Refunding a customer?

[M.J 35]

I've got a car that was sold a month ago and since then customer has been on to me about 'issues' with the car, he's had his mobile mechanic to fix the problems and i've reimbursed him each time. The car was a good little car, full history, low miles, no issues when i had it in.

Now today another 'issue'. I'm pretty sure the car is fine and i've just got a neurotic customer that is never going to be happy. So i don't want to pay for any more works, otherwise its going to get silly, i would rather just issue a refund.

So can i just refund him and take the car back?

Am i legally obliged to fix the faults under warranty rather than issue a full refund?

 

[Tom 164]

Yes if you want to get rid of the customer take the car back and issue a refund. If it's within 30 days they have a right to reject if it has a major fault or after 30 days you have to prove there is no fault at time of sale. 

[jamslug 91]

I have offered to do that a couple times just to get rid of them for good. On both occasions it has called their bluff and neither of them actually accepted the refund and both decided they wanted to keep the car. I also never heard anything from them again! 

Edited July 25, 2016 by jamslug

[JKG 16]

Yep offer them a refund, you don't need customers like that, they will just keep finding things for you to fix until they bleed you dry.

I had one recently, on the phone every week for the most ridiculous things, in the end I asked him politely to return the car and I would give him a full refund, never heard from him again & the day his warranty expired I purchased some party poppers

[Max Branning 149]

If they let there own "mobile" mechanic do anything at all to the car i would not offer to help them. How do you know this mechanic has not made a bit more work for himself knowing you are a friendly dealer who does not mind forking out for repairs.

Tell them to pee off as politely as possible.

[justina3 518]

I was going to say the same thing as Max, i would never pay out for someone else to do the work, my terms and condition state very clearly all repairs have to be undertaken by ourselves or at least reviewed by us first. 

We have had times where the car has gone a great distance away and then a fault popped up but luckily thats not very often

[It's me 612]

Refund and retail again, it makes for a smoother less stressful life in the long run, we don't need these people we really don't

[M.J 35]

Thanks everybody, have offered a refund, hope he accepts to be honest

[Jack Regan 116]

For a start I wouldn't be paying his bills for a mechanic he's got to look at it, he should of brought it back to you to look at , if you do give him his money back charge him a months rental , look how much it would of cost to hire a car and charge him 50% of that and if he's done a few miles charge him for that as well.... don't roll over to easy .

[It's me 612]

9 hours ago, Jack Regan said:

For a start I wouldn't be paying his bills for a mechanic he's got to look at it, he should of brought it back to you to look at , if you do give him his money back charge him a months rental , look how much it would of cost to hire a car and charge him 50% of that and if he's done a few miles charge him for that as well.... don't roll over to easy .

You cant if its in the first month if its due to a fault, you can only charge if customer has a change of heart and you agree to take back less agreed hire terms etc,i got this direct from trading standards just after xmas when i refunded a car but charged hire fees, customer agreed then came back after trading standards rang him again to confirm he was happy and until then he was ,but then came to see me for this hire money back,i rang trading staNdards got a case number to prove i had done everything right and was not prepared to pay him this money back,i sent him recorded delivery telling him to take me to small claims if not happy where i would defend and be looking for a counter claim and the post office lost it so had to send another recorded delivery and claim compensation from post office,i eventually got back 6 stamps,never heard from him again but he probably hates me 

[Jack Regan 116]

If a customers has a change of heart you don't have to take car back and refund them, that's up to you as individual...

as regards a refund in the first 30 days , the customer has to prove the fault was there at the point of sale , if you mot'd car done a pdi and got em to sign to say there was no faults present on test drive that may well be very hard for them to do.

[M.J 35]

Anybody know what the legal standpoint is if the customer is refusing a refund?

I've offered a refund multiple times but they are insisting on keeping the car and want it repaired, the problem is the car is in at the garage and is going to take at least a week to be repaired as its not a small job, this particular customer calls and texts me for an update a few times a day, everyday and its driving me mad, god forbid the car develops another fault after this, i really want rid of this customer. Can i force a refund?

[metcars 395]

6 hours ago, M.J said:

............... Can i force a refund?

I assume the customer is expecting you to pay for this latest huge repair? What if you applied a little 'inertia' to the payment process?

Edited August 2, 2016 by metcars

[Steve92 80]

What's the fault and who has the car ?

[Rory RSC 596]

If it's not an economical repair then refund. These customers all do 10 minutes on google and come back with a legal degree specialising in consumer rights. In sure they think it's always our first day or that we have never had to resolve an issue with a used vehicle before.

Dont be a pushover on it be firm and once your decision is made stick to it. 

If you want to refund so be it .

[M.J 35]

Pistons are faulty and the car is in with my mechanic, obviously not a quick turn around job but like you said this customer is a google 'expert' so i'm going to insist on a refund.

To be honest i would have forced a refund a while ago but i took in his vehicle in PX so it makes it a little more difficult, but his vehicle is still here untouched so he can take it back.

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by M.J

[Cornish Guy 45]

But he probably doesn't want it back. Leads to more complications. What if he then disputes the mechanical condition of the "returned trade in"?

If the pistons are faulty then maybe the customer is not so neurotic! Not a nice situation to be in.

 

[M.J 35]

Luckily his PX vehicle hasn't been moved since he dropped it in so the mileage is the same which would make it very hard to dispute any mechanical issue, i got a pretty good deal on his PX vehicle so i'll probably just purchase it off him if he doesn't want it back.

Anyway s**t happens, i'll get it resolved, not the end of the world just a bit of a pain in the arse and a loss financially, all part and parcel of this game, you win some you lose some.

That's the last Mini i'll be buying unless under 3 years old.

[Max Branning 149]

You do not have to give his p/x back. You just refund the full asking price the car was purchased at and keep it especially if you are able to turn a few quid out of it.

If the customer is not happy just explain that it is not financially viable for your business to repair the vehicle and a refund is the only option, if he does not like it still then tell him to take it further and just wipe your hands of him.

 

 

[Jack Regan 116]

I know a good sniper  if all else fails ....... can kill a sparrow from a mile away .

[It's me 612]

On 04/08/2016 at 10:05 AM, Jack Regan said:

I know a good sniper  if all else fails ....... can kill a sparrow from a mile away .

Does he charge by the hour or by pot shot and is he free a week on wednesday?

free buns supplied

[M.J 35]

Refund completed, thank f**k for that, never been so happy to lose money!