New car ordered, but isn't to spec

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Important thing to clarify here is why the price has gone up.

If the garage are saying the original price was a mistake and this could have reasonably been known (say the leg rest was £2000 but the original contract had the price as £200 by mistake) as far I know you wouldn't be able to hold them to the contract.

If there wasn't a mistake (or at least one you could have known) quickest way to get mum out and about in the car is to pay the extra and then recover the funds via small claims.

In the situation where it was a clear mistake I don't know where you stand regarding the short time right to reject outright for a full refund within 30 days if you didn't want the car at all.

If you go down the route of paying and then seeking recovery best to not say anything, get the work done, be sure everything is OK with the car and then send a letter giving them 14 days to refund the extra and then file via small claims.

I'm assuming a Citroen garage is tied to the manufacturer and has shinny new cars in their showroom so recovering the debt if they don't pay would be possible.

Other option is to post on the Citroen Facebook page and see if the member of staff there bites.

agrinnall

Have you contacted Citroen UK? They have a Motability Helpline on 0800 877 8203.

boots_babe

I see what you're saying, I really don't think it could reasonably have been known as a mistake at all. The reason being, with Disability pricing, the models available and prices seem to go up/down at least weekly.

My mum always struggles with this, as she'll spend ages picking a car based on the information available, then when she goes to order finds that everything has changed that week, and now that model is just not available, or the price has gone up/down hugely.

This is what happened here. They selected a model, went into garage to order, and were told that the options had changed since last week. They now had to pay a lot MORE in order to get the leg rest.

Mum had no choice as she needs the leg rest in order to use the car, so signed up with the £2k odd fee. Given that the previous week it was I think around £600 ish for the leg rest, and then suddenly shot up to over £2k, it certainly didn't look like an error or a 'bargain'. Quite the opposite.

In fact had they said it had gone up to over £4k for the legrest (which is what they're quoting in total now), that would have itself looked like an error iyswim.

I have thought about small claims as a fallback, but I would want this only as last resort. My mum is in bad health, and is struggling to cope with the stress of this as it is. I don't want to go down the route of paying and her worrying about being able to claim it back later via small claims, unless there is no other option.

Surely if the order form clearly states in black and white exactly what has been ordered, and the price, and mum has paid this in full, then they have to honour it? That's really my reason for posting.

I know it's not helpful really, but because my mum sometimes wants to remind herself of the detail of conversations, she has her mobile set to auto-record all conversations. This is purely for her own reminders not to spy on people or anything! But because of this she has multiple calls recorded where the garage has admitted fault completely, so how they can admit they are wrong, and yet still refuse to rectify the situation, I just don't know.

When the garage rang mum to tell her the car had arrived and was ready for collection, they even specifically said they had checked the legrest and in it, and everything was fine. Complete lie!

boots_babe

agrinnall wrote: »

Have you contacted Citroen UK? They have a Motability Helpline on 0800 877 8203.

No we haven't, thank you for that. We will definitely give them a call, hopefully they might be a bit more helpful.

JJ_Egan

The manufactures send out a price list for Motability as to what price/ advance payment they want for each model .
That does vary with stock and old/ new models at the factory and build schedule .


Motability are the owner of the car not the individual .
You get the notification from Motability to select a new car .
Visit dealer decide and sign up at xx advanced payment from nil upwards ..
Dealer then puts the order to Motability for conformation .
Car ordered and expected delivery date given .
Its that car that spec ordered and that price.
( subject to the sales person not making an order mistake .
Car arrives and you give the dealer any advance payment + Motability Docs and Insurance .


V55 etc will show

Mrs XXX

C/O Motability .

boots_babe

Thanks JJ Egan. That does lead me back to thinking if Citroen do not sort this out, we should get my mum get talk again to Motability.

JJ_Egan

Motability should be the first port of call to at least let them know the problem .

boots_babe

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Motability should be the first port of call to at least let them know the problem .

Yes I agree, and although my mum wouldn't tell them initially due to pressure from the garage, they have known for a few days now.

However they've said the contract is between my mum and the garage, so it's up to the garage to sort it out for her. Which isn't really the response I'd have expected.

kingfisherblue

Prices on Motability change every quarter, not weekly. However, moving on to the problem that you mum currently has. Motability have always been very helpful when I have phoned them. I currently have a problem with a Citroen, although a different problem. Motability have said that they will intervene of Citroen do not sort it out. It's definitely worth ringing them again.