Yes, we got a Yeti 103TDI DSG 4x4
It should have been a happy occasion but it didn't turn out that way
We went to Bryan Byrt Skoda, Mt Gravatt with our son to look at a Fabia RS for his wife. We had seen the Yeti earlier and looked at it while he talked to Paul, the salesman. Ended up going for a test drive in a Yeti TDI DSG and looked at a couple of different coloured cars that were on the lot. We said that we wanted sat/nav and none of the cars had it fitted. The salesman, Michael Van West, said that they could fit sat/nav from another car and it would be "the same as factory fitted".
Returned a week or so later and took a manual TDI for a test drive. We liked the white/black roof of the demo car but it didn't have sat/nav. The same salesman (Michael) said they could fit the sat/nav to it if we were interested, and again he said that it would be "the same as factory fitted". He worked out a price of $35K drive away for the demo car, with sat/nav. He also worked out a price for one of the new cars we had looked at but with sat/nav added plus the extras that were already fitted.
We were quite interested, read "hooked", so that night, my wife and I got onto the internet and found a NEW TDI, DSG with sat/nav and leather seats at Pennant Hills in Sydney for $35K drive away. As it happened I was going to Sydney by car the very next weekend with my son, so it was quite feasible to get it and drive it home. The next morning I contacted the dealer in Sydney and they could do a permit to get it home and reduce the price by the amount of the on road costs. We also contacted Brisbane Prestige Skoda and they rang back and agreed to match the Sydney deal.
At the same time, since they had done all the work, it only seemed fair to ring Michael at Bryan Byrt, Mt Gravatt and advise him of the deals that were on offer. Michael rang back and said that they would match the deal but it would have to be a car from the lot. It was the Lava Blue car he had shown us earlier and we knew it was not fitted with a sat/nav unit but he had said earlier that they would fit one from another car. It already had an off-road button and rear parking sensors so he said that they would "throw these in". As the seats were fabric they would have to be reupholstered with leather and he advised that they would not have heaters as per factory. That would not be a problem here in Queensland.
So we returned, looked at the car and signed the paperwork. It took a couple of weeks to get the seats done. When we went to pick up the car Michael told us that the sat/nav unit was not a factory unit but was "one that is fitted to other VW models". When I told Michael that I was far from happy with the sat/nav he smuggishly said "I told you I would fit a sat/nav unit, I didn't say it would be a factory sat/nav". Outraged, I reminded his of the numerous occasions that he had told us that they would fit one from another car and "it would be the same as factory fitted". He then changed his story and said "well, they wouldn't let me do it" (swap one from another car) turned and walked away.
Had we got the car from Sydney or one from Brisbane Prestige it would have a Columbus sat/nav and factory leather. In passing, the leather seats are great, but as far as the sat/nav is concerned it is a Zenec, which is a cheaper sat/nav unit and it does not have many of the features of the Columbus including voice activation and on board hard disc.
Another issue is the warranty on the sat/nav. Factory unit will be the same as the rest of the car but the Zenec is an aftermarket unit so 12 months ? When I asked Michael the salesman he said it should be the same as the car since they fitted it but it will be my problem if anything does go wrong and my guess it will be the same as he did at the beginning - say anything to get the sale.
I haven't sold my Landcruiser Turbo Diesel that the Yeti was supposed to replace and at the moment I prefer to drive it rather than the Yeti because every time I sit in the drivers seat of the Yeti I have this sat/nav unit staring me in the face reminding me that I have been ripped off. It seems like a great little car but for me it is very disappointing. No-one likes being treated like fool, which for the record I am NOT.
So I guess if you are considering buying a Yeti, or any Skoda for that matter, you need to select your dealer very carefully. I would hate to see anyone else get treated in the same way we have been. I know car salesmen have a certain reputation, but I believe this is even beyond that.
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Originally Posted by donweather
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