Car Bought For Cash - Advice Wanted

gavmilne

Hello,

I bought a car over the weekend from Arnold Clark in Aberdeen. Paid for it by way of a trade in plus cash. On reviewing the paperwork i received last night, i noticed i'd been charged £349 for 2 years servicing. I didn't receive any paperwork about what the servicing entails, so i looked it up on their website. It seems i've paid for 2 years servicing, but at the 3 years rate.

Now, i was already swithering about whether to take the option, but eventually decided that it would save me money over the next 2 years that could be put to use somewhere else. Now i'm back to thinking that i shouldn't have taken the option as if they haven't charged me the correct amount, what else would they do incorrectly... As this is Arnold Clark we're talking about, i'm quite aware that that could be quite a lot...

My question is, do i have a right to ask for the money back for the servicing package? I don't really want it now. Or is the best i can hope for to get the £100 that it looks like i've been overcharged?

Edit: I should add that i don't really want the "deal" now, as now i think i've been misled (or have i just been naive...) and i was unsure about it to start with. There's a garage near my house that have been superb with every piece of work they've done for me. They're a wee bit more expensive, but that's the price you pay for better service.

Thanks

Hintza

14 day cooling off period? Or they have misrepresented/mispriced the servicing.

Try talking to them and keep careful notes and if necessary put it in writing but hopefully it won't be too much of fight, but you never know. Be firm though.

goldspanners

gavmilne wrote: »

Hello,

As this is Arnold Clark we're talking about, i'm quite aware that that could be quite a lot...

why did you buy from them in the first place if you know how crap thier service is?

gavmilne

goldspanners wrote: »

why did you buy from them in the first place if you know how crap thier service is?

The aftersales service might not be good, but the price was. I also know a few people who've only ever bought from AC and used their service without any problems... My thinking was that there can't be a lot wrong with a 57 plate car with 3000 miles on the clock, and at more than £1000 cheaper than the Honda garage i was onto a winner. Obviously, there's hundreds (thousands?) of people with complaints out there, but i figured i'd go with the opinions of people i know as well as looking at the websites to see what kind of problems people had.

@ Hintza: I'm going to give the guy a phone today and see where i stand after that. Hopefully, he'll be as easy to speak to now as he was before i bought the car...

Wig

If he told you it was a 3 year deal then you would have grounds, or he told you it would be cheaper than it was.

If there is no cooling off period in the service deal, then you could be stuck with it. Ask if there is a cooling off clause, and go and get the relevant paperwork to read it for yourself.

gavmilne

Wig wrote: »

If he told you it was a 3 year deal then you would have grounds, or he told you it would be cheaper than it was.

If there is no cooling off period in the service deal, then you could be stuck with it. Ask if there is a cooling off clause, and go and get the relevant paperwork to read it for yourself.

I was told it was 2 years @ £349, which is what i've been given. The website says different though (2 years at £249 and 3 years at £349). I've been doing a bit of research today, which means i'm going to have to ask for my money back anyway. Another forum i looked at said that AC servicing work invalidated their manufacturer warranty, as they weren't authorised BMW Mini dealers. I spoke to Honda... AC Honda is authorised, but AC Ford is not. The nearest AC Honda to me is in Dundee, i think, which is totally impractical - i can't be travelling 70 miles to get a service done.

So looks like i have to claim all the money back anyway. Thanks for the help in the thread. Wish me luck... :wave:

Wig

I meant that regardless of what it says on the website, I'd have thought because you agreed to the price given to you, that is what you will have to pay. However I suppose there might be an arguement of not being charged the advetised price for a service.

The manufacturer thing is strange, not sure what AC will have to say about that. They might say That the manufacturer is talking rubbish, any servicing garage that is registered for VAT is allowed to service any vehicle and the manufacturer has to honour the waranty as long as genuine parts are used where appropriate.


If for some weird reason they agree with you then the grounds for a refund would be "not suitable for the purpose".

I think the best you can hope for is the refund of the £100 in the absence of a cooling off period.

colin79666

"FOR ALL BMW, HONDA, HYUNDAI,
LEXUS AND VOLVO SERVICE PLANS
PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS"
- Arnold Clark Service Plan Leaflet (AC website 29/07/08)

It would seem unfair but perhaps (I'm assuming you bought a Honda) your car costs more to service than the usual Arnold Clark deals?

gavmilne

Wig wrote: »

I meant that regardless of what it says on the website, I'd have thought because you agreed to the price given to you, that is what you will have to pay. However I suppose there might be an arguement of not being charged the advetised price for a service.

The manufacturer thing is strange, not sure what AC will have to say about that. They might say That the manufacturer is talking rubbish, any servicing garage that is registered for VAT is allowed to service any vehicle and the manufacturer has to honour the waranty as long as genuine parts are used where appropriate.


If for some weird reason they agree with you then the grounds for a refund would be "not suitable for the purpose".

I think the best you can hope for is the refund of the £100 in the absence of a cooling off period.

I must admit, i always thought that, as long as the recommended servicing schedule was followed, and genuine parts were used, then any garage could perform servicing work, but i've never had a car new enough to still have a manufacturer's warranty on it before. I'm going to have to speak to Honda again tomorrow and triple confirm it before i do anything with AC.

Reading and re-reading what i've posted, i think i'm going to come across as a right chancer, unless what Honda say is true. I agreed the price, so what business have i complaining about it now? When i was thinking about this yesterday, it made perfect sense, but right now, i think that it's my own naivety at play here. I should have confirmed things and read the appropriate literature before signing on that dotted line, instead of waiting until afterwards to start thinking "hang about...". :doh:

I suppose it's one i'll maybe have to chalk down to experience and use as one of life's lessons learned.