Paying for Peugeot's Just Add Fuel, now have to pay extra charges

mickburkejnr

Hi everyone,

2 years ago this month I bought a Peugeot 107 on their Just Add Fuel deal. A great little deal (I thought), where for a monthly payment I could drive a new car, get the insurance paid for, and have the servicing all included for the next three years. At the time, my car was literally seconds from breaking down for good, and I was 20. So insurance was more the motivator for this deal than anything else.

At the time the contract was explained, I questioned a particular part of it referring to milleage. On the sheet it said 20,000. I asked the salesman what this meant and he said, and I quote "Oh that's just to tell Peugeot how many miles you'll do in the three years. It's nothing to worry about and it shouldn't affect you". At which point I said that I'd do a lot more than 20,000 in the three years, he laughed and said "Ah it'll be fine don't worry". I signed the contract, and drove off happy enough thinking that I got a good deal.

Well, I didn't.

A year ago, I took my car in to a different dealership to get it serviced. At the time I was commuting from Birmingham to London for work, so the servicing was done at 25,000 miles. I had the car just over one year at this point. When I went back to pick up the car, the guy I was dealing with said that Peugeot won't pay for any more servicing because you've gone over your mileage limit. I questioned him about it, and he told me that when I bought the car I agreed that I would only do 20,000 miles in the three years. I automatically remembered the conversation I had with the guy who sold it to me. I was livid, rang up the dealership and I was told someone would call me back. Three times. Because I had a lot on my plate at that time, I let it slide. I shouldn't have, but I did.

Anyway, it's due another service now at 45,000 miles, a year on. In this time, I've taken it to a KwikFit to get it serviced which cost £170. Their salesman called me last Bank Holiday Monday and asked how I was getting on with it. As you can imagine, I ripped in to him, telling him about the servicing, the lack of returned calls, and also how I was driving the car for 6 months with the wrong number plates on (since been fixed by the dealership, who fitted them in the first place). He said he would speak to his manager and get back to me.

Yesterday, (so about 2/3 weeks have passed) I get a call from them reminding me my service is due. I asked the woman to put me through to their manager, where I explained the situation of the servicing, and yet another unreturned call.

We went through it, and basically the manager basically said that I signed the contract and thats final, there's nothing that can be done. Even though I told him I challenged the salesman about the millage, and that I even told the guys in there on more than one occasion I would be doing roughly 12,000/14,000 a year, he said there's nothing that could be done.

Now, I'm fairly sure this amounts to mis-selling doesn't it? I'm not looking to get out of the contract, although really with the way I've been treated I'm tempted. I want the servicing to be covered by the agreement, as that's what I signed up for and that's why I pay the money I pay per month.

Legally, where do I stand with this?

ruggedtoast

mickburkejnr wrote: »

Legally, where do I stand with this?

About where the deal you signed puts you unfortunately.

The only way a contract can be enforced is in a court so you would need to try and sue Peugeot for mis-selling and to recoup your costs. As it would come down to your word against theirs and the contract you signed, I dont know how much success you would have unless the court decided that the contract contained unfair terms or went against statute.

If you could do this in small claims you may as well go for it as you cant be held liable for their costs.

I would be trying to appeal to Peugeot's better nature in writing first.

roonaldo

what was said in a conversation its irrelevant as there is no proof. it comes down to the contract you signed, if you have exceeded the miles then you will be at fault.

meer53

If you knew you would be doing more than 20k in 3 years and the contract said 20k, why did you sign it ?

mickburkejnr

meer53 wrote: »

If you knew you would be doing more than 20k in 3 years and the contract said 20k, why did you sign it ?

Well as I said, I asked him what that meant and he said not to worry about it. So I didn't. I thought it was an approximation and was just used to tell Peugeot how many miles I would do during the three years (as per what the salesman said). I wasn't told or made aware that going over this would stop me from getting the car serviced.

roonaldo

mickburkejnr wrote: »

Well as I said, I asked him what that meant and he said not to worry about it. So I didn't. I thought it was an approximation and was just used to tell Peugeot how many miles I would do during the three years (as per what the salesman said). I wasn't told or made aware that going over this would stop me from getting the car serviced.

this would have been in the terms and conditions. any verbal accusations are worthless without proof. if it says it in the t&c, then documentary evidence is king here.

mickburkejnr

I know this is an old post, but I've more news on it.

Because of the mileage problems, as I've stated, I'm now left with a MASSIVE excess mileage bill, ranging from £1,800 to about £3,300 (depending which way you look at how it's written).

I've since written to Peugeot head office to complain about the misselling and misrepresentation. I've also forwarded on my documents to a solicitor, and told him exactly whats gone on and he has confirmed it was missold and misrepresented. The key bit of evidence I have is that when I was talking about my insurance and sorting that out with them, I stated I'd do 12,000 per annum with the car. So they were aware that I'd do much more than that, but willfully put 6,000. I've told Head Office this, and I've told them to look at it which I'm sure they will do.

With the solicitor, he explained that if this is unsuccessful then I would need to take it to a small claims court. Here it would be a 50/50 case and it's entirely up to the judge. But he said its worth doing as it'll only cost me the money that I spent taking it to court.

So I'll come back to you all when I have further news.

hrclarke01

Hi Mick
Just wondered how much did you have to pay. Im 20 and wanting to do this deal but it says you have to be 21. How did you go about doing this?
Hannah

davt99

mickburkejnr wrote: »

I know this is an old post, but I've more news on it.

Because of the mileage problems, as I've stated, I'm now left with a MASSIVE excess mileage bill, ranging from £1,800 to about £3,300 (depending which way you look at how it's written).

I've since written to Peugeot head office to complain about the misselling and misrepresentation. I've also forwarded on my documents to a solicitor, and told him exactly whats gone on and he has confirmed it was missold and misrepresented. The key bit of evidence I have is that when I was talking about my insurance and sorting that out with them, I stated I'd do 12,000 per annum with the car. So they were aware that I'd do much more than that, but willfully put 6,000. I've told Head Office this, and I've told them to look at it which I'm sure they will do.

With the solicitor, he explained that if this is unsuccessful then I would need to take it to a small claims court. Here it would be a 50/50 case and it's entirely up to the judge. But he said its worth doing as it'll only cost me the money that I spent taking it to court.

So I'll come back to you all when I have further news.

What I don't understand is that after 2 years you had done 45000 miles meaning that after 3 years this would be over 60,000. Now this is well in excess of your 12000 per year you claimed when signing for the car. Seems you didn't read the terms and conditions.

Most lease deals are based on what your estimated mileage will be. So if you agreed to 6000 your monthly lease cost will be reduced during the lease. If you actually do 12000 then you are hit with 6000 x mile cost which is about £300 per year. If you said you would do 12000 per year then you would have no excess miles but your monthly lease cost would have been calculated at more than £300/12 a year. If you had stated you were going to do your actual miles of over 20000 a year you would be paying much much more.

These are standard conditions used by most car lease firms and you have not been missold.

Blackpool_Saver

and is the insurance only at the low miles?

mickburkejnr

davt99 wrote: »

What I don't understand is that after 2 years you had done 45000 miles meaning that after 3 years this would be over 60,000. Now this is well in excess of your 12000 per year you claimed when signing for the car. Seems you didn't read the terms and conditions.

Most lease deals are based on what your estimated mileage will be. So if you agreed to 6000 your monthly lease cost will be reduced during the lease. If you actually do 12000 then you are hit with 6000 x mile cost which is about £300 per year. If you said you would do 12000 per year then you would have no excess miles but your monthly lease cost would have been calculated at more than £300/12 a year. If you had stated you were going to do your actual miles of over 20000 a year you would be paying much much more.

These are standard conditions used by most car lease firms and you have not been missold.

You've missed the point. He put it down as me doing 20,000 miles over the three years (6,666 miles per annum), which isn't what I told him at all. As I said to the insurance which is included in the deal I'd be doing 12,000 miles. Now, circumstances change. I was made redundant in that job and had to work in London for a considerable amount of time and I used the car. I'm not saying I shouldn't have to pay any of the excess milleage, but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for milleage that should've been covered in the first place. So now I've done over 50,000 miles, if they put the milleage down right in the first place I'd be 14,000 miles over, not over 20,000.