Car purchase - misrepresentation?

Boobyjood

I paid over £18k for an ex-demo Mini 2 weeks ago, and was told during negotiations on 2 separate occasions that the car's new cost was "over £22k". When I got home having studied all the invoices and paperwork, there was nothing to support the salesman's claims as to the cost of the car.

I contacted the salesman to request the missing paperwork and called in to collect it this week. Once printed out, it transpired that the new cost was actually £2k less than he claimed. I told him I wasn't happy as, although I love the car, I wouldn't have paid that price as I felt I was mislead. He muttered something about him maybe getting mixed up with the price of the new one in the showroom but insisted that I still got a good deal. I didn't pursue the matter but came away feeling aggrieved.

Any advice would be welcome; should I write to the managing director to seek a resolution? I think this was misrepresentation but I would still like to keep the car. Have I rescinded my rights by driving the car?

Master_Blaster

Is there maybe a touch of buyers remorse here? You agreed a price on the car paid for it and have recieved exactly what you paid for. How does the price of the car reflect against similar cars?

Salesmen will say anything to get you to sign up.

powerful_Rogue

What resolution are you seeking?>

You love the car and were happy to pay £18k - what difference does the previous selling price make?

George_Michael

Master_Blaster wrote: »

Salesmen will say anything to get you to sign up.

But if what they say is incorrect, they could well be committing a criminal offence.
The OP was lead to believe that what they were getting their vehicle for over£4000 less than the new price when in fact the price reduction was only £2000.

It's not a case of buyer's remorse, more a case of a buyer being mislead over how much the price of the vehicle had been reduced by.

George_Michael

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

What resolution are you seeking?>

You love the car and were happy to pay £18k - what difference does the previous selling price make?

Happy to pay £18k for a vehicle that was previously priced at over £22k.
Not happy to pay £18k for a vehicle that was previously priced at £20k.

If the stated original price was £22k instead of £20k, this £2000 could make a difference to what they receive if/when they get rid of the car.

Shops are not legally allowed to mislead customers by stating incorrect previous prices of goods reduced in a sale, so why should the garage salesman be allowed to do so?

neilmcl

So what is the new RRP of your car with any options is has?

In fact what model is it and what options do you have on it?

powerful_Rogue

George_Michael wrote: »

Happy to pay £18k for a vehicle that was previously priced at over £22k.
Not happy to pay £18k for a vehicle that was previously priced at £20k.

If the stated original price was £22k instead of £20k, this £2000 could make a difference to what they receive if/when they get rid of the car.

I could understand if the discount was being offered as a percentage of the original selling price, but in this situation it appears it was just marketed as being 18k.

Also when ive sold/traded in cars - the original price paid has never come into the equation. Its based on the market value of the vehicle on the day you try and do a deal.

Master_Blaster

neilmcl wrote: »

So what is the new RRP of your car with any options is has?

In fact what model is it and what options do you have on it?

The OP has chosen not to answer those questions. Having had a quick look even if the car is a Cooper SD there must be two grand worth of extras. With basic minis costing thirteen grand it's hard even to say if eighteen was good for a demonstrator.

I still think there is a touch of remorse from the buyer, two weeks on with the novelty starting to wear off, why else would they consider the deal not to be as good as first thought? Surely the time to do your homework is before you buy.

Boobyjood

Thank you for your replies.

The car is a Cooper D, just under 2 months old. The RRP with options (inc chilli pack etc) is just over £20k. The invoice originally provided to the dealership was for £15k, which I assume is cost price. I didn't intend spending over £18k, I was looking for something around £15k mark but thinking this car had all the spec I liked at a really good discount from what I was lead to believe was the RRP, I was sucked in. I don't know if it has any relevance but the car was previously assigned to the salesman who sold it to me.

The novelty definitely hasn't wore off, it's my first Mini and I love it. (Despite it developing a faulty tyre valve after a week but that's another story...) I just feel as if I have been mislead and I wouldn't have rushed into the sale had I have known the discount was not as good as it seemed.

unholyangel

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

I could understand if the discount was being offered as a percentage of the original selling price, but in this situation it appears it was just marketed as being 18k.

Also when ive sold/traded in cars - the original price paid has never come into the equation. Its based on the market value of the vehicle on the day you try and do a deal.

Its covered under unfair commercial practices/trading.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284442/oft1008.pdf

(18) Passing on materially inaccurate information on market
conditions or on the possibility of finding the product
with the intention of inducing the consumer to acquire
the product at conditions less favourable than normal
market conditions.
An estate agent tells a consumer that he has recently
sold several houses in the same area, just like the one the
consumer is viewing, at a certain price. If this is not true and
he is making the claim in order to persuade the consumer
to buy at an inflated price, the estate agent would breach the
CPRs.

The reasoning behind these rules on prices is that if retailers claim something is "worth" a certain amount....it misleads consumers into thinking they're getting a better deal or even potentially misleads them into entering a contract that they wouldnt have entered into had they been provided the correct information.

powerful_Rogue

Boobyjood wrote: »

Thank you for your replies.

The car is a Cooper D, just under 2 months old. The RRP with options (inc chilli pack etc) is just over £20k. The invoice originally provided to the dealership was for £15k, which I assume is cost price. I didn't intend spending over £18k, I was looking for something around £15k mark but thinking this car had all the spec I liked at a really good discount from what I was lead to believe was the RRP, I was sucked in. I don't know if it has any relevance but the car was previously assigned to the salesman who sold it to me.

The novelty definitely hasn't wore off, it's my first Mini and I love it. (Despite it developing a faulty tyre valve after a week but that's another story...) I just feel as if I have been mislead and I wouldn't have rushed into the sale had I have known the discount was not as good as it seemed.

So you only purchased the car based on the £4k discount? Nothing else came into it?