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Messed around by garage

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  • 24-06-2008 5:05pm
    #1
    curadh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭


    :mad:Someone close to me bought a car around 3 or 4 weeks ago from a ballymount garage not sure if I can name them or not, lets call them bluewood motors for the time being. The car was sold fully serviced etc etc. On getting the car home the alarm didnt work, the boot would not open with key or inside button, but will open with a flat blade screwdriver, the radio antenna is stuck up, the tracking is very bad on the car, pulling to the left, and the wiper blades are hanging off. She rang about getting the car booked in to have these problems looked at, and was told to bring the car down on a saturday as she couldnt during the week with work. So she went down to bluewood motors in ballymount on the saturday, and the guy she was dealing with had gone on holidays, and noone else knew about it or could take the car in. So she was dealing with another fella who said he'd go out to the workplace during the week with a replacement car and collect the new one. He didnt turn up and is since uncontactable. So she waited until the original guy got back from the holidays and asked him whats happening. After alot of messing about over a week he tells us he will book it for its nct and whatevers wrong with it he'll have fixed. So another 2 weeks messing and he still hasnt rang back or just avoids questions or whatever when he's rang.
    Whats going on? Do we have any comeback? Why should we fork out to fail an NCT? Who do we complain to? Any help much appreciated!


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    #2
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Did she not at the very least drive the thing (or even look at it) before handing over money?

    Drop it on their forecourt in a nice convenient location and tell them to hand back the money in exchange fore the keys.

    Oh and what car is it? (in case someone else checks here before blindly buy the car?


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    #3
    curadh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭curadh


    Thanks for the reply. If I did that theyd call the guards surely. Yeah I was with her and we drove it but there was a ball joint and a few bangs that took our attention away from the other stuff. The ball joint etc were fixed up then before we bought it. Are these things minor or do we have a leg to stand on or what?


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    #4
    Tragedy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,056 ✭✭✭Tragedy


    The longer you wait the more difficult it will be.


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    #5
    Tea drinker
    Registered Users Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭Tea drinker


    Yeah, don't leave it go too long.
    She should drop down to them determined to get it resolved. I wouldn't get ignorant about it just yet, they may play ball as long as they see she is not going away.


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    #6
    bigpinkelephant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 792 ✭✭✭bigpinkelephant


    curadh wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply. If I did that theyd call the guards surely. Yeah I was with her and we drove it but there was a ball joint and a few bangs that took our attention away from the other stuff. The ball joint etc were fixed up then before we bought it. Are these things minor or do we have a leg to stand on or what?

    If there was a few things wrong with it when she bought it then why did she buy it? And there is more to buying a car than just driving it, she should have tested EVERYTHING before buying it. Lights, horn, doors, speedo/dials, tyres...everything.


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    #7
    curadh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 302 ✭✭curadh


    Fair enough she should have checked everything, thats not the issue here. Also dont leave it too long to do what exactly? Im just trying to find out if anyone on here knows if theres anything legally we can do about the situation, or if we have any card to play seeing as its clear 'we are being messed around'.


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    #8
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    Go see a solicitor I reckon.

    p.s. Be much more careful next time you buy a car. Check everything thouroughly.


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    #9
    bazz26
    Registered Users Posts: 51,244 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    What sort of warranty did she get with the car, did the terms and condition of the sale include a guarantee to fix anything that failed the NCT?

    I'm afraid she really is going to have to dig her heels in with them, she may have to take time off work to go down to them during the week and make sure they carry out the repairs. Most garages don't do repair work at the weekend, plus they know it is awkward for her during the weekdays so they most likely are just putting her on the long finger or fobbing her off.

    On a side note she really should have got the garage to put the car through the NCT as a condition of the sale. At least that way it would have been alot easier to get them to fix things as they would not have your money already.


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    #10
    alo1587
    Registered Users Posts: 460 ✭✭alo1587


    TBH, the NCT isnt worth the paper its printed on, there's plenty 'backhanders' going on.The only way is to buy a car with your eyes, get someone that knows about cars to go through it with a fine tooth comb.Press every button,pull every lever, try everything to see that it works.


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    #11
    BeardyGit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,946 ✭✭✭BeardyGit


    You're very silly not to have checked everything before handing over money - Balljoint distractions or not. Unless you have a written receipt stating there's warranty, you'll likely not get far unless the faulty item compomises the roadworthiness of the vehicle as determined in law. That means that if it passes an NCT the seller can quite happily refuse to fix any other faults. And the sale of goods and supply of services act won't do a thing for you in that case.

    And in fairness, you're not giving us the full picture really, are you? What car? What mileage? What price was paid? If the car was bought for next to nothing (relatively speaking) it'll put everything else in perspective.....

    I understand you and your sister may not be happy, but from what you say, you didn't notice or discuss any of these flaws until you got home.

    And that's ENTIRELY your fault.


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    #12
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    alo1587 wrote: »
    TBH, the NCT isnt worth the paper its printed on, there's plenty 'backhanders' going on....

    A rather serious allegation. Can you substantiate it?


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    #13
    craichoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,706 ✭✭✭craichoe


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    A rather serious allegation. Can you substantiate it?

    Yes, I've been to purchase a car that had just been nct'd, it had a blown head gasket, multiple other cars also that passed the NCT that were total buckets of sh*t !


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    #14
    The Stig
    Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭The Stig


    I have only heard negitive things from the BLUEWOOD garage in ballymount. I think if you searched the motors thread (Real Name) you will find the old thread with a couple of complaints about them.

    you could see if the garage is registered with SIMI and I think they handle complaints about their members quite seriously. www.simi.ie

    Or you could pop a mail of to this crowd and they can advise you on yoru next steps.
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories


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    #15
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    craichoe wrote: »
    Yes, I've been to purchase a car that had just been nct'd, it had a blown head gasket, multiple other cars also that passed the NCT that were total buckets of sh*t !

    No interest in arguing here, especially as you didn't make the initial allegation.

    p.s. Do you know "backhanders" are being given to get an otherwise faulty car through an NCT?


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    #16
    Ferris
    Registered Users Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭Ferris


    The Stig wrote: »
    you could see if the garage is registered with SIMI and I think they handle complaints about their members quite seriously. www.simi.ie

    Sorry but they don't, pack of self serving ****ers. They're only out for their own members
    The Stig wrote: »
    Or you could pop a mail of to this crowd and they can advise you on yoru next steps.
    http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories

    Far better really, the OP should contact the consumer rights bureau as the car was not of sufficient quality to be sold.

    Personally I'd park the car across their front gate until they undertook to fix it. Cowboys!


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    #17
    Esel
    Registered Users Posts: 22,317 ✭✭✭✭Esel


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    p.s. Do you know "backhanders" are being given to get an otherwise faulty car through an NCT?
    My sister bought a s/h MPV in the North. NCT failed; needed a load of underfloor welding. She brought it back to the dealer in the North. Welding was done. When she got it back, it came with an NCT cert!

    Not your ornery onager



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    #18
    BeardyGit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,946 ✭✭✭BeardyGit


    Ferris wrote: »
    Sorry but they don't, pack of self serving ****ers. They're only out for their own members

    Untrue. I've had the guts of €600 refunded when I was forced to pay for a clutch replacement on a car, despite a 6 month written warranty. The clutch failed completely just 3 days after buying the car, and not as a result of my driving. SIMI couldn't have been more helpful or understanding in getting me a refund.
    Ferris wrote: »
    Far better really, the OP should contact the consumer rights bureau as the car was not of sufficient quality to be sold.

    That's some assumption to make. There's nothing at all wrong with a dealership selling a car that needs repairs. I've bought quite a few cars from dealers that have needed work. I've been smart enough to identify the faults and use them to negotiate a lower price.

    The OP hasn't, and now sees fit to complain when the deal is already done. If there's no written warranty, and no written commitment to prepare the vehicle to NCT test requirement standard, there's nothing you can legally demand.

    Despite many peoples interpretation of consumer law, sometimes you have to take responsibility for your purchase and accept that you've bought a lemon because you didn't follow common sense and common best practice. SIMI, Dept. Consumer Affairs and various consumer and professional bodies will all advise having a mechanic inspect any second-hand vehicle pre-purchase. They do so to ensure consumers don't end up in this exact position.

    The OP can't be exonerated of responsibility for the purchase. The OP could have checked these things himself. The OP could have paid for an inspection. The OP could have asked for the NCT to be done before the sale was completed.

    Instead, the OP asked for a balljoint to be replaced, which was done, and then completed the purchase.

    So, who's at fault? And who exactly is messing who around?


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    #19
    -Chris-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    esel wrote: »
    My sister bought a s/h MPV in the North. NCT failed; needed a load underfloor welding. She brought it back to the dealer in the North. Welding was done. When she got it back, it came with an NCT cert!

    This doesn't make sense to me. The dealer in the north NCT'd the car? They brought it down to ROI and had it NCT'd?

    I think more info is required to substantiate an allegation of NCT forgery/bribery...


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    #20
    mickjohnlong
    Registered Users Posts: 394 ✭✭mickjohnlong


    what car did the op buy


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    #21
    s14driftking
    Registered Users Posts: 645 ✭✭✭s14driftking


    AudiChris wrote: »
    This doesn't make sense to me. The dealer in the north NCT'd the car? They brought it down to ROI and had it NCT'd?

    I think more info is required to substantiate an allegation of NCT forgery/bribery...
    ive two ways of getting a car nct,d one wit out the car seen a test centre the second wit the car going to the test centre any car once the visuals look ok and it will drive out the far side wit a minty new two yr nct


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    #22
    bazz26
    Registered Users Posts: 51,244 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    An NCT cert is a certificate of road worthiness, not the same as a certificate of mechanical worthiness.


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    #23
    Ferris
    Registered Users Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭Ferris


    Gil_Dub wrote: »
    Untrue. I've had the guts of €600 refunded when I was forced to pay for a clutch replacement on a car, despite a 6 month written warranty. The clutch failed completely just 3 days after buying the car, and not as a result of my driving. SIMI couldn't have been more helpful or understanding in getting me a refund.

    Not getting into this. There is plenty of threads on boards where the SIMI have come down on the side of the dealer or been shown to be ineffective. You have had a good experience with them and I do think that disgruntled buyers should register a complaint with them but from what i've heard that usually about as far as it goes. Also lets not forget the misleading statements on the SIMI website wrt VRT and taxation changes, they have shown their true colours time and again.
    Gil_Dub wrote: »
    That's some assumption to make. There's nothing at all wrong with a dealership selling a car that needs repairs. I've bought quite a few cars from dealers that have needed work. I've been smart enough to identify the faults and use them to negotiate a lower price.

    The OP hasn't, and now sees fit to complain when the deal is already done. If there's no written warranty, and no written commitment to prepare the vehicle to NCT test requirement standard, there's nothing you can legally demand.

    So long as the work required to the car is stated and understood by the buyer, otherwise the car is not of merchantable quality. I'm just saying thats how consumer rights would see it. The general public should not need a degree in engineering to buy a car which is not a lemon. By your rationale a member of the public could buy a cut and shut unknown to them and have no rights to bring it back. You and I may know how to spot a car that needs work but most people do not.


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