Lookers

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g8bdy
g8bdy Posts: 8 Forumite
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in Motoring
Several years ago I went to purchase a car from Lookers.
It wasnt until I was presented with the invoice that I noticed £95 had been added as an admin charge.
I was told this was for preparing the paperwork - I declined to pay and walked out
I now need to buy another car and I am wondering if Lookers still levy this charge
I used Twitter to ask their Head Office and they replied that I should contact my local dealer
That sounded a bit suspicious to me ?
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  • Aylesbury_Duck
    Aylesbury_Duck Posts: 13,993 Forumite
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    g8bdy wrote: »
    Several years ago I went to purchase a car from Lookers.
    It wasnt until I was presented with the invoice that I noticed £95 had been added as an admin charge.
    I was told this was for preparing the paperwork - I declined to pay and walked out
    I now need to buy another car and I am wondering if Lookers still levy this charge
    I used Twitter to ask their Head Office and they replied that I should contact my local dealer
    That sounded a bit suspicious to me ?
    What's suspicious about it? If they do and you don't want to pay it, there are loads of other places to buy a car.
  • jimbo6977
    jimbo6977 Posts: 1,226 Forumite
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    Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »
    What's suspicious about it? If they do and you don't want to pay it, there are loads of other places to buy a car.

    It's suspicious that they won't give a straight answer.
  • DoaM
    DoaM Posts: 11,863 Forumite
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    Legislation states that the final price must be presented to a consumer (including any taxes). If it is not possible to advise the final price then the means of calculating the final price must be presented (e.g. £100 per hour plus VAT at 20%, estimate of 10 hours).

    If this £95 fee is compulsory then it must be presented (and declared up front) to the consumer. If they don't do this then it isn't compulsory and you can strike it out of any agreement; if they say no then you say no - simples. :)
  • EssexExile
    EssexExile Posts: 6,139 Forumite
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    Does it really matter what they call it? If the total price is right then buy, if isn't, don't.
    Tall, dark & handsome. Well two out of three ain't bad.
  • g8bdy
    g8bdy Posts: 8 Forumite
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    Suspicious in the way they avoided an straight answer to a simple question !
  • Nearlyold
    Nearlyold Posts: 2,289 Forumite
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    edited 22 February 2019 at 6:02PM
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    It's not compulsory, it would have to be included in the screen price if it was. Obviously they want you to pay it because it's a nice little boost on the bottom line for them - that's why they don't mind buyers thinking its not optional. Evans Halshaw do the same thing, if asked by officialdom they'll confirm it's optional, see

    https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/cd-bramall-dealerships-ltd-a13-236544.html#.Vxs9ec6cFPZ
  • ACG
    ACG Posts: 23,727 Forumite
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    Maybe Lookers are franchises and the fee will be down to the the individual franchisee?
    I am a Mortgage Adviser
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a mortgage adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    jimbo6977 wrote: »
    It's suspicious that they won't give a straight answer.

    But they did! Different dealerships, different franchises, different policies ....
  • loskie
    loskie Posts: 1,761 Forumite
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    they are not franchises
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Quicks tried the same with me, tried to claim it was for doing checks to make sure the car wasn't stolen and indeminity insurance should it turn out it was as well as for doing a PDI to make sure everything was OK. I pointed out that it was their responsibility to ensure that it wasn't stolen before they put it up for sale and that it was fit for purpose if it turned out to be stolen or faulty then I'd be going after them. Refused to pay and they still sold me the car but they weren't happy about it. Car sales places tend not to like people who know their consumer rights.
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