My experience of buying a Skoda Slavia: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I took delivery of a Skoda Slavia Sportline 1.0 MT from EVM Skoda, Kochi on 26th Dec. I thought I will pen down my experience since I have not went through these many emotions within the span of a few weeks for so long.
The Good
On 4th of December, a scorching hot Wednesday afternoon we as a family dropped in at the Palarivattom outlet of EVM Skoda to enquire about the Slavia. We were greeted and welcomed warmly at the small but smart looking showroom. I had already made up my mind on the variant I want and enquired with the SA on the same. They informed me that few cars were in stock and another one is in transit which was luckily the colour that I had my eyes on. He took out his binder on the December offers and gave me a pretty good deal on the variant I enquired. I was also offered a test drive of the 1.0 AT and I was thoroughly impressed with the car as well as the interactions. Compared to the VW and Citroen showroom visits prior to this, Skoda was the better of the lot, mind you all these dealerships are run by EVM group. The price mentioned included 10k worth of "Essential Kit" accessories which I said I don't want and requested for handpicking from their brochure, which the SA said he would “check and let you know". I got a written quote for 1.0 Sportline MT and AT, shared my Tiago's details to get the exchange value and left the showroom.

The Bad
Skoda-VW had made me really confused on which to finalise, Virtus GT Line or the Slavia Sportline due to the spread of colours, features and styling of both in such a way that many things I liked and preferred were exclusive to one or the other. If only there was on option of a custom specced Virtavia to buy!. Anyways after a few days of the initial visit, I informed VW and Skoda a day before that I would drop by the showroom to get test drive of 1.0 MT and would book the car post that. VW was first, good interaction, test drive and booking experience except for the fact that they were not fully committing to sourcing the GT line and suspiciously was giving me only back of the envelope calculations instead of a proper quote. Went straight to Skoda from there, the SA took me to the stockyard on request and showed me Carbon Steel, Tornado Red, Brilliant Silver and Candy White colours in either Sportline or Montecarlo trims which are almost identical from the exterior.

Upon reaching back to the showroom the promised 1.0 MT test drive vehicle was no where to be found. I enquired about the status of the car in transit and was told it will reach the yard the next day, got the VIN as well and from the decoder thread came to know it was of Oct 24 manufacturing. After making up some excuses for not having the TD vehicle ready and wasting nearly 1 hour of my lunchtime, the SA apologised and promised a home TD for the next day. I paid the booking amount of 25k (VW asked me for only 11k), I left the showroom mulling over Candy White or Tornado Red to finalise. As promised the next day, on time, the SA showed up with a Carbon Steel TD vehicle which helped me take out Virtus out of contention.
The Ugly
On to the next week, PSU banks have improved a lot and I got my loan sanctioned in two days. Now started the dealership calls to release the payment from bank. But I had given strict instructions to bank to release upon my confirmation post seeing vehicle at yard and PDI. SA promised me Monday, 9th to see vehicle at the yard since it would arrive over the weekend. But on 9th the person was on leave. My father's cataract surgery was scheduled on 10th Dec and I said I can come on 11th for the yard visit. But upon their insistence I went to the dealership on the same day of the surgery. This is where the incompetence starts, when I took time out of an anyways tiring day, I would not have expected what happened next. "Sir, the vehicle is not at yard as Muvattupuzha showroom(50kms away) took the vehicle as their display car.”

I did not create a scene there since at that time I was more worried about the car even existing at all let alone driven rashly by dealership staff or multiple people pulling and prodding at my car at a showroom somewhere. After leaving the showroom, I took my motorcycle and went to the Muvattupuzha showroom to see if their story ties back and to see the car in flesh?metal? myself. Felt relieved as there she was in all glory being an eye candy to the whole of Muvattupuzha.
Only saving grace was that I could do a detailed PDI under showroom lights and air-conditioning. Took my time with the check and found two issues. One was a chip in paint on rear right passenger door, which the showroom staff admitted happened when they were removing the covers. And another adhesive giving away at the same door. Odo stood at 55 kms, which matched the distance between yard to Muvattupuzha.
Displeased at the overall turn of events and car clocking unnecessary kms, but slight joy of seeing my car for the first time, I called the bank to release the funds. SA promised me that the car would be transported back to Kalamassery Service Centre the very next day and kept there till handed over to me.
Over the next week, I released the rest of the funds upon their requests and kept around 10k in abeyance to be paid on delivery day. During the registration processes I was shocked to see only 2,12,XXX as the road tax but they had collected 2,20,XXX from me, this higher amount was mentioned in the initial quote and booking form under road tax. They had included 8k of Value Added Services charges into the price which I was not made aware of till registration happened and after I raised my doubt. I asked them to remove that amount which was denied and whatever mail I had sent to Skoda Customer Care was rerouted back to the dealer. I had also mailed Skoda whether I can opt out of the "Essential Kit" which was also not addressed by Skoda and routed back to dealer again. I had to swallow the hard pill that I am paying nearly 20k for no choice of my own. Skoda needs to take ownership of such questions from customers instead of washing their hands clean and letting dealers continue with their dirty tactics to mint money.
When I thought things couldn't get any worse, delivery day shenanigans happened. I had requested for the last week of December as the tentative timeline for delivery. Till 17th SA said they were busy registering bookings made prior to mine which was okay with me. Since I had opted for a number of my choice, dealer completed the temporary registration on 19th and shared the documents. I reserved my number on the same day and got it allotted on 23rd Monday. I shared the allotment letter for them to place the order for HSRP so that I can pick up the car on 26th with HSRP fixed. I followed up on 24th with the SA to tell him about timing of delivery and family has fixed some auspicious time and he informed that order for HSRP is placed and we can take delivery on 26th as planned by 11.30 am. My in-laws were also planning to come on delivery day so informed them about the timings.
Words can't express how excited I was to get home my own Christmas gift. My in-laws got on a train at 6am to reach Kochi for the delivery. My family along with my parents and in-laws were about to leave for the dealership at 9.30am when the SA called. "Sir, your HSRP cannot be ordered due to a RTO issue, since number is allotted we cannot deliver on temp plates either, so delivery not possible." I was properly mad at the turn of events and asked them what can be done but the SA blamed me "Sir you did not complete the fancy number registration through our agent hence these things happened" I lost my cool and cut the call after hearing that load of BS at the 11th hour.
Called the Skoda CDM and informed of the predicament and told them I am not compromising on the time and date and is going to come to the showroom and taking delivery of the car come what may. In person, the CDM and the team was welcoming and after enquiring with some RTO officials it was decided taking delivery on temp plates was okay and hence that ended up happening. Since delivery was done the Aluva showroom, my SA was called there by the CDM to complete the rest of the paperwork.
The CDM and their team tried to ease the evident hostility that I was maintaining against the SA following the incidents in the morning. Cake cutting was arranged and the overall delivery in itself was great. We had wrapped a gift for the SA the day before and was in two minds to give it or not, but ended up gifting anyway as I did not want to bring it back home to us and be reminded of the incidents again. We left the showroom at 1.20pm, nearly 2 hrs after we arrived as they had to print the temp plates and they did not expect us to show up after the calls in the morning.
At the time of delivery odo read 96 km, a number which I was not comfortable with, which was also caused due to the coordination issue within dealership sending my car all over Ernakulam district. They even forgot to paste the Fastag on the windscreen after charging me freakin 900 rupees

. By that time I had let my guard down and wanted to just drive off from there and did not notice. Try bringing four senior citizens and one toddler to a showroom and wait for 2 hours and you would know how I felt.
I forgot about all these incidents soon after I sat behind the wheel of my new steed and started the new chapter to our automotive life. Few trips are planned for the coming months and hoping to share my ownership experience after I clock some kms on the odo.
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