On Wednesday 30th December last, the Taoiseach announced that the entire country would move into “Level 5 restrictions” and this means that retailers that provide for the “repair and maintenance of mechanically propelled vehicles or bicycles and any related facilities (including tyre sales and repairs) are designated as essential retailers and consequently may remain open”. Workshops can remain open, and parts sales and logistics will remain unaffected.
January is traditionally the busiest and most crucial month for car sales in Ireland and in 2020 accounted for 34.7 per cent of the year’s annual sales. To ensure that this period can operate to some degree of normality, under the new restrictions, any retailers “that operate online can open to provide goods for collection” (i.e., offers a “click & collect” service).
Volkswagen Group Ireland retailers (comprising Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, ŠKODA, SEAT and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles) will, for the most part, operate a “Click & Collect” Service and can accommodate most customer’s individual wishes, with the safety of both retailer staff and customer alike of paramount importance.
With Ireland at a crucial and significant juncture in the fight against COVID-19, Volkswagen Group and its network of dealers have worked tirelessly to ensure that all services, whether essential maintenance or click and collect vehicle orders are provided in accordance with government guidelines.