HELP-Need advice on an S-max just purchased

sking

Hi,

I saw a Ford S-Max advertised on carzone mileage approx. 12,500 Miles. Went up the north to purchase from a ford dealer for 15,500Stg. Paid deposit 500 a month ago & collected it today. After I had paid the balance using a bankdraft I noticed the clock read approx. 17,500 Miles:mad: Queried this with the salesman & he insisted it was the advertised mileage. Then I looked at the log book & the car was serviced on 29 may 2009 & the mileage recorded was 12,500 miles. The car has assumably been parked in there lot for the last month awaiting my payment in full.

Therefore someone decided to take it on a 5,000 mile roundtrip. I feel like I was robbed. I took the car because I didnt want a 4 hour round trip to be wasted & need a car ASAP.

The salesman told me he would ring me monday morning & that he would look into it. I think he should do the honest thing & refund some money. Its not like the log book lies but he did when he falsely advertised the car. Basically would appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

Martron

hate to say it ... ( i got done on a car deal over a spare wheel.) you should have walked. doubt he will ring you as he has your money.

Kashkai

While I'm all for shopping abroad to save money (and that includes N.I. as its a separate jurisdiction), if trouble arises you then have the hassle of trying to resolve your problem as a "foriegner" if you try to go through whatever the equivalent of SIMI is in the north. You should have walked away and left him with his car as the UK's car market is in the same trouble as ours, though I'm sure that the deposit of €500 weighed on your decision to go through with the deal.

Anan1

I'm afraid I have to agree with the above, you should have either walked away or negotiated the discount on the spot.

raffo_2005

sounds very dodgy to me if i was you it would be worth the drive back up to the garage

2qk4u

You will get nothing back, you had a choice to refuse the car but you decided to take it... i would have insisted on a discount or something to compensate me.

eamon234

Where was the car advertised? Do you have a copy of the original ad? I wouldn't be too concerned about 5000 extra miles but I'd wondering how someone could do that much in a month and a bit! Do they rent cars also by any chance? Maybe it did a spot of moonlighting while it was waiting for you.

sking

I would have walked but a 4 hour roundtrip with a 6 month old baby I felt totally stuck between a rock & a hard place. This car had everything I wanted which is nearly impossible to achieve when purchasing secondhand. I have since really examined the situation & I think I know now how the mistake occured.

The mileage was displayed at 17,777miles on a digital display unit but underneath was 1,285.6 miles which was the miles done on the car that you can reset on any given journey. So the person servicing the car logged the mileage 12,856 & then it was advertised with this mileage. It was probably a genuine error. Anyway I will see if he calls or I will call him & give him the whole "Reputation" speech & see what happens. If he refunded my 500pounds deposit I would be thrilled & lucky seeing as the deal is technically a done deal.

A lesson has been learnt.

As for buying up north I saved 6,000euro. I will take a chance on the car doing what its suppose to for saving that kind of cash.:)

Gumbo

sking wrote: »

I would have walked but a 4 hour roundtrip with a 6 month old baby I felt totally stuck between a rock & a hard place. This car had everything I wanted which is nearly impossible to achieve when purchasing secondhand. I have since really examined the situation & I think I know now how the mistake occured.

The mileage was displayed at 17,777miles on a digital display unit but underneath was 1,285.6 miles which was the miles done on the car that you can reset on any given journey. So the person servicing the car logged the mileage 12,856 & then it was advertised with this mileage. It was probably a genuine error. Anyway I will see if he calls or I will call him & give him the whole "Reputation" speech & see what happens. If he refunded my 500pounds deposit I would be thrilled & lucky seeing as the deal is technically a done deal.

A lesson has been learnt.

judging by the post, it looks like a genuine error. dont worry about it and enjoy the car. but least youve learned a lesson, i wouldnt care if it was a 10 hour journey or an over night stay in the UK, i would rather come home with my 15k than purchase a car for the sake of it.

but it looks like this is not the case. what model did you get, what engine?

Anan1

sking wrote: »

I would have walked but a 4 hour roundtrip with a 6 month old baby I felt totally stuck between a rock & a hard place. This car had everything I wanted which is nearly impossible to achieve when purchasing secondhand.

You wouldn't have had to walk, all you needed to do was make the salesman believe you would walk until the price came down to an acceptable level. That's the real lesson here.:)