We were ripped off with a clocked, faulty car - what should we do?
We bought a car with our wedding money about seven weeks ago from a dealer. We found the dealer to be very nice and we test drove the car, and although the previous MOT wasn't available we saw the service handbook and were happy that the car was last serviced at 73,000 miles in 2008 and only had 86,000 miles on the clock. We liked the car so put down a deposit - the car was going to have an MOT and the cam belt and rollers changed at our request. We were happy and even happier with a 3-month warranty.
After three weeks we noticed that the water sensor kept coming on so contacted the dealer who said it was just the cap - so we took it back and he replaced it. After a week the sensor came on again so we decided to have the car serviced. At the service we were advised that the head gasket was in dire need of replacing. We contacted the dealer who told us just to take it to any garage and the warranty would cover it. We contacted the warranty company who told me the warranty hadn't been sent to them - so they opened a temporary file. After phone calls to the dealer over the next week we finally found that he hadn't even sent off the warranty paperwork!
Finally it arrived and the warranty covered £500 of the total £721 cost (they needed to replace a switch for the engine fan too). We picked the car up and travelled to my husband's parents for the weekend. A friend told us we could find the cars history on VOSA - so we looked and found to our surprise that the car was clocked - in 2009 it had 135,000 miles on the clock! So we now think the car has somewhere in the region of 150,000 miles (about 70,000 higher than we thought). I then decided to call all the garages in the service book, and found that the dates in the service book had been changed!
We called the garage owner after travelling back and asked if he could come to the garage to sort it. He refused, so we contacted consumer support and Trading Standards - they told us the letter to write, which we did. On the way home the key would not come out of the cars ignition and was stuck in the 'on' position so again we called the dealer - again saying we did not want the car as its clocked and want a refund. He told us he was seeking legal advice about it all and would write to us - then disconnected both numbers we have for him.
We travelled to the garage again and found it locked up with the sale signs taken off all 10 cars he has left on the forecourt. We have sent various recorded delivery letters and then called to see what was happening with the log book as this has not been received, only to be told the car still isn't registered to us as they haven't received the paperwork! Well and truly ripped off!
We just wanted to know where we stand legally - Trading Standards said they cant do anything until the 14 days from the first letter have expired, but we move to Devon in 1 week and can't use the car at all - so are currently renting another car and are fast running out of funds!
After three weeks we noticed that the water sensor kept coming on so contacted the dealer who said it was just the cap - so we took it back and he replaced it. After a week the sensor came on again so we decided to have the car serviced. At the service we were advised that the head gasket was in dire need of replacing. We contacted the dealer who told us just to take it to any garage and the warranty would cover it. We contacted the warranty company who told me the warranty hadn't been sent to them - so they opened a temporary file. After phone calls to the dealer over the next week we finally found that he hadn't even sent off the warranty paperwork!
Finally it arrived and the warranty covered £500 of the total £721 cost (they needed to replace a switch for the engine fan too). We picked the car up and travelled to my husband's parents for the weekend. A friend told us we could find the cars history on VOSA - so we looked and found to our surprise that the car was clocked - in 2009 it had 135,000 miles on the clock! So we now think the car has somewhere in the region of 150,000 miles (about 70,000 higher than we thought). I then decided to call all the garages in the service book, and found that the dates in the service book had been changed!
We called the garage owner after travelling back and asked if he could come to the garage to sort it. He refused, so we contacted consumer support and Trading Standards - they told us the letter to write, which we did. On the way home the key would not come out of the cars ignition and was stuck in the 'on' position so again we called the dealer - again saying we did not want the car as its clocked and want a refund. He told us he was seeking legal advice about it all and would write to us - then disconnected both numbers we have for him.
We travelled to the garage again and found it locked up with the sale signs taken off all 10 cars he has left on the forecourt. We have sent various recorded delivery letters and then called to see what was happening with the log book as this has not been received, only to be told the car still isn't registered to us as they haven't received the paperwork! Well and truly ripped off!
We just wanted to know where we stand legally - Trading Standards said they cant do anything until the 14 days from the first letter have expired, but we move to Devon in 1 week and can't use the car at all - so are currently renting another car and are fast running out of funds!
Asked on 13 June 2010 by therivas
Answered by
Honest John
Well, you can't get blood out of a stone. And there's no point in suing someone who won't ever pay you anyway. It will be cheaper to somehow offload the car and get something else than it will be to try to pursue this dealer.
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