BCA Essential Check

[Arthur thicken 13]

Hi, Anyone having issues with BCA essential check? I have had three cars recently with clean checks

but all had noisy and smoking engines. All three new engines. BCA customer services, waste of time, I have

escalated the issue but seem to be getting blanked there. 

[BHM 994]

3 hours ago, Arthur thicken said:

escalated the issue but seem to be getting blanked there. 

Isn’t that standard auction house practice? 

How on earth any of these AH assurance schemes win awards is beyond my comprehension. Obviously not awarded by anyone who’s ever had any experience of dealing with obstinate AH staff or the foot-dragging of the schemes administrators. 

[petrol head 46]

One word:

CINCH

[Lakeside 94]

There’s no come backs on essential check is there? Not worth the paper it’s written on or the £7.50 or whatever it is that we pay for it.

Even getting a result with assured report is hard enough.

[Mikey360 68]

It's all too hard to get anything from BCA, I think it's not too bad if you raise the issue on collection as you can show them the fault, but a nightmare if you get them delivered

[CRW 73]

If it’s not good enough for Cinch, it’s in BCA.

Why would anybody buy from them, you're buying a Cinch reject?

Edited October 4, 2021 by CRW

[Halfpenny 114]

Pirates...

[David Horgan 564]

22 hours ago, Arthur thicken said:

Hi, Anyone having issues with BCA essential check? I have had three cars recently with clean checks

but all had noisy and smoking engines. All three new engines. BCA customer services, waste of time, I have

escalated the issue but seem to be getting blanked there. 

Just another way of getting thousands of £7.50's that is 

Money making genius isnt it , wish i could get away it , even on our levels its a lot of money , but 1,000 's of cars its millions . 

Not worth the paper its written on , 

[Arthur thicken 13]

I've got a BCA Black card because of the amount of cars I buy. I have an account manager but even she is not replying now.

Recently picked up a BMW from Blackbushe, started it selected 1st and nothing happened, probably linkage. It was on an essential check,

I called customer services who said get a pick up truck to collect it. I told them it hadn't left their premisis but they still said they could do nothing.

I contacted my account manager who refunded me within 2 hours. Had I not had an account manager it would be either still there or I would have had to get it on a truck, either way BCA still had my money. All three cars that need engines came from BCA Bristol, all on essential checks, these cars would have been started and moved, someoner would have heard the noise and seen the smoke, but chose to ignore it. Cars were mis described and mis sold, there should be recourse, we can't sell cars in this way so why should they be able to get away with it. I have emailed the guy in charge of bca assured and essential checks, I also sent him a video of one of them with the chattering timing chain and smoking exhaust but he has not responded. I'll work out or perhaps someone could advise how I upload a video and I'll put it on here for your valued opinions. I am Graham from Motorwell in Yeovil Somerset.

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, Arthur thicken said:

mis described and mid sold, there should be recourse,

There is. The small claims court due to fraudulent misrepresentation. However I’m unsure how BCA would then view your account status.

[TRADE SURVIVOR 33]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 PM, Arthur thicken said:

Hi, Anyone having issues with BCA essential check? I have had three cars recently with clean checks

but all had noisy and smoking engines. All three new engines. BCA customer services, waste of time, I have

escalated the issue but seem to be getting blanked there. 

Then why continue to deal with BCA? Seems to me like they have a different model going forward, WBAC feeding Cinch seems like the long term priority methinks. Leaving the scraps to go through the halls, we dropped them years ago, good company once upon a time when BCA was purely an auction and we all dealt at branch level. Maybe save yourself more grief going forward and buy elsewhere. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by TRADE SURVIVOR
typo

[Arthur thicken 13]

Hi Trade survivor, fair comment, but when you look at Manheim sales volume there's not enough.

Perhaps I deal with them because I always have and it's now time to look elsewhere. Thanks you all for your feedback. 

Hi BHM, I guess it's not just happened to me, tempted to explore the small claims court route.

[TRADE SURVIVOR 33]

Feel your pain Arthur, sort of a rock and a hard place. Small claims you will possibly piss them (BCA) off but then with the volume of vehicles you seem to buy they may just compromise. However it plays out Arthur, wish you the best of luck going forward.  

[Arthur thicken 13]

Excellent

 

5%

Great

 

3%

Average

 

2%

Poor

 

2%

Bad

 

88%

[GreenJungli 0]

I recently had the misfortune of winning a vehicle at BCA. The car was sold with EML on but later they called me to tell me the engine smokes and is noise when I questioned this I was met with aggressiveness. Many calls back and forth nothing changed in the end I accepted I may have made a mistake when bidding (not heard the auctioneer mention above faults). Usually I printscreen the description as well as the pictures but on this occasion it was at a branch I've never had a problem with. On the day of the delivery I refused the vehicle as it didn't start, they tried to threaten me but I refused point blank. They took it to the nearest bca depot, they just would not accept their mistake. Kept telling me cars mess up overtime. Unfortunately I've had to accept it as they were adding charges on and just found out the engine is dead. A non starter advertised in the wrong category. 

I'm currently seeking advice on court action. If there are others looking to take them to court perhaps we can join forces and appoint one solicitor? 

[BHM 994]

9 hours ago, GreenJungli said:

I'm currently seeking advice on court action. If there are others looking to take them to court perhaps we can join forces and appoint one solicitor? 

Sorry, but trying to drum up a class action lawsuit over your misrepresented lot. Good luck on that score.

Tbh you don’t need to seek much over this advice. You simply either instigate a small claim or you don’t & you don’t need a solicitor for that. Tbh it’s probably easier to suck it up & move on. In either case ensure you have followed & exhausted the AH’s complaints procedure & make sure you do it by email/writing.

Edited October 10, 2021 by BHM

[Arthur thicken 13]

9 hours ago, GreenJungli said:

I recently had the misfortune of winning a vehicle at BCA. The car was sold with EML on but later they called me to tell me the engine smokes and is noise when I questioned this I was met with aggressiveness. Many calls back and forth nothing changed in the end I accepted I may have made a mistake when bidding (not heard the auctioneer mention above faults). Usually I printscreen the description as well as the pictures but on this occasion it was at a branch I've never had a problem with. On the day of the delivery I refused the vehicle as it didn't start, they tried to threaten me but I refused point blank. They took it to the nearest bca depot, they just would not accept their mistake. Kept telling me cars mess up overtime. Unfortunately I've had to accept it as they were adding charges on and just found out the engine is dead. A non starter advertised in the wrong category. 

I'm currently seeking advice on court action. If there are others looking to take them to court perhaps we can join forces and appoint one solicitor? 

You can ask for a recording of the sale, you'll then hear what was said, don't roll over, that's why they keep getting away with it.

42 minutes ago, BHM said:

Sorry, but trying to drum up a class action lawsuit over your misrepresented lot. Good luck on that score.

Tbh you don’t need to seek much over this advice. You simply either instigate a small claim or you don’t & you don’t need a solicitor for that. Tbh it’s probably easier to suck it up & move on. In either case ensure you have followed & exhausted the AH’s complaints procedure & make sure you do it by email/writing.

Hi BHM, I agree it's easy to start a small claim, and as you say no solicitor required. I've had so many problems recently, I am not a 'suck it up' kind of bloke.

Nor should anyone else be, there's right and wrong, imagine the deluge of complaints we would get if we sold cars in this way. My google reviews and AT reviews are

golden compared to BCA trust pilot reviews. 

[BHM 994]

50 minutes ago, Arthur thicken said:

Hi BHM, I agree it's easy to start a small claim, and as you say no solicitor required. I've had so many problems recently, I am not a 'suck it up' kind of bloke.

Hi, I’m not either but after going through the claims procedure a few years ago I decided it’s barely worth the long drawn out hassle getting a result.

By the time I got my day in court (about 8 months, if memory serves) the whole episode was just a distant memory & the few hours spent over the months (every time winding myself up thinking of the cheeky bastard main dealer who’d tried to get one over on me) I came to the conclusion that unless the issue involved big money it’s just not worth the time/hassle/‘upset’.

In the business of car dealing we all win a damn sight more than we lose, so the occasional loss is par for the course. Tbh I’d probably only resort to a small claim if I wanted to hold to account a small business taking the piss who would really feel a financial kick up the arse.

 

[Highlinev8 28]

Was it the actual "Essential Check" that they charge £7.50 For ? 

If it was you have zero comeback 

This is whats written on the bottom of the report 

"The Essential check is confirmation of a visual assessment of the items listed on the BCA Essential Check report on the date shown only. No undertaking, representation or warranty of the information provided in the BCA Essential Check report or the condition of the vehicle (mechanical, cosmetic or otherwise) is given, made or implied by British Car Auctions Limited by the publication of the information on the BCA Essential Check report. As such, no claims will be accepted"

If you go to the website and look at the terms they cover themselves by saying a fault may not have been present at time of inspection and as such they wont be held responsible.

Its totally wrong of course but you are wasting your time with BCA. Only way to get a successful claim out of them is to raise a claim while the car is on site and before you have taken it away and thats with an assured or condition report only. Always better to raise an issue with the centre management, The actual bca claims department will fob you off till you go away.

[David Horgan 564]

On 10/10/2021 at 12:00 AM, GreenJungli said:

I recently had the misfortune of winning a vehicle at BCA. The car was sold with EML on but later they called me to tell me the engine smokes and is noise when I questioned this I was met with aggressiveness. Many calls back and forth nothing changed in the end I accepted I may have made a mistake when bidding (not heard the auctioneer mention above faults). Usually I printscreen the description as well as the pictures but on this occasion it was at a branch I've never had a problem with. On the day of the delivery I refused the vehicle as it didn't start, they tried to threaten me but I refused point blank. They took it to the nearest bca depot, they just would not accept their mistake. Kept telling me cars mess up overtime. Unfortunately I've had to accept it as they were adding charges on and just found out the engine is dead. A non starter advertised in the wrong category. 

I'm currently seeking advice on court action. If there are others looking to take them to court perhaps we can join forces and appoint one solicitor? 

If you take BCA to court in any way 

Your account will be terminated , its how they work . 

[justina3 518]

Suck it up doesnt taste very nice but it will drain the life out of you and put you in such a bad mood you will end up growling at customers and lose far more than you would ever win. 

 

[the old novice 13]

This is an extract from a document produced by the  competition and mergers authority, used to be called the monopolies commission. I also think that it might be tied in with CRA 2015.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unfair-contract-terms-cma37

Section 21(pasted below) seems quite relevant.

21, A term in a consumer contract is unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations under the contract, to the detriment of the consumer. 22. Transparency is also fundamental to fairness. The Act requires that a written term in a consumer contract is expressed in plain and intelligible language and is legible. This sits alongside a more general requirement that consumers are given a real chance, before entering a contract, to see and understand all terms that could operate to their disadvantage (see paragraph 28 below). 23. The CMA considers that the Act’s effect is to apply in substance the same tests of fairness, and of transparency, to both terms and notices.

Perhaps getting the CMA to force BCA and others to change the auction caveats  to make themselves even slightly accountable would be another option, we as customers of the auction houses need recourse from  this situation as it's becoming  a huge burden that we should NOT be expected to shoulder.

CMA is not some toothless tiger government body they wouldnt't shy away from a battle with any company regardless of size.In the past have took on JCB for price fixing, also exposed a price fixing cartel with multi national concrete companies that can and have resulted in those guilty parties being fined up to 10% of their annual turnover.

[It's me 615]

talking cartels,ive just had 4 quotes from 4 different plumbers,they all came within £200 of each other,do they all sit in wetherspoons on a saturday morning swapping quotes about

[Glevum 6]

On 10/10/2021 at 12:00 AM, GreenJungli said:

I recently had the misfortune of winning a vehicle at BCA. The car was sold with EML on but later they called me to tell me the engine smokes and is noise when I questioned this I was met with aggressiveness. Many calls back and forth nothing changed in the end I accepted I may have made a mistake when bidding (not heard the auctioneer mention above faults). Usually I printscreen the description as well as the pictures but on this occasion it was at a branch I've never had a problem with. On the day of the delivery I refused the vehicle as it didn't start, they tried to threaten me but I refused point blank. They took it to the nearest bca depot, they just would not accept their mistake. Kept telling me cars mess up overtime. Unfortunately I've had to accept it as they were adding charges on and just found out the engine is dead. A non starter advertised in the wrong category. 

I'm currently seeking advice on court action. If there are others looking to take them to court perhaps we can join forces and appoint one solicitor? 

If you threaten court action - even if it doesnt go to court BCA will cancel your account and block you = I was threatened this in a similar situation as yours

[Arthur thicken 13]

Latest update on the shit show which is BCA, after contacting the main investor TDR Capitol, I finally got a call from a senior member of BCA within hours, funny that.

He's an ok bloke but I thought it prudent to record the 35 minute call, so damning things were said to say the least. They finally agreed to buy two cars back, I've had the credit notes, but still nearly 2 weeks on no payment. I've been chasing every other day and all I get is empty promises. I now believe I have just bought my last car from BCA, I bought a Q5 for £14,500 from Bridgwater, it's on an assured check, drove a few yards and the EML came on and it would then only select 2nd 4th and 6th gear. I'm away at present so the driver took it to our site where we ran a diagnostic test in our workshop, it came up with a gear box fault. ACE vehicle inspections are coming tomorrow to assess. It's likely a £1500- £2,000 repair or they'll have to buy it back, leaving me in the promised land for even longer.

I don't know what's happened to BCA, I've been a buyer for over 25 years for either myself or dealer groups, always bought over 200 cars annually, I hope they read this and close my account so I'm never tempted to log in again, P.S ANY CHANCE OF PAYING WHAT'S OWED ANY TIME SOOM????  Mingebags