Can I get my deposit back?

Jade34

Hi, I hope someone can help me out here with some advice. I went to look at a used car at a dealer's last Tuesday, really liked it and after a test drive etc, decided I'd buy it so offered to pay a deposit of £100 and then pay the rest in cash on Thursday when I picked the car up. The dealer was going to get the car checked over at the garage as the ABS light kept coming on. However, Thursday arrived and my central heating boiler was due to have its annual maintenance check. The gas engineer proceeded to tell me he'd condemned my boiler as it was dangerous (it's really old) and he'd have to cut off the gas supply, leaving me with no hot water and in urgent need of a new boiler.

I then phoned the car dealer and explained the story and asked where I stood as regards getting my deposit back. He said as they'd sent the car to the garage to have it checked over, it had had £300 worth of repairs done on it (replacement of brake discs and pads I think he said) and therefore I probably wouldn't get my deposit back. He said he's meeting with the business owner on Monday (tomorrow) and he said he'd speak to him and tell him I need all the money I have to get a new boiler now and 'try to appeal to his better nature' and phone me back.

Having thought about it, he didn't say at the time that the deposit was non-refundable and I had someone else with me at the time who saw me pay the deposit. The dealer gave me a handwritten receipt with the car reg no., my name, the price of the car, and that I'd paid £100 deposit and would collect the car on Thursday.

I'd really appreciate any helpful advice as to whether I can ask for a full refund of my deposit or do I wave goodbye to my £100? Thanks in advance.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

No, you have no right to your money back.

anewman

Sounds like the gas engineer is a scam artist to me. They would rarely just condemn a boiler, they would explain why they believe it to be dangerous in no uncertain terms - for example carbon monoxide output, etc. An old boiler is not necessarily a dangerous one simply because it is old. You can of course save money from newer more efficient boilers but the choice to replace would be yours.

taffy056

I work in the field of grants and awarding them, depending on your circumstances there are government grants available to replace boilers, if you are on certain benefits you could be entitled, contact your local council, or search online, get back to me if you can't find what you are looking for.

harveybobbles

The idea of a deposit is to take the car off sale and turn away and further interest, so if you went to Courts for example, they would go in favour of the dealer as £100 isn't classed as a lot of money to with hold.

The fact they have spent £300 on it is irrelivent as it would have needed discs/pads regardless of who bought it...

It's tuff titties that your boiler broke, but maybe you should have had the boiler inspected first?

taffy056

harveybobbles wrote: »

The idea of a deposit is to take the car off sale and turn away and further interest, so if you went to Courts for example, they would go in favour of the dealer as £100 isn't classed as a lot of money to with hold.

The fact they have spent £300 on it is irrelivent as it would have needed discs/pads regardless of who bought it...

It's tuff titties that your boiler broke, but maybe you should have had the boiler inspected first?

Nope I disagree, if you paid a deposit with a credit card and they refuse to give your money back, I would do a charge back with your provider, also by the looks of things he hasn't signed a finance agreement so is not in any way obligated to take the car!

And the last part of your post is completely stupid, how the hell can you tell what is going to happen in the future, perhaps his washing machine is going to go, better have it checked before he buys a car? Or perhaps he should get his roof checked just in case it starts leaking all of a sudden!

By the sounds of it he had a homecare agreement on it, and the engineer has decided it can't be repaired because of lack of parts to the model? So he done what he could . Get a second opinion on that by the way OP.

Isn't hindsight great ?

Hintza

taffy056 wrote: »

Nope I disagree, if you paid a deposit with a credit card and they refuse to give your money back, I would do a charge back with your provider,

Do you know what a deposit is? Why should the garage gove the money back?

Deposits should only be left when the deal is concluded. The OP has agreed to buy the car. Whatever happened to my word is my bond.

Jade34

Hi all and thanks for the replies. The gas engineer did explain why he condemned my boiler but I didn't see the point of going into that in any detail as that wasn't my question! It's 18 years old and was well past it anyway so I'm buying a boiler whatever. True, I didn't sign anything at the dealer's therefore I don't see any legally binding obligation on my part to buy the car. I'm not a psychic and didn't know my boiler was going to be condemned 2 days after paying the deposit on the car. The gas engineer wasn't even there for the annual boiler check, he only came to fix a switch on a timer - but the annual service was due so he did it there and then. Thanks for the advice on grants, I'll check it out. I'm still none the wiser as to whether I'm entitled to my deposit back. He's phoning me today so I guess if you don't ask you don't get so I'll give it a try.

eschaton

Jade34 wrote: »

Hi all and thanks for the replies. The gas engineer did explain why he condemned my boiler but I didn't see the point of going into that in any detail as that wasn't my question! It's 18 years old and was well past it anyway so I'm buying a boiler whatever. True, I didn't sign anything at the dealer's therefore I don't see any legally binding obligation on my part to buy the car. I'm not a psychic and didn't know my boiler was going to be condemned 2 days after paying the deposit on the car. The gas engineer wasn't even there for the annual boiler check, he only came to fix a switch on a timer - but the annual service was due so he did it there and then. Thanks for the advice on grants, I'll check it out. I'm still none the wiser as to whether I'm entitled to my deposit back. He's phoning me today so I guess if you don't ask you don't get so I'll give it a try.

If you do get your deposit back then it is serious goodwill by the dealer.

You are entitled to £0.

Inactive

I don't have much time for car dealers, but you paid a deposit to this dealer, by so doing, you entered a contract to purchase, your personal finances are your problem, not the dealers.

I am sure they have heard every excuse under the sun why some people change their minds.

missile

I would not expect to get a deposit back and would not have the brass neck to even ask..