PCP Car Finance Delayed by Dealer

Shafski

So I agreed on a PCP deal with Audi Dealership and an agreed date for collection was 30/07/2025
I went through all FCA regulatory advice by them etc and finance check and passed and told I was accepted for finance.

I put a deposit of £500 to reserve the (new) car, which would be partially refundued on collection (Using some of it towards an extra optional which won't be provided until later in the contract anyway)

However, they've contacted me on day of collection and claimed that there is a random 'audit' check and my finance agreement has been delayed. I have good credit score, 8 year of no missed payments on previous leases, high credit score / good earnings and savings and literally zero reason to be declined. But apparently its a random spot check and it happens to be me from VWFS finance and they're waiting for it to process before they can offer finance.

I'm really annoyed by all this. Im flying out on Friday for a long trip which I made them aware of. I don't want to do anything remotely. And I've decided if the car isn't here by the next day I want to look at my options of cancelling due to poor service / false promises. An agreed date was set and at the time no possibility of anything like this was raised.

If I cancel am I entitled to full refund of my deposit?

Thanks

Aylesbury_Duck

I don’t think you are, no.  I suspect the finance deal is separate from your commitment to purchase the car.

Surely you being away is helpful, in a way?  Whatever audit process has to take place can do so while you're away.  Presumably the car would have been sat idle if you'd collected it today, anyway?  Better to have it idle in their possession and at their risk rather than yours.  And in the unlikely situation there's a problem with the car itself, you won't have used a lot of the 30 day rejection period because the clock won't have started.

Is this more about buyer's remorse, because it doensn't sound like a particularly rational response?

Shafski

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I don’t think you are, no.  I suspect the finance deal is separate from your commitment to purchase the car.

Surely you being away is helpful, in a way?  Whatever audit process has to take place can do so while you're away.  Presumably the car would have been sat idle if you'd collected it today, anyway?  Better to have it idle in their possession and at their risk rather than yours.  And in the unlikely situation there's a problem with the car itself, you won't have used a lot of the 30 day rejection period because the clock won't have started.

Is this more about buyer's remorse, because it doensn't sound like a particularly rational response?

Thanks for the response.

On my end, its very rational, given circumstances historically. 

I had one or two bad experiences but gave them the benefit of the doubt on this and was almost at my wits end. They claimed they had new management etc and although the price was good they were offering, due to the service I received throughout my PCP on some occasions I was planning on looking elsewhere.

On my side / PoV, they've let me down again and its simply to do with losing faith in their services and they re-assured me I would have a different experience on this occasion and they've already broken an agreement on a date. 

The finance deal is seperate, but I also have a signed deposit cheque with a written collection date on it (which has now passed). Would that not hold some legal value as some sort of purchasing agreement? i.e. I pay X amount deposit, Collection is X date. 

Alderbank

With a PCP deal the finance house purchases and owns the car throughout, and they lease their car to you

The dealership has obtained and registered the car and it is sitting in their showroom waiting, but the owner of the car wouldn't let you drive it away?

I think your grouse is more with VWFS than with the dealership.

Shafski

Alderbank said:

With a PCP deal the finance house purchases and owns the car throughout, and they lease their car to you

The dealership has obtained and registered the car and it is sitting in their showroom waiting, but the owner of the car wouldn't let you drive it away?

I think your grouse is more with VWFS than with the dealership.

Don't know just find it a ridiculous coincidence that a random audit process that isn't something routinely done happens to be done just hours before car collection, happens to be me collecting that car on the same day. Would the audi dealership not have atleast some say in this? Should they not be able to speed the process up? 

MattMattMattUK

Shafski said:

Alderbank said:

With a PCP deal the finance house purchases and owns the car throughout, and they lease their car to you

The dealership has obtained and registered the car and it is sitting in their showroom waiting, but the owner of the car wouldn't let you drive it away?

I think your grouse is more with VWFS than with the dealership.

Don't know just find it a ridiculous coincidence that a random audit process that isn't something routinely done happens to be done just hours before car collection, happens to be me collecting that car on the same day. 

The final checks on the finance will be done once the dealer has the car in their possession and tells the finance company they have it. The lender would send final release paperwork, something the lender does not like has triggered more checks.

Shafski said:
Would the audi dealership not have atleast some say in this? 

No, zero say. When you are buying a house the seller or estate agent has no influence over your mortgage lender or underwriter, they are separate legal entities, one of them is very heavily regulated, the same applies here.

Shafski said:
Should they not be able to speed the process up? 

Again, no. The dealership would rather complete everything and hand the car over, but they have no influence over the audit process.

You essentially have three choices, like it, dislike it, walk away and incur contractual costs (deposit and possibly fees as well).

born_again

Shafski said:

The finance deal is seperate, but I also have a signed deposit cheque with a written collection date on it (which has now passed). Would that not hold some legal value as some sort of purchasing agreement? i.e. I pay X amount deposit, Collection is X date. 

There has been a problem reported in many places that dealers have not been able to register new cars.

Grumpy_chap

Shafski said:

So I agreed on a PCP deal with Audi Dealership and an agreed date for collection was 30/07/2025
I went through all FCA regulatory advice by them etc and finance check and passed and told I was accepted for finance.

I put a deposit of £500 to reserve the (new) car, which would be partially refundued on collection (Using some of it towards an extra optional which won't be provided until later in the contract anyway)

However, they've contacted me on day of collection and claimed that there is a random 'audit' check and my finance agreement has been delayed. I have good credit score, 8 year of no missed payments on previous leases, high credit score / good earnings and savings and literally zero reason to be declined. But apparently its a random spot check and it happens to be me from VWFS finance and they're waiting for it to process before they can offer finance.

I'm really annoyed by all this. Im flying out on Friday for a long trip which I made them aware of. I don't want to do anything remotely. And I've decided if the car isn't here by the next day I want to look at my options of cancelling due to poor service / false promises. An agreed date was set and at the time no possibility of anything like this was raised.

If I cancel am I entitled to full refund of my deposit?

Thanks

Was the date for collection firm and fixed, or only an estimate?  What did the details say in that regard in the order paperwork / terms & conditions?  It is quite common that the delivery date stated on the order paperwork is an estimate and the firm date is only agreed once the car is in and ready for collection (post-PDI).

If the Dealer is subject to random audits on their processes and, particularly, finance approvals then that has to be random.  The value of the audit and the customer protections that could follow would be voided if the Dealer was advised in advance exactly which agreements would be checked and when.

As you are away for a long trip, are you not better to have a new car delivered (and registered) a month later?  Otherwise, you will return from your trip to a car that has already aged by one month and lost one month warranty etc.

Shafski

Grumpy_chap said:

Shafski said:

So I agreed on a PCP deal with Audi Dealership and an agreed date for collection was 30/07/2025
I went through all FCA regulatory advice by them etc and finance check and passed and told I was accepted for finance.

I put a deposit of £500 to reserve the (new) car, which would be partially refundued on collection (Using some of it towards an extra optional which won't be provided until later in the contract anyway)

However, they've contacted me on day of collection and claimed that there is a random 'audit' check and my finance agreement has been delayed. I have good credit score, 8 year of no missed payments on previous leases, high credit score / good earnings and savings and literally zero reason to be declined. But apparently its a random spot check and it happens to be me from VWFS finance and they're waiting for it to process before they can offer finance.

I'm really annoyed by all this. Im flying out on Friday for a long trip which I made them aware of. I don't want to do anything remotely. And I've decided if the car isn't here by the next day I want to look at my options of cancelling due to poor service / false promises. An agreed date was set and at the time no possibility of anything like this was raised.

If I cancel am I entitled to full refund of my deposit?

Thanks

Was the date for collection firm and fixed, or only an estimate?  What did the details say in that regard in the order paperwork / terms & conditions?  It is quite common that the delivery date stated on the order paperwork is an estimate and the firm date is only agreed once the car is in and ready for collection (post-PDI).

If the Dealer is subject to random audits on their processes and, particularly, finance approvals then that has to be random.  The value of the audit and the customer protections that could follow would be voided if the Dealer was advised in advance exactly which agreements would be checked and when.

As you are away for a long trip, are you not better to have a new car delivered (and registered) a month later?  Otherwise, you will return from your trip to a car that has already aged by one month and lost one month warranty etc.

 A time and date by appointment for collection was literally agreed on the week earlier when the sale was agreed, and reaffirmed on the day.

The month difference makes no difference for me other than extra headache to deal with once I’m back whilst right now I have some time after my trip

I’d end up paying an extra month on my current car which is the same pcp amount 

insurance is similar so I still would have to insure an extra month on this car for sitting on the drive anyway

theres no cost benefit or difference to me as far as I know other than extra waiting and uncertainty

m0bov

Have you spoken to vwfs to get them to corroborate the story? It could be the apprentice backed your car into the fence and there waiting on a smart repair.

Shafski

m0bov said:

Have you spoken to vwfs to get them to corroborate the story? It could be the apprentice backed your car into the fence and there waiting on a smart repair.

Will do this tomorrow definitely after today

They said they haven’t heard back still, so another day gone without any progress

tomorrow will decide what to do