I hope you are aware that PCP is not hire purchase.

Has it been expained about damage at end of contract and ballon payment, and naturally the servicing requrements. PCP can be good if you understand it but Hire purchase means your rights are (in my opinion) much stronger.

Just remember once you sign you are commited, and put in any comments about your rights to cancel if delivery is delayed.

Tell them you will sign when you pick the car up. Seriously.

They will huff and puff but unless they can give you a good reason for signing weeks beforehand, then don't.

Also, be aware that the right of withdrawal on a consumer finance agreement applies to the credit agreement - not to your contract with the dealer to supply you with a car. The RoW is not intended as a money back guarantee on the goods, and it isn't.

Of course it might just be that they want to to sign in advance to preclude you from exercising your RoW after you have taken delivery; although you would still owe them for the car, they would have the risk that you won't pay if the lender operates the RoW by just charging them back when you give them notice.

I have never paid for new car in advance of pick up, other than a deposit (paid by credit card to confer CCA Section 75 protection, which you will have anyway under your HP agreement.

The other protection under an HP agreement is that you can surrender the car without further payment at any time provided that you are up to date with payments and at least half the hire purchase price has been paid. Because of the payment schedule that tends to be of less use on PCP agreements unless you have paid a substantial deposit.

In my opinion the only reasonable excuse for getting you to sign in advance of delivery is if you defer pickup on e.g. a pre-registered car which they have already paid for, or after they have registered it and made it available to you (when they will have been direct debited with the cost price).

Edited by Manatee on 17/04/2015 at 22:06

I've bought quite a few cars in PCps and have never had to sign the papers until the day of delivery. The dealer is probably trying it on in order to meet a sales target.

Sign in advance only if they're willing to drop the price by, say, £500. That should shut them up.