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We've ordered a new car, a Skoda Citigo. We ordered it back in the first week of August and at the time we were told it would take "no longer than 12 weeks". This is now the 12th week and so I phoned up to see what's going on and it turns out that they won't even start building it for another 2 weeks and it won't be with us for another 4-5 weeks. I'm not sure we have it in writing that it would take 12 weeks but it was repeated to us that this was the absolute maximum delivery time, no way can it take longer than that.
The car is for the wife, who's pretty hacked off about this, as the arrival of the car puts back when we can move house and makes it a lot more difficult for her to get to work. Before she phones them and goes "displeased American customer" on them, is there anything we can do, or that the dealer should be doing, considering the delay?
We've paid a deposit but there are now ex-demo ones available and nearly-new VW Ups available for less that we've paid and we could have one immediately- I assume we can't just sack this one off, get our deposit back and go elsewhere, even though it hasn't been built?
I knew this would take ages as soon as the guy said "they usually turn up in 4 weeks"...
go and buy something else.. and get a refund of deposit..
or buy one of the ex demos.
How much deposit did you pay?
Did you have an estimated date of delivery on your order form, and did the sales / business manager sign it?
Well I wouldn't wait 12 weeks for a car in the first place. But, I'd go in and moan like buggery and see what you can get for free: upgrades, servicing, discount etc.
if not I'd cancel and go elsewhere.
andypaul- as I say, I'm not sure if we have it in writing. I'll try and dig it out.
angryratio- £500. We could get the top spec one ex-demo for what we paid for the mid range one.
why do you have put off your house move?
I would say your options are:
1. Tell them to loan you a car for a month until this one arrives or you will cancel the order.
2. Cancel the order and buy one of the ex demo
3. Cancel the order and go elsewhere, plenty of people want the business.
I would say you have every right to cancel.
When I bought my Prius I had an estimated 12weeks delivery too, took them 16 in the end. I was unfortunately in that whole earthquake in Japan chaos so just shut up about it.
On receipt of the car I had 5 years free servicing and upgraded sound/nav thrown in.
I'd ask them what are they prepared to offer to keep your business, then haggle for more, or take the ex demo.
She doesn't have a car at all now so we can't really move until it's here. Where we live now has public transport links to her work (which take 2.5 hours), where we want to move doesn't and so we can't live there in the meantime.
Had a look at the documents- no delivery date stated. Seems that officially we can't cancel with a full deposit refund until the 21st of November, conveniently when the car is set to arrive. A quick scan on Autotrader reveals one in the metallic colour she liked but didn't want to pay for in the same spec bar front fog lights and heated seats for £700 less than we're paying with 2000 miles on and we could have it within a week, but it seems we're fairly locked in.
2.5hrs on public transport to get to work. That sounds evil. What's the journey?
Sheffield to Manchester. If it were me I'd be doing it on the bike and saving half an hour!
How so badly linked I have no idea. No fast trains, and from our house to the station is 5 miles but 45 minutes on public transport. She got an unreasonably good job offer and in this climate she had to take it. Just now she's car sharing some of the time but it's still an hour and 45 minute journey including getting to the guy's house.
You can move but would just have to hire a car or buy a cheap car and sell it when the new one arrives (probably a lot cheaper than hiring a car)
I feel your pain. A couple of years ago I ordered a VW Transporter from our local dealership and was told it would be between 6 and 8 weeks.
8 weeks came and went, the van I did have had no long since been sold and still no sign of my new van. When I chased it I got told 2 weeks.
I waited 2 weeks. Still nothing. This went on in a similar vein for 26 weeks and STILL no van appeared.
Now, I'm a man who sells bikes made by Yeti, Cove and Turner so I know better than most that delays can and do happen during production but my local VW were appalling at dealing with it.
I never got an apology through out the whole thing and was made to feel like an inconvenience for chasing it. I also never got offered a loan car and I was refused one when I requested it and eventually when I gave in and asked for my deposit back I was told I couldn't have it.
Funnily enough when my wife, who is a conmercial lawyer, phoned they were slightly more willing to return it.
I took the deposit, looked on line and found a van on the forecourt at a dealer 60 miles away and was driving it a week later.
I'd just go see the dealer and explain the situation, if they don't offer something to get you through - tell them you'll walk and go buy something else. And tbh we waited a couple of months for my wife's last car plus company cars have often turned up give-or-take 4 weeks either side of original date.
Same issue, same car. Its demand.
We were told Sept when ordering in mid july. Sept became Oct which has now become Dec. If it turns into post Xmas We have threatened to put off collection until the Feb numbers.
I suggested they should have accurate figure but the dealers just blame VW/Skoda and to be honest they are correct. You can take your business elsewhere if you want. Just try and get one though.
If they are that far behind demand then they're not gonna give a shit that you cancel - they'll have other buyers ready to pay full whack.
Before doing anything check the contract you signed. The dealer's T&Cs are probably on the back of the sales notice or some other documentation they provided to you when you paid your deposit. My VW dealer had 60 days post estimated delivery date to supply the car. After that I had 14 days to give notice in writing that I wished to cancel with no penalty.
Thankfully, my VW Up! turned up only a week late and I was only quoted 8 weeks in the first place, but I ordered back in March, by the time I collected mine, the dealer said there was now a 6 month waiting list.
If it is a standard spec and sought after then the dealer may not be too bothered and allow you to break your contract without penalty, but my main dealer's T&Cs seemed very onerous, almost read like they didn't even need to supply me with the car I ordered.
It is a fantastic car BTW well worth the wait
bikebouy - Member
When I bought my Prius
I'm amazed you admit that in an open public forum.
They did this with my C1. I gave them a week and hey presto a car appeared.
Walk. Why should you wait 3months for a tinny, mass produced buzz-box.
Get a used Fiat500.
What was is about the Citigo that made you buy it? As fustrating as it is late deliveries do occur ( i work for a VW retailer) . Its quite often due to a component shortage. Did your Citigo have any extra equipment/ options fitted to it when you ordered it. There has been a supply problem on the maps and more units - that may have affected your car. Normally if there is a delay on specifics the dealer is notified by the factory on the dealer placing the order, the information should be passed on. It could also be a logistics issue.
One thing you can do is ask the Skoda dealer for the SLI order number. Enter it in this application. At least you will be able to see where the car is http://www.trackmyskoda.co.uk/
Just have a think before doing anything too rash. The up is the same in many respects but you must have chosen the Citigo for a reason.
That said if you want an UP let me know! 🙂
I don't really see that demand impacts on our situation though- we were told a date, they haven't stuck to it. Unless some are jumping the queue our date should not have changed. There is no delivery date at all on the forms though, which sounds like bad news. I assume verbal stuff is worth nothing.
If we break the contract before the car is built, is that an issue? We do have some nasty stuff in there like "if we have to sell it at auction you will be liable for the losses", but the car doesn't exist yet.
I'll get the woman to call and demand at least the Sat Nav thing as an upgrade as we need one anyway.
You're obviously translating your experience of the bicycle trade - where everything always show up exactly as promised - into the motor trade 🙄
Hora- Fiat 500 is too dear on insurance ("new" driver to the UK). We looked at the C1 and obviously there are loads of those about but it didn't feel as nice a product as the Skoda.
Andy- we chose it over the Up because it was cheaper. Simple as that really, we'd have bought an Up at the right price. Only option was the winter pack and extended warranty, we didn't think that the sat-nav option was worth what it cost.
Druidh- when have you ever waited 16 weeks for a part that wasn't Campag coming from Italy? The timescale we were given was actually 4 to 12 weeks, absolutely no more.
[quote=munrobiker ]Druidh- when have you ever waited 16 weeks for a part that wasn't Campag coming from Italy? The timescale we were given was actually 4 to 12 weeks, absolutely no more.
Seriously? Have you ever dealt with On One?? 😉
I've seen delivery dates from bike manufacturers slip so much than the bike/part was superseded by "this years model" before it was even made.
A verbal 'contract' is still a contract. Remind the dealer & demand a different vehicle, the loan of an equivalent car or your deposit back.
I wouldnt shop at on one. 3month wait is taking the piss. It isnt a premium product and competitors offer better. I chose my c1 on cost. If it was my money/buy it would be a Panda etc.
If youve signed nothing you can walk at any point scott free.
Actually, anyone care to shed any light on the chances of it even turning up in a month? The dealer said it won't even start getting built until the 2nd week of November. Is another month realistic? Doesn't sound like it to me.
In that case with manufacturer, delivery and pdi youd be looking at begining of Dec. Hire a car till then or shop elsewhere. Trust me youll sour to the car by Dec if you wait
Buy cheap runabout to tide you over then you can get on with your life / move.
Switch to a Fabia ex demo?
VAG are a right bunch of VAGs about this, our pickup was 4 months late. Not long after it arrived we needed heavy duty springs in 3 Crafters, the Volkswagen garage quoted us twice the price of the standard springs. They are actually the same price from VW. We won't be back.
munrobiker - Member
We could get the top spec one ex-demo for what we paid for the mid range one
Do this asap. Your mad for even entertaining a brand new car.
I was told that mine was built w/c 21May, I collected it on 8June. All VWs go back through Germany from Bratislava I have been told, Skodas????
Merak why?!??
The car we wanted wasn't available second hand, and on a car as cheap as these the maths works out pretty well with free servicing etc.
If it's December I think she'll explode.
Renage on the deal and buy a 2 year old car. The loss on the deposit is nowt compared to the depreciation.
VW part-build some of the vehicles in one location, then ship them to another to finish them. If there is a parts shortage when they go to finish your vehicle, you will wait longer. It takes them at least a week, if not a fortnight, to move a vehicle between factories or from Germany to UK. If the garage have fronted up and told you they haven't started building it, you will never see it at the garage before 21st November. If the dealer is part of a big chain they will just string you along and mess you about until they are forced to give you the deposit, because the salesman will want to leave as much money as possible in the deal for him. A smaller dealer might be more prepared to come to an arrangement.
PiefaceRenage on the deal and buy a 2 year old car. The loss on the deposit is nowt compared to the depreciation.
Do this. Edit, wait, how much did you put down?
There aren't any 2 year old cars that we like. Back then there was the VW Fox which is awful, Suzuki Alto which was a bit cheap and nasty and the Citroen C1 which we didn't like as much. Nothing else with a 1l engine.
Shandy- it's a small dealer, only one Skoda dealership and no other franchises or brands. Hopefully we won't get strung along much more.
Your dealing with a newly launched car..When VW released the Polo delivery dates went from 8 weeks to 14-16 depending on spec. The Up!would be a better car as the residuals will be stronger in the long run. If the dealer can't tell you when it will arrive and you can get your deposit , get the up!
The VWG UP and sister vehicles are all built in the same factory in Bratislava. The UP has been very well received within the UK and that unfortunately pushes back delivery times. Volkswagen have just managed to secure another 1,000 UP's which will all be deliverable within quarter 4. I don't know the situation with regard the Citigo but I'm guessing that is as popular?
The vehicles come from Bratislava and end up at Emden in Germany, where they are loaded onto the boat. Once they get to Emden the cars are probably still 2 weeks away from the UK dealer. Unfortunately the dealer will have approximate dates when you place the order but until the factory confirm the order and issue an SLI number there is no real way of telling, when the vehicle will arrive.
You need to speak to the dealer and get them to confirm the vehicle status and the build date. With regard to getting something from them, I would think you will struggle. I believe the margin in these vehicles is around 5%, so the maximum the will make on an £8000 car is £400.
The only way in which you may get anything is by telling the dealer that you will mark them down on their Customer Experience Measurement (CEM). A bad CEM will really effect what bonus they earn at the end of the quarter. Unfortunately Sales Executives within the dealers are their own worst enemies and often over promise and under deliver.
Once you have the SLI number, speak to Skoda customer care and explain the situation and explain that you were quoted 12 weeks and that was the reason you ordered the car. They are more likely to do something for you, as they will want the start of your Skoda journey to be a good one.
BTW if shes Russian she might prefer a Dacia.
Or is she Thai, she may prefer ping pong balls.
We got our Seat Mii within a week - they've got loads sitting in the dock, we had the pick of ours!
Hora- When she was 16 she had one of these. Insured for less than the 1l Citigo costs to insure over here!
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We had thought about speaking to Skoda UK and seeing what happens, and I did wonder about mark up affecting a deal. It's a pain in the arse.
This, in a perverse way, is good reading. I'm probably going to order a new car after the winter. No idea what yet. But having the knowledge about dealing with the dealers and fighting delays is great.
Our experience so far is don't bother. It's easier to buy a car where someone has done the hard work of ordering it first time and then decided they didn't want it after a few months.