The Night Mail

[iL Dottore]

51 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Given the regular discussions here on this thorny subject....

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwd6e9ee0go

 

 

Oooh, that’s cruel…

 

Just think of the unimaginable anguish you’ve just caused to a certain WB of this parish…

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Having just looked up what warranty Skoda give it's pretty obvious they don't have much confidence in their own product.  If you want longer then you have to spend the Deltics.

I seriously doubt that the shorter warranty is down to any lack of confidence in their cars on the part of Škoda. I suspect that it is a financial decision rather than anything to do with the cars themselves, especially as you can extend the warranty at a price – something they wouldn’t be likely to do if they knew (to make up a silly example) in 80% of their cars the steering wheel falls off after exactly 3 years, 6 months, 12 days and 8 hours of being first driven.

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Indeed I do. But they are relegated to a corner of the workshop, covered by motion sensor tripped heavy calibre sentry guns*

 

One can’t be too careful when it comes to Bears!
 

*automatic AI directed heavy machine guns. See the film Aliens for examples of sentry guns in operation.

Have you ever noticed in the various Alien films that the Aliens always win!

 

Hippos and Bears:  An unbeatable combination.

[iL Dottore]

14 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Have you ever noticed in the various Alien films that the Aliens always win!

 

Hippos and Bears:  An unbeatable combination.

I have

 

My mother’s maiden name was Ellen Ripley - just thought I’d mention that…

[polybear]

44 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I seriously doubt that the shorter warranty is down to any lack of confidence in their cars on the part of Škoda. I suspect that it is a financial decision rather than anything to do with the cars themselves, especially as you can extend the warranty at a price – something they wouldn’t be likely to do if they knew (to make up a silly example) in 80% of their cars the steering wheel falls off after exactly 3 years, 6 months, 12 days and 8 hours of being first driven.

So they rip the customer off for what some other manufacturers give for nothing…..

 Not exactly a glowing recommendation

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, polybear said:

So they rip the customer off for what some other manufacturers give for nothing…..

 Not exactly a glowing recommendation

I would like to make it quite clear that PB is not talking about, not alluding to or even thinking sub-conciously about a Bear-Hippo manufacturing consortium/dealership.

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I would like to make it quite clear that PB is not talking about, not alluding to or even thinking sub-conciously about a Bear-Hippo manufacturing consortium/dealership.

Absolutely not - it’s all the other crooked, thievin’ b’sterds….

[Dave Hunt]

A Bear-Hippo consortium would most likely lend new meaning to ‘ripping off the customer’ as in leaving the customer minus a limb or two after making a complaint.

 

Dave

[iL Dottore]

10 minutes ago, polybear said:

So they rip the customer off for what some other manufacturers give for nothing…..

 Not exactly a glowing recommendation

I wouldn't say that. It's a trade-off; by buying a Škoda you get the Volkswagen/Audi build quality (and in some cases better than the Volkswagen/Audi build quality) at a much lower price in return for which you get a shorter warranty.

 

In a way it's a bit like flying EasyJet: for a lower price you get to go from A to B without all the extras you would get if you flew to the same destination with British Airways - but at a higher price.

 

Besides, I don't think there are many Škoda owners who feel "ripped off" by l having a shorter warranty.

[Dave Hunt]

My wallet is bleating again as we went out for lunch, passed the shop in Wem where we bought our TV, looked in the window whereupon Jill said, “I think we could do with one of those,” so we went in and emerged ten minutes later having ordered a few Deltics worth of sound bar.

 

Dave

[iL Dottore]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

A Bear-Hippo consortium would most likely lend new meaning to ‘ripping off the customer’ as in leaving the customer minus a limb or two after making a complaint.

 

Dave

I've also heard that they are masters at the modern art technique of creating installations by encasing people in concrete......

[SM42]

40 minutes ago, polybear said:

So they rip the customer off for what some other manufacturers give for nothing…..

 Not exactly a glowing recommendation

 

It's possibly due to the way people "buy" cars nowadays.

 

Very few people do buy a car. Most rent it on a PCP for three years, getting them into a car they otherwise can't afford. 

 

They get the nice car, the dealer gets a 3 year old used to sell, with known history and limited mileage when the deal us up. 

Driver gets another nice  new car, dealer gets new registrations target  bonus from manufacturer. ( the bonus explains the pre registered car that you sometimes see)

 

The warranty covers most first keepers' driving. 

 

If you want to keep it longer, then additional warranty is available at a price. 

 

Most of the money is made in after sales services and repairs.

 

Andy 

Edited July 23 by SM42

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Oooh, that’s cruel…

 

Just think of the unimaginable anguish you’ve just caused to a certain WB of this parish…

And not one with a layout in as well. Just rubbing salt into an open wound.

 

Winslow -Have I mentioned I haven't a shed- Boy

[bbishop]

28 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

It's possibly due to the way people "buy" cars nowadays.

 

Very few people do buy a car. Most rent it on a PCP for three years, getting them into a car they otherwise can't afford. 

 

They get the nice car, the dealer gets a 3 year old used to sell, with known history and limited mileage when the deal us up. 

Driver gets another nice  new car, dealer gets new registrations target  bonus from manufacturer. ( the bonus explains the pre registered car that you sometimes see)

 

The warranty covers most first keepers' driving. 

 

If you want to keep it longer, then additional warranty is available at a price. 

 

Most of the money is made in after sales services and repairs.

 

Andy 

and I buy a 3 year old car in good nick,

[SM42]

34 minutes ago, bbishop said:

and I buy a 3 year old car in good nick,

 

Indeed. 

 

There is no money in new cars unless the quota is hit. Margins are tight, registration bonus makes it worthwhile. 

 

There is more to be made in used cars and after sales. 

 

Everyone sort of wins. 

 

If you look around you nowadays though most cars out there are in the 6 - 12 years bracket. 

 

Estate cars on the market are rare, SUVs ten a penny, small hatchbacks are also getting on a bit. 

 

It will only get worse as the electric car quotas bite. 

 

Anyone who was going to go electric has probably bought by now. 

 

The manufacturers are force to make them  so the only solutions to having 20% of production languishing unsold, or selling very slowly is to either cut the price to loss making levels or reduce overall production  to reduce losses. 

 

Net result, price of ICE and second hand cars goes up as supply dries up and people stop buying until they really have to.

 

Andy

Edited July 23 by SM42

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

A Bear-Hippo consortium would most likely lend new meaning to ‘ripping off the customer’ as in leaving the customer minus a limb or two after making a complaint.

 

Dave

 

BeeAitch Enterprises Inc. prides itself on the fact that customers never actually get as far as complaining....

 

42 minutes ago, bbishop said:

and I buy a 3 year old car in good nick,

 

And some other mug takes the depreciation hit in the first 3 years.

[jjb1970]

The car manufacturer that has impressed me in recent years is KIA. I remember when they were a laughing stock, but they now have a most excellent range of nicely designed sensible cars with a great ownership package.

[skipepsi]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

My wallet is bleating again as we went out for lunch, passed the shop in Wem where we bought our TV, looked in the window whereupon Jill said, “I think we could do with one of those,” so we went in and emerged ten minutes later having ordered a few Deltics worth of sound bar.

 

Dave

I was given one for Christmas once, it has spent the last 5 years plus in a cupboard with old shoes.

[polybear]

23 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

The car manufacturer that has impressed me in recent years is KIA. I remember when they were a laughing stock, but they now have a most excellent range of nicely designed sensible cars with a great ownership package.

 

Such as a 7 year warranty as standard

[Happy Hippo]

37 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

BeeAitch Enterprises Inc. prides itself on the fact that customers never actually get as far as complaining....

 

 

 

As the Doctor has pointed out, any complainants are taken into the office so as their complaints can be recorded and something done about it.

 

They always leave completely satisfied and 'stoned'.

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

As the Doctor has pointed out, any complainants are taken into the office so as their complaints can be recorded and something done about it.

 

They always leave completely satisfied and 'stoned'.

 

They leave? You're obviously getting soft in your old age.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

The driver's side mirror on Jill's car was fixed this morning. The garage phoned me at ten o'clock to say that the glass had arrived, I took the car in at 1030, the mirror was fixed straight away while I had a cup of complementary coffee and was home by 11 o'clock. Cost? Forty notes. Not bad considering the quick service I feel.

 

Dave

[Hroth]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

They leave? You're obviously getting soft in your old age.

 

Dave

 

I suppose they leave in many boxes, or rolled up like carpet...

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, skipepsi said:

I was given one for Christmas once, it has spent the last 5 years plus in a cupboard with old shoes.

 

Isn't it about time that you bought it some new shoes?

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

The car manufacturer that has impressed me in recent years is KIA. I remember when they were a laughing stock, but they now have a most excellent range of nicely designed sensible cars with a great ownership package.

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

Such as a 7 year warranty as standard

Yet the Hyundai, which is an up-market version of the same car has only a five year warranty. The Hyundai warranty however is unlimited whereas the KIA warranty has restrictions such as mileage.