14 days cooling off period when buying used car online?

Alex9384

Hi all!

I've read that when you're buying used car online from a dealer, you actually have more protection than when you go to a dealer. But some dealers try to avoid it by asking you to pay some fee upfront or something like that. If I find the article, I'll post it here.
So how many of you have some experience with this? How exactly it works? I'm not asking what you think, I'm asking those who know for sure.

Another thing is, I have a new 0% purchase credit card with almost 10k limit. It's nice to have the option to spread the cost of the car but also Section 75 protection. I just don't know how to use it if anything goes wrong. I already contacted a couple dealers and some of them indeed accept full payments with credit cards.

I've seen some old threads that recommended not to buy cars online, but like I said, you have more rights when you don't set a foot on dealer's premises. Any advice welcome!

AdrianC

Alex9384 said:

I've read that when you're buying used car online from a dealer, you actually have more protection than when you go to a dealer.

Distance selling regs.
If the transaction is totally remote, you have 14 days once the car's delivered to return it for no reason other than "I don't like it".

Another thing is, I have a new 0% purchase credit card with almost 10k limit. It's nice to have the option to spread the cost of the car but also Section 75 protection. I just don't know how to use it if anything goes wrong.

The financier is equally liable for any CRA faults as the vendor. No more than that.

I've seen some old threads that recommended not to buy cars online, but like I said, you have more rights when you don't set a foot on dealer's premises.

Personally, I'd rather decide whether I want that car before buying it than muck about and waste my time buying remotely then being surprised when it turns up and there's something I could have spotted in ten seconds in the flesh...

Just look at some of the recent threads of people who've bought cars remotely then been surprised when blindingly obvious spec like pimptints are missing.

Ibrahim5

I was looking at some click & collect cars. It looked as though they were trying to avoid distance selling regs by saying that you had inspected it on collection. Ambiguous.

mobileron

I recently purchased a Skoda superb from Bristol Street Motors in Derby,all I paid £500 deposit on my card and the rest minus my px by bank transfer in the dealers car park.It all worked like a dream,ensure you save all texts/mail into a file on your pc/tablet.Free drive away insurance,they taxed the car for me.They also did a video of the car for me to check most things before i decided.
I was allowed to collect the car from the dealers and drive it home.
It was a main dealer so worth the little xtra i paid and the xtras they give me.

neilmcl

AdrianC said:

Alex9384 said:

I've read that when you're buying used car online from a dealer, you actually have more protection than when you go to a dealer.

Distance selling regs.
If the transaction is totally remote, you have 14 days once the car's delivered to return it for no reason other than "I don't like it".

You can cancel for any reason, especially if you "don't like it".

 @Alex9384 bear in mind if you cancel and return it the dealer can make a deduction from the refund if you'd handled the car more than you would've been able to do had you seen it in person, ie, you would only be able to take it for a short test drive, not drive it round for 14 days.

AdrianC

neilmcl said:

AdrianC said:

If the transaction is totally remote, you have 14 days once the car's delivered to return it for no reason other than "I don't like it".

You can cancel for any reason, especially if you "don't like it".

Yes, that's what I meant.

You don't need any reason other than "I don't like it"

Herzlos

Ibrahim5 said:

I was looking at some click & collect cars. It looked as though they were trying to avoid distance selling regs by saying that you had inspected it on collection. Ambiguous.

Maybe they'd rather you inspect it before collection to avoid the hassle of delivering a car and then having to collect it because they didn't like the colour or whatever.

Personally, even if it was technically possible to get and return the car within the 14 day window I'd rather look at it first because it's generally a lot easier to get stuff sorted *before* it leaves the dealership.

neilmcl

Herzlos said:

Ibrahim5 said:

I was looking at some click & collect cars. It looked as though they were trying to avoid distance selling regs by saying that you had inspected it on collection. Ambiguous.

Maybe they'd rather you inspect it before collection to avoid the hassle of delivering a car and then having to collect it because they didn't like the colour or whatever.

Personally, even if it was technically possible to get and return the car within the 14 day window I'd rather look at it first because it's generally a lot easier to get stuff sorted *before* it leaves the dealership.

You don't have to get AND return within 14 days. You have 14 days to cancel and then 14 days to return.

Also, it's impossible to inspect anything in person at the moment given that all showrooms are closed.

AdrianC

neilmcl said:

Also, it's impossible to inspect anything in person at the moment given that all showrooms are closed.

No, it isn't. Pre-purchase test drives are legal.

Of course, not that many people actively MUST buy currently... Waiting may be a better option.

Alex9384

Thanks guys.
Well, I inspected my first car in the UK in person and I couldn't spot a coolant leak. The dealer asked me to let them know before I arrive so they can wash the car... Water was dripping from everywhere.
They also promised 7 days free insurance over the phone which they then denied "oh no no it's not for this car". They said the car had 2 keys which it didn't and I only found out after I paid them. It was my first year in the UK, my English was relatively poor so I didn't want to go back and argue with them. When I'm thinking about it now, they were a real scum (even for car dealers' standards).

So if I go to some dealer now, inspect the car, buy it and it turns out there's something wrong with it, what can I do?

AdrianC

Alex9384 said:

So if I go to some dealer now, inspect the car, buy it and it turns out there's something wrong with it, what can I do?

That depends...

Short version...
Your consumer rights are tempered by reasonable expectations for used goods of that age, apparent condition, relative price.
So if you buy a £1k 12yo car from a dealer, you do not have the same expectations as if you buy a near-new car.

A coolant leak is always going to be hard to prove was pre-existing, simply because it could be down to a stone through the radiator half a mile after you left their premises - and it would be impossible to prove they maliciously washed it (how very dare they!) to deliberately hide a leak... The presence of two keys could easily have been checked pre-payment.

If there is a fault that is above and beyond reasonable expectations, then within 30 days you have a right to return the car and get a refund.
If you are over 30 days, then they have a right to choose whether to repair, replace or refund. If they turn out to be unable to repair it, they should replace or refund.

Within the first six months, the presumption is that the fault was present at purchase, unless the seller can show it wasn't.
If you are over six months, the presumption is that the fault was not present, unless you can show it was.

If the vendor disagrees about a return, you need to physically return the car to them then take them to court (small claim if <£10k) for the money.