Is the car dealer in the wrong here?

[StripyZebraa]

I was looking to finance a car, and found a perfect one and agreed on this on Saturday. I had a bit of a panic that I may have went in too fast, but it was absolutely perfect and it had everything I wanted. So I paid the deposit on Sunday.

I’m young and I don’t have the most flashy job in the world, so my budget was fairly small £150/160 a month. This one was £170 but newer and less miles than i thought, plus it had everything I wanted so I went for it.

I went to an official car dealer this time as I’ve had issues with other garages in the past, and thought these would be more ‘expert’.

On Sunday I made absolutely sure that it had all the features I wanted. I asked the man specifically if it has cruise control, he said yes. He then said he’d go and check, and came back and said ‘yes definitely’. This was part of the reason I went ahead.

Picked up the car yesterday. Find out very quickly that it doesn’t have cruise control - it has something that looks like it, but is in fact a speed limiter.
Something maybe I would mistake for cruise control - but you’d think the expert who works in the official dealership would know this.

I can’t help but feel like I’m paying above my budget for this car, and yet it doesn’t have all the features I want AND asked specifically for.

My dad has told me to go in and complain. Part of me thinks I should - I based my decision on this and I specifically asked for it. I cannot afford to be paying this much money a month on something that didn’t even meet my requirements.

What could I do here? What are my rights?

If you asked specifically and were told it did then go in and speak to the Sales Manager. The fact you purchased on finance could be in your favour as there's another level to complain to (there are legal responsibilities when a finance or credit card company are involved with a purchase). It might be worth taking someone in with you for a bit of support - not an easy situation to navigate even for someone a bit older. It doesn't matter why you want cruise control, you asked and were told it did so that constitutes miss selling - I would look closely at what you do have first to make sure it's not all that manufacturer has in terms of cruise control just in case.

You should try it.

Cruise control is something I also want in a car.

I used CC on motorways and 20mpg roads. In fact it is the endless, completely empty, 20mph roads near me that make it essential.

We don't have access to a 70mph road unless we drive far too far for a test drive here! 60, yes. 70, nope!

@DeliciousApples has suggested a perfect non confrontational approach. Cars these days have so many features, all in different places, and they don't come with handbooks any more, so it's not unusual to go back to ask where to find something.

@CantHoldMeDown don't have any of those either and there's no way they'd let you take a car off for three hours either!

Are you sure it doesn't have it? Have you checked the manual?

I would hate not to have cruise control. I use it all of the time.

I agree with people saying you need to make absolutely sure it doesn't have it.

@savoycabbage @MossGrowsFat can I ask in a genuine way what you use CC for/why you like it?

I know what it does and have it but I’ve never used it because I don’t think I really understand the benefits of it?

(My car has all these bells and whistles and alerts and options but I just ignore it all and drive like I did in my first fiesta 20 odd years ago! I feel like maybe I’m missing out on something)

What is launch control?! I don’t think I’m buying the right sort of cars or driving right!

@CantHoldMeDown lol, all my cars are cheap 2nd/3rd hand runabouts so clearly very different to ones being built and imported 😂

I use it on motorways so I can take my foot off the pedal.

Unless you have it in writing it's a bit he said she said.
Look up the spec of the car and it'll tell you on there

So you slow down by breaking?

Take it back to the person you spoke to, ask them to show you where CC is.

I actually found CC on a car I had for 5 years on the way to part ex it ! Never used it on any car.

Ah ok. The DW’s car is always brand new but makes no claims of the 0-60 variety (she is all about the size and butchness of cars and cares not for speed) so I haven’t come across it.

My car is quite new by my standards- 16 years old… first time I’ve had a less than 20 year old car so I don’t have bells or whistles (or central locking).

Right, I think I knew that somewhere in my head. It sounds like hassle to me… but I like massive heavy old cars- can’t stand feeling like the car is driving me not the other way round.

I use CC all the time - and I drive an automatic - I'm just astonishingly lazy I think :)

My CC annoys me a bit actually, as it's not good at low-speed so I mainly use it on the motorway/a-roads, whereas a Volvo I rented once was brilliant in traffic, I set the cruise control, and even in very slow (ie. very nearly stop/start jams) traffic it just kept good spacing from the car in front - unbelievably convenient on a commute!

The volvo also had excellent lane assist, whereas the one I have now is mainly just annoying.

The CC maintains your speed (and distance from the car in front) - you don't touch anything (well, the steering wheel, but even that can be supervisory with decent lane assist)

I don't like the sound of that. I wouldn't feel in control at all. I have no idea if any of my cars have had a speed limiter or cruise control.

I find our fancy one annoying- I think she has an anxiety disorder… beeping and vibrating and throwing up warning lights all over the place in perfectly normal situations.

I do complain about the collision warning being a bit too sensitive - but then I do remember it absolutely saving my bacon once, when a car suddenly turned in front of me and it slammed on the brakes for me - so I tolerate it.

The bings when it thinks you're going to fast (which thankfully mine doesn't have), or having plugged in the seatbelt (when it's actually just my kids schoolbag on the seat) are annoying though.

Is it a small feature or something on which you’d base a decision as your OP suggests?

It can’t be both essential and non-essential