robby

ok storry in brief is
i bought a 52 plate Volvo 3 weeks ago from a non francaise indipendant volvo dealer.
When i got the car home i noticed the tyre pressures were low so i inflated them, this happened for the next couple of days so i went to kwik fit to find both tyres had nails in them
The boot light has never worked since i got it, i changed the bulb but this blew a fuse (which powers the instrument memory, aerial, interior lights, alarm).
Both boot struts were broken
Missfire at higher revs
Traction control light comes on every couple of days (stays on for full journey)

I contacted the dealer (180 mile round trip) and it was booked in for the following week. I took a day off work to get the car to them for 9am on the friday and later that day i was told it was ready i picked it up on the saturday morning to find the radio code wasn't input, the clock wasn't set and 1/2 tank of fuel was used

when i got home i found the boot light still wasn't working (so they'd just replaced the fuse) and the sales guy said it was when he checked????

The next day driving to work the traction control light came back on, when i phoned the dealer he said they'd reset the fault code and would need the car upto a week to keep driving it for the light to come back on????

To say i'm peed off is about right so i sent an email and phoned them with a few options
a. for them to give me back my p/x
b. for them to buy the car back off me (salesguy said they wont)????
c. for them to pick the car up and return it when its sorted (they wont - they say i have to waste another 2 saturdays dropping off and collecting it)
d. for them to agree to pay a local garage to fix the problems (they wont)
e. for them to give me an aftermarket warranty which i can use at a local garage (they'll only sell me 1 at £200ish - i don't see why i have to pay)
They gave me the standard 3 month warranty when i bought the car but they say i have to have all warranty work done at their garage, if they can't fix the problem the first time how do i know they'll fix it next time?
It cost me £50 ish in fuel (my car and loan car), a day off work and a saturday morning last time i took my car back to them so i don't think i'm being unreasonable expecting them to pick it up next time seeing as they didn't fix it as they should have?

I told them i wanted them to buy the car back but the salesguy said he doesn't think the manager will, he's supposed to be getting in touch tommorow so i was hoping for some advice before then - any ideas?

Rob

pslewis

Sorry to hear your tale ..... it's only too common ... but ..

WHY buy a car without checking it out fully?? Why not insist on a warranty as part of the deal??

robby

I got a 3 month warranty but it only covers repairs at the selling dealer - this is too far to keep going back to for the same problems if they can't fix them

as for checking it out fully - it was bought from a specialist with full service + mot, i shouldn't have to check for problems (the TC light doesn't come on all the time and didn't show until 2 days after i got the car), boot light - well i didn't notice until the next night in the dark, struts - never thought to look for bits of missing plastic, missfire - didn't rev it to over 4.5k until i was late for work 1 morning, nails in tyres - thought they were optional extras which i didn't ask for

the point is i bought the car off a dealer not as a private sale so for the extra cost i expected better aftersales and no problems

2000TLondon

Yeah, you've been done there a bit, mate..... The mis-firing would be my biggest concern...... I'm not exactly sure how to go about it, have you looked at Top Gear and 4Car websites?

Have a read

Consumer Direct: Factsheet - Motor vehicles - Buying a used car

RMIF Consumers

Auto Trader UK - Car Buyers' Legal Rights

Basically you need advice from CAB, Trading Standards etc, and you need to stop talking to that salesman, tell him you want to speak to the organ grinder, and only talk to the manager from then on. You need to be firm and very assertive, and let them know you aren't just going to settle for being messed around and basically ripped off. The problem you will have if they do buy the car back from you, is, that they aren't just going to give you a refund, they will buy it back at the book price, which will be a nice bit cheaper for them than the price you paid.....

You'll do well if you come out of this without losing several hundred quid at least, but you don't have to take it lying down!

mightyyid

Robby. Neutral opinions... most warranty's are not really that as such - they are just the offer of the selling dealer to put things right. Fair enough really. If it was too far to go (and 90 miles is a heck of a long way for a car unless it's special or unique or you live in the wilds of Scotland) to get this remedied, you would have known that when you bought the car so you can hardly blame the dealer. Sure, he did not get it right first time and that's unfortunate, but I think some of your requests are OTT to be honest.

Just because a car has had a full service and MOT does not mean you do not check it for problems. The TC appears to be inconsistent so when it had the service and MOT this could have been working. The boot light would probably not be checked, likewise struts - however, surely if you looked in the boot you would have known both struts were broken when you purchased the car - if you didn;t then that's your fault for not seeing them. Sure they can fix them again, but you should have looked.

You may or may not have taken the car for a test drive, but obviously did not go over 4.5k - another mistake as you did not give yourself the chance to see the car in its entirety. Tyres - bad luck, but what's to say you did not get the nails on your journey home? You left the place with the tyres as they were, you did not say you notice they were low on the way home?

To be honest, think you can ask for the tyres to be replaced, or split the costs, and the Traction Control. The rest are small bits they can and should be able to do something about.

How much did the car cost?

And I don;t think you can ask for a full refund given the circumstances - nothing major there to stop you rejecting the car IMO. But give them a good kicking and be warned about buying a car so far away...

Lord Shrek

think you are being a bit naive my old plum

having bought cars for the best part of 16 years i would always take the gamble and buy private now...the amount of times i have been kippered by traders...........

traders/dealers need to make a living and will sell any old **** regardless of being advertised as a 'non-franchised independent watever'

Lord Shrek.......if the trader has a moustache and is called Boyce WALK

WHEELSHOP0_0

You have rights, the goods must be fit for the purpose in which they were intended and of merchantable quality, its the law.

If you buy a car you are not required to be an expert, you have laws to protect you, contact the consumer rights assoc. they will tell you what you can do.

HTH.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yep I bought a Fiat Coupe with a thirst for oil, wasnt interested despite the 'warranty', so far I have warned about 50 people of this showroom.

MattN

You do have rights, but, you need to give the garage time to resolve the issues.

Tyres - nothing to say the nails were not picked up in your 90 mile drive home.

It's not their fault you live a long way out. That said if they need the car for a week they should be able to provide you with an altenative. I would suggest you give the car back so they can rectify the issues, if you don't give them the oppourtunity to rectify them you'll harm your chances of a refund if it comes to it.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

You have more rights now than you have ever had. The Sales of Goods Act was amended a little while ago to give the buyer even more rights. Especially for car buyers.

Google it, you'll be surprised.

Btw, if anyone ever buys a car from a dealer so far away that it would inconvenient to travel back to for warranty problems, insist on an extended warranty. They aint brill, but its better than having to keep going backwards and forwards.