AA Dealer Promise

[CaptainHindsight]

Hi all, like many here I'm agonising over dropping a wad of cash on a used car in the current climate, but I hand keys back on our current lease in a couple of weeks so feel my arm is forced.

I've spotted something I like, it's relatively local and price looks fairly decent. They are an independant dealer with mixed online reviews, as most dealers are.

I normally buy new cars, because I like a hassle free life where I don't have to make too many decisions and like the peace of mind a warranty brings. So buying a used car, I'm completely out of my depth here, and struggling.

This particular dealer has signed up to the AA Dealer Promise, the "gold standard customer service", providing the following:

What are the promises? The dealer will......

-Provide a minimum of 6 months MOT on all vehicles
-Allow you to test drive any vehicle
-Welcome any vehicle inspection before you buy
-Make sure every vehicle is in good condition
-Provide V5 registration and service records where available
-Work closely with you and the AA Cars team to help with any issues
-Honour their obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to protect your purchase

Does this actually provide any benefit whatsoever? I was originally intending to instruct AA to do an inspection of the car, which I'm still intending to do, however having seen this it makes me also feel this provides a conflict where presumably the dealer is lining AA's pocket more so than I would.

[ESD1711]

I looked at this not so long ago myself and my own personal conclusion was that it’s largely sales waffle.

None of those ‘benefits’ listed are anything over and above of what I’d expect from ANY used car dealer regardless of what scheme they’ve signed up to.

Do your checks as normal and treat the purchase the same as you would were they not in this scheme.

[Jamescrs]

Its simply marketing b.s and the AA allow the garage to use their name for a fee, I have then the RAC do the same.

It means you shouldn't treat the garage with any more or less credibility than the next one along which doesn't have the AA signs.

I have had a car previously with the AA warranty for which I had to make a claim for a new turbo, it was a Seat Leon Mk2 TDi. I managed to make a claim but there was a claim limit of £1000 and the total cost was £1300. I had to pay the full bill and claim the £1000 back.
As with the garage I believe it was another warranty company who had licenced the AA name.

[jwilco]

Agree with the 2 posts above. What is the age/mileage of the car you're looking at?

[steveo3002]

its waffle

[CaptainSlow]

I had an AA branded warranty, underwritten and managed by another company....they just use the AA name .

I put a claim in for £700 and over a period of several weeks I was given numerous different spurious reason why it wouldn't pay out. I eventually threatened to take it to the financial ombudsman and they paid the following day. My car was sat in pieces in the garage throughout this time. I won't be buying another of their policies.

[Trevor555]

I agree with the above answers, waffle.

Do the AA really step in to help with after sales issues?

Will the AA put their hands in their pockets to fix a fault that the dealer won't?

And from what I've seen over the years with garages, and workshops, is that some business's need to try and create some credibility somehow.

Seeing some of the garages that have done it around my way it's clear to me that the AA, and the "good garage scheme" do no research on the new business's that take on their scheme.

Happy to be educated if anyone from the AA is on here.

But the absolute worst place around my way, that just about everyone knows they're crooks, became a member of a scheme like this.

Sorry for the rant, just check each car as an individual regardless of who's selling it. And that includes main dealers, I've seen some dreadful cars on main dealer pitches.

Edited by Trevor555 on Sunday 10th January 09:54

[steveo3002]

-Provide a minimum of 6 months MOT on all vehicles - who doesnt ?
-Allow you to test drive any vehicle - yep thats what garages do
-Welcome any vehicle inspection before you buy - yep
-Make sure every vehicle is in good condition- uh huh
-Provide V5 registration and service records where available - provide the v5 yeah thanks sterling service
-Work closely with you and the AA Cars team to help with any issues - i bet
-Honour their obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to protect your purchase- as obliged by law?

[CaptainHindsight]

Thanks all, feared as much.

jwilco said:

Agree with the 2 posts above. What is the age/mileage of the car you're looking at?

It's a 15 plate C Class with circa 36k miles on.

@captainslow, thats brutal but sounds like resilience got you the fair outcome.

[ESD1711]

CaptainHindsight said:

It's a 15 plate C Class with circa 36k miles on.

@captainslow, thats brutal but sounds like resilience got you the fair outcome.

It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s something to be feared or give you any reason to doubt the quality of the car / intentions of the dealer.

It just means you need to see the ‘benefits’ for what they are. Like I say, treat it like any other used car, do your checks and if needed, get it independently inspected.

If you get an AA inspection done on it, I’d still expect that to be carried out to the same standard they would with a garage not in this scheme.

Read the reviews of the dealer and just watch out for any red flags that pop up during your own dealings.

[ZX10R NIN]

That dealer promise is nothing more than you should expect from a dealer, do a VCheck/HPI also check the cars MOT history, basically do your checks & get the car inspected if you want.

Check to see if someone isn't selling one more keenly elsewhere because you can always get it delivered.

Alternatively if you want something nice then take a look at the Q50 they use the same Mercedes drivetrain as in the C220 & have a very nice interior too, but they don't have the badge which may help you keep more money in your pocket & you still rolling around in a nice car.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101077...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012227...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101057...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011176...

[raspy]

Doesn't seem wise to sink money into a 5 year old C class when the next generation C class comes out this year (and will cause the current generation to depreciate faster) unless it's a car you plan to keep for 7-10 years. Plus, don't C classes throw up bigger bills from year 5 onwards?

Can you not find a short term rental to tide you over or buy a much cheaper used car to tide you over until you can get into a brand new car again?

[driverfox]

In my opinion this scheme is nothing more then actually benefiting only aa not a dealer, as dealer pays for the service, because those cars are not inspected at all. I agree with some other replys get it inspect it as the cars sold from main dealers, smaller dealers, car supermarkets can be dreadful As I nearly bought something bad twice, but I had this inspected by CarExamer.