Re. Consumer rights/new car?

glynf

Any one here ever return a new car to the dealer and demand a refund or replacement motor?
Spoke to the Office Dir. Consumer Affairs today and got some sketchy answers
Apparently it can get messy-solicitors etc., but they think i have a legitimate reason. 4mth old car, in garage 6 times (approx.
12 days). Problems are nearly all software related. Fair enough it’s a new model, so there will be teething problems.
This needless to say, is pissing me off, and worse still I've lost confidence in the car.
Am I overreacting, or is this normal for more software dependent cars nowadays? I would be interested to hear any comments about this.

Seth Brundle

What brand? Did you only deal with the dealer or have you contacted the Manufacturer's Irish Head office?

glynf

Volvo. only dealt with the dealer so far.
Some week's back I did ring volvo Ireland , who said they only deal with garages.

Seth Brundle

If the dealer is not sorting the problem adequatley then go for the manufacturer (if necessary contact Volvo Sweden)! Of course they deal with their customers!

glynf

Think I should insist the Dealer replace the car first?
I chose volvo partly because of their reliability(apparently), so I'm not exactly getting what I paid for.

Seth Brundle

Fair enough - had jumped to the assumption that you had requested this already and they refused and were now seeking redress via other means.
Ask the dealer - nothing to lose!

parsi

My brother-in-law had similar probs with Opel over a new Astra - ended up with a solicitors letters and a replacement car. Took over 6 months of grief - hardware problem . Delaer tried all sorts of things eventually offered to give him a good trade-in price the next year ! Needless to say this wasn't accepted.

On the Top Gear site you can read tales of woe - the Peugeot 307 had a lot of software prblems initally and UK people had fierce hassle (and no result) over it.

glynf

That’s just what I’m dreading.

New S40's in Sweden had lots of teething problems when they came out-9 mths before here, but all were fixable according to the lads at the sweedspeed forums.
I'm having exactly the same problems, the software/EGR valve (fixed) and the ignition fault (current).

I wonder should I give the dealer more time before I go the legal road?

John R

That the car is new/complex or any other factors does not matter, if it has proven to be unfit for the purpose it was bought for you have a legitimate reason to return it for a full refund. The longer time that passes the more difficult it is to get a result. Dealers will generally do and say anything to avoid giving a full refund, the only way to get the better of them is to give them NO allowances from the start.

I have said it before here main dealers are the worst scum in the whole car industry, worse even than the bak-lot Arthur Daleys. They put up a front of respectability and trust but in fact they use the same tricks as the dodgiest wheeler-dealers on top of taking a huge chunk of cash in the first place. In no other area are customers expected to inconvenience themselves repeatedly while a new product is constantly breaking down and repaired, if it was a TV you would just demand and get a replacement. Car dealers do everything they can to avoid taking responsibility for anything and they do it with the full (but usually carefully disguised) backing of the manufacturers.

They count on the fact that a legal remedy is expensive and time-consuming and really not an option for the average car buyer. I can assure you that they do not treat fleet buyers in this manner, they will bend over backwards to please them as they have the clout to take them to court and they have the buying power to seriously affect their business, individual buyers, particularly in todays buoyant market are sucked in by an initially very friendly attitude but the moment you become more trouble than it is worth they will do everything they can to get rid of you.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

glynf

John R wrote:

.
They count on the fact that a legal remedy is expensive and time-consuming and really not an option for the average car buyer.

Very true John, this is looking like the last resort.

merc wrote:

Just keep saying you have lost confidence in the old car. You may have to go as far as getting an "assessor" to give his independent view.

This is an option merc, must look one up as I don't know if i have a leg to stand on.

They have fixed 2 faults promptly, and the software /EGR valve problem took them 3 attempts. they could prove easily enough that its not a reoccurring fault... ergo they're making every attempt to hold up their end of the goods and services act here.

I'm definitely writing them a letter 'reserving the right to reject the goods outright and to claim a replacement or refund' though.
I think the best option is to push for a new motor, must have a chat with the organ grinder tomorrow, no point talking to the monkeys...

ambro25

Way I used to do it with Citroën was wait around until the dealership was 'busy' (lots of customers in looking at cars or waiting to book a service or the like...) then 'storm' in and kick a fuss - loudly! Nothing worse for a dealer than someone frightening/putting off their other customers!

[Must admit I did once reverse an AX through one of the showroom windows, though - deliberately - so that may have influenced the dealer to get his thumb out of his arse as well . But he had endangered my life and then tried to blame it on me - needless to say, instant rage onset!]

Seth Brundle

ambro25 wrote:

[Must admit I did once reverse an AX through one of the showroom windows, though - deliberately - so that may have influenced the dealer to get his thumb out of his arse as well . But he had endangered my life and then tried to blame it on me - needless to say, instant rage onset!]

We really need photos of this if you have them. What did the dealer say/do?