I messed up.

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Discussion

Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Needed a second car, found a nice looking Giulietta from a used car dealership, the first time I could see it was at night and in the pissing rain so I didn't get down on the floor to have a proper look - unfortunately let the previous good reviews of the place and first impressions of the guys swing me. All seemed well, drove very nicely, no warning signs any where so I bought it. In hindsight, a terrible decision, should have gone back in the day.

A week later I've manged to get the car off the ground and to my horror discovered the car has been in a small crash, hitting a very small post perhaps as the radiator and the bumper beam are bent. Things I probably should have spotted when looking around the car, but with it being a car dealer I stupidly believed they had some sort of responsibility to provide straight cars.

They say they have serviced the car (inc stamp in the book), which would mean they will have seen the damage yet there was no mention of it at all.
Apart from the slating I deserve from here, would a damaged crash beam constitute not "fit for purpose" or will these be classed as damage a buyer should have spotted.

Thanks for any help.

Red 4

10,744 posts

186 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
It's a used car.

They are very rarely perfect.

The damage you have described appears to be cosmetic - the car is fit for purpose.

Ask for a bit of goodwill from the dealer re; the radiator if you're worried about it.

Plug Life

978 posts

90 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Torch that dealership.

Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Alfa Workshop, are local to me so I'll be heading there for an 'engineers report' to see if there's anything else this bump has caused before contacting the trade seller. Though part of me feels I should email them before so they can't say it was Alfa Workshop that did the damage.

OddCat

2,515 posts

170 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Don't be too hard on yourself. I've rarely looked under a car when buying.

The dealership may not have noticed. It my be a surprise ti them too. Maybe give them a chance to rectify ?

warch

2,941 posts

153 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Sounds like fairly minor damage to me, I don't think I'd worry overmuch if it was me.

Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
warch said:
Sounds like fairly minor damage to me, I don't think I'd worry overmuch if it was me.
I'll get a picture up tomorrow, but it's quite a whack to the radiator, amazed it isn't leaking.

I'd like to think they didn't know, but they'd have to have taken off the broken under tray to drain the oil from what I've read.

It doesn't look like the dent in the bumper beam has caused any damage to the crash beams it's connected to at least.

Zetec-S

5,832 posts

92 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Boydie88 said:
They say they have serviced the car (inc stamp in the book), which would mean they will have seen the damage yet there was no mention of it at all.
Boydie88 said:
I'd like to think they didn't know, but they'd have to have taken off the broken under tray to drain the oil from what I've read.
scratchchin Sounds like they either knew about the damage or didn't service the car properly?

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
I’d be surprised if they even changed the oil. Just stamp it up and sell it is the usual.

Red 4

10,744 posts

186 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Faz50 said:
I’d be surprised if they even changed the oil. Just stamp it up and sell it is the usual.
Unless it's a diesel it's usually pretty easy to tell. rolleyes


Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
My thoughts too, unfortunately. It is a diesel.

eldar

21,614 posts

195 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
Boydie88 said:
I'll get a picture up tomorrow, but it's quite a whack to the radiator, amazed it isn't leaking.

I'd like to think they didn't know, but they'd have to have taken off the broken under tray to drain the oil from what I've read.

It doesn't look like the dent in the bumper beam has caused any damage to the crash beams it's connected to at least.
Oil extractor pump rather than draining?

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
eldar said:
Oil extractor pump rather than draining?
Maybe oil is not the only thing they've been extracting....

ging84

8,828 posts

145 months

Saturday 13th January 2018
quotequote all
assuming you paid a fair retail price and not a bargain part exchange to clear price then legally there should be no issue in rejecting the car
in practice things are rarely quite that simple

The Rookie

286 posts

196 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
ging84 said:
assuming you paid a fair retail price and not a bargain part exchange to clear price then legally there should be no issue in rejecting the car
in practice things are rarely quite that simple
You think? On what basis can he reject it that is enshrined in the CRA?

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
The Rookie said:
ging84 said:
assuming you paid a fair retail price and not a bargain part exchange to clear price then legally there should be no issue in rejecting the car
in practice things are rarely quite that simple
You think? On what basis can he reject it that is enshrined in the CRA?
Satisfactory quality. Free from defect.

Customers should also be told anything which might affect their decision.

Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
I found this on the AA site:

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations
Dealers must also comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (2008), which prohibit them from engaging in unfair business practices:

1. Giving false information – either verbally, visually or in writing, for example misrepresenting the vehicle's specification or history at any time before, during or after the transaction.
2. Giving insufficient information – leaving out or hiding important information for example not disclosing the existence and results of all checks carried out on the vehicle's mechanical condition, history and mileage or failing to draw your attention to the key elements of any warranty, eg what's covered, claim limits and conditions to be followed.
3. Acting aggressively for example using high pressure selling techniques to sell a vehicle or associated finance or warranty.
4. Failing to act in accordance with reasonable expectations of what's acceptable.
5. 31 specific practices are banned outright including: falsely claiming to be a signatory to a Code of Practice; falsely claiming to be approved, endorsed or authorised by a public or private body; falsely stating that a vehicle will only be available for a very limited time in order to elicit an immediate decision to buy.

I feel like 2 was broken which supports what sheepshanks said.

Had another look this morning and it appears its a radiator in front of the main radiator that has been damaged, possibly the inter cooler? (it's a 2.0 jtdm). Though with this being my first Turbo car, I don't know much.

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
Boydie88 said:
Had another look this morning and it appears its a radiator in front of the main radiator that has been damaged, possibly the inter cooler? (it's a 2.0 jtdm). Though with this being my first Turbo car, I don't know much.
Is it pretty wide (usually similar width to main radiator? Might well be the a/c condenser. It's a bit cold to check properly, but does the a/c appear to work?

cmaguire

3,589 posts

108 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
Or the aircon rad if it has aircon. If so then the pipes to it will not be large (40-60mm) rubber pipes with hose clamps but will be narrower hydraulic type pipes.

Boydie88

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

148 months

Sunday 14th January 2018
quotequote all
Could well be the aircon rad.

Here's a picture of the damage.

|https://thumbsnap.com/NWbCV2gu[/url]

The reason you can see into the area is because half of the front under tray is missing. It's this under tray that fixes to the fixings on the car and those on the rear under tray, so that tray must be flapping around as I drive.[url]

Edited by Boydie88 on Sunday 14th January 20:16