Bought car with heated windscreen, doesn't have one
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I was pleasantly surprised when I bought my Mini that it was an option for only about £110 as I also didn't realise Ford's patent had run out years ago, but then shocked that almost all of the second hand ones the dealer had didn't have it and apparently most people never spec it!? Mad. I had my first two cars with it, then 8.5 years without it so I'm very glad to have it back.
I'm very surprised also OP that you couldn't see just by looking at the car if it had it. It's very obvious in the glass, the little wiggles of wire.0 -
I'm very surprised also OP that you couldn't see just by looking at the car if it had it. It's very obvious in the glass, the little wiggles of wire.
The new ones are a lot harder to see, wifes new Volvo has it and unless in the sun is hitting the screen at certain angles you would not notice at all. Far better than her 2015 Focus with it.Totally Debt Free & Mortgage Free Semi retired and happy0 -
all cars technically have a heated windscreen it sounds like a typical advert that lists even the pointless features we take for granted & you miss understood that0
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That's not how consumer law works. If an advert is misleading, then it's misleading, it is not up to the consumer to be knowledgeable about the market. Heaters on cars stopped being optional in the 1960s so to suggest that the advertiser could get away with listing the car heater as a special option is nonsensical. If there is ambiguity, then the advert will be interpreted in favour of the consumer.all cars technically have a heated windscreen it sounds like a typical advert that lists even the pointless features we take for granted & you miss understood that
My advice to the OP is to put the complaint in writing immediately so that there is no confusion about your position and simply ask how they intend to rectify your position given you were specifically interested in that option and confirmed with the salesman that the feature was fitted.
Your options are essentially to return the car - but they would be entitled to charge you a reasonable amount for your use (but not for the loss of one owner count in the V5) - or accept a refund of some amount, assuming that it is impractical to fit a heated window (which would be a new windscreen, plus retro-fitting wiring and switch gear for it, probably several hundred pounds to do for something that might be less than £100 as a factory fit).
It is difficult to tell what features are fitted with a car - most car websites tend to talk up the high end features, and the manual includes all features. Also, often these days features are hidden away behind option menus in software, so it is not reasonable to expect the man in the street to be able to know what is fitted to a car and they are entitled to rely on the information of the salesman - it is not a buyer beware situation.0 -
Thanks for all the advice.
The salesman has replied, sending me a screenshot of the controls in a Ford car, leaving me to figure out which one is meant to heat the windscreen. Down to a choice of two, neither of which my car has.
I looked for wiggly lines on the windscreen as suggested and there are none at all.
The Vin Decoderz website just comes up as 'Bad Gateway' when I input VIN.
Current state of play; I've emailed the salesman again to say I don't have any of the buttons, sent him a pic of my controls and asked him if I'm missing anything. I agree that if I insisted they replace the windscreen with a heated one, this would affect my insurance premium and, if I got a crack in the screen, it would only be replaced by a standard windscreen.
I found the idea of a heated windscreen attractive due to living in Scotland though it wasn't something I was searching for when I was looking to upgrade my car, but it did give this car the edge over others. I stuck to 2014 model as the layout of the controls was the same as my old car (Corsas manufactured from 2015 had a different layout) and I'm not that confident a driver and getting on in years a bit so don't want to go for a 2015.
So I'm completely flummoxed as to what to do. I guess I'd have to argue for a part refund but don't know what the difference in value is between a car with a heated windscreen and a car without, or how much it would cost the dealership to change the screen to match their description in the ad. Any ideas?0 -
The question is not what the difference is between a Corsa D with heated screen or without - because, AIUI, the heated screen came in with the Corsa E. You can't take the difference between a Corsa D and Corsa E to be the difference in screen.
You bought a 2014 Corsa D. The ad was mistaken in suggesting it had a heated screen. Errors occur - especially around model-changes, because a 64-plate Corsa could be either model, one with, one without. There is no figure you can point to for a value difference, because it wasn't available on your model of car. So... keep the car, as is, or return it?0 -
I don't think any Corsa has Ford controls :huh: But the switch image would most likely be a windscreen (with curves top and bottom {the icon for a rear screen is rectangular}) and wiggly arrows.Thanks for all the advice.
The salesman has replied, sending me a screenshot of the controls in a Ford car, leaving me to figure out which one is meant to heat the windscreen. Down to a choice of two, neither of which my car has.
Like Adrian sez - if you can't point at the catalogue and say "Heated Screen Option = £150 so I want £150 discount" then you may have to stick a finger in the air and challenge them.
If you really can't face swapping to the newer model with heated screen because the controls are different then my other idea of getting a Fiesta is off the ideas board then...Wash your Knobs and Knockers... Keep the Postie safe!0 -
You're not missing much. Can't really see the point of having one. I specced and got one with my lease Ford, but its never just the windscreen frozen up - still have to sort the side windows making it all for nothing. In low sun the lines make visibility poor as well. Best use a jug of warm water - sort the whole car in a tick!0
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You're not missing much. Can't really see the point of having one. I specced and got one with my lease Ford, but its never just the windscreen frozen up - still have to sort the side windows making it all for nothing. In low sun the lines make visibility poor as well. Best use a jug of warm water - sort the whole car in a tick!
I live in Scotland and we get morning frost very often. The way my car is parked, the front faces towards the house, away from the rising sun and so is the slowest to defrost. I can't change the direction in which the car is parked so a heated windscreen is a bonus to me.0 -
Why can't you park the other way round, so the rear screen faces the house?I live in Scotland and we get morning frost very often. The way my car is parked, the front faces towards the house, away from the rising sun and so is the slowest to defrost. I can't change the direction in which the car is parked so a heated windscreen is a bonus to me.0
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