Dealership quizzing paperwork after part-ex done.

saunaboy1975

Hi all,

Just sold my car and the buying dealer who took it as part ex has come back after a week of me driving away in new car with a question. When I bought the car I just part-exed two years back I was informed that the timing belt had just been changed in a service. Got all service stamps etc for the full history.

When I part-exed that car last week, the dealer checked through all paperwork I have (including a full service/MOT done a month before selling it, that did check the belt). They asked about timing belt when I was doing the part-ex deal & I told them that I'd been told it was changed before I bought it two years ago. They were fine with that & happy with paperwork I gave em.

They're now on the phone & asking if I have specific proof that the timing belt was done. I don't unfortunately. Contacted garage I bought the car from originally & they're not being helpful unfortunately.

Is this likely to be an issue? The dealer is saying that this affects the value of the car they've part-exed, but my feeling is:

1) they obviously didn't check the paperwork to the extent that they needed to when I was in there doing the deal.
2) My very recent service did check the belt with no observations.
3) if they're concerned, changing the belt is a £150 job so not a biggy.

The guy who did the deal was pretty young & I think he's just getting grief off the boss for not checking that that paperwork they wanted to see what there at the time of the transaction.

Is this likely to be an issue? Thanks !

Silver-Surfer_2

It's something the dealer should have done beforehand. I bet they have a buyer who's asking for proof. The issue is now his not yours.

saunaboy1975

Thanks! I suspected that but nice to hear.

Like I say in text I added in an edit. The guy I dealt with was young & reading between the lines from the phone call I think he's got a earfull from the boss.

forgotmyname

Buyer asking for proof or its snapped or doesnt look like its been done?

Depends how the question was asked and your exact answer. Your were told it was done 2 years ago or it was done 2 years ago. Is it a costly job on that vehicle?

If not i wonder if its broken?

londonTiger

the cheek of the dealer, had you bought a car from them with ambiguous cambelt change which you didnt scrutinise on sale and then found out later to be iffy and went back to dealer they would have told you all sales are final bla bla bla.

saunaboy1975

In answer to Forgotmyname:

The dealer went through a questionanire & asked about services (showed him the stamps) and then asked about the belt. I said 'the dealer I bought from told me it was done just before I bought it'. He was happy with that & ticked the box. Car was checked by him & a technician for about 10 mins when I waited.

Car had enhanced service about a month pre-sale (just me having a voucher from the garage to trade in) and belt was checked then. Since part-exing the car it hasn't left the dealers forecourt. Even if it needs doing, or they want it done, a swap job on this is about £150.

Thanks for replies, sounds very much like they've told someone it was done & then the prospective buyer (proving they're not daft) have asked for the record.

Doesn't sound like too much of an issue for me then.

macman

It's never been an issue for you unless you signed some kind of report that stated that the belt had been changed. Otherwise it's an issue for the dealer and their customer, and you are under no obligation to prove anything whatsoever, or trawl up any evidence, since you are no longer the owner.

arcon5

I doubt a service would have checked the belt. They are not visible without removing a cover, and even a lot of the plastic covers nowadays need the engine mount out the way to fully withdraw it

bigjl

Which car are we talking about?

Age?

Mileage?

Not all Cambelts are £150 all in.

But as you have been advised you traded the car in good faith so who cares, if you didn't lie then you have nothing to be concerned about.

takman

Checking the belt during a service is meaningless, it needs to be changed at set intervals/milage and not on how they look (as there won't be any visual signs it's about to break). But like a poster above said it unlikely to be checked during a service (unless you serviced the car yourself).

But at the end of the day they have made a mistake by taking your word for it and not requiring proof. But you also made the same mistake!. It is probably way overdue to be changed. I hope you have checked the paperwork more thoroughly for you new car.