Paid deposit for car over phone but misleading - incorrect - info given by dealer

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JennyP said:

facade said:

JennyP said:

The dealer is still insistent that it'll tow 1500 kilos

They may be correct.

It will be on the V5 on the second page- "Technical permissible maximum towable mass of the trailer" if it says 1500Kgs braked, then that is what it can tow based on stability tests and the ability to start off on a 1 in 12 hill. It might not be advisable to tow 1500kg, but that is a different question, which the Caravan club may have answered.

If not, it is on the VIN plate, the largest (2nd) number is the max train weight- subtract the next largest (1st) number (max vehicle weight) and the answer is the towing capacity.

Ask the dealer for a copy of the second page of the V5 or a photo of the VIN plate to confirm the capacity.

If the car is rated for 1500kg, and you don't want it then you will have to give up on the deposit, which may be better than being stuck with the car. 

If it is only rated for 1200kgs, then you ought to be able to get the deposit back, as you specifically said you needed 1500kg.

Thanks. That's really helpful. They said they got their information from the Suzuki website and promised to email a link - but they haven't. 

They are pretty good then, I can't find any towing weights on it. Plenty of "important" stuff like how many icons appear on the radio, nothing boring like what you can tow.

It should be in the handbook as well, there is a section on towing a trailer.

If it is a newish vitara, they can't tow much,  the original Grand Vitara could tow 1950kg.   Very few cars nowadays can tow much, some like MGs can't tow anything.

born_again

Grumpy_chap said:

The purchase has to be over £100 (and less than £30k) but you only need to have paid 1 penny on the CC.
The £100 was only deposit - there is an example of exactly that on the link above.
If the car was only £100 total, then take the car and sell for scrap and you will be in profit.

Except the issue here only relates to £100 deposit & not the value of the car.

Grumpy_chap

born_again said:

Grumpy_chap said:

The purchase has to be over £100 (and less than £30k) but you only need to have paid 1 penny on the CC.
The £100 was only deposit - there is an example of exactly that on the link above.
If the car was only £100 total, then take the car and sell for scrap and you will be in profit.

Except the issue here only relates to £100 deposit & not the value of the car.

AIUI, the purchase here is the total value of the car as that is what the contract is now for - the deposit is simply the first stage payment.

Otherwise, the OP would need to allow the remote purchase to complete, receive the delivery of the car, pay the balance and then within the 14-days from delivery, return the car under CCR and get refunded the whole lot from either the Dealer (if they honour their obligations) or the CC through S75 if the Dealer fails to honour the statutory return.

That would, of course, be nonsense.  I assume that the whole process will conclude as remote purchase.

It is actually an example in the link I posted above:

"I ordered and paid £15,991 in full for a new car but before I took delivery, the trader went into liquidation.
Thankfully I had paid the first £100 deposit on my Barclaycard credit card. So I made a Section 75 claim. It took six months, but this week I received a credit to my card of the whole amount, just from having paid the first £100 on my card."

If the OP pays the balance and completes the purchase, then S75 would apply as per the example.  It would be in nobody's interest to force that process.

Flight3287462

Here are the Vitara towing capacities (assuming that is what it is).

http://www.towingcapacity.co.uk/car-make-model/suzuki/suzuki-vitara/

forgotmyname

And that link proves me right that you cannot trust online sources. Check the cars V5C or the chassis plate.

The above link shows my cars as 2000kg yet its legal limit is 1800kg on the V5C and on the chassis plate.

Flight3287462

forgotmyname said:

And that link proves me right that you cannot trust online sources. Check the cars V5C or the chassis plate.

The above link shows my cars as 2000kg yet its legal limit is 1800kg on the V5C and on the chassis plate.

I see no cars rated at 2000Kg on the link.  The highest I see is 1875Kg.

forgotmyname

Thats because your not looking at my cars data which is not a Suzuki.  But the data for my model is wrong.

Cars can vary depending on the exact spec which may include options, the manufacturer can alter the limits with
that in mind but the online websites will not cover every potential optional extra that may alter the towing limit.

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forgotmyname said:

Thats because your not looking at my cars data which is not a Suzuki.  But the data for my model is wrong.

Cars can vary depending on the exact spec which may include options, the manufacturer can alter the limits with
that in mind but the online websites will not cover every potential optional extra that may alter the towing limit.

A good example would be a proper automatic gearbox vs a manual. These are 50kg or so heavier, so the gross weight of the car goes up 50kg, the train weight stays the same and the towing limit comes down by 50kg.

JennyP

Thank you all for your advice. In the end, the dealer just rang and offered the refund after all! Now having a problem with the caravan dealer. It's not my week. Don't think I ask enough questions though always feel like I'm asking tons. Anyway, will ask in a separate thread about the caravan.