Car order specs were changed

ruf_ha11

I bought a car in September 2023 which arrived in December 2023. Upon arrival of the car I was informed the car I had ordered and agreed on had been incorrectly ordered and I would have to pay an additional £1100 up front for the spec they had added. I refused this and after going round and round about the issue I was eventually told I couldn't collect the car on the agreed date unless I agreed to pay more which they would put into the PCP rather than an up front cost. I wasn't keen and kept saying this but was informed there was nothing I could do and it was my only choice other than cancel the order completely. I needed the car unfortunately and couldn't wait 3 months for another to arrive so unhappily agreed and signed the new forms. 

I left feedback in December and never heard back. The car is a Mini and it was purchased through a well known dealership in Scotland. Mini recently contacted me to ask if I had been contacted about the feedback but never had so they must have chased it up as I've now gotten a call from the dealership manager. I was led to believe by the sales person that they had discussed it with the manager and they could only offer what they did and I did feel really pressured into agreeing the new terms. The manager today said they were unaware of it all and had not been spoken with. They said they could see the car spec had been changed after my purchase and paying deposit. It was on a different day to the sale so has possibly been purposely changed.

I've been told that as I signed the forms there is nothing they can do other than offer me a better deal in the future if I wish to buy another car through them. I'm not sure but is that the case? due to signing the form and taking the car have I lost any rights I had? It was even agreed it would be sorted until the day I was due to collect the car they said actually we can't do anything so I did feel really pressured into agreeing to pay more and made this known throughout I really didn't want to but it was the only way I could get the car I needed in the end. A chunk of discussions were via email so there is evidence of this.

Any help appreciated. This is in Scotland in case that makes any difference.  

Alderbank

ruf_ha11 said:

 I wasn't keen and kept saying this but was informed there was nothing I could do and it was my only choice other than cancel the order completely. I needed the car unfortunately and couldn't wait 3 months for another to arrive so unhappily agreed and signed the new forms. 

I too am in Scotland. I know that not everyone likes Arnold Clark but they have always been very fair with me.

They seem to have explained the situation to you very clearly and offered to cancel the order completely, so I believe they have done all that is required under consumer legislation.
Possibly they might have come down part way on the price difference if you had bargained hard but you agreed 'unhappily' in full knowledge of the new terms.
Sadly, the Consumer Rights Act doesn't promise you happiness. It just promises that you should get what you agreed, which is what happened.

You could press the manager for a couple of free services, worth about £500 at their rates. That would work at my local AC dealership.

ruf_ha11

Alderbank said:

ruf_ha11 said:

 I wasn't keen and kept saying this but was informed there was nothing I could do and it was my only choice other than cancel the order completely. I needed the car unfortunately and couldn't wait 3 months for another to arrive so unhappily agreed and signed the new forms. 

I too am in Scotland. I know that not everyone likes Arnold Clark but they have always been very fair with me.

They seem to have explained the situation to you very clearly and offered to cancel the order completely, so I believe they have done all that is required under consumer legislation.
Possibly they might have come down part way on the price difference if you had bargained hard but you agreed 'unhappily' in full knowledge of the new terms.
Sadly, the Consumer Rights Act doesn't promise you happiness. It just promises that you should get what you agreed, which is what happened.

You could press the manager for a couple of free services, worth about £500 at their rates. That would work at my local AC dealership.

Thanks for the advice, it was John Clark not Arnold Clark. I wouldn't say they'd explained the situation completely clearly as they had said a manager had been consulted and had advised this is what they could do but the manager said they had never been consulted so that wasn't true. I just wasn't sure if there was anything in feeling pressured to agree to a new sale, it was the day before the last working day of Christmas. I would say I bargained as hard as I could, it went on for about 4 days and I was told it would be sorted but I ended up with the prospect of being without a car I needed over the whole Christmas period and it just wasn't really an option. I was only actually told I could cancel after going back and forth and they initially told my I had to pay an additional £1100 upfront with no you can cancel etc. 

At the time we did wonder if it had been purposefully changed to increase commission. Given that someone went into it and deliberately changed it makes me think that maybe was the case. 

I guess my thought was just that I didn't get what I agreed when I signed the forms and paid the deposit and was massively pressured into accepting new terms last minute. Just feels wrong they can purposefully change the order and then add pressure when they know someone will need a car and they're now in a difficult situation. A really frustrating situation and would definitely not return to John Clark. Even the fact it's taken them over 2 months to respond to the issues raised! 

Aylesbury_Duck

It's two months after you agreed to the revised deal.  I don't see you have any right to anything but as Alderbank suggests, see what you get by asking nicely.

sheramber

Maybe they never read the review. It would have been better to make a complaint direct to the garage.