If you are contemplating a Skoda car, please stop. The cars are great no doubt. I love mine. But you are in for loads of trouble mainly for the kind of service backup that Gurudev Motors in Chennai have. When I tweeted about it yesterday, I found out that the Skoda dealers all over India and specifically in Mumbai are equally terrible. Skoda invited us for a "Free Checkup" and then presented a bill that run up to a few ten thousands, for a perfectly fine car. I have loved the Skoda cars because some of my friends and acquaintances have owned it and quite happily too. The main reason I chose it was for the mileage. For some reason their spares are outrageously expensive and when I asked someone why, this is a racket. I hear that the dealers do not make much of a commission on the sales of cars and the companies tell them to make their buck in the service. maintenance and of course the spares. And hence all the fictitious 'issues' that they will conjure out of thin air and make you wonder what is happening. But then I am not the first one who has begun complaining and loudly. A lot of my friends have the same grouse against Gurudev Motors in Chennai. Someone I know bought a brand new Laura for his son's wedding and the car stalled half way down the wedding venue. He asked for a replacement for sentimental reasons as well and Gurudev literally asks him to fly a kite. Says he can do nothing about the car and not even rectify the issue in the company's expense, which I think is the legitimate thing to do considering the car was not even 4 hours old. Quoting Vijay Iyer "All Skoda dealers suck !! If you Google or go to teambhp.com and search for a case on a dealer called Numero Ains in Mumbai, you will know what i am talking about...the customer who had a brand new car had all his original parts replaced by used ones by the authorised dealer - the customer took them to court and used his media contacts and finally Skoda had to terminate their license..."
The problem is this, someone has media contacts and can do this. But what about the guy who does not? The guy who cannot pull he proverbial string? And I wonder how Skoda allows stuff like this to happen and how they don't have stringent measures in place to check what their dealers are doing.
17 comments:
Thanks for sharing...
hi chinmayi.....am in cloud 9 2 reply....we had 2 skodaz...on octavia{{{{before agez..}}}}and one laura now....same probz from gurudev motors....dey have honey tonguez...but no service r wateva...mr.paras never made a quick and complete reply...gud cars but bad dealers...wat to do...think..u can shift for an elentra....hyundai cars are rockin...
Thanks for this post.
Skoda cars are not that good compared to wolkswagon or Honda or Toyota.
By the way, Will Alkaa Ajith get No1 in Aitel super singer 4, whats yr guess (I want to hear from Horse's mouth)
It's not just Skoda or Gurudev alone. I think customer service in India sucks bigtime. We are still in the stone age when it comes to customer service. And multinational companies, how much ever they deny, give us a step motherly treatment.
Hmm...not even rectify the car so new ? Is there simply NO warranty at all offered in INdia? All these brands offer typically 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty in the USA. And that warranty is supposed to be bumper to bumper for any faults.
Hey thanks for the feedback ! I would certainly stay away from Skoda cars then.
And i hope that when well read blogs like yours have such comments, the people responsible will take action and improve their services.
I think customer service needs to improve a lottt in India. I am a chennaite and ive been in US for the past 3 years and I find that utmost importance is given to customers here. Its true a few customers take the dealers/sellers for a ride( like hiring a video camcorder for a party and returning it back). But look at the number of call backs for cars and they repair these for free as it poses a threat to their customers. I dont understand how someone could sell something and just be quiet about it knowing there is something wrong about it. I totally accept with Chinmayi and Bharath on their views.
You should telling this on the citizen journalist shown in CNN IBN and the show has a great impact and even in NDTV Hindu if you can bring this up, there would be a response
ஐயா ராம்ஜி
சின்மயி அவரை பாதித்த ஒரு விஷயத்தை எழுதிக் கொண்டிருக்கும்போது ‘கிடக்கறது கிடக்கட்டும், கிழவியை எடுத்து மடி மேல் வை’ என்பது போல சூப்பர் சிங்கர் பற்றிய கமெண்ட் கேட்டது நியாயம்தானா! horse's mouthஆ சின்மயி குயிலய்யா!குயில்! ;-).
என்ன செய்வது! அவரவர் கவலை அவர்களுக்கு! இந்த மாதிரி இசை போட்டிகள் சானலுக்கு 10 ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டு மக்களுக்கு கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக சலிப்பு வர ஆரம்பித்திருக்கிறது! நம் பிள்ளைகளும் இசையில் வெற்றி பெற மாட்டார்களா என்கிற எதிர்பார்ப்பையும், மனிதர்களுக்கே போட்டிகளை பார்க்கும்போது ஏற்படும் சூதாட்ட மனப்பான்மையையும் exploit செய்கின்றன இந்த TV சானல்கள்.
போட்டியில் வெற்றி பெற்றவர்கள் கதி என்ன! ஏதாவது talk show நடுவே ஓரமாக உட்கார்ந்து கொண்டு ரெண்டு மூணு வரி பாடி TVயில் தலை காட்டும் அவல நிலை வந்திருக்கிறது! ஹூம். சின்மயி இது போன்ற நிகழ்ச்சிகளில் பங்கு கொள்ளாதது ரொம்ப நல்லது.
i have the skoda car it's good and which give to the mileage is soo good.this fault is customer service that mainly solve in future so don't worry about this and don't make a confusion cinmayeee..
I was really shocked at "dont buy a skoda" compaign.Because skoda cars are technically superior and come at affordable price compared to other luxury segment cars.If there is any problem with the dealer we have to change the dealer/rectify the problem but should not reject skoda.Because we are working in skoda projects (crash analysis) and we know the quality standards they use, which are of very high standards.In central europe skoda is the No.1 car seller.So you can go for skoda but beware of dealers.
Nice to see your write up here.
Somehow these companies think they can get away with whatever crap they give their customers. I am sure the same company else where in the world would never dare to give a poor service, much less no service!
This happens with almost all the corporates in India.
Justice is not done to the common man by these companies, unless he has some heavy backup!
- Ram
I know its mean to be happy, but nevertheless i am so happy that i am not alone here..
We have owned all different brands before and dealt with different dealers, but i would give Gurudev Motors a perfect 10 on bad.. worst service and integrity..
Every time my vehicle comes back from their garage, a otherwise perfectly ok car had to be sent back within 2-5days with all sorts of problems and then i am given a bill for a few ten thousands to a couple of lakhs.. and now this blog gives me a sense of what could be happening.. parts swapping.. good ones with defective ones.. today my car is at their garage..i have a bill for about 2L, and the reason u will not believe, pump conked because of water in the fuel tank of a perfectly running vehicle which had gone for service..
i am planning to sue these guys this time around.. anyone joining hands?
Thanks Chinmayi
I too had a similar experience from gurudev when i visited skoda almost a year and half back for buying a fabia. Customer service seems to be a big zero in gurudev and people there are not really bothered about it. i had a run in team bhp about the cases against skoda and hence just stopped buying the fabia. thanks - Vijay
I am a senior team-bhpian. we have already taken the matter to madia and harishv who had suffered with the skoda has moved on to his fiesta. but still his skoda is with the court and has not been returned for a close to 2 years now. not only that , there has been so many disgruntled skoda customers and there has been many threads about skoda time and again in team-bhp.com. we team-bhpians have come to a conclusion thatwe would not recommend skoda to anyone.
Hi, very interesting post, greetings from Greece!
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