Bought a second-hand car from a dodgy-dealer and need advice

lestergun

Hi

Hoping someone is able to offer some advice on the below situation:

My partner purchased a second-hand car from a dealer about 6 weeks ago. She noticed something was wrong immediately (on the journey home) and called the dealer the following day. The dealer said she should come to the dealership at a designated time where his mechanic will look at the issue. She took the car where the mechanic looked at it. She heard the mechanic say to the dealer ‘head gasket’ amongst other things (the mechanic was non-English speaking), the dealer then told my girlfriend that the water-pump had gone. She informed the dealer that she’d heard what was said regarding the head-gasket which prompted the dealer to get angry. She asked to return the car and for a refund and the dealer told her ‘I don’t have to do anything for you’ and sent her away. I went to the dealership with my partner only for him to tell her that he is not going to talk to me. The dealer then told my girlfriend that if another mechanic looks at the car then it will breach their contract and there will be nothing more he can do for her. My girlfriend has made repeated (daily) calls to the dealer and the owner of the company to be told she would get a call back and then not to hear from then and now more recently to be hung up on.

She paid for the car (£1k) on a Visa debit card and is yet (six weeks later) to receive any paperwork, documents of ownership or warranty.

She’s crying all the time and getting angry and it’s upsetting for both of us.

My girlfriend only bought the car so she could visit her terminally ill step-dad at weekends and now she’s scared to use the vehicle.

If anyone knows of a route whereby we could return the vehicle for a refund or any other satisfactory solution then please post it here.

If any further information is required then only ask, I’ll look here daily.

Thanks

Lester

crazygeordiegirl

I am not sure what the correct way to go about this is but this is what I would do:

Take my car to another garage & ask them to investigate the problem.

Ring the dvla & ask who actually owns the car (explain the situation)

Get in touch with trading standards

foxwales

Call consumer direct straight away on 08454 04 05 06. If need be, they can get in touch with local trading standards who can try and step in to sort this mess out.

Anihilator

How did she notice something was wrong?
What was happening?

Pincher

Call the VISA debit card provider, and explain the situation.

I thought debit cards do not have the consumer protection of credit cards, but apparently VISA debit card has more than Switch.

incensicle

I think you are within your rights to under the sale of goods act to arrange for a repair by someone else and then claim the money back from the retailer. I think his comment about it invalidating a contract with him is not correct.
It is worrying, but as you bought from a garage you do have legal protection.

Hintza

incensicle wrote: »

I think you are within your rights to under the sale of goods act to arrange for a repair by someone else and then claim the money back from the retailer. I think his comment about it invalidating a contract with him is not correct.
It is worrying, but as you bought from a garage you do have legal protection.

Careful; you hasve to give the seller a chance to fix it.


Personally you should get a report done by the AA/RAC etc (and I would tell the garage you are going to do this and ask them which they would prefer)

lestergun

My girlfriend took the car to an unrelated garage this morning who will take a look at it. I'll let you know what they find out.

I think if there are only minor issues with the car she will pay for them to be fixed herself, instead of have to deal with the dealer again and if there is a major issue she will return (hopefully) the car on this basis.

Thanks for the advice.

Lester

mikey72

Hintza wrote: »

Careful; you hasve to give the seller a chance to fix it.


Personally you should get a report done by the AA/RAC etc (and I would tell the garage you are going to do this and ask them which they would prefer)

If you want to reject it, you lose the right if you let the garage try to fix it.
So if you intend to reject it eventually don't let them touch it.

anewman

What exactly are the symptoms?

andy.m_2

was the car 1000, or 995 etc?