Bought a second hand car back in February this year from a used car dealer, in Maidstone, I live in west London. It was a car I’d identified that I’d like to own, the color I liked, it was 5 years old, it was top end of the book price. I test drove it seemed fine so bought it. It came with a 6-month warranty.
In the sales bumf I was given it included an auto group brochure so assumed my warranty was with them.
Drove well for about 4 months and then developed a knocking sound drivers front wheel / corner. It could only be heard when accelerating from a low speed. Once it was up to cruising altitude it was quite.
As the warranty was coming to an end in a few weeks decided to contact the dealer, talked about the noise, he tried to fob me off with, nothing to worry about, wait till you take it for a service then mention it to whoever is doing the service. I reminded him it was under warranty still, so he reluctantly arranged a time for me to drop it off and for them to test it. While waiting I took my dog for a walk. Received a phone call within an hour from them to say, it had been road tested, there was a noise, as if I didn’t know that but they couldn’t find any damaged parts, so couldn’t do anything about it. When I collected the car they also said that warranties wouldn’t replace parts that weren’t broken, I don’t know if that’s true or not and as an aside said sometimes cars just develop a noise and don’t worry.
I called auto group when I got home to find I wasn't registered with them and therefore my warranty wasn’t with them. Called the dealership, heard some muffled voices in the background, clearly looking for some input in what to say. I was then told that the warranty was with them and I was better off that it was.
The car has been back to them on a further two occasions, on the first of those they kept it for 4 days to investigate more. I was told they’d rectified it, picked it up and within approx 2 miles the noise came back. The last time they said they’d ordered a shock absorber and that was the likely problem. It was supposedly test-driven but again, I did get half way home but the noise returned.
So my thoughts:
1. I don’t trust them; they lied about whom I had my warranty with!
2. Tried to fob me off with a cock and bull story.
3. Twice they told me they’d fixed the problem and road tested the vehicle and that it was fine. Supposedly replacing parts but I wonder? I hadn’t driven very far before the noise returned!
4. Had they just greased up the parts that could have been causing the problem and hoped to get away with it, as if?
5. Are they just pissing me around, hoping I’ll get fed up with the inconvenience of travelling to Maidstone and take the car somewhere local to me and pay for the work to be done, so that they can get out of paying out themselves?
6. Are they just cunts!
Any thoughts, opinions, similar stories and advice welcome, sorry for the ramble.
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Comments
Don't get done call dom
Anyway, once you have established they have lied to you, you then have the right to say that it is hard to accept that anything they say is credible.
Be like a broken record on believability, and ask to see the highest person possible.
It might then be possible for the company to pay for an independent diagnosis from an expert or a main dealer, and when that is sorted, to pay for subsequent repairs...as it is 'under warranty', or even to pay for the repair at the main dealer for this model of car.
If you used a credit card, you can also suggest that they become involved in the matter.
Give the dealer an outlet if you can, something along the lines of 'these things happen' rather than 'aha I've caught you, you cheating bastards', and they can persuade themselves that looking after you is an example of their fine customer service!
Better?
hmmmnnnn
If you hand on heart haven heavily mounted anything (with the car) then stick by your guns. Car dealers are shifty fuckers by nature and rely on people not paying attention to warrantees and guarantees. Email and phone the crap out of them and find a day to drive it back there (what dealer by the way?) And don't leave until they take the thing apart and sort it
Cars Used New Trading Southeast
Google them.
lawgistics.co.uk/legal-article-warranty/motor-trade-warranty-guarantee-service-contract/car-warranties-explained-advantages-and-disadvantages
Second find out whether the warranty they claimed to have sold you was an insurance-backed warranty. That is one which is covered by a company that is FCA registered. (Did the package of documents they gave you include a "key facts" document?)
Third, if it was but you were actually provided with a dealer-backed unauthorised warranty scheme, then you have been lied to and that will be in breach of multiple pieces of legislation.
Fourth, tell them you know this and will report them to the relevant bodies and that you know that others have been banged up for similar criminal offences. Tell them you know that the maximum sentence for making false statements under the Financial Services and Markets Act is seven years. They will then, hopefully, offer to repair your vehicle.
Fifth, if they don't, carry out the threats in point four.
https://cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/ifed/ifed-news/Pages/Jail-for-fraudster-.aspx
bristolpost.co.uk/Rogue-car-dealer-Paul-Cugley-jailed-persistent/story-18380957-detail/story.html
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