Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Tue 11 Aug 2020 05:23
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - drdes

I ordered a new Skoda at the start of the year and after a Covid delay, the car will be ready in the next few weeks.

Unfortunately the dealer has called to tell me if I want the car delivered to my home I will need to pay an extra £200. This is in spite of the original contract stating that the cost included delivery.

The dealer says that this is their new policy since they can no longer afford to pay for the delivery and if I want I can cancel the order and have my deposit back.

The dealership is part of a chain and I have spoke to the manager of that dealer who has been extremely unhelpful and pretty arrogant about the whole thing.

Any advice on how to proceed?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 07:06
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - nellyjak

If you have a solid, written, signed, agreed contract that states your car will be delivered to your home ..and that is INCLUDED in the price you paid...then surely you simply enforce it.

BUT..I'd check the small print VERY carefully.

I'm sure he'd love you to cancel...odds on he can now get more money for the car than you paid for it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 10:31
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - drdes

Yes but how do I "enforce" it? I can threaten legal action of course but that takes time if they decide not to honour it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 11:10
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - daveyK_UK
If you want the car and the cost of the same car is now more than the cost of a £150 solicitors letter, then send them the letter.

Alternatively if the cost of delivery is £200 and in your opinion you are in a strong legal position, pay the delivery but on the provision your going after then via small claims court and actually go after them via the small claims court.

Also make sure you write to the manufacturer both at the UK head office and international head office.
I have also found it can be useful to write to the head of the factory where the car is built. While they may seem a strange tactic, you will be surprised how swiftly the head of a factory will pass on the complaint to the company exec.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 11:15
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - Will deBeast

I can see both sides of this - car delivery is a lot more difficult at the moment.

Given that the dealer has said you can break the contract and have your deposit back, I doubt any legal action would work.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 11:27
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - Terry W

If you still want the car, and to cancel and reorder would both cost more and delay delivery, either stump up the £200 or depending how far are you from the dealer - why not go and pick it up.

You could go down solicitors letter route but this will only create some bad feeling - probably not worth it if the dealer is the one you will deal with for any servicing and warranty claims downstream.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:24
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - sammy1

I have only bought one brand new car, a Montego, and as far as I am aware the delivery charge was from factory to dealership. Most private buyers still collect their cars from the dealer? As you appear to have ordered the car before the covid crisis are you certain the contract stated to your home. Home deliveries of cars have increased because of covid but I suspect a lot of them are being paid by the customer. I cannot see why you cannot collect the car, I would want to inspect it thoroughly before I accepted it. I cannot see why the dealer would break his contract, new cars are hardly flying out of the showroom.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:26
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - Andrew-T

If you still want the car, and to cancel and reorder would both cost more and delay delivery, either stump up the £200 or depending how far are you from the dealer - why not go and pick it up.

+ 1 from me. And suggest that they pay your travel costs, especially if you are solving a problem for them.

EDIT - as Sammy says, you may have misinterpreted the word 'Delivery' - i.e. from maker to dealership. If so, you will need to go and collect, or pay for delivery to you.

Edited by Andrew-T on 11/08/2020 at 12:29

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:30
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - Gordon17

You're not confusing the delivery charge built into the price of the car, to cover delivery from the factory to the dealer with delivery from the dealer to your home are you?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:27
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - FoxyJukebox

I always thought a "delivery" charge was the charge for when a vehicle was delivered to the dealer-prior to being checked then passed on to the customer. £200 seems about the norm for that. If what is needed here is for the vehicle to then be delivered to a customers home-I would expect that to be free and would include a familiarisation tutorial from the dealer's rep/driver on arrival.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 13:25
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - alan1302

Needs the op to clarify if they had paid for delivery to their home or not.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 15:07
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - mcb100

As a bit of context, the dealer group I'm doing some work for at the moment (no Skoda dealers in the group) will deliver to an address within 10 miles of the dealership, but anything over that is chargeable on a cost per mileage basis.

Edited by mcb100 on 11/08/2020 at 15:07

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 18:18
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - Theophilus

Two years ago I purchased a new Honda Jazz for my wife, and found the best deal (£3,800 off the local dealer's quote) using the online Car Wow site who put me in touch with a dealer who delivered the car, specced as I had ordered, direct to my door from their base 120 miles away - no extra charge for delivery.

This week I have used Car Wow again to buy a replacement for my Toyota Verso - I am ordering a new Honda CR-V Hybrid from a Honda dealer 150 miles away, at a saving of over £4000 - it will be delivered to my home, again at no cost.

It sounds as though your Skoda dealer reckons he has you over the proverbial barrel - the dealership dosen't deserve your custom.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 18:48
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - RT

My VW Touareg was ordered through Carwow and delivered to my home - never actually going to the dealer, just PDI'd (badly) at their multi-brand preparation centre and then delivered to me on a flatbed.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 18:58
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - _

When I bought the KIA in march (through Carwow) I could have had free delivery.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 18:58
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - gordonbennet

I would have my money back and never darken their doorstep again, but write to the maker's CEO inquiring if this is how they normally conduct business and how long they expect to remain in business if this is indeed their idea of normal.

Can you imagine how wonderful aftersales service would be if this is how they perform selling the product.

Car delivery isn't an issue, the car transport game is on its uppers, they'd be glad of the work.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 20:46
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - alan1302

It sounds as though your Skoda dealer reckons he has you over the proverbial barrel - the dealership dosen't deserve your custom.

Except we don't have any facts - we don't even know where the dealer is in relation to the op. Might have bought in Cornwall and expecting delivery to a remote Scottish island! :-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 21:48
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - joegrundy

I'm old enough to remember when car prices were advertised as 'ex-works'. (Did anyone ever elect to collect their car from the factory?)

I didn't realise (as suggested above) that car dealers were adding to their sales price a charge for delivery of the car to them from the factory/importer. Why on earth would I pay that?

Is this an attempt to minimise their 'headline' price - in the same way some sellers want to charge an 'admin fee' for their internal costs?

At least when I buy a can of beans at Tesco I know that the delivery charge and their admin costs are included in the price. (Other bean sellers are available).

I think that in the unlikely event that I were to buy a new car I would do so online and never visit the seller's premises. That way I could change my mind within 14 days of delivery of the car and get my money back. Thinking about it, that would apply to used cars as well.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 22:03
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - mcb100
Peugeot quote a flat rate of £595.83+VAT for delivery to the dealer, and that’s rolled into the OTR price, which also includes the first year’s VED and a new car registration fee of £55.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 22:16
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - joegrundy

Peugeot quote a flat rate of £595.83+VAT for delivery to the dealer,

Why? What's that got to do with the buyer?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 22:24
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - mcb100
I’m assuming for the eradication of any doubt as to what the price of the car includes and in an effort to be transparent.
Ford state that delivery to the dealership is included in the list price of the car, and that also includes number plates at an average price of £25.

Edited by mcb100 on 11/08/2020 at 22:33

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 11 Aug 2020 22:58
Skoda - Dealer refusing to deliver car - bathtub tom

I'm old enough to remember when car prices were advertised as 'ex-works'. (Did anyone ever elect to collect their car from the factory?)

I know of a couple of people who took advantage of MB's offer to collect their cars from the factory, with all transport costs and a tour of the premises included. Back in the '70s IIRC, they still rotted like all MBs of that era.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....