Car dealers who sell bad cars

dudara

car car - I have repeatedly removed references in your posts to the dealers in questions. And yet, you keep trying to put in those references.

Please do not continue to do this.

dudara

milomud

Recently travelled from Wicklow to purchase Van from <snip>.
Did a deal on a Van and the owner was to deliver to Lucan. Guy never turned up with the Van and wouldn't take any calls. Really left me up the creak. Couldn't believe that someone could be so dishonest running a business. Hope this helps someone else you might think of buying form this dealer <snip>.:mad:

maringo

Why dont you take some photos of the offending premises and also do some posters and get some friends to picket there with you at their busiest times. I had a problem with some furniture a while ago and the shop had absolutely no intention of taking it back and refunding my money (completely wrong item delivered). After a few weeks of getting the deaf ear off them I offered to get them some free publicity - don't think they were too anxious for that and they stumped up my money and collected their junk. Persistence is the only answer.

I've heard of lots of people getting judgements in court but even after that they often don't get their money back.

milomud

You should be able to name and shame the offending dealers.
How else can you help others from making the same mistake.
Is there any blog space were you can post such articles?
As boards simply remove the reference to companies. 'Now ye're talkin'
Not really if what you speak is edited...:pac:

dudara

@milomud - And what if a poster is posting something incorrect and false? Where does that leave Boards then?

This is a forum for offering Consumer Advice, not for naming & shaming.

dudara

maringo

http://www.ehow.com/way_5339683_tips-buying-used-car-ireland.html

Dealer

<li id="jsArticleStep1"> Buying a used car in Ireland through a dealer is probably the surest way to buy. This is because Irish law helps protect buyers from getting a faulty deal when they go through car dealerships. Irish car dealers must adhere to highly regulated practice standards. The law in Ireland states that used cars must be of satisfactory quality when bought from dealers, that dealers must disclose all the car's defects at the time of sale, and that used cars must be exactly as advertised. If you have a problem with a used car, you are able to bring it back to the dealer and have the problem resolved.

Read more: Tips on Buying a Used Car in Ireland | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5339683_tips-buying-used-car-ireland.html#ixzz1E9hBPp90

dudara

Any service or product sold must be as described. It doesn't matter if it's a car or a fluffy toy - the law offers the same protection.

maringo

Not quite the case. Greater protection if buying a car from a dealer than buying privately. A private seller is not required by law to disclose any history such as if the car was damaged in an accident and repaired. A car dealer is required to do so.

dudara

maringo wrote: »

Greater protection if buying a car from a dealer than buying privately.

This is true in general. Consumer law covers transactions between businesses and private individuals. Transactions between private individuals are not covered by Consumer law.

A private seller is not required by law to disclose any history such as if the car was damaged in an accident and repaired. A car dealer is required to do so

Under Consumer Law, goods & services are meant to be fit for purpose and described accurately. This means that the dealer has a responsibility to answer all questions honestly (to the best of their abilities). Again this is true for all transactions. In the case of cars, there is an additional requirement under Road Traffic law to sell roadworthy cars.

From the National Consumer Agency

Used cars: responsibilities of seller and buyer

Both buyers and sellers have responsibilities in car deals.
Sellers' responsibilities

* It is an offence under both road traffic legislation and the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act to sell a car to a consumer which is not roadworthy
* The Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980 also requires that any car sold by a dealer - whether new or used - should be:
o Of merchantable quality (this means a reasonable, acceptable quality given what was said about it and taking into account the age and history of the vehicle)
o Fit for the purpose it is intended to be used for
o As described
o Roadworthy

Misleading information

It is an offence under consumer legislation to provide false or misleading information to consumers in commercial transactions.

A car dealer must not give misleading material information in relation to any aspect of the car, including its history (such as if the car has been in a crash or "clocked"), its specification, the need for any repair or other work required and so on.

A dealer must also not give misleading information about themselves, such as information about:

* Any after-sales assistance they will provide
* Any approval, authorisation or endorsement they claim to have
* Their commitment to a code of practice

Withholding, omitting or concealing any material information regarding the main characteristics of a car is also an offence. These offences amount to added protection for consumers if they already know what questions to ask.

Remember, though, that a private seller cannot be expected to know as much about the car as a dealer would, and consumer protection legislation generally does not cover private sales.

However, any seller is still required to give you accurate and truthful information to any questions that you ask. There is no obligation on a private seller to offer up any information freely, so the key thing is to know which questions to ask in the first place.

What I am trying to say is that for the most part, standard consumer law covers used car sales.

Additional information on buying used cars from Citizens' Information