Discounted Car Service Offer

MISS123_2

In July a salesman from Footprint Field Marketing called at my house and sold me a Special Invitation Offer with Dagenham Motors. For £80 I was led to believe that I would get: 1 free major service, 1 free MOT, 2 free car wash & vac, 1 free minor service, 1 free air con check, I free four wheel balance and a couple of other things as long as I booked them within a 12 month period. The major service states that oil and parts are extra.

This morning Dagenham Motors took my car for an mot and full service. They rang mid morning to say that the rear number plate lights needed changing at a cost of £22.00 if it was to pass the MOT - that was OK. Also, it might need a new headlamp - which it turned out it did at a cost of £151.00. Both things I agreed to.

Then they rang up to arrange the return of my car and said that I owed then £144.00 just for the service (inclusive of the £22.00 for the number plate lights) - this is nothing to do with the headlamp cost. I had already paid £80.00 for the Special Invitation which I was led to believe was for the service. When it specified "parts extra" I assumed that would be for the replacement lights, headlamp, etc - fair enough.

Now they're telling my that the service costs are £122.00 which is for 4 spark plugs, oil filter, fuel filter, pollen filter and air filter. I thought these were standard things replaced in a service and I had already paid for these when I paid for the Special Invitation Offer.

When the salesman sold me this Special Offer I specifically asked him whether there were any hidden costs and he said no. As I was so unsure, he even said if any work needed doing, I didn't have to ask Dagenham Motors to carry out the work but could take it elsewhere. He gave me false information to induce me to buy this contract. I have spoken to Consumer Direct who say that "The Misrepresentation Act" may help me but I wondered if anyone else had any advice.

Dagenham Motors are saying that they have done nothing wrong, that the £122.00 is a standard service cost, but nowhere on my Special Invitation Offer does it say I would have to pay additional costs to the £80 I've already paid. Do you think I will have to pay the £122.00?

gardner1

didnt you read the small print when you signed up for it

MISS123_2

I did read the small print, and it said nothing about standard service charges being applied. Anyway, the company that sold me the Special Offer have just said that they will refund me the £89.00 the contract cost me. So I guess, it does pay to complain!

Alias_Omega

OP,

Your post is very hard to read, and maybe you should edit the post to insert some line breaks, by pressing the 'ENTER' key.


Looking back, you should of asked these questions before passing the car over to them, and also to confirm the price that you should expect to pay.

Asking afterwards has no help, as if the price was more than you expected, you probably would of gone to a back street independant garage, and used genuine/pattern parts.


Standard service parts that i would think that would be replaced at a basic interim would be -

Oil Change
Oil Filter
Air Filter
Pollen filter (if fitted)
A good look round the car, then a telephone call to tell you that you need X,Y & Z changing.


My next step would be to contact the person that sold you the promotion, and get them to explain what has gone wrong & where.

Alias

shortchanged_2

Sorry it sounds like you've been done like a kipper by salesman spiel.

The price you were quoted by the salesman sounds ridiculously cheap for what they are offering and there was bound to be a catch in it because there is no way they could make any money offering what it sounds like they were.

You say something in your posts about it stating parts extra, well that seems it is what they have done and of course stuck a little premium on for good measure. They have to make their money somehow and it is usually in a dishonest way.

If nothing else learn from this mistake, as generally these 'offers' never turn out to be as good as they may sound.

MISS123_2

Shortchanged,

You are right, it was too good to be true. In retrospect I should have turned it down, but I did question the salesman thoroughly, but obviously he lied by omission. Anyway, as I said in my previous reply, the company that sold me the contract have agreed to refund me the £89.00 the contract cost so really I am only paying about £30.00 more than I should. All in all though, I wish I'd never got involved in the whole thing!

lokimanmkII

I work for footprint and you don't need to read the small print because the words "parts and oils are extra" is on the front of the offer, right next to the major service box. When you sign the back of the certificate it reiterates the point. The offer is for labour and MOT testing costs only. The company has been running for eight years with thousands of satisfied customers, many of whom renew the agreement the following year with the garage and also recommend their friends and family.

Stowboy

lokimanmkII wrote: »

I work for footprint and you don't need to read the small print because the words "parts and oils are extra" is on the front of the offer, right next to the major service box. When you sign the back of the certificate it reiterates the point. The offer is for labour and MOT testing costs only. The company has been running for eight years with thousands of satisfied customers, many of whom renew the agreement the following year with the garage and also recommend their friends and family.

Thanks for clarifying this. So if the parts and oil are extra, what exactly is the fee that one pays to Footprint reps for because clearly if it is for labour and MOT costs than aren't you effectively paying for this in advance and I fail to see what the benefit of this deal is?.

[Deleted User]

Basically it is just a money making scam. You can easily get a service for £122 without having to pay £80 extra up front.

ohreally

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=48486937&postcount=17

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=14631233&postcount=9

:spam: