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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Does this sound dodgy - car related

18 replies

SillyUnMurphy · 16/01/2020 18:25

On Sunday DH and I put down a deposit for a used (a couple of years old) Ford with the main dealer. We are paying cash (not sure if this is relevant). The car was to be delivered from a different branch a bit further out in the county today to be checked and passed for sale. We are supposed to collect the car tomorrow afternoon and DH has taken an afternoon off work.

Today the care salesman phoned DH and said that the car won’t be ready until Monday evening because there are a few scratches on the alloy wheels and one of the wheels needs replacing. AIBU to think that this shouldn’t take until Monday evening? They have mechanics on site as it is a main dealer. I’m really unhappy with that timescale as I feel that they’ve had 4 days to sort out any problems and also I’d have to drive it to work on Tuesday without having been able to get used to the car over the weekend.

I’m a bit put off now and not sure where to go from here.

OP posts:

TheNestedIf · 16/01/2020 19:05

I had a similar experience from a main dealer although I wasn't in a position where it was going to inconvenience me so I wasn't annoyed about it.

On the upside, it has been checked just before handover and they will fix the problems they've found so it will be handed over to you in the best condition possible. The damage may have occurred on the way from the other branch or, these things often being a franchise and customer service being variable, they may not have expected the car in anything other than the pristine condition they themselves are offering and they are having to fit the work in around other booked in services.

If it's any reassurance, the car I received after the work couldn't have been finer. Driving it home was a bit weird but it was an hour's journey and I was at home with it by the time I got back.

SmileyGiraffe · 16/01/2020 19:06

I work in a main dealer and that sounds absolutely normal. If they hadn't prepped the car themselves, they can't be aware of any little things that are wrong.

Yes, they do have mechanics on site, but a) they will be doing jobs that are already booked in and b) mechanics wouldn't do the jobs your car needs. They are usually done by independent "smart" repairers who will need to be booked to come and do the work.

Alternatively, they could have handed over a car with scratches and a fucked wheel and you'd have been more than happy, wouldn't you?

Completely and utterly unreasonable to be unhappy that a company is spending time and money to make sure your second hand purchase is as right as it can be.

countrygirl99 · 16/01/2020 19:08

I wouldn't have thought they would have replacement wheels on site. They would need to order it in.

Hingeandbracket · 16/01/2020 19:10

Agree it's bad customer service to delay - but having "mechanics on site" won't help them - wheel refurbishment tends to be done by specialist outside companies with the right equipment - it's not worth a main dealer's while to have that expertise on site. The replacement wheel needed may not be immediately available.

Original poster

SillyUnMurphy · 16/01/2020 19:12

@SmileyGiraffe thanks - the first part of your post was really reassuring and what I’ve since been told by the salesman who phoned me since I posted this.

I’m not sure what you’ve gained from being so nasty in the second part of your post but if it makes you feel better...

@TheNestedIf thanks for the reassurance. That sounds great.

OP posts:

MissConductUS · 16/01/2020 19:13

We recently bought a new Subaru. That had to be prepared and inspected as well.

The wheel they're replacing won't be cheap unless it's just a steel one. It's a major purchase. Be happy that they're making it right. Used cars are generally sold "as is".

Deelish75 · 16/01/2020 19:14

It does seem like a long time to change a wheel. Similar happened to me about 15 yrs ago, bought a second hand car from main dealer, after deposit paid they started finding odd things that they needed to fix, ended up complaining to head office about it which was when I found out the log book was missing. The car had previously been at a different dealership and when car was moved the log book remained, t to he previous dealer tried to wash their hands of it. I have no idea how long it would have gone on for had I not complained. Log book was found and I picked the car up a few days later. I ended up owning the car for about 6 yrs, never had a problem with its registration. It was just a pity they couldn’t have been honest with me from the off.

JKScot4 · 16/01/2020 19:14

A mechanic doesn’t do paintwork, probably sending it out to get done.

adaline · 16/01/2020 19:16

Sounds perfectly normal. It's always taken me five days or more to get a car from a second-hand dealer. They have to sort out any paperwork, and normally service it and put it through an MOT as well. And then they won't know what work needs doing until that's done.

But they can't just put the car through - it needs to fit round all the pre-booked work the garage will have on.

bridgetreilly · 16/01/2020 19:16

So you haven't seen the car or had a test drive? I wouldn't put down a deposit in those circumstances. I do think that dealerships sometimes do dodgy things in the background when what they are advertising as available isn't precisely what they've got for sale and then they need to get it up to scratch. Can you pull out?

adaline · 16/01/2020 19:18

But yes agree with a PP that I'd never put a deposit down on a car I hadn't seen or test driven before!

bridgetreilly · 16/01/2020 19:18

It's always taken me five days or more to get a car from a second-hand dealer.

I put down a deposit today and am picking it up tomorrow. Last time I bought a car 8 years ago, same - test drive one day, take it home the next. I mean, I agree that often it does take more than a day and for perfectly legitimate reasons, and I've been lucky both times. But if the OP hasn't actually seen the car she's buying, I would be worried.

Clymene · 16/01/2020 19:20

What they're doing doesn't sound dodgy but I wouldn't buy a car I hadn't seen or taken for a drive!

bridgetreilly · 16/01/2020 19:20

And the thing is, OP put the deposit down five days ago! If it needed work doing, why wait until the day before it was supposed to be collected?

Stronger76 · 16/01/2020 19:33

I waited over a week to pick up a second hand budget trade-in from a main dealer. It was sold subject to up to date MOT, which it failed, so they spent almost a quarter of the value of the car putting it right (at retail price). They brought me a brand new courtesy car to use in the meantime as it was going to be a few extra days to get the parts and find a space in the schedule to fit and RE-MOT.

YABVU.

Original poster

SillyUnMurphy · 16/01/2020 19:35

But yes agree with a PP that I'd never put a deposit down on a car I hadn't seen or test driven before!

We only put down a very nominal deposit (£200) and it is completely refundable.

OP posts:

adaline · 16/01/2020 19:37

And the thing is, OP put the deposit down five days ago! If it needed work doing, why wait until the day before it was supposed to be collected?

But she knew it would only be delivered today to be checked for sale.

It's totally normal for that process to take a few days, especially as it's nearly the weekend and the garage won't be open for routine work.

Original poster

SillyUnMurphy · 16/01/2020 19:37

Plan was to test drive etc. before we took it home. It was made very clear that we could pull out of the sale at any time if we weren’t happy with the condition of the car.

OP posts:

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