Distance selling - rejection - delivery fee?

[ollyh1988]

Hi - just after some advice as can’t see anything on this.

Agreed to buy a car from a dealer. Charge of £175 to deliver the car, which was the only thing I paid before it arrived.

Car was not as described (sign of poor repair) and other small issues that weren’t visible from the pictures - so I rejected the car and it was taken back.

Under a distance sale, am I entitled to my cost for delivery back? At no point did the dealer confirm this was non-refundable and my main issue is that the car isn’t up to standard. I’m probably going to have to stomach the loss and move on and learn a lesson from this! Thanks.

[ollyh1988]

Yep more like the latter - no official paperwork just told ‘we will take the £175 off the invoice price so just pay that as the deposit’.
I’d always go and look at a car but this one seemed great but lesson learnt (expensively).

[ollyh1988]

Thanks for all the replies.

I can’t find anything legal about being able to claim for the delivery fee to be returned.
All the dealer kept saying was ‘you saw the photos’ - yes, but not possible to see a panel gap and poor fit of a bonnet and the numbers written in pen underneath with all other manfufacturer stickers removed. Best part was when he said ‘all my cars are bought like that, just google what the markings mean’ - when I asked him if he knew he just said ‘no idea’. My guess is they are selling on some lightly damaged cars.
There was no invoice for the payment - just me agreeing to send £175 to cover delivery and then pay the rest once I was happy with the car.
Got a feeling chasing the money will take more time and not guaranteed of anything, so probably best to take it on the chin and leave them an honest review.

[ollyh1988]

OverSteery said:

ollyh1988 said:

Car was not as described (sign of poor repair) and other small issues that weren’t visible from the pictures - so I rejected the car and it was taken back.

Just to be clear,
Were there clear statements in writing from the dealer that are obviously wrong?

Just his word that the car was in great condition. Couldn’t tell the bonnet wasn’t fitting properly in the dealer photo but obvious when it turned up.

A lucky escape but pity it cost so much.

[ollyh1988]

Thanks for all the replies.

I can’t find anything legal about being able to claim for the delivery fee to be returned.
All the dealer kept saying was ‘you saw the photos’ - yes, but not possible to see a panel gap and poor fit of a bonnet and the numbers written in pen underneath with all other manfufacturer stickers removed. Best part was when he said ‘all my cars are bought like that, just google what the markings mean’ - when I asked him if he knew he just said ‘no idea’. My guess is they are selling on some lightly damaged cars.
There was no invoice for the payment - just me agreeing to send £175 to cover delivery and then pay the rest once I was happy with the car.
Got a feeling chasing the money will take more time and not guaranteed of anything, so probably best to take it on the chin and leave them an honest review.