Should I be cross?

Cupra622

Active Member
May 9, 2020
57
21
So I've finally traded in the fr184 for a cupra st 4drive and I'm glad I did the new car is brilliant and I don't care I get half the mpg as the car is more than twice as fun to drive.

But,

When I bought the car the dealer agreed to clean the rear seats as the alcantara was stained, replace a scuffed pillar trim and do the oil service which was due in 70 odd days. The day before collection i get a call telling me the trim hadn't arrived so the car would need to come back.... I said OK.

Collection day arrives and I notice the rear seats haven't been cleaned.... Oops says the dealer no bother we will sort that when the pillar trim is done. OK. Picked car up, drove home and thought I'll just check that service book, no service book and the car says oil service still due. Phone dealer who says the technician obviously hasn't reset the service indicator, we will sort that when it comes in. I'm now suspicious it hasn't been done so phone SEAT. They confirm that they have no record of any service for that vehicle. When challenged the dealer agrees the service hasn't been done and they decided they would do it all when it came back in. I feel quite irked that they decided this without even telling me.

Thing is should I really be that cross. What would you all do, have a really stern conversation with the dealer and voice my displeasure, suck it up and say never mind, or get them to sort it and take it somewhere else in the future.

Cant work whether it really is poor service or I should just let it go.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and apologies for war and piste but I thought it might be useful.
 

CalJames

Modification Addict
Jun 25, 2019
333
152
North Wales
Extremely poor service, they're trying to pull a fast one.
If it's a SEAT dealer I'd lodge a complaint with SEAT UK.
Personally I'd just get the seat cleaned and the trim fitted and get the service done elsewhere, sure you'll be out of pocket, but at least you'll know it's getting done.
 
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Kirky

Copper Cupra Advocate
Apr 10, 2019
1,042
497
So I've finally traded in the fr184 for a cupra st 4drive and I'm glad I did the new car is brilliant and I don't care I get half the mpg as the car is more than twice as fun to drive.

But,

When I bought the car the dealer agreed to clean the rear seats as the alcantara was stained, replace a scuffed pillar trim and do the oil service which was due in 70 odd days. The day before collection i get a call telling me the trim hadn't arrived so the car would need to come back.... I said OK.

Collection day arrives and I notice the rear seats haven't been cleaned.... Oops says the dealer no bother we will sort that when the pillar trim is done. OK. Picked car up, drove home and thought I'll just check that service book, no service book and the car says oil service still due. Phone dealer who says the technician obviously hasn't reset the service indicator, we will sort that when it comes in. I'm now suspicious it hasn't been done so phone SEAT. They confirm that they have no record of any service for that vehicle. When challenged the dealer agrees the service hasn't been done and they decided they would do it all when it came back in. I feel quite irked that they decided this without even telling me.

Thing is should I really be that cross. What would you all do, have a really stern conversation with the dealer and voice my displeasure, suck it up and say never mind, or get them to sort it and take it somewhere else in the future.

Cant work whether it really is poor service or I should just let it go.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and apologies for war and piste but I thought it might be useful.
I personally wouldn't have taken the car until they'd done what they had promised. I don't trust car salesmen at all. They'll say anything to get the car off the forecourt and once the car has left then trying to get stuff done is just a PITA.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
You're right to be peeved.
Just make sure that for whatever else your car needs, you take it to a dealer that gives a sh1t
 

Cupra622

Active Member
May 9, 2020
57
21
I personally wouldn't have taken the car until they'd done what they had promised. I don't trust car salesmen at all. They'll say anything to get the car off the forecourt and once the car has left then trying to get stuff done is just a PITA.

I would normally do the same but I thought for the sake of the trim which would be a five min job it would be OK.... Once I was there I guessed it would be more of a pain to change insurance etc again..... If I'd known about the service I wouldn't have taken it....
 

ZK_FR150

Active Member
Apr 16, 2016
221
32
Yeah you should that's bad service, you should never accept a car that needs work no matter how small it is, once it's paid for and off the premises they don't care.
If they've promised to do something then they should do it.
They're just counting on customers to get eager to take the car due to being excited then when it comes to rectify they will take the mick.
Part of the PDI check on handover should include any faults and they should only handover once fixed.
It will only inconvenience yourself when you have to return the car and wait for any fixes.

Speak to the dealer manager and say you will be putting a complaint to Seat UK it should speed it up or they may throw in a free service or 2 especially as they lied about stuff being done when it hadn't.
 
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martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
889
Fife
My last employer would still be giving the person responsible a kicking for behaviour like that, reputation is everything in car sales, hard to get so easy to loose, name and shame.
 

GaryPL

Active Member
Apr 27, 2019
59
15
I'd be annoyed too. Finding that Seat dealers aren't the most trustworthy or competent... Citygate being my main bother.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
I'd be annoyed too. Finding that Seat dealers aren't the most trustworthy or competent... Citygate being my main bother.

Like any main dealer network, there are good 'uns and bad 'uns. Personally I'm lucky in that ours is fantastic. The problem is that there's not exactly a dealership on every street corner, so if your local one is useless you may find yourself travelling some distance to find an alternative.
At least with SEAT dealers, you don't get the 'service advisor' looking down his or her nose at you because you don't drive the latest top of the range model like some marques I could mention.
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
I’d be letting the dealer principal (if that’s what Seat call the general manager of the dealership) know in no uncertain terms how I felt. I’d be expecting the issues to be rectified without delay, plus some form of compensation in view of the hassle and inconvenience of having to get these jobs done after taking delivery, when they should have formed part of the pre-sale prep in the workshop. I’d then never use that dealership again.

Agree with @Seriously? - there are good and bad dealerships. I have a VW and I chose to drive 30 miles to the dealership I use, rather than the one that’s 5-6 miles from me because I get better service from the dealership 30 miles away.
 

Damo H

Remind me, what's an indicator?
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
4,710
2,804
Car Length In Front
I'd expect the oil to be noticeably cleaner after a service, although I'm sure people more qualified than me will be able confirm one way or another.

So check the oil on the dipstick before you take it back, take a photo. Then send it back, get them to sort it, then on collection check the oil again.

But I'd be expecting some kind of gesture due to the loss of trust you now have with them. Put it in writing and ensure you mention they're promising things that can obviously be rectified and not doing them, so what are the chances they have not bothered to do other safety checks on the car that they're supposed to do.
 
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QTom

Active Member
Sep 22, 2017
72
16
I had a very similar experience when I bought mine a couple of months ago. Before I bought the car the dealer agreed they would:

1. Move the 2 passenger side tyres to the front (as for some strange reason they had replaced them both with new ones, but not the other side so the tyres were asymmetrical)
2. Sort the SatNav (as it currently had no sd card)
3. Do the MOT that was due shortly

Picked it up and surprise surprise none of it was done, and the only one they actually mentioned was the tyres, I only found out about the SatNav because I tested it before I left, and the MOT I only found out after a few days of chasing them because the government site still said it was due.

They collected it and moved the tyres and did the MOT, still didn't fix the SatNav as they didn't have the card so they posted me one, which didn't work when I got it so it had to go back a second time so they could sort it properly. Naturally they didn't top up the fuel at all for the 2 50 mile trips so it was at my cost.

Wasn't pleased at all but it's not my closest dealership so hopefully I won't have to deal with them again.
 
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Deleted member 123864

Guest
Regarding the service book, depending on the year they just don't come with them anymore.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Very annoying and I can understand why you took the that car away at that time, what was the understanding over "service" if they included a service, when it is due, to be included in the deal, then they need to honour that, as said check the colour of the oil and work out how it compares with new and old oil you have checked in the past.

What some VW Group dealerships used to do was to change the oil (and maybe the filter) on a used car prior to handover, but that was never logged as a service, they would contact you and want it back in for that at your expense, that was if it was an Approved Used Car from a VW Group dealership.

As that dealership has probably just emerged form its lockdown closure, maybe things are not running as smoothly as you might expect, so maybe not best plan to judge their future performance on this single bad experience, good luck with the car, enjoy!
 

mcspook

Active Member
Feb 11, 2020
79
28
This happens to most of us for different things. They just forgot and don't care much. I think that the dealer have good will and if you insist everything will go as told. Stay kind and polite as always!
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
I wouldn't use that dealer again. They are not all like that, find a better one.

Generally speaking, if they say they'll sort it later that means they won't sort it all and will just try to fob you off. If they really wanted to fit it they would do it before the car went out on show so that it looked its best. Lying to you about the service is bad. I would take that up with Seat UK. You might even get a complementary service or something so it's worth a punt.
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
The Cupra you are buying has no service history whatsoever? How old is it? 1-2 years old same oil from the factory?

I've been lucky with the Seat dealer i used. I went in for a service, they noticed one of the rear lights were condensed, they ordered new one....I was in a rush to go, so perhaps they didn't get a chance to let me know they did that, got a call 2 weeks later, saying the part has arrived, I was like huh? So another trip there and they sorted the light unit. I did notice before the condense light, but at the time, didn't think much of it nor let them know, as I didn't think they would replace it..
 
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Cupra622

Active Member
May 9, 2020
57
21
The Cupra you are buying has no service history whatsoever? How old is it? 1-2 years old same oil from the factory?

I've been lucky with the Seat dealer i used. I went in for a service, they noticed one of the rear lights were condensed, they ordered new one....I was in a rush to go, so perhaps they didn't get a chance to let me know they did that, got a call 2 weeks later, saying the part has arrived, I was like huh? So another trip there and they sorted the light unit. I did notice before the condense light, but at the time, didn't think much of it nor let them know, as I didn't think they would replace it..
It's only 10 months old and 4000 miles but the car says it needs and oil service so they agreed to do it........
 

Fester999

Active Member
May 17, 2020
179
102
53
I was promised a year's road tax £145 as part of the deal when I bought my leon.
I fetched the wife to have a look she said buy it.
The smarmy salesman then denied promising the tax, my mrs shouted at him in front of a showroom "you are a liar."
We were soon sorted with a deal.
You can tell who's the boss in our house!
To be fair Seat Stoke are good on the service side.