Used car - extra costs on top of advertised price
Discussion
I went to look at a Scenic for my MIL at a local dealer today. Once I had decided it was the car for her and was sat at the salesman's desk, he hit me with a £365 compulsory package of extras including HPI, 3 month warranty, driveaway 7 day insurance, MOT, £99 admin charge and 3 months warranty and breakdown. I wouldn't mind but this is nearly 10% of the price and as far as I am concerned the added value of some of these are limited, the only ones with value I would expect to be included in the forecourt price when buying from a proper dealer. Is this a common practice and how do people like trading standards view it?
I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
Those 'extras' cost chuff all and most should be included anyway. Ask yourself 2 questions:
1. Are there plenty of others around at the same price?
2. If it goes even more wrong, will the garage give a monkeys and will I have to be reminded of that s
te car I chose for my MIL every time I go round for tea?
Run (don't walk) away.
1. Are there plenty of others around at the same price?
2. If it goes even more wrong, will the garage give a monkeys and will I have to be reminded of that s
te car I chose for my MIL every time I go round for tea?Run (don't walk) away.
PhilD said:
I went to look at a Scenic for my MIL at a local dealer today. Once I had decided it was the car for her and was sat at the salesman's desk, he hit me with a £365 compulsory package of extras including HPI, 3 month warranty, driveaway 7 day insurance, MOT, £99 admin charge and 3 months warranty and breakdown. I wouldn't mind but this is nearly 10% of the price and as far as I am concerned the added value of some of these are limited, the only ones with value I would expect to be included in the forecourt price when buying from a proper dealer. Is this a common practice and how do people like trading standards view it?
I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
Walk away, buy somebody else's. I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
The package thing sounds a bit mad but the fact that the car has so many little basic and obvious faults would be the reason for me to avoid it. "Missing a wiper" - well done to the person who prep'd that bad boy for sale.
The adding on of essential items seems a little on the retarded side.
On a rare car it could be worth the hassle. A Scenic isn't rare, there are loads about and I'd therefor walk.
Have you thought about a Zafira? I'd probably have the Scenic myself, however the Vauxhall is less likely to have a massive electrical hissy fit, so that's the one I'd recommend when asked
The adding on of essential items seems a little on the retarded side.
On a rare car it could be worth the hassle. A Scenic isn't rare, there are loads about and I'd therefor walk.
Have you thought about a Zafira? I'd probably have the Scenic myself, however the Vauxhall is less likely to have a massive electrical hissy fit, so that's the one I'd recommend when asked
Thanks guys for the feedback so far.
The tough decision is that it does or at least did seem like incredible value. I probably would have been happy with the car if the extra had been included in the forecourt price, but the way they have marked up the price is really grating.
A 2007 Scenic Dynamique 1.6 Auto with 42k miles for 4k (+ £365) does seem like reasonable value, but just not the bargain it was I guess.
Cheers
Phil
The tough decision is that it does or at least did seem like incredible value. I probably would have been happy with the car if the extra had been included in the forecourt price, but the way they have marked up the price is really grating.
A 2007 Scenic Dynamique 1.6 Auto with 42k miles for 4k (+ £365) does seem like reasonable value, but just not the bargain it was I guess.
Cheers
Phil
3 month warranty HAS to be included, the dealer has no choice.
It's all a load of bloox to reel buyers in on price then get them hooked on the car and then they hit them with the extras.
I bet they also tried to sell you the scotchguard interior protection and the paintwork coating that never has to be polished or waxed ever again.
It's all a load of bloox to reel buyers in on price then get them hooked on the car and then they hit them with the extras.
I bet they also tried to sell you the scotchguard interior protection and the paintwork coating that never has to be polished or waxed ever again.
This one is only a small amount more:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
and a mere 36 miles from the original dealer (I found your one on the 'trader) and has a couple of important bits of info in the headline (FSH, one owner) which the vile green coloured heap does not
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
and a mere 36 miles from the original dealer (I found your one on the 'trader) and has a couple of important bits of info in the headline (FSH, one owner) which the vile green coloured heap does not
Jebi said:
3 month warranty HAS to be included, the dealer has no choice.
No warranty has to be included, that is incorrect. That is not to say you don't have statutory rights which give a level of protection but which may be difficult and costly to enforce, it is not as simple as having a mandatory warranty and consideration will be given to the age and price of the car.To the OP, I've heard of these weird packages, I'd walk away and find another.
markmullen said:
Jebi said:
3 month warranty HAS to be included, the dealer has no choice.
No warranty has to be included, that is incorrect. That is not to say you don't have statutory rights which give a level of protection but which may be difficult and costly to enforce, it is not as simple as having a mandatory warranty and consideration will be given to the age and price of the car.To the OP, I've heard of these weird packages, I'd walk away and find another.
It was the case a while ago as I looked into this very carefully when I took the dealer you bought one of your cars from to court.
It used to be a statutory 3 months, regardless of what a dealer says about being sold without warranty, unless the car is specifically sold to trade that is.
Personally I'd be running out their door very fast:-
They have to do HPI (or equivalent) as traders as if there is outstanding finance they don't have "good title" (ownership) of the car.
I was given the 7 days insurance free from NU (they offer it free, fairly, IMO, as a way of getting longer term customers)
I won't go into the rest - especially the MOT and non-working wiper thing.
If you go back to these guys with a problem - how do you think you will be treated?
They have to do HPI (or equivalent) as traders as if there is outstanding finance they don't have "good title" (ownership) of the car.
I was given the 7 days insurance free from NU (they offer it free, fairly, IMO, as a way of getting longer term customers)
I won't go into the rest - especially the MOT and non-working wiper thing.
If you go back to these guys with a problem - how do you think you will be treated?
The purchase will be covered by the Sales Of Goods Act, the period of which, depends on price paid, condition and reasonable expectation of quality, it has to fit for purpose. Any warranty sold/supplied with the car is in addition to this, so there is no mandatory requirement to provide a warranty as the car is already covered.
If you had a warranty and something that is not covered goes wrong, the dealer can't say 'it's not covered, tough', he'll have to rectify the problem at his expense.
If you had a warranty and something that is not covered goes wrong, the dealer can't say 'it's not covered, tough', he'll have to rectify the problem at his expense.
PhilD said:
I went to look at a Scenic for my MIL at a local dealer today. Once I had decided it was the car for her and was sat at the salesman's desk, he hit me with a £365 compulsory package of extras including HPI, 3 month warranty, driveaway 7 day insurance, MOT, £99 admin charge and 3 months warranty and breakdown. I wouldn't mind but this is nearly 10% of the price and as far as I am concerned the added value of some of these are limited, the only ones with value I would expect to be included in the forecourt price when buying from a proper dealer. Is this a common practice and how do people like trading standards view it?
I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
Tell them to politly feck off and go to a quality independent dealer who actually values your business, rather than a faceless PLC.I have identified some faults with the car - missing windscreen wiper, rear passenger electric window switch not working correctly (drivers switch drops the window only and rear switch raises it only) and finally the central locking wasn't working (I'm not sure if it is down to flat batteries in the keycards) The salesman when presured offered the car for its forecourt price with none of the extras if I took the car as it was. This worries me as I will lose the warranty and of course the problems might not be straightforward fixes. If the car has other faults that appear in the first few days of ownership am I harming my position by taking the car as is without thier warranty?
Any help from the PH massive gratefully received!
Cheers
Phil
Admin charges to buy a car.........ridiculous
Thanks again guys.
My wife is going to have a word with the sales manager this afternoon as we are pretty disapointed with the charges. She is much better at negotiation than I am!)
Unfortunately I can't see either of the alternatives coming in within budget at 4k.
If they won't shift then I think we will have to walk away. I promise I won't buy it then post next week compaining about complete electrical meltdown!
Cheers
Phil
My wife is going to have a word with the sales manager this afternoon as we are pretty disapointed with the charges. She is much better at negotiation than I am!)
Unfortunately I can't see either of the alternatives coming in within budget at 4k.
If they won't shift then I think we will have to walk away. I promise I won't buy it then post next week compaining about complete electrical meltdown!
Cheers
Phil
Run away.
Mention it to Trading Standards, possibly.... not sure this is completely legal....
Then tell everyone you know never to use that dealer.
Then buy one of the other 10,000 senics for sale.*
* This is actually the "secret" of car buying - for most normal cars, they made 1000s and 1000s - not just the one the dealer has. There'll be another one about....
Mention it to Trading Standards, possibly.... not sure this is completely legal....
Then tell everyone you know never to use that dealer.
Then buy one of the other 10,000 senics for sale.*
* This is actually the "secret" of car buying - for most normal cars, they made 1000s and 1000s - not just the one the dealer has. There'll be another one about....
PhilD said:
Thanks again guys.
My wife is going to have a word with the sales manager this afternoon as we are pretty disapointed with the charges. She is much better at negotiation than I am!)
Unfortunately I can't see either of the alternatives coming in within budget at 4k.
If they won't shift then I think we will have to walk away. I promise I won't buy it then post next week compaining about complete electrical meltdown!
Cheers
Phil
I'd not have it anyway, the basic faults show that it's a poorly repaired heap.My wife is going to have a word with the sales manager this afternoon as we are pretty disapointed with the charges. She is much better at negotiation than I am!)
Unfortunately I can't see either of the alternatives coming in within budget at 4k.
If they won't shift then I think we will have to walk away. I promise I won't buy it then post next week compaining about complete electrical meltdown!
Cheers
Phil
Unless you need an auto bid Swerni £34k for his. OK, it's probably too low but you never know. Going that extra few hundred for one that's been looked after with no faults is a no brainer
There's an independent dealer in Kent, has a very large stock of nice PH-worthy cars, both toys and daily driver stuff. He often comes up when I search for such cars, but I'll never even enquire of his vehicles, let alone buy one as I'm put off immediately by the ad blurb.
They all feature the price then towards the end of the detailed description mention the warranty you have to take and then give a new 'total price'. So the price at the top of the ad is just a sub-total?
If they want to include 'compulsory' items, they should feature in the headline price.
They all feature the price then towards the end of the detailed description mention the warranty you have to take and then give a new 'total price'. So the price at the top of the ad is just a sub-total?
If they want to include 'compulsory' items, they should feature in the headline price.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff