Visa Dispute

rgbynnad24

Hi. Sorry if this is in the wrong section!

I recently visited a dealer in Portsmouth to see a car and I ended up putting a deposit on the car of £200 to keep the car for me while they did all their finance checks etc.

After rushing through that, few days later I've changed my mind. I don't want the car and the dealer have told me its non refundable, not that I have signed anything or agreed to anything verbally.

I contacted Nationwide and today have received a letter saying they can't reverse the transaction because it was processed correctly and is over quality of goods/service.

So what are my rights, can I speak to this dealership manager and demand my £200 back or am I pretty helpless? (The deposit was taken via debit card as well, no cash involved)

Regards

gb12345

rgbynnad24 wrote: »

Hi. Sorry if this is in the wrong section!

I recently visited a dealer in Portsmouth to see a car and I ended up putting a deposit on the car of £200 to keep the car for me while they did all their finance checks etc.

After rushing through that, few days later I've changed my mind. I don't want the car and the dealer have told me its non refundable, not that I have signed anything or agreed to anything verbally.

You paid them a deposit to hold the car for you (i.e. not sell it to other prospective customers who might have paid cash in full there and then) and then you backed out of the deal. Why should you be entitled to the money back?.

The fact they are doing "their finance checks" would indicate that you probably did sign something - unless they randomly finance check people without authorisation.

In future don't be in such a rush to hand over your money to people.

ColdIron

Think about it, a refundable deposit doesn't really make much sense

rgbynnad24

If anyone like to donate some insightful and useful information that would be welcomed. Consumer rights, sale of goods act etc

Hominu

rgbynnad24 wrote: »

If anyone like to donate some insightful and useful information that would be welcomed. Consumer rights, sale of goods act etc

Your deposit can be refunded if the trader has not kept their side of the agreement or if you and the trader agree beforehand that the deposit would be returned in particular circumstances (you didn't say this was the case).

Otherwise you may be able to get your deposit back via other channels, but you should remember that the trader is entitled to compensation because you have broken the agreement.

For a car sale, you don't mention the amount, but £200 seems reasonable compensation as whilst you were making up your mind, they could not offer or sell the vehicle to anyone else.

imoneyop

rgbynnad24 wrote: »

If anyone like to donate some insightful and useful information that would be welcomed. Consumer rights, sale of goods act etc

Not really sure why you don't consider the information that you've already been given not to be useful. Perhaps because it is not telling you what you want to hear.

You say you didn't agree to anything verbally, yet you handed over 200 quid - what was that if it wasn't entering in to a contract with them?

You can forget SOGA and consumer rights - a deposit is part of a contract (they don't need to be written). You have broken that contract and therefore the supplier are within their right to keep your deposit to mitigate their losses.

Of course there is nothing to stop you speaking to the dealership manager, but if you "demand" the money back he is likely to tell you where to go. Asking nicely and apologising for letting them down might get you a gesture of goodwill.

Gromitt

imoneyop wrote: »

Asking nicely and apologising for letting them down might get you a gesture of goodwill.

Or maybe the ability to transfer the deposit to another vehicle they have.

Demanding will go you nowhere. They have clearly done work on your behalf, and they have a right to compensation for that work, as they do for a potential lost sale.

pmduk

Looking at your thread title, this is hardly a visa dispute, they've done exactly what you asked them to do. There are no grounds to involve either Visa or your bank in this.