Deposit on a car - refund / cooling off ?

worded

I put a small deposit on a second hand car yesterday and now have cold feet.

Have I a cooling off period of 7 days and can req a refund?

Anan1

Was it a private sale? If so, what's written on the receipt?

Churchy

Afaik (in the UK) you only have a cooling off period if the seller went to you.
Eg) Doorstep salesmen , Double glazing sales etc...

If you went to them you dont.

worded

Was a garrage.

Henry Ford III

I'd imagine they'll refuse to refund it. Why did you pull out of the sale?

JHMEG

Did you sign something that said you forfeit the deposit if you pull out?

If you didn't then you are entitled to a refund.

zing

Put a deposit on a car in the UK recently. Asked at the time if it was refundable which they said it was. Got the RAC report back and decided against the car based on it. Rang garage and they refunded no problem.

I guess it's always wise to ask if a deposit is refundable but hindsight is great isn't it.

JHMEG

zing wrote: »

I guess it's always wise to ask if a deposit is refundable but hindsight is great isn't it.

Doesn't matter what they say. It's the law that decides.

colm_mcm

what exactly is the point in paying a refundable deposit?

richardsheil

Hey Colm, you are dead right. Deposit should be forfeited. That is the whole idea.

One time I got a deposit of 400 euro of a guy who agreed to buy my old Civic.

He got cold feet (probably because his mates told him the car was too expensive or whatever).

I gave him back his deposit (against my better judgement) because I was afraid of a brick through my front door or whatever.

worded

I text the garage and said I got cold feet as I really didnt like the interior - keep the deposit. Wasnt a large deposit. 50 dolla.

I also found out the car wasnt worth it on the VRY web site = book value.

Feck it I could have spent that 50 better but it was my fault - so less impulsive next time.

I did let him know within 24 hours.

JHMEG

colm_mcm wrote: »

what exactly is the point in paying a refundable deposit?

Exactly. It's as pointless as asking for one.

Slidey

If deposits were refundable what would be the point.
Your selling your car and put it on the autotrader for 2 weeks. Day later a guy comes and gives you 2oo of a deposit and says i'll be back with the rest in a few days, all the phone calls you then may get have to be told the car is sold, if he can then come back and say he changes his mnd you will have to fork out the money to readvertise, thats whats his 200 will pay for. Not a hope of anyone gettin a deposit back off me unless they were able to tell me something about the car i didnt know... ie it was crashed before, differnt engine etc

-Chris-

Don't know about other garages, but I work it on a case-by-case basis.

If you're buying something stupid (i.e yellow), I'll take a big deposit and I'll keep it.
If you're buying something nice/desirable/easily sellable, I'll take a reasonable deposit and, if you cancel for good reason and in a reasonable way, I'll give you back your deposit and I'll sell the car to someone else.

Normally though, I'll hang onto your deposit until I've sold the car and then give it back to you. If I have to give a bigger discount because you've ordered something on your car that the new customer doesn't want, I'll take the cost of that out of your deposit and refund the rest. I don't want a deposit as a profit maker, only as a gesture of good faith.

So, in your case, I think you shoud ask politely and respectfully for your deposit back. If you haven't inconvenienced them too much, they should give it back to you. If they've told other people it's sold, I'd ask them to keep the car till it is sold, and then refund it.

SIMI order form says deposits are non-refundable and I agree with the lads, there's no point in a refundable deposit. There's also no point in a €50 deposit, as the seller's currently finding out!