Paying for a car before collection

[Orangelover]

I'm buying a second hand nearly new car from a dealer that has branches all over the UK. Went in last week and the particular car I wanted had to be brought from another branch so I test drove one similar and put down a refundable deposit for the car I wanted to have it brought up to my local branch which they said would happen within a few days. The guy said if I didn't like it when it arrived I could have my deposit back.

Got a call on Monday to say it was en route and should be ready by Wednesday. Wednesday came and went but I thought they were probably processing etc. Heard nothing by Thursday afternoon so I rang them, was told it was there but they'd ring me back because the guy id been dealing with was with another customer.

Heard nothing until 5 minutes ago when he rang back to say it was there and had had a full service and was ready for collection. I'm at work all weekend so said id be along on Monday, he then said I needed to pay for it online before collection as the money can take a while to clear... AIBU to not want to pay for something I've not even seen?

No but they aren’t unreasonable to not let you take a car until the payment has cleared.

You need to suggest a solution. Have you 100% committed to the purchase? I would say that I’d like to see and drive the car on Monday at which point you will send the funds. Then collect when they have cleared.

Online bank transfer at the dealership on day of collection.

Thats what I have always done. Its instant.

What Farting said. That’s what I’ve always done.

Why would you pay for a car you haven’t seen??

Debit card on collection? I think a debit card payment is instant. I paid 20K for a new car by debit card. (I warned the bank first in case there was going to be a problem, don't know if that was necessary.)

(I did actually pay before I saw it, but it was for a new car, and it was being delivered to my house.)

Please dont pay before seeing the car! I saw my car and got it and still had problems :/

Well, of course you don't have to pay before you've seen it/been for a test drive.

But equally, you can't collect it until you've paid for it.

You have to work out whether you can do that all in one visit (by online transfer) or whether you'lll need to go back twice.

Thanks for the replies! Last time I bought a car I literally just Debit carded it and drove off that was it.

It just annoyed me that I put down a deposit and they told me it was mine if I liked it when it arrived and then they rung me back to tell me it was here and to pay for it now if I wanted to collect on money when that wasn't what was discussed.

I've rung them back, going to see it today and if I like it will bank transfer there and then. They can ring me back to collect when money is through.

Annoying because one of the reasons I bought from them was they didn't overdo the pushy sales technique when I went for a look round, now I feel like I'm being railroaded to pay for a car that I haven't seen. It's not brand new either so realistically I would like to have a look!

Payments don't 'take a while to clear' these days. A proper dealer should have card payment facilities, which costs them buttons to accept, for debit cards at least, and are instant, so hassle free and saves dealing with large amounts of cash.

Bank transfer is usually fairly fast, although you might get into a security knot that will take an hour or two to unravel, and might take a phone call to your bank, to convince them that you are actually trying to pay for a car of your own free will and are not under duress to being ripped off, but not something that justifies advance payment.

When dealerships are teetering on insolvency due to coronavirus, there is zero chance I would drop £20k into their bank account without being sat in a chair, in the dealership, looking at the car, and the keys on the desk, ready to drive out.

Zero.

And I would pay through a credit card if possible.

Exactly my thoughts. ^^

Their preferred method of payment is bank transfer which is pretty much instant.. I can prove I have funds if it's an issue.

A few years ago a friend bought her first decent (but still second hand) car from a dealership. She called excitedly to tell me, then mentioned she’d paid in full and was collecting in a couple of days. My jaw dropped so much that she immediately called the dealer to arrange for an immediate collection. Someone from the administrators answered the phone.

The dealer had known they were about to go into administration that morning but had no qualms about taking her money, knowing she’d never get the car.

Yes, if you can, pay by credit card, but if either you don't have the limit available, or they want to (illegally but many still do) charge you extra for accepting the credit card, you get exactly the same protection by paying any amount at all, even one penny, on a credit card, and the rest by other means (bank transfer or debit card) so if the company goes bust or sells you a lemon that they're not helpful in putting right, you can get the money back/repairs paid for by the credit card company.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases/

If they are a reputable dealer with multiple branches they should have no problem waiting for your money. Refuse to pay until you collect, their options are to wait or to cancel your order and refund your deposit.

If they are worried your payment will bounce (why do they have that little trust in a customer?!) then you can offer to pay by banker's draft or other non-refundable method.

I paid £5k on collection includes their card machine instantly using a credit card so I have some protection from the card provider if the car is crap.

“Includes”, what the hell, I meant to say On their credit card machine.

Stupid auto correct

Why would you pay for a car you haven’t seen??

That's what I can't understand about the TV adverts where people have a car they've never seen delivered to their homes. Surely such a major purchase needs far more care.

I've seen it, test drove it and paid for it and they've let me take it today. It was bank transfer or nothing though! Didn't even accept a debit card. So all of the pre payment lark was rubbish glad I didn't just do it. Can't believe anyone would buy a car without seeing it in the flesh tbh!

I think you've had a lucky well managed escape OP. No credit or debit cards is a bit sus. Well done.

As PP's have said, put a bit on your credit card and the rest by debit, that way you have the additional protection.