Main dealer finance problem - need some advice
Discussion
Ok in June this year we ordered a brand new car from a main dealer, it was ordered under a finance contribution offer where the manufacturer pays £1700 towards the PCP - the dealer stated when I specifically asked that even if the car arrived after the promotion finished it would still get the contribution as it was being ordered now.
Car has now turned up, picking up in 4 days and apparently the business manager was going to call me a couple of days ago to sort out the PCP and I was going to get emailed the V5R or something to sign and return. Having had nothing I phoned today and the salesman told me he would chase it up. He then casually mentioned that the PCP offer had expired and so I may aswell pay by debit card or traditional HP/PCP or whatever I wanted as I the promotion had finished. I pointed out that the vehicle had already been ordered during the promotion period etc and he just said back to me that the PCP wasn't proposed therefore it had lost out on the contribution. I left it at that and said I would call back in a bit as I was about to get mad down the phone.
The invoice is somewhere at home, but if I recall correctly he even typed on the invoice the promotion offer to show that it would still have the contribution. I'll find the invoice so thats not a problem, but, am I right in thinking that the deal must still be honoured (sp)?
If they don't play ball what can i do?
Car has now turned up, picking up in 4 days and apparently the business manager was going to call me a couple of days ago to sort out the PCP and I was going to get emailed the V5R or something to sign and return. Having had nothing I phoned today and the salesman told me he would chase it up. He then casually mentioned that the PCP offer had expired and so I may aswell pay by debit card or traditional HP/PCP or whatever I wanted as I the promotion had finished. I pointed out that the vehicle had already been ordered during the promotion period etc and he just said back to me that the PCP wasn't proposed therefore it had lost out on the contribution. I left it at that and said I would call back in a bit as I was about to get mad down the phone.
The invoice is somewhere at home, but if I recall correctly he even typed on the invoice the promotion offer to show that it would still have the contribution. I'll find the invoice so thats not a problem, but, am I right in thinking that the deal must still be honoured (sp)?
If they don't play ball what can i do?
I've had a similar experience in the past buying a car for my missus. The dealer made a big song and dance about it until I showed them proof on the invoice. They backed down, but made out they were doing me a big favour by honouring it and wouldn't normally do it etc etc. Soured the entire experience. Buying a new car should be an enjoyable and exciting time. Instead you spend half of it trying to figure out if and where you're being fleeced. I'm not saying all dealers do that at all, just enough of them do to make you wary of all of them.
em177 said:
If you have it on the original invoice there's nothing they can do surely....
thats what i think, although the invoice doesn't show the £1700 as a dedection, what it shows is the retail promotion description on the invoice, that promotion is what contributes the £1700 towards the invoiced price...amirzed said:
em177 said:
If you have it on the original invoice there's nothing they can do surely....
thats what i think, although the invoice doesn't show the £1700 as a dedection, what it shows is the retail promotion description on the invoice, that promotion is what contributes the £1700 towards the invoiced price...If the sales manager doesn't want to honour it, tell him you will pull out of the deal.
If they then try and charge you, put a call into his boss.
If his boss doesn't listen, repeat process until you can't get any higher.
They will listen, eventually.
If they are willing to write prescriptive deals on an invoice where there is a known lead in on a car then at the very least someone should be getting their wrists slapped for being so daft.
matc said:
They'll have to honour it, it's a simple as them looking at the date you ordered it. It's their fault of they didn't propose the finance before now, not yours.
Call and ask to speak to the dealer principle, he'll no doubt be going mental at the Business Manager about now anyway!
cheers, and thanks for your advice a few months back on the mercedes deal - was much appreciated!Call and ask to speak to the dealer principle, he'll no doubt be going mental at the Business Manager about now anyway!
As mentioned above, ask to speak to the business manager, or sales manager. Show him the paperwork you have, request they honour it, if that fails, Audi customer service are brilliant.
Do NOT sign any finance paperwork or anything though in the mean time, its a signature showing you agree to the contract, dont!
Do NOT sign any finance paperwork or anything though in the mean time, its a signature showing you agree to the contract, dont!
I have worked in and around Audi Financial Services for years.
Centrally, they make it clear to dealers that finance offers are only valid for the stated period - if the car cannot be delivered and finance paid out within the period of the offer they will not automatically honour it. Its important to know that the car has to be delivered within the offer period, the car being ordered within the period is not sufficient for them.
This is crazy when most vehicles are factory order and the lead times are so long that its often impossible to order the car and get it delivered within the offer period, which for Audi Finance is a quarterly offer.
Dealers can contact Audi Finance and explain the situation, sometimes they will agree to honour the offer.
Your contract is with the dealer, if they have stated that they will honour the finance offer and have been stupid enough not to get this agreed with Audi Finance then its their fault and you as a customer should not lose out.
Centrally, they make it clear to dealers that finance offers are only valid for the stated period - if the car cannot be delivered and finance paid out within the period of the offer they will not automatically honour it. Its important to know that the car has to be delivered within the offer period, the car being ordered within the period is not sufficient for them.
This is crazy when most vehicles are factory order and the lead times are so long that its often impossible to order the car and get it delivered within the offer period, which for Audi Finance is a quarterly offer.
Dealers can contact Audi Finance and explain the situation, sometimes they will agree to honour the offer.
Your contract is with the dealer, if they have stated that they will honour the finance offer and have been stupid enough not to get this agreed with Audi Finance then its their fault and you as a customer should not lose out.
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