter is already subjudice before the Hon'ble State Commission, Mumbai for redressal. You may also note that there are also FIRs which were filed before Police authorities in Mumbai.



Skoda Auto has been and will always assure that every customer of ours is rendered with best services.



Should you require any further clarifications please feel free to contact us.



Thanks & Regards,

Karthik Ramesh | After Sales
SKODA AUTO India Pvt. Ltd. | 1st Cross, # 3 Lavelle Road | Bangalore - 560001 | India
Tel: +91 080 3093 1111 | Fax: +91 080 3093 1299
karthik.ramesh@skoda-auto.co.in | ?koda Auto - Homepage | ?koda Auto - Homepage


autocar india's response

do right to aaa@autocarindia.com. we can take up your matter effectively with car companies.

Autocar

and by right i assume they meant write. do it.

@meghna

Nice to see atleast someone from Skoda Auto here. This way you people might realise how many people are reading the thread, and what's happening to the brand "Skoda"

I sincerely hope that with atleast someone from skoda here, the matter gets solved amiably.

[kapiljolly79]

Hi Meghna. I must appretiate the very bold step you've taken to Join the forum. I'm sure you've been given the info about This forum through your Delhi dealership.

But I must say that its a pity that we as customers are to go through such injustive with our cars only because we bought Skodas.

My car was lying with COnti for a year and yet your company didn't do anything. Finally we had to compramise on a few things and settle for the car after repeatedly chasing it with the dealership and shelling out over 2 and a hlf lac rupess in damages that were caused due to the negligence of the Dealership.

So if you can boldy say that you're here to change things, return my money. And don't give out the numbers of the customer care. They have only automated replies and no sense of ownership. I urge you to give out your personal number and take the pains to come and see the kind of state your dealerships are in and the way customer cars are abused alongwith the assumption that your customer has a lot of money to waste and ample time to waste chasing the work on the car.

Step in our shoes. Harish, who is still fighting for it, and me personally have had to live without the car for a year and return it every second day because of engine/car malfunction. EVen after getting the work donoe, no one had the answer as to why the problem occured. Its an utter disgrace and shame to be an owner of a Skoda Octavia.

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

Hi, I'm the Marketing Communications Manager at Skoda India

Thanks to all the comments. Although we love good feedback, we think any feedback is worthwhile in helping us improve our cars and customer service.

We’re focusing hard on reading blogs and social networks to ensure we have good two-way communication with our customers. We try to cover as many posts as we can but if they aren’t responded to, you can rest assured they were read and taken into account.
Sadly on this post, I can’t make a comment, as Harishv knows, because this case is currently with our lawyers.

If anyone would like more information or has more feedback, feel free to contact our customer care executives at +91 240 2475999 or +91 240 6631256/64 or you can mail your queries and concerns regarding your Škoda car to skodadealersupport@misupport.net or post here.

Please leave your mobile number for speedy resolution of your concern.

Thanks, Meghna

[sandeep.mishra]

Thanks Skoda....

Your corporate communication through Ms.Meghna was like a honey glazed Turkey...badly roasted! Nevertheless, let me remind you that due to such arrogant and customer unfriendly policies that your company so prudently follows, you guys will be forced to shut shop and get out of India.

Remember, you guys are just a mediocore brand in Europe but customers in India gave you a novelty ststus here...Therefore, change your policies and as a gesture return a brand new car to Harish! Otherwise, we the cosumers will take it forward at the appropriate forum irrespective of the fact wheather we are directly or indirectly affected.

Also please stop hiding behind the PALLU of the subjudice dragon!

[jasher26]

i would like to look at Skoda sales numbers for next month and compare it with Jan 2009

But seriously, whats the harm in admitting a fault. Dont Honda / Toyota or any manufacturer recall cars publicly if there is a manufacturing defect and say sorry publicly? Hell it happened to a Civic I know of in Mumbai. They replaced the defective part and said SORRY and gave some freebies. Case Closed! No consumer would ever mind that.

[anilkalvani]

Originally Posted by black12rr

@samyakmodi , I ment alteast they could do this ASAP(a new car , SUPERB may be ) . Compensation is later ...lol .

SKODA = Sick Kompany Of Disgusting Attitude .

Dude if they give him a Superb, then they'll rip parts worth 10 lacs. I think he's better off with:
1. Full Compensation of the cost of car, registration, insurance with interest
2. Legal Fees + Interest
3. Compensation for Mental Agony, Torture, wasted trips, etc.
4. Compensation for loss of time (in the 'wasted' amount of time he spent after his car he could have made loads of money in his field)

You buy a car for peace of mind, not for stress.

I think they should change their tagline as follows:

Skoda Auto - Obsessed with Quality.... Kidding! Gotcha!! Phew!!!

[jasher26]

and I have not even started on my friends recent Skoda paid service experience. Dont wanna post without his permission.

All i can say is that what happened was DANGEROUS

[kapiljolly79]

@Meghna

Here's my ordeal, and this is what represents your company and your companys officials attitude.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ors-delhi.html

It took my car one year and I sadly had to give in only because I couldn't take it any more. I've had to compramise on a lot of things but in Harishs case, I stand by him and will see both the dealerships behind these scams and the Company taken to heavy task. Plus, I now discourage very openly to anyone interested in buying a Skoda.

Not to forget, I know a gentleman who bought a brand new Superb a month back, and guess what, his cars broken down with two possible causes that the dealer has found.

1: Wiring malfunction (Same case in my car)
OR
2: Torque Convertor failure.

Either way, you should replace the car. Don't even think of digging a screw driver into the dash panel ( my car has been scarred all over because your professionally trained mechanics are morons).

So there you have it. Brands new Skoda Superb. Its not really a super feeling but a super B&%$# feeling.

[diffsoft]

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

Hi all,

....
We at Skoda are here to help service our customers at all times...

Welcome to the forum Meghna, but I would contest the statement above.

1. Where was Skoda when I was knocking at their doors when I was given 13 month old Combi falsely represented as 1 month old by your Bangalore dealer in Dec 07?

2. Why did your Sales representative/ Customer care refuse to respond when I told them the car was damaged? Even after the dealer told them that the car may have been damaged because of parking in their showroom by them?

2. Why did your Sales representative refuse to pick up my calls after I told him the registration being handled by the dealer was forged?

3. Why did Skoda not care to reply to my legal notices at all, even after I showed that my signature was forged, and responded only after I sent a letter to Mr Reinhard Jung, the Chairman of the Board at Skoda globally?

And to top it all, one Mr Keuhl responded with a regret note only to falsely claim credit that it was only because of him / Skoda the matter was resolved! Well, it was a contingent of Bangalore police that landed up at the Dealer's showroom in front of customers that made the dealer wilt. Within 2 hours of police arrival the dealer gave me a confirmation note saying he will pay my money back.

So I would say I find it difficult to agree with your statement above. In fact I find it pitifully ironic, I know you are well intentioned but after all the above I am not at all sure about the firm you represent.

Cheers,