Right to be annoyed?

ergonomics

Hi all,

Just wanted some feedback as I'm getting really annoyed and I'm wondering if I'm right or not.

I bought a second hand car 10 days ago from a SIMI registered dealer. They had just gotten the car in that day so it needed a good clean and service. The guy in the dealer told me that I'd be able to pick it up the following Friday which I thought was quite a long wait but what can you do? I rang him on Tuesday, 3 days before it was due to be ready, and he said that it was still being serviced and then they wanted to send it to the body shop and then get it valeted so it would be today before I could get the car.

I rang today to confirm and he said it was still in the body shop (just fixing any small scratches or dents that the car had picked up) and then it had to be valeted so it won't be ready until this Thursday, 2 weeks after I paid for it. In the mean time I'm driving around with no tax or NCT on my own car, which they know and they said originally that would be fine as they'd have the car to be in under a week. I'm commuting 40 minutes each way every day my nerves are fraught. I'm so afraid I'll get pulled over.

I'm getting really annoyed at how long it is taking them and wondering if I'm right for thinking 2 weeks is unreasonable to wait for a 2nd hand car? Honestly, they've lost me as a customer as it took them 3 days to finish servicing it in the first place. Does that mean if I was to drop the car back for a service in future I'd be without a car for 3 days? All that's left to be done is the valet and I'm half tempted to say leave it, I'll take the car today and pay for a valet myself.

They see it as deal done, money in the bank so are not too pushed. Also maybe some defects have been discovered that they want to sort.

Zubeneschamali

ergonomics wrote: »

it won't be ready until this Thursday, 2 weeks after I paid for it.

Even on a brand new car, I've never paid more than a deposit until I can drive away.

ergonomics

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Even on a brand new car, I've never paid more than a deposit until I can drive away.

I did only pay a deposit, about 10% of the full price. Sorry, I was fuming when I posted this.

aujopimur

Go into the dealer, bring sambos a flask and a book, tell them your not leaving until you get your car.
Worked for me.

garhjw

i think you need to set them a deadline for the car. threaten to pull out of the deal if they don't have it ready. 2 weeks is more than enough time unless they found a serious problem!

mickdw

Perhaps they resold it for a better price?

The stories about it getting bodywork repairs doesnt make sense. You agreed to buy it as you saw it I presume. If that is the case, there is no way they would be doing extra work. So either they resold it & you are never going to get it or there is a serious fault with it.

bazz26

Something not right here. Usuallly when a garage have a deposit taken on a car they want the rest of the money for it and want it out the door as quickly as possible in order to make room for other stock. A valet and some cosmetic tidying up doesn't take 2 weeks unless they really are an incompetant lot.

I would call into the garage unannounced to inspect the car and see if they are actually working on it. Ask them why it is taking so long if all they are doing is some cosmetic tidying up. Phone calls are a waste of time as it is too easy to just fob you off with BS.

Cyrus

yep smells fishy,

if you are as eager to get it as you seem i would have thought they wouldnt bother doing anything more than they legally had to do and then given it to you

ergonomics

Thanks for the replies. I've asked my boyfriend to call up to the dealer on his way home and take a look at the car.

After all the waiting we were worried that there may be damage to the car that they were trying to repair but we both test drove the car and he inspected it closely and didn't spot anything. This is quite a big dealer too and quite well known so I don't think they'd pull anything dodgy but you never know.

On the other hand, maybe they're just incredibly slow workers. They've shot themselves in the foot now because, if I do get my car, I will never go back there or recommend them to anyone as they are just too slow.

deandean

I am very slow to rush anyone working on my car.

OP be polite and be firm with them.

BostonB

I wouldn't trust main dealer. A GF had me look at a car with her in a main dealer. I didn't really like it, but she did, had a mechanic check it out. She picked it up, and when I was looking at it, I realized someone had bent the drivers door frame, and the radio was different then when I looked at it. Obviously the car had been broken into, and damaged. They swapped the radio, and bent the door back, and then passed the car over to her with out mentioning any of it. I was all for getting a refund, but they took it back repaired it properly and extended the warranty.

There was another case I read in a UK mag, where someone bought a new car from a dealer, and then after a few months there was a problem with the paint on parts of the car, fading or something. Dealer wasn't interested. But the guy had the AA check it out, and the report came back the car had been rebuilt on one one side. The dealer later admitted a wall had fallen on the car, and they'd repaired it.

2 weeks? To give you a car they are selling with no problems.

If you have a problem with the car, how long will it take them to fix that! Get your deposit back and go somewhere else. They are treating you like a fool. I'd have nothing to do with them.