Back to base warranty on used car

Matrix_UK

I bought a used car from a dealer who sell vehicles with styling modifications (spoilers, splitters etc) - I drove 100+ miles to pick up the vehicle. The dealer offers a 12 month back to base warranty for all of the external kit they fit to the car. I’ve had the car around 6 months now and the spoiler has begun to come away from the boot lid. I sent the dealer a photo and they have agreed to repair the spoiler as per the terms of the warranty, however only on the basis that I bring the car back to them.

The warranty wording doesn’t explicitly state that I or they have to arrange the return, it just states that it is a back to base warranty. So my question is, whose responsibility is it to return the car to the dealership - mine or the dealer’s? If it is their responsibility then how can I prove this? Is there some line in the consumer rights act which I can refer them to?

Aylesbury_Duck

You can't prove something that's not in the warranty terms, so nothing in the CRA will help.  I'd have thought that in the absence of clarity, you are responsible for getting it there because it was your choice to purchase from 100+ miles away.

"Back to base" could be interpreted in two ways.  Base specification or base of the dealer.  

LightFlare

Matrix_UK said:

I bought a used car from a dealer who sell vehicles with styling modifications (spoilers, splitters etc) - I drove 100+ miles to pick up the vehicle. The dealer offers a 12 month back to base warranty for all of the external kit they fit to the car. I’ve had the car around 6 months now and the spoiler has begun to come away from the boot lid. I sent the dealer a photo and they have agreed to repair the spoiler as per the terms of the warranty, however only on the basis that I bring the car back to them.

The warranty wording doesn’t explicitly state that I or they have to arrange the return, it just states that it is a back to base warranty. So my question is, whose responsibility is it to return the car to the dealership - mine or the dealer’s? If it is their responsibility then how can I prove this? Is there some line in the consumer rights act which I can refer them to?

Are you suggesting that they send a low-loader to you, pick up your car, take it back for repair and then bring it back to you ?

Unless otherwise stated, I would say that it's usually the customers responsibility/problem 

I assume the vehicle is drive able - they may offer a "goodwill gesture" for the fuel -- but they don't have to (imo)

CliveOfIndia

In the absence of any definitive wording to the contrary, it'll be your responsibility to get the car to them.  This is one reason why it's always worth thinking twice about buying a car from a dealer who is a long distance away.

Things that are covered by the manufacturer's warranty are usually less of a problem - you can usually take it to any franchised dealer, even if it's not the actual dealer you bought it from.  But for anything not covered under the manufacturer's warranty, or for more "specialist" issues like this, it's your responsibility to get the car back to the dealer you bought it from.