Anybody recommend a solicitor to use when rejecting a car
Discussion
I've got a Mk4 Octavia and have had a number of issues since day 1 which have led to me rejecting the car at 5 months in. Most of the issues are software related but there is a big issue with the Matrix lights dazzling oncoming drivers (I can share a link to youtube if anyone is remotely interested).
Since rejecting the car I've had very slow contact with the garage and the "brand" (Skoda UK) who have apparently agreed to the rejection in principle but are just agreeing figures. It's getting on to 6 weeks since I rejected it and I'm now looking at the ombudsman or potentially court. Are there any solicitors out there who specialise in this sort of thing? If so, how much is it likely to cost me? (As a further wrinkle, I always have legal expenses cover with my home insurance but my current insurer is saying that they won't cover it as I changed insurer around 9 days after I bought the car)
Thanks inadvance
Since rejecting the car I've had very slow contact with the garage and the "brand" (Skoda UK) who have apparently agreed to the rejection in principle but are just agreeing figures. It's getting on to 6 weeks since I rejected it and I'm now looking at the ombudsman or potentially court. Are there any solicitors out there who specialise in this sort of thing? If so, how much is it likely to cost me? (As a further wrinkle, I always have legal expenses cover with my home insurance but my current insurer is saying that they won't cover it as I changed insurer around 9 days after I bought the car)
Thanks inadvance
I would imagine any solicitor involvement would add substantially to your costs, and I don't imagine it would be claimable.
There is so much information out there , you could probably self-represent?
Is court really the right action, I suspect the dealer is just sand-bagging, I trust they would get there eventually, it's hardly a "never before seen" situation on their behalf.
Have you tried going to the Dealer Principal, either direct phone call or face to face? Maybe they could speed things up.
There is so much information out there , you could probably self-represent?
Is court really the right action, I suspect the dealer is just sand-bagging, I trust they would get there eventually, it's hardly a "never before seen" situation on their behalf.
Have you tried going to the Dealer Principal, either direct phone call or face to face? Maybe they could speed things up.
Thanks. The dealer itself is pretty much closed because of covid and I've been dealing with the sales manager and aftersales manager at the garage before being referred off to the head of brand for the group of garages (it's one of these ones who run franchises in a number of towns). They eventually got to the point of agreeing in principle but subject to sorting the finances out (whatever that's meant to mean)
I think you're right about sandbagging but my worry about self representing is the old axiom about someone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. Hopefully we'll get there but the power feels very much one sided at the moment. If I don't get anything from them soon then I'll be trying the ombudsman route but want to have an idea of what I'd need to do if this doesn't get anywhere.
I think you're right about sandbagging but my worry about self representing is the old axiom about someone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. Hopefully we'll get there but the power feels very much one sided at the moment. If I don't get anything from them soon then I'll be trying the ombudsman route but want to have an idea of what I'd need to do if this doesn't get anywhere.
It maybe Skoda UK and the dealer fighting about who takes the car on which is causing the delay.
In instances where I've been involved in car rejections, from a dealer perspective, it generally goes through the manufacturer, however the dealer is expected to take the car, effectively buying it back from you and then it is the dealers problem, they may well be fighting with Skoda UK as they don't want it, plus you've got the whole CV-19 issue slowing things down too.
If a rejection in principle has been accepted, what's the point in paying for a solicitor, you've got what you want, you just need to lean heavily on both the dealer and Skoda UK to get their arses into gear. Perhaps a bit of negative social media attention might get them moving.
In instances where I've been involved in car rejections, from a dealer perspective, it generally goes through the manufacturer, however the dealer is expected to take the car, effectively buying it back from you and then it is the dealers problem, they may well be fighting with Skoda UK as they don't want it, plus you've got the whole CV-19 issue slowing things down too.
If a rejection in principle has been accepted, what's the point in paying for a solicitor, you've got what you want, you just need to lean heavily on both the dealer and Skoda UK to get their arses into gear. Perhaps a bit of negative social media attention might get them moving.
fox2319 said:
) They eventually got to the point of agreeing in principle but subject to sorting the finances out (whatever that's meant to mean)
It means they are going to try and screw you over on the finance. If you think it’s money back, nope ...
It’s money back less an amount for the use you have had.
Realistically, this will be like you trading it in, I suspect.
I’ve been there, took me months and months, and yes, got screwed on the finance, and this was from a car that from new, was in the dealer on average once every 2 weeks with a fault they couldn’t find, although agreed it existed (was intermittent).
(Should add, I got slightly less screwed on the finance then they first tried as I’d already been to the motoring press and got the story covered in a magazine , which is what got me the replacement, I threatened to go back to them if they didn’t make the finance sensible)
Edited by mph999 on Tuesday 23 March 15:00
You don't need a specialist solicitor for this sort of thing. Boggo consumer law work should be within the skill set of any High Street firm so long as the High Street is not in some desperate bombed out kind of town. Yer typical long established country town firm with not many partners would be OK. Avoid firms that have offices that look like corner shops.
The cost benefit ratio of hiring a lawyer for a car dispute may not be at all good, unless it's a super mega spiffy expensive car. For specialist car litigation you would need to hire Wilmots, but they would be likely to charge on the basis of their usual customer base, who are people litigating about very high end cars, usually old ones.
The cost benefit ratio of hiring a lawyer for a car dispute may not be at all good, unless it's a super mega spiffy expensive car. For specialist car litigation you would need to hire Wilmots, but they would be likely to charge on the basis of their usual customer base, who are people litigating about very high end cars, usually old ones.
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