swisstony- I remember that. Also that those A6 autobox's are nortorious for that as well?
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Ever had any luck getting money back on a car?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Hobo, this isn't the first time we have disagreed, I think you were wrong to pre-judge the OP. Your right in some of what you say though, the only way a dealer can sell a car without warranty is to write sold as spares/scrap in very big letters all over the invoice.
The fact remains that a dealer has to offer a 3 month warranty on any car they sell, regardless of what they tell you, or try to fob you off that it's your fault for not taking out that extending warranty for £1000.
Beyond that a car has to last a reasonable time for the money exchanged.
TBH the courts hate dealers, just stand your ground & say you'll take it to the small claims court, you'll get there in the end.And if Practical Matt wants an Xmas tree then I'll buy him one, email in profile, & as long as its bought on line & collected by you I'm happy to do it if it makes your Xmas, I won't send cash in the post though
Cheers.
Posted 2 years ago # -
At what point did i prejudge the OP? I added it at the end as an alternative option that i have seen happen on many occassion. My original points actually track the thread quite closely in the OP's follow up post. If i had prejudged i would have started with the phrase "IMO you have" and not even bothered with the helpfull advice i offered.
Oh and if you have been in the trade for a while you will be familiar with customers asking for 'trade' vehicles without warranty. I had it last week and the customer was quite offended when i laughed and asked him to define 'Trade'. His response was a vehicle he could buy off me cheap and without warranty, then sell on after 12mths for no depreciation. I asked what was in it for me, to which he replied nothing. I said exactly!!!
Lets get this straight, a dealer has a responsibility, even if he isnt even 'trading' from a premises. There is a minimum requirement which has been covered here already. What i was pointing out was
1) The customer hadnt given the garage the chance to be helpfull
2) The customer had obviously lost confidence in the garage/car without even giving things a chance to be rectified correctly
3) I suggested as a dealer in that situation i would not be offering a refund (Please point out whether this is incorrect?) WOuld you give a refund on a car that had blown a gascket after a few miles when it was of a certain age and value? Hell i have seen new vehicles with less problems.
4) I followed up by pointing out that because the customer has lost confidence in the garage/car that a refund was prob best. Reason for this wasnt just from the customer point of view but also the garage. It tends to be something that lingers and causes stress for both partiesYou guys need to stop being so defensive when someone suggests an alternative point of view. I was trying to be helpfull but also with eyes wide open. Its the way the world is and helps people being taken advantage of.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Oh and i left that CAPs lock on all afternoon at work. I dread to think what the people i emailed thought of me.....
Posted 2 years ago # -
TBH the courts hate dealers, just stand your ground & say you'll take it to the small claims court, you'll get there in the end.
You reckon he will be successfull in court?
He hadnt even given them the chance to sort it. The garage cant reasonably be expected to predict a blown head gasket on an 03 car. Get real. What they can be expected to do is put it right at little inconvenience to the customer.Posted 2 years ago # -
Headgaskets can go true. However they go on high milers, abused or known-problem vehicles.
A 2003 car is too young unless its been taxi'd.
I don't think any dealer could successfully argue that this is wear and tear unless there is a marque-precedent and anyway its 'on the way home from the sale'.
Edit- Does this qualify for #horaclangers?
Posted 2 years ago # -
TBH the Internet is a hard place to get the correct tone across, I suggest you make things clearer in future
On point 3, I would offer a refund to give the customer confidence in me, but I would hope that I could convince them that if put right then they would then have more confidence in the car, & me.
Oh, & if you really don't look at the screen when typing for hours on end then you deserve what you get.
Cheers.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thats fair enough 2u2r. I would take the same approach IF the customer came to me in the same reasonable manner and gave me the oppertunity
Hora, are you serious that a 6yr old car cant blow a head gasket? It has to be high mileage or abused. I better tell the workshops in the ford/VW & Merc garages i have worked at. Oh and i better tell the father in law who has 40+yrs as a Pug dealer service manager
Posted 2 years ago # -
Storm in teacup.
Posted 2 years ago # -
A HG shouldn't corrode through unless there is a known-design fault?!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Head gaskets do go especially if the antifreeze hasn't been changed. Normally 5years is the limit before cars need a change on the service schedule. At 7years old who knows what's happened to the car.
I think that if the dealer is going to take the car back and fix it then it's a reasonable result.
Posted 2 years ago # -
practical matt. I am really glad for you that the dealer has responded the right way.
2unfit2ride.. what a great offer, sadly overlooked amongst the bickering.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Cooo, I feel like I realy started something here, having just logged on to see the massive trail of posts.
Hobo, hope you have clamed down, sorry for any grief I/you may have incurred on this thread. I had no idea you had trade experience. Your explanation as to your orig comments makes sense when qualified with your details re' buying of trade cars etc.
2u2r- re' tree, that's the sweetest thing that anyone has done for me in a long time (are you really Father Christmas in disguise).
As my handle may suggest I'm used to being a hands on type fixer of things and cars where expensive repair jobs are 'just one of those things' due to wear and tear is a whole new world to me.
I shall keep evryone informed of the progress of my repairs etc and hopefully will be able to get to see some of our families at Christmas without relying on trains that invariably never arrive etc.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just a question as I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere...you said in your original post that the car was low mileage.
Have you had the mileage verified?
Do all the stamps in the service book match the mileages on the MOTs?
Have you been online and reviewed all the old MOTs for the car? You can do this for free.
Have you had the car HPI checked?
Just a thought...you don't want the car fixing this time only to be bitten again down the line.
Posted 2 years ago # -
dooosuk's right. In theory there should be 3 online MOT's with mileages listed.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Link for online MOT checking:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp
Posted 2 years ago # -
Email me the reg number offline and i will HPI the vehicle for you and email you back the results as a way of apologising for any missunderstanding
All it will tell you is if there is any finance outstanding, whether it has ever been in an accident involving a cat write off and when if its had licence and owner changes.I feel like i should also valet the vehicle with my own tongue and also clean your shoes due to my guilt but i will limit it to the HPI check if you want it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Very good point about checking mileage etc but then thats a very good point for any vehicle you buy.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Any news? Havent had an email for the HPI. Do you want it??
Posted 2 years ago # -
Come on, I'd like to know what happened too!
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK all,
story so far.
Dealer agrees to pay for repairs unless they are uneconomical whereupon he will refund us.
I contact garage tell them to contact dealer.
Dealer asks them not to touch anything as he would rather have his man work on it and therefore keep an eye on what's what. Garage have yet tio find anything wrong and want to strip the car down.
Dealer spends a day trying to get a quote to get car from Notts to Manchester.
Yesterday's task was for a flat bed truck to get from manchester to Nottingham load up car and get back in the snow.
I am currently waiting on contact from the dealer as to if the car made it back and what the deal is.
I have requested that we NEED a car for Christmas, dealer has offered to provide us with one if we haven't got a fixed car.
Ideally we need OUR car as my wife needs to get used to it over Christmas with a couple of lengthy Crimbo present runs (Blackpool & Essex) before we go all the way to Aviemore in January in the snow for the sled dog racing (did I mention the car needs to be big to hold two 10 stone Malamutes).
Have done recomended online checks and all MOTs etc match the service history.
Current gueses as to the problem are:
Clutch
or
Mis-timing cranks hitting other things in the enginehowever it's really anyone's guess at the moment.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sound like they're being reasonable
Posted 2 years ago # -
Good stuff on the history all checking out and the dealer playing ball.
Hope it gets sorted.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Cool.
The HPI offer stands. Even now it doesnt hurt to have it on file if you ever come to sell it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
It was the timing belt!
It jumped and then knocked (off?) other bits in the car , so it'll be an engine strip and rebuild.
Except the dealer's Mum has just gone into hospital and the local Citroen mechanic has slipt on the ice and bust his hand.So we'll not be seeing our car until after Christmas now and instead the dealer will be lending us one of his which e will have to insure.
I declined to travel to Manchester to pick it up (well I couldn't do it anyway as I can't drive). So I'm waiting on the dealer to tell me how he is going to get a car to me in the next two days.
Posted 2 years ago # -
be interesting to see what they finally sort you with and how that compares to my (ongoing) experience with a main dealership.
My 07 plate Toyota Verso (56K miles so still in warranty) seems to have a head gasket problem and they want it in to strip and repair under warranty. But they can't do it until after Christmas and suggest it shouldn't be driven in the meantime. And they don't have any courtesy cars in the meantime. They are currently reviewing with Toyota customer relations to see if they'll 'offer' me a hire vehicle in the meantime.
I felt I had to make the point that i drive a people carrier for a reason, and with wife, children, luggage and presents to ferry about to various locations over Christmas and new year trying to squeeze us all into the smallest / cheapest available hire car isn't going to be accepted. How far can I stick to this - could I if necessary reject what they offer and within reason hire my own 'equivalent' family car and then claim it back from them?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have a very similar problem, I have two 10 stone Malamute dogs and presents and wife etc to cram in, half the reason we went for teh Berlingo was that we could get the dogs in it and we are going to some races whilst en route to relatives for Christmas.
There's no garuntee you will get your claim honoured however being polite but faintly comedic regarding any substandard attempts to keep you happy has alwasy been my best weapon.
Posted 2 years ago #
Topic Closed
This topic has been closed to new replies.
