Customer car blows up 8 weeks after purchase...

[Christian 1]

2 minutes ago, Linctrader said:

Hi Christian,

I'm familiar with NI so I know the score about the antics that go on there! 

To be clear though, I'm pretty sure CRA2015 doesn't exist there in the same format, same in Scotland. I don't know what does, but that could work in your favour. 

Was the car MOT'd in NI prior to sale? If so, that means it was done by vosa as they are government run test centres, with one usually in each major town/city. Not like over here where there are a choice of 10 in every village. Ok, no pdi, bit the above should prove it had a pretty thorough going over prior to going to buyer. 

Perhaps I've missed it, but where did you sell the car to? Local buyer or over here, mainland UK? 

I wish you the best with this, but best to tell us everything you can about the situation so that when we are offering advice it is relevant as 5 pages in your info is coming in stop start. 

Cheers. 

P. S - please tell me this wasn't a Southern Irish imported car that you sold? 

Thanks for this information. I know it all feels very different here, but not in a good way! The car was registered in Northern Ireland and was MOT'd here before listing for sale, probably around a month before I sold it to the customer. Sold to local buyer half an hour down the road.

I've drawn up a plan on what to offer the customer later today when I told him I would make a decision... Simple - I'm going to fix the car for him and if he's not happy with that, offer to buy the car back at £4k which I think, given the car will cost over £2k to fix, is very reasonable! At least he has until the car is fixed to decide!

[EPV 631]

57 minutes ago, Christian said:

Thanks for this information. I know it all feels very different here, but not in a good way! The car was registered in Northern Ireland and was MOT'd here before listing for sale, probably around a month before I sold it to the customer. Sold to local buyer half an hour down the road.

I've drawn up a plan on what to offer the customer later today when I told him I would make a decision... Simple - I'm going to fix the car for him and if he's not happy with that, offer to buy the car back at £4k which I think, given the car will cost over £2k to fix, is very reasonable! At least he has until the car is fixed to decide!

I don't know what the rules are over there with regards to the CRA but if, IF they are the same, this is the wrong way to pitch it to him. You're effectively saying he has to sell you back a broken car at a price you determine. The better way is to tell him he's getting the car fixed, he has no right to reject and entitlement to a refund. 

This will of course go down like a shit sandwich and hostilities will rise. But he can either like it or lump it.

[Christian 1]

1 hour ago, EPV said:

I don't know what the rules are over there with regards to the CRA but if, IF they are the same, this is the wrong way to pitch it to him. You're effectively saying he has to sell you back a broken car at a price you determine. The better way is to tell him he's getting the car fixed, he has no right to reject and entitlement to a refund. 

This will of course go down like a shit sandwich and hostilities will rise. But he can either like it or lump it.

Ok, so change that from a buy back to refund and a refund of maybe £4800 (6k minus fair wear and tear)?

[EPV 631]

6 minutes ago, Christian said:

Ok, so change that from a buy back to refund and a refund of maybe £4800 (6k minus fair wear and tear)?

It's not fair wear and tear. It's usage.

If you booked a hire car and drove it for 2,000 miles and 2 months, it wouldn't be worth what the car was prior to that. 

Push back on the refund, you presumably don't actually want the car, or at least make him feel that way. Then, as you're trying to temper the situation, offer the refund but you really don't want to/have to and take 50p per mile for usage.

As yet you don't seem to know what the full story is with this car, was there an oil leak which led to a loss of oil which he ignored which lead to low oil pressure etc? 

Don't be offering fuck all until you know exactly what happened, I thought you had already done this but it seems not. Get it back, get it independelty inspected, acertain the cause of the issue and ultimately if he's ignored warnings, driven the car like a c*nt then don't give him an easy way out.

If, IF however it's not down to user error, he's not ignored warning signs, the inspection reveals something non user error related then start to offer him a repair and as a last resort, offer him the refund less usage. 

I repeat, I don't know the law in NI, whether it's the same so do your research and make sure you are covering yourself. Certainly ignore anyone who tells you this a simple case and you've done nothing wrong. You might have, you might not have but how they can tell that knowing fuck all would concern me.

Communicate in writing, record events, do it properly.

[Area 51 33]

14 minutes ago, Christian said:

Ok, so change that from a buy back to refund and a refund of maybe £4800 (6k minus fair wear and tear)?

Your approach and opening line to this billy is crucial and going to set the whole tone for how this matter progresses and concludes; at this time from the comments you have made about the billy, he is attempting to control this issue.. As the retailer, you need to make it clear how things will done/rectification and conclusion.. if it gets ugly, this is the very minimum any "independent party" will assess has been done properly.. As EPV has said, this is some sh*t sandwich, but not everyone has to taste it..its all about being fair and reasonable, something I think the 5 pages on here now have all aimed to state/guide on.. buy back suggests something totally different to refund, not in our eyes as we know where youre at in trying to rectify / defend your position.. its how others perceive it.. the billy and his bar room advisors..

[Rory RSC 596]

Lets just say you got it inspected, and lets just say the OBD logged a fault or an independent engineer could demostrate it looked like  the oil had not been touched in the whole time the car had been bought and it was run very low and this guy has essentially destroyed it through not following simple mechanical checks any responsible driver should do.

Would you still be wanting to give a refund?

I am not so sure I would....

[Arfur Dealy 823]

You’ve been told repeatedly to get it brought back to you and properly inspected, you don’t know if it has been “driven to destruction”. 

You should assume “all customers are liars”. 

Remember. You are not required to repair anything that is a result of “fair wear n tear”. 

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/buying-goods-and-services-1-october-2015

[Paddy 31]

17 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

 

 

Edited August 21, 2018 by Paddy

[Christian 1]

Refund has been authorised for £4800 and I'm actually happy with that outcome, have already arranged to have the car lifted and dropped to a local garage here that has overhauled several V8 engines before. I definitely did not want to to be dealing with the customer again so the sooner we close contact the better. If I'm able to sell it for anything close to what I sold it for, I'll only have lost several hundred...I'll live! Thanks for everyones advice, I'll march onwards a bit farther without warranties, less 4.8L's and more sellable/reliable cars!

[andymc1973 199]

so you don't offer a warranty?

[Area 51 33]

19 minutes ago, Christian said:

Refund has been authorised for £4800 and I'm actually happy with that outcome, have already arranged to have the car lifted and dropped to a local garage here that has overhauled several V8 engines before. I definitely did not want to to be dealing with the customer again so the sooner we close contact the better. If I'm able to sell it for anything close to what I sold it for, I'll only have lost several hundred...I'll live! Thanks for everyones advice, I'll march onwards a bit farther without warranties, less 4.8L's and more sellable/reliable cars!

I'd say best result here, youre back in charge and can sort matters as you wish to recover the situation and this goat herder of a billy is best off out of sight.. Make sure the engine and ancillaries all get the attention they need, smoke it for four weeks and sell it again with confidence.. it will find a new owner and you will have peace of mind once its gone (even better if it can wipe its nose on the costs to you!)

Some excellent advice passed on here; maybe help you stay in the business too.. Good(ish) outcome from a grim outlook.. .. ahh cue comments..

[Christian 1]

Thought I'd update given its VERY good news...Got the car back today and have it re-adverised for sale within 2 hours - PCV diaghram is ripped right open! Updated the listing for the car as available on facebook and got a very quick 'wat do u mean?' response from the ex-buyer...safe to say he's shocked 

[AutoJacob 34]

How much did it cost in the end?

[Arfur Dealy 823]

What a result, fantastic !!

[Rory RSC 596]

16 hours ago, Christian said:

Thought I'd update given its VERY good news...Got the car back today and have it re-adverised for sale within 2 hours - PCV diaghram is ripped right open! Updated the listing for the car as available on facebook and got a very quick 'wat do u mean?' response from the ex-buyer...safe to say he's shocked 

Another reason why its a complete unexpected wear an tear failing and why you should always inspect cars yourself before agreeing any form on resolution.

Customer could have had his car back the next day had he not been a twat. 

[Linctrader 16]

Delighted for you buddy, glad it has worked out a cheap and easy repair. 

As tradex said though, avoid the original buyer if they attempt to get in contact again. Find a fresh face who will pay top dollar for a sorted car. 

[Area 51 33]

Excellent result here, echo the comments of the others here! Well done, hope you carry on with it. 

lesson one

never trust a billy and their version of events.

lesson two

get the facts straight ASAP

lesson three

get the bully put right and move on; no further contact with the cretin

[Grantlfc81 88]

 

13 hours ago, tradex said:

Nice one.

I'd guess we all have a story of a wallet busting issue misdiagnosed by some know it all mechanic twat, only to find its a split pipe etc....always a good feeling though.

PS if the original buyer calls to repurchase don't go there

I’ve just put in a clutch and flywheel on an e250 merc and guess what, £1200 down and mis diagnosed.... oh and the car is still vibrating it’s bollox off lol

suck it up and move on.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Grantlfc81

[Ek cars 17]

11 minutes ago, Grantlfc81 said:

 

I’ve just put in a clutch and flywheel on an e250 merc and guess what, £1200 down and mis diagnosed.... oh and the car is still vibrating it’s bollox off lol

suck it up and move on.

Never buy manual Merc always buy Auto never buy Auto Bmw always buy manual 

[Del Boy 76]

2 minutes ago, tradex said:

Collasped engine mounts? 

Or gearbox mount? 

Is it sold grant? 

[lastyboy 23]

15 hours ago, Ek cars said:

Never buy manual Merc always buy Auto never buy Auto Bmw always buy manual 

This is bang on

[Dave2302 387]

My money is on the Tranny Mount

BTW good result for OP, and yeah agreed, tell original arse hole buyer to fuck right off !!