Bought a 2nd hand van...any comeback

zildjian1

hi all,

firstly thanks to all in advance for reading this...

i have a question, a general wondering maybe.....hopefully i can get some opinions...

last november i purchased a 00 mercedes van from a garage in the north. Initially i was very happy with it...it was plenty big enough, and very nippy on the road! Before I picked it up, the garage were very helpful...they brought it for the DOE test and changed it to southern plates for me.

After about 4 months of having it, I noticied a few small problems with it. To make a long story short, I have had to fork out for a new battery, a new alternator, and now in the last month, after one of my mechanic friends drove it for a few days, he said the back axle was on the way out, and the head gasket is gone!!! I was driving it yesterday around town, and it just was cutting out for no reason :mad:

Right now, I'm kinda sorry I bought it. I purchased it because I needed it for my own work and to make a few quid; not to have to be worrying about it day after day and throwing money into it to constantly be replacing parts.


So...my question is: do i have any comeback whatsoever....surely when u purchase a 2nd hand vehicle, there is some sort of guarantee? Before you ask, I have no recollection of the garage owner saying that it was guaranteed for period of time. I'm just thinking that there might be a "consumer right" that I can use to go back to him and complain or something...After all, I only have it for 11 months or so, and have only done about 3000 miles since purchase.

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on my situation. Thanks for reading

Barlow07

zildjian1 wrote:

do i have any comeback whatsoever....surely when u purchase a 2nd hand vehicle, there is some sort of guarantee? Before you ask, I have no recollection of the garage owner saying that it was guaranteed for period of time. I'm just thinking that there might be a "consumer right" that I can use to go back to him and complain or something...After all, I only have it for 11 months or so, and have only done about 3000 miles since purchase.

I dont think you have a leg to stand on here i'm afraid. I might be wrong here, but when you purchase a veichle second hand from a garage, you might be lucky to get six months warranty, but that has expired by now.

If its giving you as much hassle as you say, why not sell it now and cut your loses?

Oryx

Not sure where you stand on this one, it usually depends on the terms you agreed with the seller, which in this case you cannot remember. Its a seven year old van, so it wont be under any manufacturers warranty, and I dont think any garages would give you a 12 month guarantee on a s/h vehicle, so any warranty you may have had wont cover you here. All I can suggest is that you get in touch with the place you bought it and see what they have to say and what they are willing to do.

Because of the age of the van, I cant see any statutory rights applying here.

zildjian1

thats true...Unfortunately I have a conscience and I would hate to sell it to someone and then get a phone call 3 weeks later with the guy compaining, and I just have to say..."sorry buddy...tough sh!t"!!!

I'm a true believer in "treat others as you would like to be treated"

Saying that though...I might just have to...hopefully I get enough for it to buy a hi-ace or something more reliable