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Dodgy Car deal
We find ourselves in a horrid situation. Try and cut a long story short. Last week bought a second hand car for my daughter's first car. Was advertised as having power steering, would have a 12 month MOT, 6 months tax. Bought it from a local trader who offered 30 day warranty, talked the talk, said anything we needed doing would be done.
Mistake No 1. I never drove the car, the trader drove it and my daughter drove it. I've never had a Vauxhall before so didnt know what it would sound like, only an old T reg 1 litre Corsa.
Had a neighbour mechanic give it a brief once over, all seemed ok so went ahead with it.
Got it last week and she drove it until the weekend which was the first time I had chance to drive it and see it in daylight. It was driving horrendously, like a tank, impossible to steer or park or manoevre. The day before it was delivered the Trader's garage MOT'd it with NO advisories, yet when she delivered it she said it needed a wheel bearing. This should have been done before the MOT, being a failure or at least an advisory !
On Monday I took it to my own mechanic who gave it a thorough going over.
1. There is NO power steering.
2. Bearing should have automatically failed - even *I* could hear the whiny noise it made.
3. Steering rack needs replacing - makes a horrendous clunk noise. Again a possible failure, or at least advisory so added to that the lack of power steering it is almost undriveable !!
As she falsely advertised the car as having power steering I have a good case against her, plus her garage is negligent and I could report that.
However, we just want our money back !!! I contacted Trading Standards for advice and they said to ring her first as well as send a letter by recorded delivery which I did.
She had promised to ring me back today which she did not. She then started sending texts, clearly ignoring me.
but she's basically not quibbling about the refund as she clearly knows she's in the wrong, and not just wrong, serious wrong, but she claims she doesnt have the money as it's all tied up in stock. Only a small business and until she sells something she hasnt got the cash - we paid in cash less than a week ago!!
OR her offer is to take the car back and give us a Sale or Return invoice ?? and sell it and then give us the money from the sale of it directly !!
I am NOT giving her the car as she also still has the documents - so she'd have the lot, but my daughter has no car, and no money, and it just seems the quickest way to get the money back ?
I dont know what to do ? I plan to ring Trading standards again tomorrow, but I dont know how quick they would get involved. I am not a vindictive person and really dont want to report everyone as I'm also scared of repurcussions or something !!
There's a part of me that does wonder whether we should do the Sale or Return invoice ? I've got photocopies of all documents as well. I've enough evidence against her, that if she did do a runner I suppose I could just call the police !
Sorry I've totally rambled but it's all such a mess. But I'm on my own and trying to sort it out and no idea what to do for the best. My daughter is £1000 out of pocket which she borrowed from her work plus the insurance ! which I still need to cancel but that's the other problem. I dont have anywhere it can go ! and once I cancel the insurance it wont be able to stay on the road as it wont be insured !!
Can anyone give any thoughts or advice ?? Thank you
Mistake No 1. I never drove the car, the trader drove it and my daughter drove it. I've never had a Vauxhall before so didnt know what it would sound like, only an old T reg 1 litre Corsa.
Had a neighbour mechanic give it a brief once over, all seemed ok so went ahead with it.
Got it last week and she drove it until the weekend which was the first time I had chance to drive it and see it in daylight. It was driving horrendously, like a tank, impossible to steer or park or manoevre. The day before it was delivered the Trader's garage MOT'd it with NO advisories, yet when she delivered it she said it needed a wheel bearing. This should have been done before the MOT, being a failure or at least an advisory !
On Monday I took it to my own mechanic who gave it a thorough going over.
1. There is NO power steering.
2. Bearing should have automatically failed - even *I* could hear the whiny noise it made.
3. Steering rack needs replacing - makes a horrendous clunk noise. Again a possible failure, or at least advisory so added to that the lack of power steering it is almost undriveable !!
As she falsely advertised the car as having power steering I have a good case against her, plus her garage is negligent and I could report that.
However, we just want our money back !!! I contacted Trading Standards for advice and they said to ring her first as well as send a letter by recorded delivery which I did.
She had promised to ring me back today which she did not. She then started sending texts, clearly ignoring me.
but she's basically not quibbling about the refund as she clearly knows she's in the wrong, and not just wrong, serious wrong, but she claims she doesnt have the money as it's all tied up in stock. Only a small business and until she sells something she hasnt got the cash - we paid in cash less than a week ago!!
OR her offer is to take the car back and give us a Sale or Return invoice ?? and sell it and then give us the money from the sale of it directly !!
I am NOT giving her the car as she also still has the documents - so she'd have the lot, but my daughter has no car, and no money, and it just seems the quickest way to get the money back ?
I dont know what to do ? I plan to ring Trading standards again tomorrow, but I dont know how quick they would get involved. I am not a vindictive person and really dont want to report everyone as I'm also scared of repurcussions or something !!
There's a part of me that does wonder whether we should do the Sale or Return invoice ? I've got photocopies of all documents as well. I've enough evidence against her, that if she did do a runner I suppose I could just call the police !
Sorry I've totally rambled but it's all such a mess. But I'm on my own and trying to sort it out and no idea what to do for the best. My daughter is £1000 out of pocket which she borrowed from her work plus the insurance ! which I still need to cancel but that's the other problem. I dont have anywhere it can go ! and once I cancel the insurance it wont be able to stay on the road as it wont be insured !!
Can anyone give any thoughts or advice ?? Thank you
0
Comments
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No power steering = one less thing to go wrong.
Ive had loads of cars without power steering. It seems to have made wimps of modern drivers.
Similar to brake servo's. I lost all my brakes. No you lost servo assistance push the pedal harder.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0 -
I would give the trader the chance to fix the car (I think you have to give her chance to repair it before you reject it anyway, might be wrong on that however.
Agree on PAS is one less thing to go wrong. The only time lack of PAS might be a pain is when parking, but its a Corsa not a Hummer! Doesn't make much difference on the move
Would any of your mechanic friends help repairing it if the trader doesn't come up trumps?0 -
You could always advise her that you going to take a high court writ against the company, cost you £60, one proven defective goods, ont as advertised ... then the High court enforcement officers will remove her stock to clear the debt and any award made by the court....0
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galante_inc wrote: »You could always advise her that you going to take a high court writ against the company, cost you £60, one proven defective goods, ont as advertised ... then the High court enforcement officers will remove her stock to clear the debt and any award made by the court....
Did you get that off the bbc?
I think you've missed the county court process out. They can remove goods but sounds like there would be next to nothing to collect from the trader.0 -
£1000 for a T reg. 1.0 Corsa? :eek:
£250 tops for that, even from a trader!0 -
galante_inc wrote: »You could always advise her that you going to take a high court writ against the company, cost you £60, one proven defective goods, ont as advertised ... then the High court enforcement officers will remove her stock to clear the debt and any award made by the court....
high courts don't tend to deal with low value debts, mostly £25k or above.0 -
Stop texting. Get a formal letter written and send it recorded delivery.
I'd also be tempted to get down there with the car and make a noise about it. Better to pay you off than keep losing custom by having someone complaining loudly on or even outside the premises....What if there was no such thing as a rhetorical question?0 -
£1000 for a 15 year old 1 lire Corsa - are you mad???"You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"0
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atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »high courts don't tend to deal with low value debts, mostly £25k or above.
They do, he's got his info off that bbc programme and most of the debts are way under 25k. The high court is used for the non payment of a debt.0
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