A thread to remind people to always buy their stuff on credit card, or at least put a token deposit down in order to protect themselves against dodgy used car dealers.
I bought my wife a second hand car at the end of January that developed a fault with the central locking about a month ago, leaving it insecure. The dealer had it back for a couple of days to try and fix it but it was immediately obvious he'd either done nothing or hadn't tested his work afterwards as the car still wouldn't lock.
For his next try he wanted to keep the car for a week for what would be a "definite fix". Since this was unacceptable for my wife who has to get to work as well as carry our children around in safety, I asked for a refund as I'm entitled to. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a dealer ONE attempt to fix a car before you can request a refund within 6 months of purchase.
Even though it would have cost him little financially to take the car back, he decided that breaking the law was better for his pocket and refused a refund. Fortunately I had paid a deposit on my credit card, leaving the credit card company jointly liable. A week ago they decided I had a valid claim. Today I have dropped off the faulty car and will get my money back, minus fair wear and tear costs amounting to about 8% of the purchase price.
There seem to be regular posts about people getting hassle from car dealers. Buyers have VERY strong rights now when it comes to buying a used car, so make sure you know them and always pay your deposit on a credit card.
I bought my wife a second hand car at the end of January that developed a fault with the central locking about a month ago, leaving it insecure. The dealer had it back for a couple of days to try and fix it but it was immediately obvious he'd either done nothing or hadn't tested his work afterwards as the car still wouldn't lock.
For his next try he wanted to keep the car for a week for what would be a "definite fix". Since this was unacceptable for my wife who has to get to work as well as carry our children around in safety, I asked for a refund as I'm entitled to. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a dealer ONE attempt to fix a car before you can request a refund within 6 months of purchase.
Even though it would have cost him little financially to take the car back, he decided that breaking the law was better for his pocket and refused a refund. Fortunately I had paid a deposit on my credit card, leaving the credit card company jointly liable. A week ago they decided I had a valid claim. Today I have dropped off the faulty car and will get my money back, minus fair wear and tear costs amounting to about 8% of the purchase price.
There seem to be regular posts about people getting hassle from car dealers. Buyers have VERY strong rights now when it comes to buying a used car, so make sure you know them and always pay your deposit on a credit card.