Evident previous collision - but only noticed after vehicle purchase..

ontheroad1970

jimjames said:

sevenhills said:

majestix said:

To the unassuming eye, the car looks perfect.

Don't worry about your car, it looks perfect and there are no mechanical issues. I would imagine garages get frustrated by people wanting to return cars once they have been bought.

If I'd paid £23k for a car I'd want it to be perfect and not have a shoddy paint job that could cause problems down the line. 

I wonder what the situation is with handing back at the end of 3(?) years PCP if the bodywork is in a very poor condition, how do you prove that was pre-existing when you got the car?

You document it with photos and the response from the printshop that he car has been with.

pinkshoes

KimJongUn88 said:

Jenni_D said:

As the trade in vehicles is their profession, they are considered to be professionals. Thus they are expected to know about such issues, and to proffer that information, even if the consumer doesn't ask. (Whether it is reasonable for them to be expected to know is somewhat irrelevant - they simply are).

If the issues were as obvious to your body shop person as you state, then either the 150 point check doesn't cover those issues or they weren't done with due diligence.

If you are going to reject the vehicle then you a) need to write to them (email is OK) that you are rejecting per Section (whatever) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and b) stop driving the vehicle other than to return it to them (with the keys and relevant paperwork).

As you have finance on the deal then you also have Section 75 (of the Consumer Credit Act 1974) protection, so you could pursue the finance company if the dealer plays silly beggars.

Please note: none of this constitutes legal advice ... you need to make your own decisions.

You’re wrong. The only duty for trade sellers to volunteer information regarding repairs is when the vehicle has previously been categorised.

Not vehicles on the road have had a repair or minor bodywork done. Sometimes the damage happens in transit when the car is new, sometimes it’s accident damage, sometimes on a prestige vehicle, the front end and bonnet may have a blow over to ensure the vehicle is free of stone chips. The dealer isn’t expected to know each and every time a car has been repaired nor do they have to volunteer that information. If you disagree, please point me to the relevant law.

It's not about the law, it's about a professional vs a non professional.

If a body workshop (a professional) can tell a car has been rear ended then you would expect a car dealer to also be able to tell a car has been rear ended by inspecting it when they get the car in. Especially if they claim to have don a 150 point check!

An typical customer on the other hand is NOT expected to be able to spot these things and would thus rely on the professionals to do so.

@majestix If the bodyshop place is confident it has been shunted and the paint repair job is not sufficient, get them to put it in writing and then go back to the dealer. At that price, you do not expect it to have shoddy paintwork.

majestix

pinkshoes said:

KimJongUn88 said:

Jenni_D said:

As the trade in vehicles is their profession, they are considered to be professionals. Thus they are expected to know about such issues, and to proffer that information, even if the consumer doesn't ask. (Whether it is reasonable for them to be expected to know is somewhat irrelevant - they simply are).

If the issues were as obvious to your body shop person as you state, then either the 150 point check doesn't cover those issues or they weren't done with due diligence.

If you are going to reject the vehicle then you a) need to write to them (email is OK) that you are rejecting per Section (whatever) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and b) stop driving the vehicle other than to return it to them (with the keys and relevant paperwork).

As you have finance on the deal then you also 

You’re wrong. The only duty for trade sellers to volunteer information regarding repairs is when the vehicle has previously been categorised. 

It's not about the law, it's about a professional vs a non professional.

If a body workshop (a professional) can tell a car has been rear ended then you would expect a car dealer to also be able to tell a car has been rear ended by inspecting it when they get the car in. Especially if they claim to have don a 150 point check!

An typical customer on the other hand is NOT expected to be able to spot these things and would thus rely on the professionals to do so.

@majestix If the bodyshop place is confident it has been shunted and the paint repair job is not sufficient, get them to put it in writing and then go back to the dealer. At that price, you do not expect it to have shoddy paintwork.

Jenni D and Pinkshoes have the right idea, I contacted the dealership and questioned how they'd dealt with my humble request for assistance, they've now asked me to bring the car in for assessment of repair - and credit it to them for that, I'm guessing they were well aware of these issues from the discussions we've had. 

Hopefully this will be rectified by the end of next week, and I'll post here which dealership it was!

Appreciate the constructive comments here, they have helped 👍