Caravan purchase HELP

mrsfinch2016

We purchased a caravan end of March and paid a £500 deposit. We were part exchanging our caravan and the rest on hp. However we have been unable to collect caravan due to COVID-19 and the dealer being closed and now our circumstances have changed so we cannot afford it. The dealer is saying because we signed a contract we can’t cancel. The finance has not been paid out and the finance company have confirmed because of my change in circumstances they will no longer be able to offer finance anyway. Any advice appreciated. 

[Deleted User]

 You'll lose your deposit and depending on the contact you signed he may still take you to the small claims court to force the sale. 

 Read your contract 

mrsfinch2016

Thanks. Order form we signed is so vague 

[Deleted User]

Unfortunately these forms are normally a nightmare for the purchaser.  I was over the moon years ago to be buying a caravan, on credit, was told what the interest rate was verbally.  Then after a wait of some time, I saw the form.  Interest rate was twice what we'd been quoted and if we missed one payment, even at the end of the contract we'd have owed tens of thousands and lost the caravan.  I walked.

Don't panic now, there's nothing you can do.  The dealer is closed.  Don't communicate with them, I am sure you have already made it clear that you have no financing and no job.  That's enough.  Wait for this crisis to be over, go to a CAB.  I am pretty sure the dealer is trying it on, if the contract allows the sale to be forced even though presumably connected finance has failed, I doubt it would stand up in court, but this needs to be checked by the CAB.  The dealer will be able to sell the caravan to someone else once things are back to normal.  You may have to pay for any advertising costs etc.  But this is in the future.  For now concentrate on the present things you need to deal with.  That's more than enough.

452

deannatrois said:

Unfortunately these forms are normally a nightmare for the purchaser.  I was over the moon years ago to be buying a caravan, on credit, was told what the interest rate was verbally.  Then after a wait of some time, I saw the form.  Interest rate was twice what we'd been quoted and if we missed one payment, even at the end of the contract we'd have owed tens of thousands and lost the caravan.  I walked.

Don't panic now, there's nothing you can do.  The dealer is closed.  Don't communicate with them, I am sure you have already made it clear that you have no financing and no job.  That's enough.  Wait for this crisis to be over, go to a CAB.  I am pretty sure the dealer is trying it on, if the contract allows the sale to be forced even though presumably connected finance has failed, I doubt it would stand up in court, but this needs to be checked by the CAB.  The dealer will be able to sell the caravan to someone else once things are back to normal.  You may have to pay for any advertising costs etc.  But this is in the future.  For now concentrate on the present things you need to deal with.  That's more than enough.

The op may be liable for any costs the dealer may have incurred in preparing the caravan after the sale was agreed. 

[Deleted User]

Hence the etc.  But for now we don't know what will happen so lets wait til there's a firmer idea.

mattyprice4004

As above, you'll lose the deposit and any expenses the dealer can prove if you cancel the deal.
The rest is irrelevant really 

[Deleted User]

It just goes to show how close we all are to being tipped over the edge. A few months of no income is enough to practically bankrupt us and we’ve been willing to buy cars on pcp, caravans on credit, sofas etc and if we need credit we can’t really afford any of these. 

Our parents/grandparents were right, if you want something then save up for it. A novel idea that might catch on going forward. 

lincroft1710

Deleted_User said:

It just goes to show how close we all are to being tipped over the edge. A few months of no income is enough to practically bankrupt us and we’ve been willing to buy cars on pcp, caravans on credit, sofas etc and if we need credit we can’t really afford any of these. 

Our parents/grandparents were right, if you want something then save up for it. A novel idea that might catch on going forward. 

I don't know how old you are but even 60 years ago, cars, TVs, washing machines, fridges etc. were all being bought on HP