Oh dear, sounds a bit messy :-(

Did you get any kind of warranty from Carworld at all? If not, did they promote the fact it was still under Citroen warranty when they sold it to you? Presumably - and this is purely an amateur view - if they have sold you a car and used the remaining manufacturer's warranty as a selling point, but they have themselves voided that warranty at an earlier point through their incompetent servicing of the car, then you ought to have a claim of some sort against them as the warranty was not actually valid at the point of sale, and thus you were buying it under false pretences. If the dodgy service took place after purchase but before delivery, then they have damaged the goods. Either way, assuming that they are responsible for the damage, they clearly have a case to answer. If you are still making payments to them you have further leverage, which is helpful.

I would seriously consider a chat with Citizen's Advice or Trading Standards, who should be able to offer some qualified assistance.

Edited by Problem_Polo :-/ on 08/07/2011 at 01:47

How does the Citroën dealer know that the oil is incorrect? Is there specific evidence to prove this? If not, then you're going to be bouncing between Carworld and Citroën with little hope of getting any joy from either party.

If Carworld say it's not their problem then I would suggest you join a consumer group legal help service. For around £80 a year you get unlimited phone, or more usefully, email communication with a designated legal expert. With an awkward dealership and the hassle factor it is easy to end up accepting less than you are legally entitled to. Having an emotionally detached expert telling you what to say is priceless.

I suspect most dealers would drag their feet in this position as they've got little to lose. Many customers can't be bothered for a fight and the dealer does not lose anything by waiting until they've got a small claims court file on their desk before caving in.

Be patient, persistent and polite at every stage and only communicate with them via email or letter.

An independent vehicle assessor's report would hopefully back up Citroen's claim that the oil was responsible. These cost about £125. If it gets to the stage of requiring one you will be probably ending up in the small claims court. You are allowed to include in your claim a certain amount / type of cost - I think the £125 for the report would be covered.

Edited by ho chi minh on 11/07/2011 at 11:20

Hi, sorry to hear of your troubles.

Forget Carworld for a minute.

Have Citroen UK (not a dealer) put in writing exactly why they are refusing a warranty claim?

If so what have they said?

If not, get it in writing off Citroen UK - NOT a dealer