Gavin@Rousdon

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Posts posted by Gavin@Rousdon

  3. Posted

    Had one in yesterday. Traction control light stays on on the px

    "It's just a fuse"....followed up by "I've had the turbo replaced too, it's now got a Garret turbo on it, better then what was on it before"

    That's handy, because I would have a problem giving a price on your car if it was a non turbo version because SEAT didn't produce a bloody non turbo version!!

    And as for the fuse, at which point did he think I would believe him?? If every warning light was solved by replacing a fuse I wouldn't be standing here now! I would be flying 1st class to New York to spend Christmas with my model girlfriend because I can charge £800 in my workshop for a 50 pence fix, not sitting in a Portacabin on a Saturday afternoon.

    It's not a fuse.....it's not a bloody fuse!!!

    • Like 2

  4. Posted

    I'm afraid trade to trade sales (business to business) aren't covered by the same sale of goods act as retail sales. You could try asking the dealer you bought it off for a goodwill payment or to let you return the car, most likely they will tell you where to go!!.

     

    You only comeback is if the car was mis-described, if they claimed it drives prefectly in the advert you may stand a chance.  Proving the dealer knew anything could be tricky as it take 10 mins for the fault to occur. You have no comeback to the customer but it maybe worth a phonecall to him to find out if he told the dealer about it or if he knows what the exact fault is. If you found that the customer took the car into  the workshops of the dealer you got it from you may have a case against the dealer. 

     

    Try finding out info from the customer first then call the garage.

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    I've signed up and I'm afraid at present apart from the initial meeting it gone downhill from there. 

     

    Firstly had customer services call me on Thursday, I told him I was busy and hadn't loaded anything online yet, he then proceeded to tell me if I don't load my adverts Motors won't work for me !!!! Wow....like it couldn't work trhat out myself!!

     

    Sent a day loading onto the system. Checked on motors.co.uk and couldn't see my adverts, phoned up and was told the system hadn't been set up to receive my adverts but it had been sorted and the adverts would go live today (Saturday).

     

    Checked and still no adverts, phoned up, not open Saturday's.

     

    Now I understand thing like this happen BUT imagine how we would moan if Autotrader treated us like this. 

  7. Posted

     When you put the reg number in on Dealer Portal it brings up a list of options that the car may or may not have. Up until maybe a week ago the discription of the option was fairly close to what the manufacturer called it i.e COMAND NAVIGATION or BMW Professional Media, Parktronic, 17" Crown Spoke Alloys, now the options AT offer are just the gerneric names such as 'Alloy Wheels', 'Parking Sensors', 'SAT NAV' etc etc. 

     

    A real step backwards in quality. The only good thing is lots of dealers can't be bother to type in the correct product name so hopefully those of us who make the effort may reap some benefit.

  9. Posted

    Would love to see Motor's put their money where there mouth is................I'm a nailed on Autotrader customer and it works for me (at a cost). I've seen and heard over the years how other are going to come and take a market share but have yet to see one last the pace. Would love to see a company like Motor's with all their talk offer to get paid on results rather then take my money and deliver nothing.

     

    Mr Andy Coulthurst, lets see you back your product !!!

  11. Posted

    We know what your px is worth, honestly we do !

    We know how our car is priced against others in the market, we honestly do!

    When you tell us you are looking at another car we will find that car online! We will then know that it's a year older, 2000 miles less but £800 more.

    When you tell us you think you car has done about 60k miles we know it has done more !

    We also have families and children, so when you phone us on Sunday afternoon don't be surprised that we can't give you a px price within seconds

    When you meet us at a Christmas party and ask us what we do, we know you will say the word 'dodgy' within 30 seconds! We also don't want to talk about you 02 plate Jag X Type all night, if you try don't be surprised to see us drink to excess. We haven't a drink problem it's just that you are boring us!

    We can tell when your lying, we honestly can!

    • Like 2

  17. Posted

    Make the OFT and Trading Stardard produce its own 'Sales of Goods Act' for the sale of used vehicles which gives a clear understanding of how long a dealer should offer cover for and what is covered. The reason they have so many complaints is because of the grey area they create. It would have a section covering trade sales, so trade car have to be described honestly including them being driven for more then 200 yards. 

     

    Make BCA and other Auctions include the buyers fee in the hammer price !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     

    Ban certain car dealers from advertising 'Phantom' cars at low prices that don't exist. If you get caught you are banned from advertising your stock for 6 months ANYWHERE !!!! same applies to admin fees !!!

     

    Also a fine of upto £10000 for customers who miss-describe their P/X, This fine it payable directly to the dealer even if the deal isn't completed. 

    • Like 1

  18. Posted

    Just out of interest Gavin, how do you cover distance sales with your own warranty? Do you insist on the car coming back to you or do you liase with customers local workshops to resolve issues?

     

    If the vehicle is local is always has to come back to us. If it is a distance away I explain to the customer that the warranty is with ourselves but if its a minor fault (upto £100) get it fixed locally and I will be happy to pay but if its a major fault the car will need to come back to us. It's not really been a problem, I did pay out about £700 to a BMW dealer in N.I for a fault of a BMW 320 and a goodwill payment of £1000 on a RS6 gearbox but in the 4 year I've been running my own warranty that's the only big payouts I've had.  If you put aside £100 for every car you sell the warranty account soon becomes a healthy back up fund.

     

    Saying all that lots of the cars I sell are around 3 years old so should have the same kind of warranty come backs like older cars will. 

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    Thanks Gavin,

     

    We too use Warranty Wise for all of our Warranty's. I've been told on a few occasions by other dealers that I'm a little too soft with some things. But like the OP, we are trying to build up a good reputation. I wouldnt supply anything with known faults. I'm just not like that!

     

    Hi Ken

     

    have you considered running your own warranty? I use Lawgistics warranty books and put £100 for every car I sell into a pot. I find it give me 100% control over the warranty process but as I have said I have my own workshop so that helps alot. 

     

    As for 'know faults' I would guess that in most cases that go to court the judge will side with the customer despite what the truth is. Cars are a mechanic minefield and I guess most judges don't understand (or choose not to care)  the complex nature of a car. Always feel free to ask me advise !! You seem to be wanting to do the job right but don't try and over do it....customers smell blood sometimes and will take advantage. 

    • Like 2

  20. Posted

    Legally doesn’t the car have to be fit for purpose for 6 months after the date of sale?

     

    I have had a similar issue on a couple of occasions where customers have taken cars bought from us to franchised dealers and they have ripped them to shreds. The customers have then expected us to cough up, which we have! One occasion we sold a car at cost to a customer and well below the retail value. They were happy with the deal. They then took it to a Honda garage then we were sent a £1600 bill! We coughed up though, as like you, we are trying to build a reputation.

     

    Ken, a bit of advice, make sure any warranty or aftersales book you give them states the procedure for getting work done under warranty. Mainly that you need to be informed before work is started. There was a case a few years back when a dealer was handed a £3000 bill for a Discovery gearbox, this first he heard was when the car was repaired and the bill was sent to him. It went court where the  dealer didn't dispute that there could have been a fault but claimed if has was made aware of it he could have rectified it at a lower cost to himself. The judge ruled in the favour of the customer on the bias that when the car was sold the customer was given no clear guidelines of how a claim under warranty should be made (despite the OTF saying the dealer should be the first post of call). 

     

    Since reading that I've always made sure my warranty books (which the customer signs) state I need to be informed.

     

    Also on the 6 month time limit, the law is that within the first 6 months the dealer must prove the fault wasn't present at 'time of sale' after 6 months it is the customer who has to prove the fault was present.

     

    Have a read of the links i've posted above, they help an lot in educating us to what the law is !!!

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    The car has to be 'fit for purpose' as has been stated earlier (the 6 months isn't correct and a bit of a myth) . The feel of a clutch alone wouldn't be cause to reject the car, if the customer drove the car prior to sale as he should have noticed how it felt then. If he claims it felt different on a test drive it's proving that the 'fault' wasn't noticable at point of sale.  A lot depends on the age and mileage of the car and also how long the customer has owned it. It's not unreasonable to expect a used vehicle covering X number of miles to have sign of wear. Did the 'specialist' garage claim the clutch was worn or worn to excess??

     

    Sometimes you have to be firm with customers and explain its not a new car. This shouldn't be used as an excuse to try and wriggle out of paying for aftersales claims but is a good way to start negotiating a resolution. Drive the car yourself with the customer and be honest, it the fault is clear repair it, if its not explain your opinion and listen to the customers, 

     

    I understand it's a lot easier for us dealers who have our own workshops to repair cars under warranty as the costs are much lower.

     

    Look at these two links, whilst it still leaves 'grey' area's it gives you a good understanding of how things should work

     

    http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC094699

     

    http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC094700

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    No idea how many times you can use the code on the green slip but interestingly the code on the green slip is the same as the document reference number on the front of the V5 but with an extra number in front of it. I've played around and it doesn't matter what number you put in front on the number on the front of the V5 the online system still allows you to tax it as if you were using the number on the green slip !!!! ................if that makes sense !!

     

    So if you have no green slip just add an extra number on and tax it like you have !!!!

  24. Posted

    I taxed a Mercedes first thing Saturday morning and it took until yesterday (Tuesday) to show, did a Mini earlier and still not showing.

     

    I print out the confirmation page and give it to the customer now. At least they can see its been paid. 

     

    As for sending of the V5's I wait until I've got about 10 and send them together but stick 3 1st class stamp on the envelope to make sure they get there !! Would cost me more in fuel to drive to the post office!!!

    • Like 1