Warranty Update

[Jappo]

Spoke to Dom this morning and here's the latest, sorry if it's long winded but the detail is necessary:

My Sag was first registered 1/1/05. On 7/6/05 at 1096 miles it had its 1st service, on 27/7/05 at 5,643 miles it had its 2nd service (both @ Peter Smith) and at 7448 miles on 27/03/06 it had an oil/filter service by TVR Power. I bought the car from Tony Gilbert on 24/11/06 showing 9,400 miles with, on the sales invoice, under Accessories: "Warranty is covered by remainder of Manufacturers warranty until May 2008".

I put the car into TVR Centre 4/12/06 for a full service and to look at the graunchy gearbox and unswitchoffable air-con which turned out to be damaged synchro and a faulty ECU - both to be sent off and done under Warranty. The subsequent refusal seems to have stemmed from the fact that while the car had been up for sale it had passed through the 12 month cutoff date for a service by 4 months (technically due 27/7/06) - despite, and as you can see from the above, being if anything over serviced in its prior life. This decision was made by the factory and not TVR Power or TVR Centre.

Martin and Dom have been arguing the toss over this rather pedantic situation on my behalf since day one but, the disintegration of the TVR organisation since has got in the way. It seems there is a willingness to rectify the situation not just for me, but anyone else who has been treated in a less than reeasonable manner and negotiations are afoot with an insurer who is looking to underwrite TVR's factory Warranties very shortly.

So, maybe there is a little light at the end of the tunnel after all - whatever, it seems that TVR is going to be carrying on in some form or other and also that, to do so, means that the incumbent management will have to resolve the Warranty issue.

I'll let you know as things pan out. In the meantime, make damn sure that you don't go a day over the 6 or 12 month cutiff dates for your servicing.

[Jappo]

puffsorted2 said:

At least you can show where the car clocked up its mileage - might also explain the synchro problem

www.amazon.co.uk/Grand-Tour-Europe-John-Matthews/dp/B000CR6WRG

Edited by puffsorted2 on Monday 22 January 15:15

Have you seen it - is it my car?

[Jappo]

puffsorted2 said:

Jappo said:

puffsorted2 said:

At least you can show where the car clocked up its mileage - might also explain the synchro problem

www.amazon.co.uk/Grand-Tour-Europe-John-Matthews/dp/B000CR6WRG

Edited by puffsorted2 on Monday 22 January 15:15

Have you seen it - is it my car?

No but pretty sure it might be your car, but looking at it now the wheels are slightly different. There was a bit in Sprint about it a few months ago (July 2006)

Just ordered the DVD . we'll soon find out if this is the car - there aren't many in this colour and I know that the (1) previous owner had quite a bit of custom work done (brake calipers painted red, momo, de-cat, etc). The car did do a huge mileage in its first 3 months of life.

Edited by puffsorted2 on Monday 22 January 21:39

[Jappo]

Ribol said:

Jappo said:

It seems there is a willingness to rectify the situation not just for me, but anyone else who has been treated in a less than reeasonable manner and negotiations are afoot with an insurer who is looking to underwrite TVR's factory Warranties very shortly.

I don't doubt an insurer might look at underwriting the warranty(at a price) but who is going to pay the premiums for each car if TVR does not exist anymore?
It obviously shouldn't be down to the owners but I can't see anyone coming up with the money to pay the premiums.

I think it's down to the maths. Underwriters buy "books" of business on the basis that they have assessed the risks involved and the future value of the business. It may be that an underwriter (probably the one that underwrites TVR's warranties currently) has offered to buy the book and feels it is worth while putting a slush fund (if you like) into the book value to take care of existing customers on the basis that the future extended warranty purchases will make it back for them in the long run. Happens all the time in the world of insurance of whatever type.

[Jappo]

Good advice mate, have to say I didn't even test drive the car before buying it but noticed the shagged gearbox on the drive home from Oxfodshire to Hertfordshire after picking it up. Booked the car into TVR Centre that week as I was confident the Warranty thing wasn't an issue and also that I'd been doing business with TVR Centre for 14 years and trusted them - as I still do.

[Jappo]

Ribol said:

Jappo said:

Ribol said:

Jappo said:

It seems there is a willingness to rectify the situation not just for me, but anyone else who has been treated in a less than reeasonable manner and negotiations are afoot with an insurer who is looking to underwrite TVR's factory Warranties very shortly.

I don't doubt an insurer might look at underwriting the warranty(at a price) but who is going to pay the premiums for each car if TVR does not exist anymore?
It obviously shouldn't be down to the owners but I can't see anyone coming up with the money to pay the premiums.

I think it's down to the maths. Underwriters buy "books" of business on the basis that they have assessed the risks involved and the future value of the business. It may be that an underwriter (probably the one that underwrites TVR's warranties currently) has offered to buy the book and feels it is worth while putting a slush fund (if you like) into the book value to take care of existing customers on the basis that the future extended warranty purchases will make it back for them in the long run. Happens all the time in the world of insurance of whatever type.

You are assuming TVR warranties are currently underwritten - are they?

All Factory Warranties are underwritten - it's just that the big Manufactureres have their own insurance companies (and Finance Companies for that matter) so they underwrite them, themselves. Smaller ones always underwrite with a re-insurer.

[Jappo]

bennno said:

The slight issue you have is that you may have been required to give them first opportunity to fix the car.

I would write to them first thing and include 'noticed faults on way home, but given the TVR warranty that you confirmed the car was supplied with I booked it in to a main dealer for resolution. Its since turned out that due to servicing irregularities the warranty you confirmed wasnt valid and I have been presented with a bill for £XXXX. I would appreciate confirmation that you will cover the cost of repairs noticed on delivery of the car, and booked in for resolution within 10 days at a main dealer and provide an alternate warranty within X days. I hope we can resolve this amicably etc'

If they dont respond / dont respond positively then get a solicitor to send them a letter mentioning small claims court.

BTW if you financed the car then your issue is with them as legally the dealer sold to them and them to you in law

Bennno

Thanks Benno - again, good advice - I'll take it up.

[Jappo]

Ribol said:

Jappo said:

All Factory Warranties are underwritten - it's just that the big Manufactureres have their own insurance companies (and Finance Companies for that matter) so they underwrite them, themselves. Smaller ones always underwrite with a re-insurer.

Do you know that for a fact that applies to TVR?

Of course I don't know it for a fact. It's just normal business practice that this is the way that it is done. A company takes on a committment and then , normally, it mitigates its risk by taking out an insurance policy against the worst scenario. It's kinda like pension fuinds in a way, the Company invests its contributions into a ............hang on, I'll get me coat

[Jappo]

bennno said:

The slight issue you have is that you may have been required to give them first opportunity to fix the car.

I would write to them first thing and include 'noticed faults on way home, but given the TVR warranty that you confirmed the car was supplied with I booked it in to a main dealer for resolution. Its since turned out that due to servicing irregularities the warranty you confirmed wasnt valid and I have been presented with a bill for £XXXX. I would appreciate confirmation that you will cover the cost of repairs noticed on delivery of the car, and booked in for resolution within 10 days at a main dealer and provide an alternate warranty within X days. I hope we can resolve this amicably etc'

If they dont respond / dont respond positively then get a solicitor to send them a letter mentioning small claims court.

BTW if you financed the car then your issue is with them as legally the dealer sold to them and them to you in law

Bennno

Benno, I talked to TG when this blew up - he was somewhat incensed over the phone and called up TVR Power to have a chat. He then called me back and said all was OK and not to worry as the issues were between TVR Power and TVR Centre, and the fact that the latter had recenty gone into liquidation had caused some of the unrest, but that it would all be sorted out.

As of now it hasn't been sorted out as I've paid the bill but, having spoken to both Martin and Dom in the last 24 hours I have faith that it will be.

Call me stupid if any of you want to, but I don't want these institutions to go down if they don't deserve to, I don't want them to struggle any more than they already have. I want TVR back in some form or another and I am beginning to believe that they will be back - in one form or another. Having said this if TVR are to continue making cars they have to sort this out above all the other things they have to sort out, otherwise they will fail because of the stigma they have left behind, nobody will buy their cars if this is left unresolved, and it is this that gives me hope for the future.

I feel like some sort of weak tosser to be airing my grievances on a forum like this this when, on the other hand, I am donating money to keep TVR going/factory worker benefits, etc.

BUT, if they don't sort it out they will disappear (as Lancia did because we all know even today that Lancias still rust - 20 years on) and we'll all carry on enjoying our cars and our community just like the many British enthusiasts that enjoy their Austin Healey, MG, Jowett, Armstrong Siddeley, Alvis, Jensen, Gordon Keeble, Gilbern, etc

It will be sorted, one way or the other - I hope it's the other, because the World needs TVR to stick two fingers up to the establishment every time it gets a purchase order. I want my kids to be able to buy 500bhp TVRs running on BioFuel that is farmed on land owned by TVR - just to fuel TVRs - it wouldn't be that hard. If TVR goes, a big part of our National (up yours) Identity will go with it, and it won't return in any of our lifetimes. And that will be sad.

[Jappo]

puffsorted2 said:

Jappo said:

[quote=puffsorted2]At least you can show where the car clocked up its mileage - might also explain the synchro problem

www.amazon.co.uk/Grand-Tour-Europe-John-Matthews/dp/B000CR6WRG

Edited by puffsorted2 on Monday 22 January 15:15

Have you seen it - is it my car?

No but pretty sure it might be your car, but looking at it now the wheels are slightly different. There was a bit in Sprint about it a few months ago (July 2006)

OK, watched the DVD. Compared to mine it's missing the Momo Steering wheel, red seat belts and red calipers - all of which were on the car from new and at 0 miles according to the docs. I can see no bills for the OZ wheels in the car's history. However, and here's the wierd bit, my car did 4,500 odd miles between 7th June 05 and 27th July 05. How many GTS Blue with Cream interior, and body painted bee-sting Tuscan Aerial, 05 Reg Sagaris were made? And how likely is it that both covered this kind of mileage at the same time.

There can't have been that many Sagaris made in total - ever, does anyone have access to the Sagaris production run who can tell me how many GTS Blues were made between May and September 05?

[Jappo]

Does anybody know about Sagaris production numbers? Had no response on TVRCC either.