High pressure sales tactics and purchasing - help needed
Discussion
My MIL has been subject to some high pressure sales tactics - basically she has been looking to change her car from the current C4 Picasso (07 plate, 90k miles) and popped into a used car dealer that happens to be a very small franchise for the new MG brand on Saturday.
She wanted to test drive the new ZS suv. They insisted on a £100 deposit and she could test it on the Sunday. She paid and came away(!). She went back Sunday and did the test drive but committed to nothing, they have held onto the deposit.
Come Monday she has since seen the reviews, ncap rating etc. and was unimpressed and went to cancel. She has been coerced into signing for a pre-reg 18plate ZS and is due to take delivery this coming friday, it’s a little over £14k, over 30mths and £500mth(!) and they’re giving her £800 for her px
Is there anything she can do, I am not up on consumer law etc...??
She wanted to test drive the new ZS suv. They insisted on a £100 deposit and she could test it on the Sunday. She paid and came away(!). She went back Sunday and did the test drive but committed to nothing, they have held onto the deposit.
Come Monday she has since seen the reviews, ncap rating etc. and was unimpressed and went to cancel. She has been coerced into signing for a pre-reg 18plate ZS and is due to take delivery this coming friday, it’s a little over £14k, over 30mths and £500mth(!) and they’re giving her £800 for her px
Is there anything she can do, I am not up on consumer law etc...??
MrBarry123 said:
Under the Consumer Credit Act, she'll have 14 days from the point of signing the agreement to withdraw without penalty.
The finance agreement yes, she'll still have to pay for the car via other means though, also she'll have to pay a few days interest. For the sake of £100 I'd just walk and then hammer them on social media.
She isn’t bothered about the £100 paid so that’s whats likely to happen I think
Apparently when she said she wanted to think about it and didn’t know if it was the right thing to do the salesman told her that she is a grown woman and of course it’s the right thing to do. She mentioned she wanted to speak to me about it and apparently as I am using hire cars till my new car gets delivered on Friday I’m an “idiot and know zero about cars”. He then rang some “customer” to quote how great the car is and how she should buy post-haste!
Apparently when she said she wanted to think about it and didn’t know if it was the right thing to do the salesman told her that she is a grown woman and of course it’s the right thing to do. She mentioned she wanted to speak to me about it and apparently as I am using hire cars till my new car gets delivered on Friday I’m an “idiot and know zero about cars”. He then rang some “customer” to quote how great the car is and how she should buy post-haste!
alorotom said:
And now they are refusing to let her cancel, saying she has no right to
Get down there yourself and put them straight. Preferably very loudly when it's very busy and hopefully they'll sort it out amicably.If the funds haven't been released for the car yet then cancelling the credit agreement and refusing to pay for the car would be my next step.
alorotom said:
And now they are refusing to let her cancel, saying she has no right to
they are right (not finance though as above) Do you have any evidence of High pressure sales tactics as under the Consumer protection from unfair trading, creating the impression a consumer can't leave the premises until a contract is formed. Event though an 'average customer' shouldn't need any it would help. Are they vulnerable, older or disabled? you can contact trading standards or inform them you will,
information here
https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides...
alorotom said:
HTP99 said:
Has your mother actually signed the finance paperwork?
Has she signed an order?
The car is pre-reg so no order form, but she did sign the finance agreement. A copy of which and the terms wasn’t shared.Has she signed an order?
She is registered disabled, yes
Personally I would get together with your mum and contact the finance company ASAP, play on her being elderly, vulnerable, disabled etc and she wasn't made fully aware what she was signing up for and felt coerced into signing up, milk it as much as you can, without going too ott and see what they say. I should imagine that they won't want this kind of s
tstorm so will likely want it resolved ASAP. Regarding pulling out of the agreement within 14 days, I'm not sure what happens regarding the money because presumably the garage may have already been paid for the car by the finance company so in that instance I don't know if the money is clawed back or your mum has to pay the finance company the money that has been paid to the garage.
The fact that she has signed the finance paperwork would indicate that she needs to be dealing with the finance company as there is now a a contract set up with them.
So the finance company GMAC are cancelling the agreement, funds hadn’t been sent to the garage yet. The finance rate was 1.5%ish, it was only over 29mths HP hence the £500mthly.
In terms of the signature; it’s in the signature of customer agreeing to the finance contract where they have signed her name, I spoke with Action Against Fraud and they advised it is an illegal practice to knowingly sign and accept the agreement on her behalf (not the signing to acknowledge they’ve taken her through it (whether that happened or not))
I am awaiting the dealership manager to call me in the morning between 9 and 10 to speak to me and I have catalogued the issues and emailed them over to him this afternoon - I’m betting he doesn’t call but I shall be on the phone at 10:01 if not.
It’s a right ball ache as I would have headed straight down but I’m in Norwich and the garage is in Newcastle
In terms of the signature; it’s in the signature of customer agreeing to the finance contract where they have signed her name, I spoke with Action Against Fraud and they advised it is an illegal practice to knowingly sign and accept the agreement on her behalf (not the signing to acknowledge they’ve taken her through it (whether that happened or not))
I am awaiting the dealership manager to call me in the morning between 9 and 10 to speak to me and I have catalogued the issues and emailed them over to him this afternoon - I’m betting he doesn’t call but I shall be on the phone at 10:01 if not.
It’s a right ball ache as I would have headed straight down but I’m in Norwich and the garage is in Newcastle
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