Options mandatory when purchasing a cancelled order?
Discussion
I’m on the waiting list for a car, and have been offered one by the dealership where a customer has cancelled their order
Whilst I understand that options that are specified that are made at build time (eg, interior trim etc), the dealer is insisting that non-tangible options (GAP insurance, tyre insurance etc) must also be taken with the vehicle as they were specified by the original purchaser
This really seems like the dealership forcing options onto me that I don’t want - does anybody know the real deal here?
I would expect that any insurance product is subject to the 14 day cooling off period, so even if I’m forced to pay for them now, I can immediately cancel with the provider (explaining what happened) and get a refund, right?
Whilst I understand that options that are specified that are made at build time (eg, interior trim etc), the dealer is insisting that non-tangible options (GAP insurance, tyre insurance etc) must also be taken with the vehicle as they were specified by the original purchaser
This really seems like the dealership forcing options onto me that I don’t want - does anybody know the real deal here?
I would expect that any insurance product is subject to the 14 day cooling off period, so even if I’m forced to pay for them now, I can immediately cancel with the provider (explaining what happened) and get a refund, right?
LeeNoble said:
the dealer is insisting that non-tangible options (GAP insurance, tyre insurance etc) must also be taken with the vehicle as they were specified by the original purchaser
Everything you have listed is a seperate insurance policy, and they should all have a cooling off period (check!)If the rest of the deal works for you - Smile sweetly, accept them all, and then ring up next day and cancel every single one of them.
shtu said:
Everything you have listed is a seperate insurance policy, and they should all have a cooling off period (check!)
If the rest of the deal works for you - Smile sweetly, accept them all, and then ring up next day and cancel every single one of them.
That’s my current plan! 👍If the rest of the deal works for you - Smile sweetly, accept them all, and then ring up next day and cancel every single one of them.
That's quite cunningQuite common a couple of years back for VAG to offer huge incentives to take the finance, and some ( 
) would take it and cancel next day. Thousands off, 2 years' servicing, and total cost of about £9 - and VW Finance wouldn't even ask you why you wished to cancel, they just gave you a £number, and how to pay.
Some salesmen encouraged it.
Re the insurances, here's an example https://totallossgap.co.uk/cancellation-and-coolin...
) would take it and cancel next day. Thousands off, 2 years' servicing, and total cost of about £9 - and VW Finance wouldn't even ask you why you wished to cancel, they just gave you a £number, and how to pay.Some salesmen encouraged it.
Re the insurances, here's an example https://totallossgap.co.uk/cancellation-and-coolin...
Isn’t this just a case of a package deal and it’s the bottom line that matters?
I agreed a good discount on my current car and afterwards the salesman asked to add in Gap and Starguard at no additional cost.
Made no difference to me but helped sweeten the deal for them as there was little in the sale commission wise.
I agreed a good discount on my current car and afterwards the salesman asked to add in Gap and Starguard at no additional cost.
Made no difference to me but helped sweeten the deal for them as there was little in the sale commission wise.
Can’t help but think these practices have got the next FCA scandal all over it, a la DB pensions transfers, PPI mis-selling, packaged bank accounts etc etc. I wonder if Martin Lewis has ever picked up on it.
Basically being coerced in to taking a protection product to enable the purchase of goods and that’s exactly what TCF and all those demands / needs docs are meant to address.
Basically being coerced in to taking a protection product to enable the purchase of goods and that’s exactly what TCF and all those demands / needs docs are meant to address.
barryrs said:
Isn’t this just a case of a package deal and it’s the bottom line that matters?
I agreed a good discount on my current car and afterwards the salesman asked to add in Gap and Starguard at no additional cost.
Made no difference to me but helped sweeten the deal for them as there was little in the sale commission wise.
All true, but this sure doesn't sound like that sort of deal - it's a car they have a waiting list for, and see a shot at making some extra £££ off it.I agreed a good discount on my current car and afterwards the salesman asked to add in Gap and Starguard at no additional cost.
Made no difference to me but helped sweeten the deal for them as there was little in the sale commission wise.
Again, fair enough - but it's the lie that rankles. If the seller had said "look, I've got one available, do me a favour and take the paint protection so I make £50 on it", odds are the OP would. I probably would.
Making up tales that the customer ordered alloy wheel insurance before the wheels were made just takes the piss, and deserves the same in return.
They can “force” options and stuff you don’t want if they’re offering you something. A car cover, scotch guard, etc. You don’t have to accept and they don’t have to sell you it.
They definitely cannot however force you stuff like GAP insurance and other regulated products as the FCA will have their balls. I’d mention the FCA and get them to take it off or you’ll be reporting what they tried to sell you…
They definitely cannot however force you stuff like GAP insurance and other regulated products as the FCA will have their balls. I’d mention the FCA and get them to take it off or you’ll be reporting what they tried to sell you…
Anything that's a "product" isn't something that has a cooling off, eg, paint or fabric treatments, so you'll be paying for those, even though they might have some sort of warranty\insurance attached to them.
Pure financial things like tyre insurance, you should be able to bin those off penalty-free.
Pure financial things like tyre insurance, you should be able to bin those off penalty-free.
shtu said:
LeeNoble said:
the dealer is insisting that non-tangible options (GAP insurance, tyre insurance etc) must also be taken with the vehicle as they were specified by the original purchaser
Everything you have listed is a seperate insurance policy, and they should all have a cooling off period (check!)If the rest of the deal works for you - Smile sweetly, accept them all, and then ring up next day and cancel every single one of them.
When I ordered a new car recently, probably the only time I'll ever buy new the first thing I said was I don't want a single extra and I don't want any finance.
First dealer couldn't accept that, the second would so I ordered there.
It's a thinly veiled scam, along with PPF and interior fabric protection, which must be the pick of the current piss takes.
First dealer couldn't accept that, the second would so I ordered there.
It's a thinly veiled scam, along with PPF and interior fabric protection, which must be the pick of the current piss takes.
OP try to covertly record the conversations on a phone (use loudspeaker or whatever) stressing you’ll take them but you don’t consider them to be “suitable” (important you use that word) then go ahead per the above advice.
Once you are in possession of car and withdrawn from the mis-sold products, get on to the FOS or the FCA with a full account of what happened.
Car sales folk used to know a lot about cars - performance, engine makes, option combinations - but in my experience the products (cars) sell themselves so the sales folk are fast becoming sellers of PCP, HP (credit) or protection products. The same standards we expect of our high street banks should apply to car dealerships if that’s the game they are in, and they need to be called out when they go off reservation as it’s a compliance matter.
Once you are in possession of car and withdrawn from the mis-sold products, get on to the FOS or the FCA with a full account of what happened.
Car sales folk used to know a lot about cars - performance, engine makes, option combinations - but in my experience the products (cars) sell themselves so the sales folk are fast becoming sellers of PCP, HP (credit) or protection products. The same standards we expect of our high street banks should apply to car dealerships if that’s the game they are in, and they need to be called out when they go off reservation as it’s a compliance matter.
ukpolak said:
OP try to covertly record the conversations on a phone (use loudspeaker or whatever) stressing you’ll take them but you don’t consider them to be “suitable” (important you use that word) then go ahead per the above advice.
Once you are in possession of car and withdrawn from the mis-sold products, get on to the FOS or the FCA with a full account of what happened.
Car sales folk used to know a lot about cars - performance, engine makes, option combinations - but in my experience the products (cars) sell themselves so the sales folk are fast becoming sellers of PCP, HP (credit) or protection products. The same standards we expect of our high street banks should apply to car dealerships if that’s the game they are in, and they need to be called out when they go off reservation as it’s a compliance matter.
ThanksOnce you are in possession of car and withdrawn from the mis-sold products, get on to the FOS or the FCA with a full account of what happened.
Car sales folk used to know a lot about cars - performance, engine makes, option combinations - but in my experience the products (cars) sell themselves so the sales folk are fast becoming sellers of PCP, HP (credit) or protection products. The same standards we expect of our high street banks should apply to car dealerships if that’s the game they are in, and they need to be called out when they go off reservation as it’s a compliance matter.
Whilst I was aware the product (car) is being misrepresented (it can’t be bought without the unwanted insurance products) and that this is an offence under the Unfair Trading Regulations, I wasn’t aware of the regulations around mis-selling insurance products too
I found quite a bit of info here https://www.money.co.uk/guides/how-to-claim-for-mi...
Clearly, the salesman hasn’t bothered to determine if the products are suitable for me, and it’s also clearly pressure selling
I know how to proceed now 😁
Once again, thanks everyone for your responses 👍
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