Online car reservation : receipt and deposit taken then told already sold earlier by email!

Mermaid15

Am looking for advice. I reserved a used car online via a dealership website ( big car manufacturer) and paid my £250 deposit which was taken from my account. I then called the dealer in the morning and was told that another customer had "reserved" the car prior to me. Apparently they had emailed the same evening and their email was before my online reservation. They wouldn't give the details of the time , whether deposit taken etc as data protection prohibits its but as I was issued with an email receipt for my purchase and the money was taken I am confused as to whether I should have priority over the other customer? I have fed back that I think if they sell they should immediately remove the car from the website but am not sure where I stand legally. Anyone had similar experience? Many thanks!

DoaM

Where you stand is that they can't sell you something they don't have. So you can either put the deposit towards another vehicle or advise them to return the deposit.

AdrianC

If the boot was on the other foot, and it was you who'd emailed at 8pm, then somebody else had reserved at 9pm via a different route, would you be hacked off if they sold it to the other person rather than you? Yes, of course you would.

Do you really expect people at the dealership to be reading email 24x7, and immediately updating their stock on the website?

cymruchris

I imagine they set their rules as to how they sell a car in these circumstances - and have decided to go with a 'first come first served' procedure. You'll be entitled to a refund of your deposit, and the car will be removed from the website in due course. (It may take a while if it's a manual procedure in the current circumstances). They don't have to tell you the other persons transaction details - just to tell you that you weren't first in the queue. You don't have priority over any other customer - the dealer can choose to sell to whoever they like. Not all websites are automatic, so the car may remain on show for a short time after it's reserved, not really the best thing, but that's how it is right now as some businesses are operating at reduced capacity. 

,Dralion

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

Penguin_

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

How did they lie to you about the finance?

jimjames

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

Are you saying they have refused to refund the fee when they cancelled the sale?

Penguin_

jimjames said:

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

Are you saying they have refused to refund the fee when they cancelled the sale?

I'm reading it as the poster cancelled the sale. I reserved, paid then cancelled.

jimjames

Penguin_ said:

jimjames said:

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

Are you saying they have refused to refund the fee when they cancelled the sale?

I'm reading it as the poster cancelled the sale. I reserved, paid then cancelled.

Ah ok, I'd read it that they had the same situation as the OP. Makes more sense that dealer wouldn't refund.

In OP case there should be no issue with refund of deposit

lemondrops69

Penguin_ said:

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

How did they lie to you about the finance?

Said he could have finance, then credit checked him, then said he couldn't have it?

Penguin_

lemondrops69 said:

Penguin_ said:

,Dralion said:

Yeah, a Similar thing happened to me last month I Reserved a Car From a Merc Dealership, paid the £99 Reservation Fee, then Cancelled the sale as the sales rat lied to me about Finance.

4 weeks down the line 23 emails and 19 phone call I am still waiting

Small Claims? Your Advise

How did they lie to you about the finance?

Said he could have finance, then credit checked him, then said he couldn't have it?

Well anyone could have finance subject to status.