Cazoo subscription cars : unfair changes to contract

q0s

Btw the original fee for delivering a subscription car (at least in March 2022) was £99, not £149:

6.4 We will charge you £99 for Delivery of your Car.

Herzlos

Wonka_2 said:

Herzlos said:

What strikes me as odd is that the timing is this is wrong; the used car market is softening again so a lot of these returned cars are going to be spending a while sat around losing money instead of generating lease income. But maybe the idea here is to shed liability instead of making more money, so they just need to auction most of them off. If that's the case you'd think they'd be more open to you just buying the car from them and saving everyone the hassle.

I'm not massively up on the financial dynamics of the motor trade but IMHO I can see them bringing the assets and some cash back into the business and then folding before the founder disappears onto his next venture.

 

It's a fairly desperate move though, because the quickest way to get money out of them is to dump them at auction, but if they are dumping a volume of cars at auction it's going to drive the price down.

If they just can't afford their finance payments on the lease, then they are serious trouble because selling off the silverwear isn't likely to help in the long term.

iamfrankiemoran

Just phoned Cazoo to organise returning the vehicle. Wasn't allowed to return this Saturday 11th February as that isn't enough notice and you definitely need to give at least 7 days notice to return their car... Worse yet I was speaking to the operator when I asked a question about getting refunded the remainder of the subscription month which is always paid in advance for the upcoming month. I was told over the phone that this isn't possible and I was going to lose 4 days worth of the subscription monthly charge, expressed how disgusting this was that Cazoo didn't even think about this whilst they sent us those threatening letters to us. Asked for a manager to phone me back about this, and just received an email to say "after raising this with a manager regarding the poor experience and circumstances" they are going to refund me the 4 days. 

So just a note to anyone getting rid of their car early before begin centres close, think about when your payment date is cause you may or may not get a refund for any outstanding days if you hand your car back early. Absolutely shocking, I bet you law firms would have a field day with everything that has gone on with Cazoo Subscriptions cause surely this can't be entirely legal

EssexHebridean

Has anyone considered contacting the Office of Fair Trading on this issue, on the basis that the alteration to the contract terms is unfair under consumer contract law? While one person alone doing so is unlikely to make much difference, many people doing so is likely to make them investigate. 

MMPhi123

iamfrankiemoran said:

Just phoned Cazoo to organise returning the vehicle. Wasn't allowed to return this Saturday 11th February as that isn't enough notice and you definitely need to give at least 7 days notice to return their car... Worse yet I was speaking to the operator when I asked a question about getting refunded the remainder of the subscription month which is always paid in advance for the upcoming month. I was told over the phone that this isn't possible and I was going to lose 4 days worth of the subscription monthly charge, expressed how disgusting this was that Cazoo didn't even think about this whilst they sent us those threatening letters to us. Asked for a manager to phone me back about this, and just received an email to say "after raising this with a manager regarding the poor experience and circumstances" they are going to refund me the 4 days. 

So just a note to anyone getting rid of their car early before begin centres close, think about when your payment date is cause you may or may not get a refund for any outstanding days if you hand your car back early. Absolutely shocking, I bet you law firms would have a field day with everything that has gone on with Cazoo Subscriptions cause surely this can't be entirely legal

I was worried about this too as I’m cancelling about halfway through my subscription month, but when I queried this they said the amount would be reduced to compensate for this. My payment has gone out and was indeed reduced just like they said so that was good. New car from Elmo arriving Friday and car going back to Cazoo on Saturday.

having to pay about £100 more though, you’d think once a contract was signed that would be it. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to change the terms halfway through to suit me…They’re also giving 3 months notice which for me too me up to sometime in May, however all their stores bar two I believe are closing, and it’s over £100 for them to collect it, so it’s not really 3 months notice. I absolutely wouldn’t pay it in that position, if they want the car they could come and get it, especially as they’re cancelling the contract. 

Such a shame as the customer experience with them has been really good up till this point. 

iamfrankiemoran

Just to update everyone on this thread. I’ve just had an email this afternoon to inform me that I can no longer hand my subscription vehicle back this Saturday because as of today the Grangemouth Cazoo Centre is shutting as of the 16th of February. They basically told me to either take it to Edinburgh or take it back to Grangemouth even earlier. 

How is this not making the news!? This is just absolutely unacceptable and we’re not being treated fairly or with any dignity or respect. I’ve told them they can either pay for my fuel or collect the car at no expense to myself as I’ve held my end of their contract, letter, and email so it’s about time they did the same. Just an absolute shambles!!! 

clairel6768

iamfrankiemoran said:

Just to update everyone on this thread. I’ve just had an email this afternoon to inform me that I can no longer hand my subscription vehicle back this Saturday because as of today the Grangemouth Cazoo Centre is shutting as of the 16th of February. They basically told me to either take it to Edinburgh or take it back to Grangemouth even earlier. 

How is this not making the news!? This is just absolutely unacceptable and we’re not being treated fairly or with any dignity or respect. I’ve told them they can either pay for my fuel or collect the car at no expense to myself as I’ve held my end of their contract, letter, and email so it’s about time they did the same. Just an absolute shambles!!! 

Let me know how you get on. Was meant to be taking mine back to Grangemouth too. They can whistle if they think I am paying them to come and collect it. Will be contacting them to tell them that too. Absolute joke of a company. 

karlton273

Just a little help for those of us who havent yet sorted a replacement vehicle - I have just taken a subscription with Mocean - hyundai for a Tucson - very reasonably priced compared to most other co's out there 

iamfrankiemoran

clairel6768 said:

iamfrankiemoran said:

Just to update everyone on this thread. I’ve just had an email this afternoon to inform me that I can no longer hand my subscription vehicle back this Saturday because as of today the Grangemouth Cazoo Centre is shutting as of the 16th of February. They basically told me to either take it to Edinburgh or take it back to Grangemouth even earlier. 

How is this not making the news!? This is just absolutely unacceptable and we’re not being treated fairly or with any dignity or respect. I’ve told them they can either pay for my fuel or collect the car at no expense to myself as I’ve held my end of their contract, letter, and email so it’s about time they did the same. Just an absolute shambles!!! 

Let me know how you get on. Was meant to be taking mine back to Grangemouth too. They can whistle if they think I am paying them to come and collect it. Will be contacting them to tell them that too. Absolute joke of a company. 

Well as of the 16th February you'll no longer been able to. The next available centre is Edinburgh, but I'm fighting it because it's shutting before the date on the contract, letter, and email. So that's out with my control, so they can either pay me fuel money or organise a collection free of charge. Absolutely ridiculous, although, at the same time I feel sorry for the staff who probably got told today that Thursday is their last day. Just a awful way of dealing with this situation, very very poor on Cazoo's side of things! 

iamfrankiemoran

iamfrankiemoran said:

clairel6768 said:

iamfrankiemoran said:

Just to update everyone on this thread. I’ve just had an email this afternoon to inform me that I can no longer hand my subscription vehicle back this Saturday because as of today the Grangemouth Cazoo Centre is shutting as of the 16th of February. They basically told me to either take it to Edinburgh or take it back to Grangemouth even earlier. 

How is this not making the news!? This is just absolutely unacceptable and we’re not being treated fairly or with any dignity or respect. I’ve told them they can either pay for my fuel or collect the car at no expense to myself as I’ve held my end of their contract, letter, and email so it’s about time they did the same. Just an absolute shambles!!! 

Let me know how you get on. Was meant to be taking mine back to Grangemouth too. They can whistle if they think I am paying them to come and collect it. Will be contacting them to tell them that too. Absolute joke of a company. 

Well as of the 16th February you'll no longer been able to. The next available centre is Edinburgh, but I'm fighting it because it's shutting before the date on the contract, letter, and email. So that's out with my control, so they can either pay me fuel money or organise a collection free of charge. Absolutely ridiculous, although, at the same time I feel sorry for the staff who probably got told today that Thursday is their last day. Just a awful way of dealing with this situation, very very poor on Cazoo's side of things! 

Just received an email to basically say that due to Grangemouth centre closing and the inconvenience of having to drive to Edinburgh instead they have offered to discount the collection fee to £75. I've replied and said this is outrageous and stated that they can either pay for my fuel to Edinburgh and back or waive the collection fee. I'm not budging, I know for a fact the £75 is their operation cost for a collection but I also have operation costs to drive there. Not impressed at all, when I've followed their instructions in their contract, letter, and email. I even tried to hand the car back last weekend in Edinburgh whilst picking up my new car but because I had to give them 7 days notice this wasn't possible. Yet, they can say drive to Edinburgh or pay £75 to get the car collected with 3 days notice. Making the rules up as they go along