The Superb: Customer experience

[bobski]

Its amazing how often pre-delivery checks aren't done period. 1/3 of a tank of fuel is ordinary. Some dealers seem to think the delivery is putting a big bow on the car.

[2009fsi]

G'day IMsancho.
Have you sent those pictures to the dealer & to the mythical Skoda Australia? Probably not necessary; their trolls live here anyway. I'd send them to Skoda head office in Prague, actually. Let them see first hand what a pack of frauds their dealers are out here. One has to question the competence of service managers & the supposedly specially trained mechanics. Both make claims of they being an owner's guarantee of quality care, an absolute joke.

One tip from my own Superb experience is, get a wheel alignment asap.

All of these European brands now withhold technical information to try & force owners to propriety only servicing by their dealers. I think these service regimes are likely a misuse of market power, certainly anti-competitive in seeking to drive your local mechanic out of business. This one aspect of the car industry ASIC ought to be looking into. (A pity Mirrors Medcalf & his handful of seeing eye dawgs, rarely find a problem with anything they look into.) Let's make no mistake here, charging for delivery & not doing it comprehensively, is fraud. The same goes for work not done, or overdone, during servicing. We are talking big bucks here.

[IMSancho]

Pics and a quite firm email have been sent to the dealer, have also requested they get a copy of the post delivery report to see if these were checked off. The sales manager called and was very apologetic, said he didn't know they shipped them like and had never seen the pucks before, the inspections were done off site, etc, and that they would get to the bottom of it and keep me informed. Also logged a ticket with VW customer care and had them contact the sales and dealership manager. Will have to see what comes of it, what I've asked for is for them to pony up for a full inspection to ensure no damage has been done already, and written confirmation that any future problems caused by it will be covered.

[Gerrycan]

The transport pucks being left on have reported a few times in the Octavia forum and they only represent a small proportion of owners.
I wonder how many poor stiffs have never found out?

I've only recently started haunting the Superb 3 forums here and on Briskoda 'cos I've got a more than passing interest in the car.
I seem to remember someone selling their car after only a few days (I cannot remember which forum though) because it was so bad. Maybe he was a 'puck' victim?

[IMSancho]

My Skoda customer satisfaction survey arrived yesterday afternoon and I gave a thorough description of what happened as well as the VW customer care case number, and let them know that apart from that initial call from the sales guy I haven't heard a peep out of them since the 31st. Received a call from VW Australia first thing this morning and they seemed very concerned, and will be going after the dealer again. I've had good results from VW customer care in the past with our MKVII Golf (local dealer refusing to even lodge a request for a good will warranty claim 4 days out of the 3 year warranty, 1 call to VWCC and the dealer was ringing asking when was the soonest I could drop the car back to be fixed) so hopefully I can at least get a safety inspection and wheel alignment out of it.

[IMSancho]

After hearing nothing from either Skoda/VW or the dealer for another week and a half, I called the dealer asking to speak to the dealer principal. Was offered to speak to the sales guy again but said I'd like his boss, they said he was out but they would definitely have him call me. A few hours later a call....from the sales guy He's all chipper, "how's the car going?" errrrr what is going on? have you found who inspected the car? WTF are you doing? He claims they thought VW were dealing with it, but would jump back on it and get things sorted. Immediately call VW, they claim they have contacted the dealer twice, say they will call me Monday (this was on a Friday) to see if the dealer had come good or they'd go after them again.

Monday rolls around and I get a call from the dealer's service manager, says he worked at another VW dealer previously and saw 2 cars come through with blocks left in and that no damage was caused. I said that's great, and I doubt it's really done anything, but I want the suspension inspected and a wheel alignment done to be sure. He was actually competent (a very rare trait it seems) and raised a purchase order for them to pay for my local Skoda dealer to do the deed at their cost, so I'm booked in for Friday.

Oh and it's now Wednesday night, and the promised-definitely-Monday-we're on this follow up call from VW customer care is nowhere to be seen.

[IMSancho]

Car went in today, they also did 2 recall notices that hadn't been done (and they aren't super recent, so should have been done by the selling dealer before offloading the car). Campaigns 64E3 for some sort of adhesive replacement, maybe to a trim somewhere? and 92D6 for windscreen washer hose.

Inspection reveled no damage, however their wheel alignment machine broke down, so I have to go back again next week to get that done. Still silence from VW/Skoda AU.

[2009fsi]

RIP my old dealer

Well there is no reason to express any sense of loss, now Trivett is no longer the Skoda dealer in Parramatta.

Roll on the new Thompson Skoda! Across the road & a very good chance to pick up my servicing.

I bought my 206 from Trivett, after first going to Peter Warren. The PW salesman didn't even know Skoda had released a new Superb Model, let alone the 206, when I called at the dealership, the weekend the car was first released. He's going to call me as soon as he finds out ......... I'm playing the world's smallest violin for him every night, while I wait!

How refreshing it was that same day to discover the Trivett salesman was full bottle on the 206, having spent three days attending Skoda's 'training' days. I ordered my car. Trivett flicked him & his equally informed offsider, four days later. Exactly who at Trivett ordered my car in, we shall never know, but not being able to tell the difference between a 162 & a 206 cost me an extra months wait. My frustration with Trivett cannot be understated. You could ring Trivett Skoda at any time, but nobody answered a ringing phone, unless it was their own mobile. The list of delivery deficiencies, from suspension blocks, bad wheel alignment front & back, blocked windscreen washers, missing mud flaps & the need to constantly pursue callbacks which never came for parts or service already had me determined not to ever go near that mob again. If I hadn't had the help of a manager who pursued service deficiencies for me (yes, I had her mobile number), I reckon I'd be still waiting on those mudflaps which had lingered in the service manager's cave for a month. His was another unanswered phone. Even his mobile seemed to be flat, apparently.

I do not know if Trivett dropped Skoda or Skoda dropped them, but which ever it was, Skoda owners might well be better off. Hopefully. We'll see.

Edit & Add: True to form, not a murmur from Trivett to their Skoda customers, as they slunk off into the night. On Christmas Eve I got a letter from Thompson Skoda touting for my future business.

[2009fsi]

they also did 2 recall notices that hadn't been done (and they aren't super recent, so should have been done by the selling dealer before offloading the car). Campaigns 64E3 for some sort of adhesive replacement, maybe to a trim somewhere? and 92D6 for windscreen washer hose.

Interesting IMSancho. 'Campaigns', any word but recall it seems.

The mention of adhesive related to trim & replacement of a windscreen washer tube, suggests Skoda well know the problems of creeping chrome trim over the two front doors & seemingly blocked driver's side windscreen washer which caused me problems not long after delivery in May16. As soon as the weather heated up, the front rubber expanded/stretched & took the trim with it to foul & dislodge the trim over the rear passenger's window. There didn't seem type of adhesive securing either rubber or trim. The fit of that upper trim on the front doors is as rough as guts. The poorly married sharp edge of the lower front leaves a sharp edge where it meets the bottom of window chrome strip. Very easy to catch a cleaning cloth, shirt or even cut a finger on it. A surprisingly poor piece of design, manufacturer & fit on an otherwise excellent car.

[blueSup]

I took a look at the chrome trim (where the pieces meet at the front) on an Audi Q7 today. It too is sharp and can catch things in the same way the Superb is. Best guess is that's just the way they design them all.
In other news it's amazing how quiet a Superb is when the front wheel bearing isn't trying to destruct itself.

[IMSancho]

Yeah I've caught my drying towel a few times now when washing the car and am always scared it's going to take the strip with it, so far it's holding up. When I had the wheel alignment finished the Townsville dealer mentioned that there was a third recall that needed to be done, but that it could wait until my 12 month service in March as I was in a hurry. The booking in girl wasn't sure exactly what it was for, but it was not marked as urgent.

[drex]

Yeah I've caught my drying towel a few times now when washing the car and am always scared it's going to take the strip with it, so far it's holding up. When I had the wheel alignment finished the Townsville dealer mentioned that there was a third recall that needed to be done, but that it could wait until my 12 month service in March as I was in a hurry. The booking in girl wasn't sure exactly what it was for, but it was not marked as urgent.

I had my Superb in for its 15k service yesterday, the outstanding campaign was for 64E3 Window Guides. Description says "Carried out Campaign. Adjusted Chrome Window Mouldings as Required and Secured"

The chrome trim started to come away within the first few weeks of receiving my car (15 build launch car) and I had them replaced under warranty. They have been great since, not entirely sure what exactly was done on this this campaign but as long as the trim stays put I am happy.

[bego9]

Can anyone please send or share the pictures all the campaign or recall that need to be done?
when you free. thank you.
I am not sure which part is this Chrome window molding and windscreen washer hose.

[skodian]

Well there is no reason to express any sense of loss, now Trivett is no longer the Skoda dealer in Parramatta.

Roll on the new Thompson Skoda! Across the road & a very good chance to pick up my servicing.

I bought my 206 from Trivett, after first going to Peter Warren. The PW salesman didn't even know Skoda had released a new Superb Model, let alone the 206, when I called at the dealership, the weekend the car was first released. He's going to call me as soon as he finds out ......... I'm playing the world's smallest violin for him every night, while I wait!

How refreshing it was that same day to discover the Trivett salesman was full bottle on the 206, having spent three days attending Skoda's 'training' days. I ordered my car. Trivett flicked him & his equally informed offsider, four days later. Exactly who at Trivett ordered my car in, we shall never know, but not being able to tell the difference between a 162 & a 206 cost me an extra months wait. My frustration with Trivett cannot be understated. You could ring Trivett Skoda at any time, but nobody answered a ringing phone, unless it was their own mobile. The list of delivery deficiencies, from suspension blocks, bad wheel alignment front & back, blocked windscreen washers, missing mud flaps & the need to constantly pursue callbacks which never came for parts or service already had me determined not to ever go near that mob again. If I hadn't had the help of a manager who pursued service deficiencies for me (yes, I had her mobile number), I reckon I'd be still waiting on those mudflaps which had lingered in the service manager's cave for a month. His was another unanswered phone. Even his mobile seemed to be flat, apparently.

I do not know if Trivett dropped Skoda or Skoda dropped them, but which ever it was, Skoda owners might well be better off. Hopefully. We'll see.

Edit & Add: True to form, not a murmur from Trivett to their Skoda customers, as they slunk off into the night. On Christmas Eve I got a letter from Thompson Skoda touting for my future business.

OMG back to good days 5 dealers (2 Alto, Thomson, Penrith and Liverpool plus 1 service centre in the city east).
Sounds like Alto is the oldest Skoda dealer in Sydney....