Refunding customer

[mike101 8]

28 minutes ago, EPV said:

I think it’s information worth repeating. I am 100% of the mindset that court is to be avoided at all costs unless it is a chancer wanting brake pads changed after 4 months and 4,000 miles. 

This - screamers are part of the game. Deal with them professionally and move on. It’s hard not to take it all personally sometimes though and end up spending valuable energy trying to prove a point. I’ve been guilty of this many times. 

[Dave2302 387]

53 minutes ago, EPV said:

I think it’s information worth repeating. I am 100% of the mindset that court is to be avoided at all costs unless it is a chancer wanting brake pads changed after 4 months and 4,000 miles. 

 

20 minutes ago, mike101 said:

This - screamers are part of the game. Deal with them professionally and move on. It’s hard not to take it all personally sometimes though and end up spending valuable energy trying to prove a point. I’ve been guilty of this many times. 

/\ /\ /\ These 

I've said it before, my experience of Small Claims / Civil Proceedings is that the "decent and professional" party always gets shafted and the pond life always get away with it

Sad fact is, with 9 / 10 Powershifts I've ever fixed they only need Brushes in the Motor, but most "Gearbox Specialists" don't know that or charge a fortune for "this and that".

I used to buy Brushes for a Bosch Wiper Motor and sand the edges slightly, fit Brushes, do a "Re Learn" .............. Jobs a good un !! 

[justina3 518]

1 hour ago, trade vet said:

The point being,if you are a car dealer you have little chance of winning.Unless the rules have changed,you can’t bring a solicitor/barrister with you to argue points of law. Over the years,I have been to the Small Claims Court 8 times,won 6,5 of these were non motor trade.The motor trade case I won was with BCA,the 2 I lost were with punters and we had a strong defence in both cases and the judgements were a joke......Sorry if I keep repeating my Small Claims experience

I touch wood have only ever been to court once over a car issue before cra raised its ugly head and my solicitor attended for me and we won. 

 

[Tony911 79]

The chances of us winning are null? Dont understand if we have done everything required what else can we do? 

[mike101 8]

5 minutes ago, Tony911 said:

The chances of us winning are null? Dont understand if we have done everything required what else can we do? 

Yours is a tricky case - not helped by the fact that you didn’t get your paperwork right at the start ( not trying to be rude, just factual based on what I’ve read above)

The reality is (as seemingly proved above) that going to court is a lottery, many judges will side with the retail customer and your best bet is to try and avoid it.

That said, yours is an unusual situation but if it were me I’d be trying to reach out to the customer, resolve it as best you can and move on with your life/business. 

[Tony911 79]

We asked for the car back and once inspected he can have his monies as long as its not been tampered with, but won't allow it. We have no choice except take it back with possibility of it having no engine, key or gearbox in it 

[mike101 8]

10 minutes ago, Tony911 said:

We asked for the car back and once inspected he can have his monies as long as its not been tampered with, but won't allow it. We have no choice except take it back with possibility of it having no engine, key or gearbox in it 

If you have reached out to him already ie made him the offer to inspect and refund then you just need to wait for him to respond. Sometimes (it’s happened to me on a few occasions, although not when it’s gone as far as this) you’ll never hear from them again as they can’t be assed/know they are in for a hiding as you’ve called their bluff.

Just make sure you get your paperwork right in the future and save yourself the agro!

[Dave2302 387]

1 hour ago, Tony911 said:

We asked for the car back and once inspected he can have his monies as long as its not been tampered with, but won't allow it. We have no choice except take it back with possibility of it having no engine, key or gearbox in it 

Yours is an exceptional case, and yes, I would now be letting it ride, but I would be using the best possible solicitor for any future communications if the need should arise   

[Tony911 79]

1 hour ago, mike101 said:

If you have reached out to him already ie made him the offer to inspect and refund then you just need to wait for him to respond. Sometimes (it’s happened to me on a few occasions, although not when it’s gone as far as this) you’ll never hear from them again as they can’t be assed/know they are in for a hiding as you’ve called their bluff.

Just make sure you get your paperwork right in the future and save yourself the agro!

Will definitely have paperwork right. Sold the touareg on new yers eve to some Romanian fella who said he was driving it 1600 miles back home he asked if it would make it our response well its being sold as spares or repairs or export only and we can't guarantee nothing as we require you to trailer the car away and written on invoice spares or repairs or export only to be trailored away. From now on all part exchange stock going to block, not worth the headache. 

[Contracts 68]

So a quick update, my XC60 man has been into Volvo today.  They have looked at his list and have not found fault with anything apart from concluding that the car probably does vibrate but they won’t drive it as it has a sizeable bulge to the near side front tyre along with alloy damage which definitely was not there when he collected it.  

As he is refusing to acknowledge this is his responsibility he says he is keeping the courtesy car until it is sorted....

Volvo are being quite good about it and will try the car with a different wheel tomorrow and update.

[MattR 177]

what a lovely genuine customer you have there. 

[Dave2302 387]

1 hour ago, MattR said:

what a lovely genuine customer you have there. 

Agreed, and as for the Loan Car I would just report it stolen if he doesn't return it when you ask for your vehicle back.

Mind, I don't lend vehicles out anyway, haven't done that for 20+ years

[NOACROSS 414]

I bet I’d stump up for a tyre. Just as a goodwill (without prejudice) gesture to get rid of the lunatic. 

You’ll have pictures of the previous un-mashed alloy. 

You don’t want him messing up the loan car’s clutch etc. 

Remember : you can’t argue with a fool. 

[David Horgan 564]

6 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

Agreed, and as for the Loan Car I would just report it stolen if he doesn't return it when you ask for your vehicle back.

Mind, I don't lend vehicles out anyway, haven't done that for 20+ years

Agreed , No Loan cars here either , 

[Dave2302 387]

I tried 2 times 3 year old Nissan's when i had the gearbox firm, as we often had peoples Automatics for a week or two.

Un grateful scabby tight fisted scum just wrecked the bloody things .................. Never again !!

The best I'll do now is give a decent Customer a lift to or from home (one way per repair) if within a 10 mile radius  

Sales Customers, well if they are serious and actually want a Car from me they can get here themselves 

[NOACROSS 414]

We have one but don’t advertise it and part of the handover docs they sign says we do not operate a loan car service. 

If I like the punter and they’re nice/civilised/appear normal, I’ll lend them it. 

[Contracts 68]

Luckily not our loan car, Volvo main dealers but still charging us £15 a day for the insurance.

So far we have agreed to replace the tyre, Volvo have downloaded updated nav maps FOC plus some software updates.  Apart from that they can’t find a single fault but they have him going in later to go out in the car.

[Mark101 536]

3 minutes ago, Contracts said:

Luckily not our loan car, Volvo main dealers but still charging us £15 a day for the insurance.

So far we have agreed to replace the tyre, Volvo have downloaded updated nav maps FOC plus some software updates.  Apart from that they can’t find a single fault but they have him going in later to go out in the car.

Lucky them.

Regarding loan car - I am adding this to my new insurance in February.  I shall not be advertising the fact and will pick and choose who benefits but largely that should be me.

An example, I have a nice customer who has an intermitent fault but works 9-5 an hours drive away, so trying to keep the workshop open is a challenge.  After Feb and in these circumstances, I will simply say "drop your car off and take ours, we will call you when it is fixed."

This car is within 30 days and I don't want it back, the customer is very reasonable, paid good money - so in this case a courtesy car could work well for me.