Bought a used car looked fine then scratches appeared after rain had washed polish off

Bigboppa

Hi  bought a used car from a dealership paintwork looked fine it was dry sunny day. drove home in started ti rain next day car is all scratched local repair shop said was covered up with some coloured wax/ polish to hide the scratches. Complained to seller, initially denied this. Then has offered to buy car back but 300 pounds less than purchased for. Where do I stand legally. Am I entitled to a full refund?  Any help much appreciated 

Jenni_D

How was the car described in any advert/promotional material?

What sort of price are we looking at?

How old is the car? What car is it?

(Sorry for the questions, but context in such situations is important).

Bigboppa

Hi its a 2010 audi tt 5k advert said it was mechanical sound and basically good to go no actual mention of exterior condition

Bigboppa

There were pics on the advert and it looked the part. The advert has since been removed 

Jenni_D

Check the internet archive (Wayback Machine) for the original advert link - you might be lucky and be able to find a copy of it.

Mr.Generous

All dealers do that to some extent, but a decent coloured wax doesn't wash off in the rain. A 2010 car will never look as good as the day you pick it up - they sometimes machine polish and stick a glaze on to hide swirls and scratches, it works for a couple of weeks at least.

tacpot12

Mr.Generous said:

All dealers do that to some extent, but a decent coloured wax doesn't wash off in the rain. A 2010 car will never look as good as the day you pick it up - they sometimes machine polish and stick a glaze on to hide swirls and scratches, it works for a couple of weeks at least.

So the question is Is this ok, or does it mean the car is not of sufficient quality such that it could be returned under the CRA 2015? 

A 2010 car is about 14 years old now and it would not be unreasonable for it to have significant scratches. However, the dealer has covered these up, and I would argue that they have misrepresented the condition of the car, not in words, but in their actions.

You should check to see if you have legal expenses cover as part of your home insurance. If you do, you can call the Legal helpline provided by your insurer for further advice.  

Bigboppa

Thanks guys im at work atm so cant check my house insurance until tomorrow

Bigboppa

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409184178827.   This is the link to the advert but it doesn't open anymore

Ergates

Bigboppa said:

Hi  bought a used car from a dealership paintwork looked fine it was dry sunny day. drove home in started ti rain next day car is all scratched local repair shop said was covered up with some coloured wax/ polish to hide the scratches. Complained to seller, initially denied this. Then has offered to buy car back but 300 pounds less than purchased for. Where do I stand legally. Am I entitled to a full refund?  Any help much appreciated 

Find a local paint repair company and get a quote for them to get rid of the scratches.  In many cases they can be polished out (rather than requiring a respray).

If this is an option and seems reasonable - you could then take this to the seller and ask that they cover the cost.

How hard you want to push them on this is up to you.

motorman99

It’s 14 years old, was £5k against probably £35k new and probably done 120,000 miles so 5 times round the equator.
if it’s mechanically sound I think you have absolutely zero chance