Trading in used car

jayod30

I'm in the process of purchasing a new car, trading in my old against it. Trouble is, I've been given a good price on the current car, more than other dealers have offered as trade. Here lies my problem. We were having problems with the power steering for a while, leak in fluid, buts its gone from bad to worse, power steering has now failed. The pump is completely gone, talkin about €500 to fix. The salesperson checked the car after this happened but failed to notice the problem, he never took it for a test drive, just started her up, revved a bit and was quite happy with that. I've been told by various people, friend in the trade and my mechanic to say nothin and just go ahead with sale, they say the mark up on new car will more than cover this problem and that only cost the dealership will incur is the purchasing of new pump as their mechanics can then sort the problem. Guilt has now set in a bit though plus the possibility of comeback from the dealer, legally that is.

Any advice would be much appreciated:(

slave1

You've been given practical advice but I think you're query relates to an ethical one and you've provided your own answer when you admit feeling guilty.
No level of advice or suggestions here will eliminate how you feel here and your perception of basic right versus wrong.

If it was me........

jayod30

Well, traded the car without saying anything, then after a few days got a phone call saying I had ripped him off and he wanted some sort of cash compensation, €400 to be exact and this is after all documents have been signed including finance. He's saying now that he can cancel the sale if I don't, something I highly doubt.

mickdw

You started the thread yesterday morning and were at that stage considering buying. Now today you say that you have completed the sale and a few days have passed. It doesnt make sense to me.

Satanta

All this happened within one day?

Anan1

Pay him. How would you feel if someone did that to you and justified it by saying that you could afford it?

veetwin

This sounds odd. OP posted yesterday at 3am saying he was considering trading in.. 26 hours later he posts agains saying he's traded in and a couple of day later the dealer rings him looking for money?

However that aside if the OP knew there was a €500 problem with the car he really should have said. Legally though the dealer might have no case. It was up to him to check out the car properly.

ShamoBuc

Dealer didn't check the car properly. That was his job, he didn't do it, tough shít.

The timeline of the story is way off.

jayod30

Apologies for timeline, not exactly sure why I put in a few days:o

.... fingers crossed you don't have any issues with the car you bought off him while its under warranty.

jayod30

It was a €500 cost for me to get fixed, for dealer its cost of a new pump, labour costs don't really apply as such to him as they would to me as they have their own service department. He was made aware before deal that the car wasn't nct'd and that the car was in need of some work but in his haste to get deal closed he just looked at car, offered trade value then signed off. He even went as far as offering trade in price on the phone before even looking at car He's told me if I don't pay the €400 the deal will be cancelled, how I don't know seeing as all paper work was signed off on, scare mongering a bit I'd reckon. I have a mate who deals in motor parts so I've told him I'll price parts needed to rectify problem and give him cost of parts which I know will be alot less than what he's looking for, something he's not happy for me to do.

pred racer

I think i'd come clean (sorta) and say i didnt think the problem was that bad and maybe negotiate a figure with him, 200 maybe? Im all for getting one over on the motor trade ( they have been doing it to me for years) but you are gonna have to deal with the guy again sometime (warranty etc) so its best for it to be amicable!

Research the cost price of the pump and offer that.

mickdw

If he priced your car over the phone, I say feck him. If he could afford to do that, he was surely giving you a bad deal or at least he wasn't down to his very best price on the deal.

Limbo123

A dealer getting stung for once? Surely not.


I wouldn't cough up any dosh. He is the dealer- he should've known better.

Stheno

I think it's karma biting the OP in the ass.

And we all see the threads about dodgy dealers on here?

OP, talk to him, ask him for an estimate for parts (with quotes) and offer him that plus €100 for labor and walk away.

I've a terrible honest streak, paid €62 for the privilege of having a car for a day in tax recently, I'm just like that, but OP, pay up you ripped him off.

If the tables were turned the usual shower would be out here baying for the dealers ass!

And if you did that as a private sale, you'd be downright dishonest.

johnos1984

I'd treat this like a private sale.

Buyer beware etc

gyppo

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Dealer didn't check the car properly. That was his job, he didn't do it, tough shít.

+1.

Did the dealer ask you was there any problems with the car? - Probably not.
You offered the car for his inspection, and for him to make a valuation as a trade in.
If he didnt drive the car, that was his choice.

His moment has passed, tell him to do one..

However, I would'nt think that your after sales warranty will be much use if you need to use it.

coolbeans

The dealer was incompetent by not checking the car thoroughly. If he had done so he would have found the problem and accounted for this in the sale/trade price. I really don't see why the OP should pay just because a professional who should know better didn't do what he should have done. In my business there is a procedure known as 'due diligence' i.e. you check everything out before proceeding with a deal. If I don't do this and close on a deal, and then find that there is a problem with the title deeds for example, the fault lies with me, the guy who failed to follow proper procedure.

If this was a private sale I think the ethics would be different but it isn't and your man simply did not do his job.