Used Car Deposit/Holding fee

adeeb_2

Hello, ive seen some answers on this enquiry, but none specific to my question
Found a car i liked last week on the internet - only 2 month old at a local main dealer. when i went there i was told the car wasn't available to view for a week, as one of the salesmen had gone on hols & parked the car at Manchester Airport. I was shown a similar model & test drove it - & was told it would be very similar to the car i was interested in despite it being a different variant of the car i was interested in. A day later i phoned the dealership to pay £250 to take the car off sale for me to view, when it was available. I was told the £250 was non refundable (verbally) by the dealer - not happy with that, but thought it would be challengeable. Just want advice before i go, as the car will now be available to view this week, if i am not happy, can i get my deposit back? for info i havnt signed anything - although the dealer has emailed an order form through to me to my home email, the payment was made by phone to the dealer & not on the premises, & i havnt seen the car, ( before i view it this week) - any info appreciated>>

Fosterdog

As you have been into to the dealership this is not a distance sale, it doesn't matter that you made the payment over the phone and agent yet viewed the particular car.

You will have a hard time challenging the fee as long as they have actually done what they said they would and taken the car off sale. They offer a service of removing a car from sale for £250 and they have completed that service so I don't quite understand why you think it should be refunded.

Most main dealers do discount the fee from the final price of the car if you go ahead with the sale so if you do buy it is that something this particular dealer offers?

adeeb_2

Thanks, but the reason i want to be forewarned in that the car they offered for test drive was a different spec car, & although i was happy with the drive & the dealer told me the car i was after was no different (its actually a higher spec) & should be the same. Just wanted to know my position if i am disappointed (for any reason) with the car>>

Fosterdog

It doesn't matter that you test drove a different car, you had a choice to wait for the car to come back but take the risk that somebody else would buy it first or pay them to take it off sale so that you get exclusive first rights to buy the car when it gets back leaving them potentially missing out on another buyer.

dogshome

The OP paid a 'holding charge' as agreed with the dealership - The only out is that the dealer didn't hold the car and sold it to someone else.

But there is a fishy smell about the transaction.
What sort of garage allows a staff member to leave an item of stock by which they earn their living, in an airport car park for a week ?
I have the feeling that this vehicle was not available for reasons that the garage did not want the OP to know about