[ajmat]

Originally Posted by navin

Dear Gads,

I sincerly hope VAG does not see things this way. Most anyone knows that VW and Skoda are from the same company (VAG). If VAG decides to drop Skoda altogether and concentrate only on VW the message their customers will get is "if one of our brands get into hot water instead of fixing the problem we run away from it and start up a second brand".

VW-Audi normally do things joined at the hip, at least in Europe, Skosa and Seat are left to their own devices except touching base for platforms, product design etc, production facilities.

Originally Posted by Perakath

Isn't that what GM did with Opel and Chevy (although the cars are Chevy in nothing but name)? Seems to have worked for them?

What happened was that the only car range that GM had in the early 90's was Opel which was suitable for the Indian market (although Opels are badged Chevy's in Brazil and South Africa). GM then found that localizing german components would be very expensive for the volumes generated. Taking over Daweoo saw that they could get cheap cars from the start. Global strategy was to call these cars Chevrolet or Daewoo (in home market)

[vijaythacker]

Originally Posted by navin

Even regular Skoda customers are losing faith
Skoda Complaints - skoda dealer behavior and business strategy ............

but the odd complaint was this one - the complaint date is 2009 the case is from 2006! and it involves Harish's favourite car dealer (ok ex-dealer).
NUMMERIENS MOTOR Complaints - SKODA KEY REMOTE

this is ridiculous man, i mean what did they do with the first payment for remote, how can they ask for another payment, this is getting skoda more on the downfall in market with such attitude and manner.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

I am looking at it from a "corporate governance" perspective.

If an entity is actively encouraging dishonest practices by its representatives (employees, managers, franchisees, dealers, whatever youcallit), what is rotten is not the employees or dealers or managers or whatever. What is rotten is the leadership. It is a bit like a cricket team. When player X performs poorly, he is removed. But when the team has a string of failures, it is coach / captian / manager (depending on the game) who is fired.

... ... ...

Yes or No! This can be true. It may be true of the example that you give, but there is also such a thing as corporate culture.

[Perakath]

Have y'all seen this?
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | Art student's car vanishing act

She chose a Skoda, hehe.

(In jest.)

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by ajmat

... only car range that GM had in the early 90's was Opel which was suitable for the Indian market (although Opels are badged Chevy's in Brazil and South Africa). GM then found that localizing german components would be very expensive for the volumes generated. Taking over Daweoo saw that they could get cheap cars from the start. Global strategy was to call these cars Chevrolet or Daewoo (in home market)

Err.. were not the Opels launched in India actually running on Australian design engines? IIRC this was taken up in a consumer court, and when they lost the case, GM discontinued the Opel brand in India. I recall finding the case when I searched for "automobile" on the National COnsumer disputes commission's site.

[ajmat]

Nope the Opel Astra is a german design. The engines did come from Australia but they were originally a German design

[navin]

Originally Posted by Perakath

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | Art student's car vanishing act

that was cool.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Nope the Opel Astra is a german design. The engines did come from Australia but they were originally a German design

One generation had their engines sourced from Holden (another GM subsdary) and the other generation had their engines sourced from Opel aka GMSA (GM South Africa)

[harishv]

Originally Posted by evo

I`ll write to Skoda too.

evo - When do you get your car back? What is the status?

Originally Posted by navin

but the odd complaint was this one - the complaint date is 2009 the case is from 2006! and it involves Harish's favourite car dealer (ok ex-dealer).
NUMMERIENS MOTOR Complaints - SKODA KEY REMOTE

navin - Check one of my earlier posts. They didn't spare my German key chain gifted to me by my brother.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Err.. were not the Opels launched in India actually running on Australian design engines? IIRC this was taken up in a consumer court, and when they lost the case, .

Frankly, they did not get on Mercedes case, the last gen C Class kits came from South Africa!

[evo]

Ohkay,

The dealer called and asked me to come and have a look at the sanded car, I will go do that and take pictures tomorrow morning. After which they will paint the car, replace the LCU and return it back to me. Supposedly!

I still havent got a call/mail from Skoda though, I was hoping that they`d call me so I could confirm if the dealer has kept them in the loop, I`m really apprehensive about the dealer doing a shoddy job and blaming it on the fact that I asked him to a sanding job (which IMO any paint shop would do).

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by evo

I`m really apprehensive about the dealer doing a shoddy job and blaming it on the fact that I asked him to a sanding job (which IMO any paint shop would do).

evo, don't you worry!
That's exactly what all of us are waiting & watching out for!

[worrisomebear]

Skoda Auto reported a 91.4% year-on-year (y/y) drop in net profit to 312 million Czech koruna (US$16 million) in the first quarter of 2009, according to company spokesperson Jaroslav Cerny. Skoda, which is part of the Volkswagen (VW) Group, said that unit sales fell 17.5% to 143,000 in the first quarter. Value of sales totalled 39.7 billion koruna, a decline of 29.6%. Production at its Czech plant fell 44.6% on the year to 99,000 cars in the first quarter of this year.
Significance: Skoda has been one of the shining lights of VW's brand portfolio in the recent past, but it is proving far from immune to the sharp slowdown in sales in the region. Skoda managed an operating profit of 28 million euro, despite an unfavourable exchange rate as a result of the relative rise of the Czech koruna against the euro.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Nope the Opel Astra is a german design. The engines did come from Australia but they were originally a German design

Yes, from 1995 onwards, the Holden Astra was just a re-badged Opel Astra.

[dockap]

the ac of my dads skoda laura lost its cooling function and he took it to the local skoda auto service center (tafe access)on 2/5/09 they diagnosed that the problem is with the ac compressor which needs to be replaced. cost rs 50,000/- since the car is under warranty it will be done free of cost
they said they do not have the part in mangalore and they have to get it from bangalore now the manager is not receiving his phone when my dad calls and our car warranty expires on 12/5/09 i am apprehensive that they will wait for the warranty to expire and then charge us for it
i have sent an email to skoda corporate
below is the copy of the email

Dear Sir/Madam,
This will not be repeated sounds like a dream. we have a skoda laura reg no ka 19 z 8977 purchased on 12th may 2007 the ac cooling has gone and car was taken to tafe acesses mangalore skoda service center on 2/5/09 they diagnosed that the ac compressor needs to be replaced and since its under warranty .cost Rs 50,000/-(warranty expires on 12/5/09)it will be done free of cost but they dont have stock and will get it from bangalore now its 3 days and the manager of tafe acesses mangalore refuses to recieve his phone when we call and i am apprehensive that this will turn into another con job by the dealer waiting for warranty to expire and then charge us for it
as suggested by skoda auto india i am sending this info to you . kindly get the service center to replace the compressor
thanking you
doc.

Originally Posted by Skoda Corporate

Dear Sir / Madam,

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]We have read your feedback on the Team BHP forum. We apologize for the response received from the dealership and assure that same will not be repeated in future.
Customer Care - Skoda[/SIZE][/FONT]

lets see how serious skoda auto india is on their promise to improve A.S.S
will update as further development happens

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

@dockapp, I guess what counts is the date the vehicle was given for service, right? You have documentation for that, right?