Reject a car prior to delivery ?

pvsol

I have had a brand new car on order for about 3 months, It has arrived at the dealer but there is a problem with the paintwork and the car needs to be completely resprayed under warranty. I haven't actually even seen it. I am not happy and would like to cancel but the dealer is saying that I cannot do this and that as they have lent me a car they do not see what my problem is. The car is going to be on a lease through my limited company - am I able to cancel or do I have to accept this vehicle?
I am concerned that in three years time, the paintwork will not be acceptable when the car is returned to the leasing company and I will be the one who gets the bill. TIA

Herzlos

If it's being resprayed by the dealer under warranty it should be acceptable. Maybe ask for a statement in writing that they are on the hook for any costs associated with the paintwork upon return.


At least they told you; they could have just said it was delayed a few days and get it sprayed anyway.

loskie

you also need to get confirmation from the lease co that this is acceptable. its their cars not yours. If a company lease remember that you consumer rights arent as strong as a retail customer.

neilmcl

If it was my own car then I'd perhaps want to do something about it, particularly given that they're doing a full respray, and I'd definitely want more detail as to what sort of damage requires it to be fully resprayed regardless. That said, it's a lease car, you're only hiring it at the end of the day so as long as the paint work meets an acceptable standard for the lease company then what's the issue. Does the lease company know?

AdrianC

If the paintwork issues had been noticed earlier, you'd never have known. It would just have been delivered, repainted. A very large proportion - some estimates I've seen say a third to a half - of all new cars have bodywork rectification to some extent before delivery.


There are no grounds for a rejection.


Anyway, you don't own this car and never will. Resale value is not your problem. Your employer is just renting it for a couple of years (and, since it's a business contract, the usual consumer rights do not apply in the same way).

pvsol

I am still waiting for delivery of the car, which was originally arranged for 20th October. The car needs a complete strip and respray, due to some contamination which happened when the vehicle was been painted at the factory. The work hasnt been started yet and the dealer has told me that they are still waiting for authorisation from the manufacturer which they say can take up to 6 weeks as they have to wait for a representative from the mfr to come and inspect it - does this seem right ? TIA

AdrianC

The only bit of that that doesn't sound "reasonable" is the "happened at the factory" line. It didn't. It happened in transit.


Where was it built? (This may be very different from the apparent nationality of the brand, btw)