Car dealership not giving us our car!

Michelle1992

At the end of October we purchased a new car on PCP. The credit check went straight through and they ordered the new car and wanted to get it registered by the 31st October. A week later I received the V5 document and when I checked this the vehicle listed was not the spec we ordered but the higher value one. I called the garage to find out what was going on and they said there had been a mistake. They then wrote a letter to the DVLA on my behalf explaining the mistake and that I did not have this vehicle and to de-register it. That was the end of it I thought and checked a few days later to check that I was no longer the registered keeper of the car.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, the actual car we have ordered is in the garage with the number plate on. However we can’t have it as the DVLA did not de-register the car instead they registered it in the dealerships name and therefore apparently the manufacturer won’t release the new one until this issue is sorted.
We signed the finance agreement a 2 weeks ago on this coming Wednesday as they said it would only take a few days to get rectified and we gave them our old car that they bought from us and are currently using their loan car. I keep calling them only to be told we still can’t have the car! They keep blaming the DVLA and a random person at the manufacturer but I think the real issue is they just don’t want this other car sitting on their books as it will then be a pre-reg. Plus I rang customer services for the manufacturer and they had no clue what was going on.

Sorry for the long post, I’m just after a bit of guidance as
to what rights we have or any ideas what we can do? We don’t want to cancel the agreement as we are happy with the deal plus we would be car-less as we’ve already handed over our old car!

Thanks!

Michelle1992

Forgot to say they have not registered our actual car yet either but I have the reg number

loskie

Contact the finance co.

AdrianC

Michelle1992 wrote: »

Forgot to say they have not registered our actual car yet either but I have the reg number

Unless it's a private plate that you've given them the necessary to put on the vehicle, then they don't get a reg allocated until it's registered.

So let me be sure I understand what's going on, because your stream-of-consciousness has me a bit confused.

You are waiting for a car on PCP.
You have received a V5C in your name - but for the wrong car. You do not have any car yet.
They are dealing with DVLA to deregister that car.
You are still waiting for your actual car.
Right?

The deregistering and the delivery of your actual car are totally unrelated, unless the dealer are somehow saying "No, we won't do this until after that.". The "manufacturer says" bit sounds like a red herring.
What's more likely is that there's been a delay in delivery of your actual car for some reason, and they don't want to admit this. Do you know for sure that it's on their premises, PDId, and ready to go? Have you seen it there with your own eyes?

Michelle1992

Hi,

No it’s not a private plate, but there are 2 systems used one to sort out the reg plate then after it’s fully submitted to the DVLA (this makes sense as I have spoken to the DVLA about it and they have no record of the car being registered yet and also when buying previous cars I have had a choice of number plates well before the car is due to be registered)

Yes that’s what happened.

I think the same about them being unrelated and think we are just being fobbed off with this excuse. But there is no delay in the vehicle as I went to the garage when I signed the finance paperwork and to take in my car (we are
currently using their demo car now) I have been shown my actual car on the
forecourt, with the number plate on it and been PD’id so yes seen it with my own eyes!

Speaking with my husband today we have decided we would rather cancel the whole thing and go elsewhere as it’s getting a joke now with no one being able to say how long we will be waiting but no doubt I can’t escape it now

marlot

Just as well you have the loan car!

unforeseen

Can DVLA de-register a vehicle? I wouldn't have thought so.

They have done the only thing possible and re-registered in the garage name.

I think the real issue is they just don’t want this other car sitting on their books as it will then be a pre-reg

Unfortunately, due to their error they now have a second hand vehicle with one previous owner, not pre-reg

Jumblebumble

unforeseen wrote: »

Can DVLA de-register a vehicle? I wouldn't have thought so.

They have done the only thing possible and re-registered in the garage name.
Unfortunately, due to their error they now have a second hand vehicle with one previous owner, not pre-reg

The problem seems to be that whilst cars can be deregistered via a v996 it must be done within 7 Days and not if the dealer made an error
If you only noticed after a week then....
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/v996-application-for-de-registration
The fact that the dealer claims the manufacturer says they won't give you the new car till they sort out something that cannot be sorted out sounds like a fairy story to me as the garage and the manufacturer must know full well the DVLA are not going to do anything more so blaming the DVLA is absurd
I hazard a guess they are waiting till they have sold the car

Bigphil1474

Could you ask them for the higher spec car at the same price as the lower spec car, as it is now a pre-registered car?

marlot

Jumblebumble wrote: »

...
I hazard a guess they are waiting till they have sold the car

I guess they could be up to the maximum on their financing package.

Either that or they're trying to persuade the manufacturer/importer to let them classify it as a demonstrator.

But its really bad form to make the innocent customer suffer.

loskie

They have probably met their quota for registrations in the month or quarter so want to wait till the new one to do it for their bonus