To tell DD to go to car dealer and complain

[ashvivienne]

DD bought her first car last summer very happy with the car and not actually had many issues. DD was pulled over the other week for a random stop and discovered her V5 hadn’t been changed after 6 months of owning the car (she contacted the dealer the next morning and they’re sorting it) then last night her tyre went and when someone came out to replace it we realised she’s been sold the car with no locking lug nut meaning it’s cost even more to get the tyre fixed. I told her to get a receipt so she could take it to the dealers when she’s home (away with friends for a long weekend atm). She’s phoned the dealers this morning who have told her that because it is on the system that it was in the drivers side door there’s nothing they will do (everything that was in the car when she picked it up is in a bag in the boot and it’s definitely not in there) also because it’s outisde 30 days they won’t replace it for her either.
It’s cost nearly £200 to get the tyre changed because of this issue and we are a bit lost on what to do.

[twoheaped]

Having no locking wheel nut shouldn't have made it more expensive.
Are you sure the tyre people haven't screwed her over?

[twoheaped]

Just re-read and realised it's the spanner not the nut that is missing.
Still, shouldn't cost a heap more. I just had mine cut off and a regular bolt put on.

[Gizlotsmum]

Unfortunately I'm not sure there is much you can do except rely on the dealers goodwill. Their systems say it was in the car at handover 6 months ago. For all they know your daughter could have lost it.

[minisoksmakehardwork]

After a year it will be a bit difficult to prove the locking wheel nut wasn't there as much is it would be for them to prove it was.

Is she 100% certain the nut isn't anywhere else in the car? Glove box, passenger door, ashtray etc?

I also don't understand the cost issue either. The most expensive tyre for my car is around £155 at a national chain. They may charge more for coming out roadside to do it or for express fitting (ie same day) I know they charge extra.

It sounds like your dd has been had cost wise but only through inexperience/panic of needing a replacement while away. I had a flat one Sunday and could have cried when the only place available charged £100 for a new tyre - which they didn't even bloody fit as the AA had to take me to get it and then returned to fit it for me as couldn't do puncture repair. I normally pay £45 for good part worms!

[LL83]

Show her what locking nut looks like, I had no idea first time I was asked. Other than that it's a lesson learned dont use that dealer. Check all items they claim to have been received have been received. Rubbish but I have made more expensive mistakes with first car and phone. Wiser now.

[CallipygianFancier]

I think it's too late to really do anything at this point. An excessive charge for removing the locking wheel nut without the matching socket sounds like opportunistic "you've got no choice" price gouging to me - it's an irritant having to get them off, but I'd expect a garage to have the special socket that lets you get it off regardless, so it adds ten minutes to the job, and they need to fit a replacement normal nut that costs about a pound.

But they do charge a premium if you need a tyre right this minute, so it could be the majority of the cost is in that. Without an itemised bill it's hard to know.

I'd put it down to experience and move on.

[bloodywhitecat]

Has she got the paperwork she signed from the sale?

[Ellisandra]

It was 9 months ago! I don’t blame the dealer. She could just have easily not have realised what it was, and chucked it. Pretty poor that they didn’t sort out the V5 - that’s a basic bit of admin. But also poor on her part that she didn’t contact DVLA when she didn’t receive it. I wouldn’t be rushing back to this dealer, but I also wouldn’t definitely not use them again. I don’t really think she can complain - it’s too late.

[SoupDragon]

I also don't understand the cost issue either.

The extra cost is to have the locking nut cut off and a replacement put on.

[SoupDragon]

I've had my locking wheel nuts cut off and replaced before because I'd lost the unlocking bit. It wasn't excessive.

[Eliza9919]

I had a flat one Sunday and could have cried when the only place available charged £100 for a new tyre - which they didn't even bloody fit as the AA had to take me to get it and then returned to fit it for me as couldn't do puncture repair

Isn't it illegal to drive without a spare?

[DIZZYTIGGER87]

Eliza a lot of new cars Don't come with spares...some have spacesavers which are limited to 50mph, and some have a time or puncture repair liquid stuff which is useless about 80% of the time

At least according to my dad who's a mechanic so I generally just believe him on these things.

Op- I'm not sure whe will have much comeback. It does seem expensive but I think it's possibly one of those learning experiences as doubt dealer will do anything

[floribunda18]

www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/new-and-used-vehicles

If you haven't received the V5 within 6 weeks then you should contact the DVLA yourself.

I'd report them to their head office for not doing their admin properly though.

[Blobby10]

I bought a 6 month old car from a VW dealer miles away from my home and it wasn't until 8 months later, during a routine service at the dealer nearest my home, I discovered it didn't have the required puncture repair gubbins or a lock nut for the wheel. I phoned the original dealer who sorted it all out! Couldn't believe they didn't make me pay for any of it as it was really my fault for not doing a visual check when I picked the car up, just relied on the form they gave me. In my defence, I was booked into pick it up at a certain time but there had been a staff changeover and the guy who was doing it had gone out on a test drive leaving me sitting like a lemon for an hour, By the time the manager took pity on me I just wanted out of there and signed everything without double checking it.

[badlydrawnperson]

Isn't it illegal to drive without a spare?

No

[KnifeAngel]

She should have sent off her portion of the V5 so she is at fault. It's too late to complain about the wheel nut after all that time.

[badlydrawnperson]

YABa bit U

It's a really long time afterwards for you to be expecting them to do anything about the locking wheel nut. By the way - you don't say what you expect them to do.

Presumably she now has 3 wheels attached with locking nuts which she has no locking nut for?

[MorningRichie]

Floribunda, I certainly wouldn't be reporting them to head office.

I work in car sales and have had this happen.

Admin fill out the V5 and its sent to DVLA.
It gets lost in post.
Customer doesn't receive new V5 and doesn't notify the dealer who believes it has been received.
Eventually they contact dealer who have taken a photocopy of the V5 and can put the new keeper on through DVLA website thereby fixing the problem.

I'm not saying this is what happened to OP DD, but it has happened to me in my working life and I would not be happy if some ignorant arsehole went over my head when I had done nothing wrong. In fact, I had actually tried to sort it instead of referring the customer to DVLA which is my right.

[MorningRichie]

Knife, she only has to send her bit off if she's part exchanging her existing car. She should get the green bit and the other part is sent to DVLA.

[floribunda18]

If the dealer isn't indeed a fat-tied muppet and hasn't been poor at admin and it's the customer's fault, then there is nothing to fear from head office is there, Richie?

[ashvivienne]

V5 was being chased up from previous owner during the hand over and she had phoned up asking to speak to someone since september last year but every time she left her number there was no call back and the dealers quite a drive away so not just a quick pop in job it took speaking to a manager to get the admin done!

[KnifeAngel]

@MorningRichie that is only with new vehicles. If you are buying a used vehicle you both get a portion to return to DVLA.

[KnifeAngel]

@ashvivienne then she should have called DVLA. She is at fault and could receive a fine.

[MorningRichie]

Knife, I'll accede to your superior knowledge of what I do every single working day.

In fact nothing needs to be sent to DVLA at all as it can be all done online and as long as I have worked in the motor trade nothing relating to a car that has been bought has needed sending to DVLA by the customer. Until they went online, the customer got the yellow slip from their part exchange back to send to DVLA to confirm they had sold their existing car. But what do I know? I've only done that process hundreds of times and am clearly wrong because someone on an internet forum knows better.

[Ariela]

I'd suggest the extra cost of the tyre place was due to opportunist pricing. The locking wheel nut spanners will be available for use at any good tyre place.