What would you all do?

thejoyces

Hi All

I'm after you honest option and help with a matter that has stressed me and my husband to the hills. Brief history...

We bought a new car (28K) Diesel on the 19th May

Three weeks later the car breaksdown

They say its because there's petrol been put in - we hadn't and double checked fuel from the two garages only done 700 miles in the car and filled up with a tank and a half so was easy to track.

Anyway they have now tested the fuel - nearly three weeks later and say that it hasn't got petrol in it - no apology for saying it had (they said it smelt like it did!) and that they have to now wait to see what the head office says about the warranty and repairs.

I have spoken to the main person at the dealership and he said he'd keep me informed but the person that phoned "to tell me the good news"! wasn't him - if he valued our custom shouldn't he have phoned?

My question(s) is:

Am I right to be very very p'd off with this customer service?

Do I have the right and in this situation to tell them to replace the car with a new one and through in a couple of extras for the three weeks of hell - thought at one point we would have to pay for full engine replacement at 6K!.

What would you all do?

Feel like having a very very big showbiz strop in the middle of the dealership but I understand that won't do me any favours.

Eels100

I think going in to the dealership, staying ultra-polite but firm, and making sure you see the manager is the best start. I think you need to calmly and accurately describe the chain of events, that you were effectively accused of breaking it yourself, and the inconvenience you have suffered.

Something along the lines of: "I was very disappointed with the after-sales service when I experience problems with my new purchase. I was saddened when I received no apology for your error in suggesting I had used the wrong fuel. I have been inconvenienced for 3 weeks now, and having paid £X for this vehicle I had expected to have full use of it. I request either a full refund so that I can buy a replacement at Joe Bloggs' Garage down the road, or an alternative vehicle to be supplied forthwith." And if you can, give them some sort of timescale in which to put right their boob.

Good luck.

ChrissieI

Sorry to hear about the problem with your car. A few years ago I brought a brand new Rover from a dealership. After a few months it had a problem I took it back to them and they said they would repair it under warranty. The car then went back serveral times with the same problem. Each time they said it was fine again. In the first two years my car spent longer in the dealership than it did with me. They would not give me another new car as under the Warranty it seems they could try to repair it as many times as they liked. When the warranty period came to an end they then extended my warranty so that they could keep taking the car back. I wrote and telephoned lots of times and got no where. In the end I had to get a solicitor to write to them on my behalf. They then said that I could have a newcar but as mine was now three years old and the model had been changed I would have to pay a few thousand pounds on top. I had already paid the HP for the car I hardly got to drive. My solicitor said that when buying a new car its not as straight forward as buying an electrical appliance. I hope you do not go through the experiance I went through. I think your best bet is to be very polite and try to always deal with the same person at the garage. That way you may get more help. Best of luck I hope it turns out ok.

Stonk

Depreciation in the value of your "asset" while it has been unusable for 3 weeks because of their fault at, say, 30% during the first year = £484.62.

That would be the bare minimum compensation I would be asking for. That's for pure demonstrable loss of value, before even beginning to consider the hassle, the slur on your reputation, etc.