Servicing & Warranty (life after Bayford Skoda)

[Fireside]

Hey guys,
I'm up for my 30,000km service and I have a few warranty issues I need to sort out but where should I take the Black Beast now since Bayford Skoda Preston is out of the picture?
I've been tossing up between Richond Audi, Essendon or Frankston. Richmond is closest for me but I don't want to get stung with Audi prices on parts. Has anyone had this dilemma?
The warranty issues I need to get fixed are the aircon (dead - not cycling at all just air) and the drivers side electric window is temperamental. I thought it may just be the fuses, but no luck there.
So off to the dealer to get it fixed... but where?
Any help would be appreciated.
: : LES

[blutopless2]

any dealer for the warranty work ... elsewhere for the service...

[zach]

Fireside I too am up for 30k/2yr service in Jan and was planning to give Essendon a call. The new Kevin Dennis VW (Deer Park) has a special - $270 for intermediate services so they may do something on price for the 30k one. Not sure if they will touch Skodas though.

If you use Essendon please update us on how they are and price would be good

[woofy]

Richmond were quite often one of the cheapest, I saw the same service on the Audis there of the same type and they were more. However I swear my most recent service should have been around $350 and it was $420 so they may have been jacking them up. They have also moved to a Castrol Magnetec of some sort that I'm not sure if VW spec approved. Haven't looked into that.

[BluChris]

Yes, my last service at Richmond (30k) was over the odds I believe, judging by the thread on servicing costs. I also recently had a wheel bearing issue (not the car's fault) and as the car is now ex warranty Camberwell VW were cheaper for the repair. They also gave me an additional discount, I suspect to encourage my loyalty. Not of much use for anyone needing warranty repairs but if using Richmond I would be talking seriously to them about their costs. At least the infamous Leonard has moved to Audi Centre Melbourne. If he were still there I would never go near them. I used to dread having to deal with him.

If considering Camberwell VW for servicing, I would rate their cost as competitive but not 'cheap' (they are a dealer after all). I was happy with their competence and the friendliness of staff, and would use them again.

[woofy]

I'm two doors down from Camberwell but when I asked them in the past their weren't interested. These days though they seem to always have an ex SKoda in the yard, there was a newish Scout there this morning so maybe the ex Skoda stuff ended up at that workshop. The 30k service is pretty $$ no matter where you go, they were cheaper at Richmond at the time last year.

[K1W1]

Richmond were quite often one of the cheapest, I saw the same service on the Audis there of the same type and they were more. However I swear my most recent service should have been around $350 and it was $420 so they may have been jacking them up. They have also moved to a Castrol Magnetec of some sort that I'm not sure if VW spec approved. Haven't looked into that.

Had my 45k service done at Richmond today and was quite impressed with the new management. I used to get on okay with Leonard (South Africans don't scare me so I never had a problem) but Vito seems a nice guy who knows what he is on about. If he follows up on a couple of things we discussed he will probably rise to top equal with all the Service Advisers I've dealt with in the last 30 years or so.
Price wise things have gone up and they have gone to Castrol but it is VW approved. I'm happy with the works that has been done and the way the cars was cleaned is an improvement on the last couple of visits there.
I had a 1000km Scout Luxury (?, leather trim, sat/nav, sunroof) as a loaner. Should have brought one but I think it's settled the Yeti v Scout decision for me depending on what the Scout model that is available in 18 months or so is like.

[woofy]

I think we must almost cross paths there, although you got up to that service a yr quicker than me. I had a new A1 which was fun, but the mirrors/blind spots are bad on it. I thought Vito had left, he had just started when I first bought so glad to hear he is there. He was ex VW from memory. My car was cleaner than before, but the service had gone from $360 to $420 in about 6 mths. We were very close to getting a Superb wagon, but the lure of the diesel and the 7 seats in the Santa Fe won out. My wife is in love with my RS now its hers though and I can see it will either be another one of those next time (be all new shape by then) or possibly a Golf Cabriolet if I can get my work stuff in it ok.

I did get on OK with Leonard as well, but I miss George being there. The new Skoda manager seems ok at times, and hit and miss at others. They certainly pushed me away from the Superb there with just quoting the list price at me repeatedly though when I was seriously able to make an offer.

[K1W1]

He was ex VW from memory.

ex Mercedes, trained at a an HSV dealership. Can't be all bad at least he has never worked for Ford.

[BluChris]

Glad you guys liked Leonard. I wasn't scared of him, he was just a pain in the proverbial when it came to issues that were less than black and white. His approach was always to give me a very hard time in the morning, say that what I wanted wasn't covered by warranty, would be hard, would cost mega bucks etc. When I'd pick the car up he was almost obsequious, wouldn't have charged me and was trying to act like my best mate who'd done me a huge favour. If you look back in the threads you'll see I was not alone in my views of Leonard's antics. I often wondered how he got away with his attitude.

Mind you, I still have those same niggling issues with the car that were never fixed and to this day take the edge off what is a great car, and that also flavours my view of Richmond Skoda. I found Bayford much better to deal with but of course they closed soon after I switched. I find Camberwell VW good too and will probably stick there. I hope to get the car fully sorted but this will now be at my expense since the warranty is out. The whole saga put a huge question mark against me buying another Skoda. Unless there are major issues I'll keep my car for a long time yet, but if it gives me trouble I would wonder about going there again unfortunately. Would likely go for something with a stronger dealer network and more convenient options for servicing.

[Fireside]

Yeah, I 'd rather speak to some one of a more understanding nature... Bayford were champions in that regard. Seeings as I have quite a modified engine bay, I don't want them to say "well because of this and that, you're not covered under warranty". How is Vito at Richmond? Good bloke, sympathetic to a mod or 3? I can't see them having too much of an issue fixing a busted air-con as I've done nothing to the intercooler etc.

Don't know if I like the idea of the Castrol though, am I able to bring in my own Liquidmoly?
Is there a thread to what exactly gets done on a 30k service, it might be able to source parts a bit cheaper.

: : Les

[anthony]

Leonard and Vito were both previously at South Yarra VW,used to look after my Jetta.

I got on so well with Vito,that I followed him from South Yarra to Abbatsford.

When he left,I moved to Camberwell,as all the other guys at South Yarra were pathetic.

[Fireside]

Wow, real good bloke then!
It just sux that VW won't touch any Skoda warranty work anymore.
Well, not that I've talked to anyway.

[K1W1]

750863]It just sux that VW won't touch any Skoda warranty work anymore.

Okay you have made a definitive statement.

Well, not that I've talked to anyway.

Now you have said that you made this statement up with no basis in truth.

What are you really saying or are you just sprouting bulls**t that you think sounds good?

[Fireside]

Why would that sound good K1W1? Not much of a bragging point is it?

I spoke to Bayford Epping a few weeks back when the Air-con died, I was told they can't do any Skoda warranty work there, that same day I talked to camberwell servicing dept, they said that no VW can do Skoda warranty work. The guy was very matter of fact about it so I didn't question him. He suggested I go to Essendon, Richmond or Frankston. Hence my reason for waiting till my 30k service and starting this post.

I'm not sprouting BS, I'm merely repeating what I was told, I just assumed it was common knowledge and I was the one out of the loop.

Is this not the case K1W1? Can I get it done at a VW??? You tell me. I was told otherwise.