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Some advice - buying in the UK

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  • 15-09-2008 10:36pm
    #1
    scoob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭


    I'm looking for a little advice. I'm trying to buy an RX8 in the UK at the moment. I've started the process with an 06 with 16k miles on the clock. I've followed the advice in the sticky so far.

    I had to pay a 5% deposit to get the car supermarket I'm dealing with to take the car off sale so I could get the RAC out to inspect it. I asked the sales guy was there anything I should know before the car was checked he said the car was perfect. The results of that check came in today and there were a few things on it

    - Bonnet and front bumper were resprayed due to chipping
    - Windscreen chipped
    - Two front tyres are minimum legal limit (Would appear from thread depth on the back that these have already been replaced once - 15k miles?)
    - Miscellaneous body work imperfections

    Now I understand it's a second hand car and I can't expect it to be perfect but the stuff the report threw up seems to point to the fact that the car was driven over bad roads quite hard. I know it's a sports car and driving it fast is the idea but I'm at the point where I'm wondering should I pull out of the purchase as there are other examples where I wouldn't have this uncertainty.

    I guess I'm wondering if I'm overreacting based on the vehicle inspector's report. Anyone have any experience they can share?


Comments

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    #2
    Ronan H
    Registered Users Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭Ronan H


    Will you lose your 5% if you pull out?

    Head


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    #3
    scoob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭scoob


    The guy I spoke to today I the garage after the inspection hinted at that but I pointed out that I was never told it was non-refundable and that the price and sale were dependent on a clean RAC Check.

    But to be honest, they could easily tell me to go jump.

    I wouldn't give up the 5% without a fight but I'd rather lose that than miss the point of the results of the inspection and buy the car I guess.

    I trust the RAC guy. I don't trust the salesmen. But the RAC guy is not going to tell me to buy the car, that's why I'm wondering what results others have got and how they've proceeded afterwards.


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    #4
    meesa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭meesa


    With a car like that you just have to get yourself over there and check it out yourself.In my opinion it`s too big a risk to leave to someone else to guide you. Get the history checked though!!(Although I think the RAC do this as part of their check anyway).


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    #5
    bazz26
    Registered Users Posts: 51,124 ✭✭✭✭bazz26


    Sounds to me like the car has had a hard life. Could also be an indication of how the car was maintained or lack thereof. A car like that owned by an enthusiast would not have been treated like how you described.

    Surely there are plenty of cleaner examples over there?


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    #6
    scoob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭scoob


    The HPI check came back clean but yeah the story reading between the lines is depsite the 16k this car has been driven on bad roads for it's short life.

    There are cleaner examples alright, which is what I'm now thinking.

    I get the impression the dealer is going to be sticky with the deposit but I'll get over it. Buying the wrong car would be a much bigger deal.


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    #7
    Esel
    Registered Users Posts: 22,015 ✭✭✭✭Esel


    If your deposit was to ensure the car would be held for the RAC check, I cannot see any reason why you should not get a refund, as you are not happy to proceed based on the results of the check. Fight hard!

    Not your ornery onager



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    #8
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,329 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Tbh, it sounds like the car has 16k's worth of mileage (25000km). If there is a better deal out there fair enough but otherwise it's being picky.


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    #9
    scoob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭scoob


    I would have thought a car needing the bonnet and bumper resprayed after 16k miles on UK roads would be untypical?


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    #10
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,621 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    What were the t's & c's of the 5% payment?


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    #11
    Ronan H
    Registered Users Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭Ronan H


    Having read the whole thread from top to bottom in one go, there seems to be a reasonable element of doubt on your behalf Scoob. If you can get the deposit back I suggest you do so and go look at some other cars. You might buy the car and always have a niggling feeling about it that will wreck your head.

    Also, a front end respray after 16K miles sounds unreasonable to me, unless of course the car was always driven behind a gravel truck or in a quarry :rolleyes:. As that isn't very likely I would say it hasn't been looked after well and you couldn't be sure that there aren't any other potential issues lying under the bonnet, or so to speak.

    Clearly it would be a pain in the arse if you couldn't get your deposit back because then you are stuck between having a car you are not sure about and losing a fair bit of cash. A detail about a deposit being refundable or not will most certainly be written in the T&C's so as Henry Ford suggested, that's the first place to have a look. You will have a far better picture of where you stand then...

    Head


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    #12
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,621 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    I'd suggest leaving a deposit in the 1st place wasn't such a good idea. The UK is awash with cars for sale. Why not just travel over and view a few?


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    #13
    scoob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭scoob


    Thanks for the comments lads.

    The 5% was literally done over the phone so they'd take the car off sale. They never said anything about it being non-refundable or otherwise. So there's no T&Cs or weren't any explained. I had thought reading the sticky that the deposit was pretty normal.

    I spoke again with the vehicle inspector and he said it's a good car and that if it wasn't he'd have put me off buying it. I'm planning a run to the UK this weekend to check it out in person. Flights were cheap and if they're going to be awkward about the deposit anyways, I may aswell check it out.

    Cheers again.


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    #14
    Cyrus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,680 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    mazdas do have soft paint and it may have been resprayed by the dealer that took it in in order to comply with their approved used car criteria for resale?

    that said my 02 m3 is almost like new so i dont accept people saying you should accept those flaws on a 06 car


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    #15
    Bandara
    Registered Users Posts: 3,282 ✭✭✭Bandara


    couple of quick points,

    I'm presuming you paid the 5% over the phone with your Creidt Card, if so you can get the money back through them by instructing them to reclaim the payment as the goods were not sold as advertised, the CC company will ALWAYS go with your side of the dispute, it'll take about 8 weeks but you will gte the money back.

    The first option theough is to contact the uk ombudsman helpline and find out if they can keep the depoist, I'd imagine they can't. Then armed with this knowledge you can be more informed when speakign to the seller.

    good luck


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