Smoked-in Car Purchase: Return Possible?

rdhma

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961667#Comment_121961667

Huh? A standard size registered letter costs €9.50

https://www.anpost.com/Post-Parcels/Sending/Postal-Rates/Registered-Post

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962490#Comment_121962490

Apologies I mistook as solicitor letter

Anyway no need for drama just call and talk it over

Youre putting up barriers sending registered letters straight off the bat. It's better to keep a good working relationship if possible

Luna84

I bought a car off a very heavy smoker years ago. Mind you it was a bangernomics so less then a grand. It stank really bad but I lived with it. Also like my car yours would be the same the smoker obviously never opened a window when they were smoking. Makes a massive difference even opening the window a tiny bit when you are smoking.

Luna84

Also that is mad how you and your wife asked was it a smokers car. Not a question I would ask when looking at a car. And turns out it was.

trindade

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962570#Comment_121962570

It's because we hate the smell and the amount of products/smell of cleaning products was strong.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961230#Comment_121961230

just keep in mind if the car was bought in Newry, UK legislation applies. Not saying you’re wrong in what you’re saying, but the SOGA 1980 has different wording to the equivalent UK act.

_H80_GHT

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962562#Comment_121962562

I've never seen anyone smoke a full cigarette inside a car without cracking the window. Is it even possible?

Seth Brundle

I smoked in my cars up until I gave up a decade ago. Despite having the window cracked, all of my cars stank from it.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962785#Comment_121962785

Did the dealer admit it was a smokers car? You stated they said they couldn't detect any odour.

Any chance you're both so fixated with not having a 'smokers' car you're inventing the smell yourselves? It's 2 years old and an SUV, a family car, so the chances of it being so ingrained with cigarette smoke seems pretty slim to me.

A new car can have a different smell to your previous one, maybe it's just a case of acclimatising to it.

trindade

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962889#Comment_121962889

It was bought in Dublin

Norrie Rugger Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121961141#Comment_121961141

43 grand!

micks_address

It was posted already but I'd give an Ozone machine a go. We had a similar issue with a second hand car recently

I bought this machine from Amazon and ran it a few times. Have a look at ozone videos on youtube. It does work. Also as others said - replacing the cabin/pollen filter will also help. Ozone is dangerous so keep that in mind when using the machine. You leave it in the car while its running and ventilate after. You can pay to get it done as well. I ran a few times in the car, 15 minute cycles and it worked well. I noticed the smell is still in the boot! So i need to run it with the seats down again. When running leave the car on with the air con on internal air circulation and it helps kill anything in the air con system.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B3XDCQJS/ref%3Dppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

djan

Some great suggestions from people on a DIY approach. This would be fine if buying private but I would not accept this from a dealer purchase, especially given the high value of car. Cigarette smoke is notoriously difficult to get out of fabric materials fully and to do it properly requires seats being taken out, and all liners deep cleaned and steamed followed by a few ozone runs. This may still not get rid of it completely as realistically its impossible to clean everything and given materials moving/contracting due to temperature, they may release further odours. This obviously comes at a substantial price that the buyer should not fund.

If dealer is not willing to return money, I'd give him the chance to sort out the problem and then go the legal route etc.

Miscreant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964778#Comment_121964778

Taking the seats out is a bit extreme and unnecessary in my view! I bought a 2 year old car from a dealership back in 2014 and it had been heavily smoked in by the previous owner. A good valet, wet vac and some cleaning products and it was almost gone. I then went and bought an Auto Glym Odour Eliminator product from Halfords and after 2 applications (seats, carpets, seat belts, boot floor and headliner) there was no detectable cigarette smell from the car at all.

As for the OP: Definitely keep on the right side of the dealership. They can try another round of cleaning and then the Ozone treatment and hopefully that will do the trick. If not, give Auto Glym product I used (above) a try. It is a spray and leave type and does not need to be wiped away. An Air Con "bomb" may also be in order to get the smell out of the air vents and HVAC system in the car. Definitely get the cabin pollen filter changed out as this will hold on to the smell also.

Best of luck, I too hate the smell of cigarettes in a car. It is detestable!

drury..

Leaving aside all the ways of resolving this

Ive never given any consideration to this issue in all my years buying cars

And ive never noticed any smoke smell

xzanti

Nothing really to add other than my disgust at the thought of it.

One thing I (and I think many people) love about a new car is the newness and that "new car smell". Which I would certainly expect even from a used car from a dealership. The constant odour of a past driver's smoking would irritate me beyond belief!!

As already mentioned, the dealer lied to you. There goes the trust. I wouldn't be able to enjoy my new car under these conditions.

Personally I would send an email outlining my position. I would request to send the car back and ask for a complete revamp of the interior or failing that a different car at no extra cost.

If I didn't get satisfaction from that. I would then speak to a solicitor.

Maybe also mention that you have been asking for advice on a popular public forum where several people are asking for the name of the dealership.

Disclaimer: you will not actually be permitted to publicly name and shame the company here; but it might light a fire under the dealer. So to speak.

Best of luck.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964778#Comment_121964778

The legal route?

I’ve never been asked by a dealer if I smoked when trading a car in, so I’m not sure how any dealer can be expected to give a legally binding declaration on the previous owner’s social habits. As another poster pointed out, the owner may not have been a smoker, but the dealer can’t be expected to vouch for anyone else who travelled in the car.

It’s also possible that the previous owner cleaned the car thoroughly and hung an air freshener when handing it in, if the op couldn’t smell it when they viewed it, particularly given their keen sense of smell and sensitivity to all things smoky, then I’m not sure you could legally prove that the dealership could know.

I think asking for your money back is unrealistic, just get the car valeted and let the car air out.

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965240#Comment_121965240

Absolutely agree, given the sums of money involved there is even more expectation that things will be as described.

Regarding your disclaimer, surely it is not slander if someone posts exactly what happened?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965274#Comment_121965274

Yes if it comes to it, the legal route as the car they have now received is devalued and needs money spent to get it right. Be respectful but firm and more than likely they'll return the car as it won't cost them much if any money to retail again.

The dealer may not ask it but it there is a smell in a car it will lower its value regardless if its smoke or mould.

I don't think people realise that some are more sensitive to certain odours than others. To those it is extremely difficult to remove smoke odour, especially from fabrics.

drury..

The problem with posters throwing out the legal route is its bad advice if buyer has no legal recourse in this instance

Buyer is then on a bad footing going forward for all subsequent warranty issues

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965296#Comment_121965296

Good God, will a dealer know if a milkshake was ever spilled in a car, or a petrol can leaked in the boot, or a mower was carried in an SUV? The op no doubt test drove the car, but obviously didn’t smell it, and having it cleaned to get a car the way you want it isn’t something a court is likely to be concerned with. As this isn’t a small claim, the op would have to get expert witnesses and it could take a considerable amount to time and money to come to progress to a hearing, by which time the smell could be long gone or the op will have sold the car.

djan, when you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras.

realdanbreen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965319#Comment_121965319

Most sensible post so far + if I was spending 43k on a car I'd be buying a new one

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965319#Comment_121965319

Good god indeed, the buyer specifically questioned this and dealer confirmed it was not a smokers car. I'd argue they were aware as it already had strong cleaning smell and issue became apparent quite quickly. By your logic if I buy a car at a dealer and then a couple of weeks later I find heavy mould under every seat and in the spare tyre compartment, I should just accept that? You may think so, but a dealer sale carries some responsibilities.

Taking the legal route in these cases often leads to either a threat of or one solicitors letter and then you come to an agreement. From the dealers perspective they can return the money and potentially retail the car as is and take a chance or try to get rid of odour better for a couple hundred euro. Or they can swap to a different car and sort out any remaining balance and have a happy customer.

Often times it's a case of kicking up a bit of fuss to get your way and here it's IMO warranted.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965420#Comment_121965420

Dealers are now responsible for knowing social/personal habits of clients now? What if the dealer claims the previous owner told them he/she didn’t smoke?

The garage is going to tell you to feck off.

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965468#Comment_121965468

You're completely missing the point. I agree that the dealer doesn't need to have extensive knowledge of the car's life. However, when it becomes quickly evident that the car is not as described and once the air fresheners wear off have a strong unpleasant smell that is cause for a resolution. Surely you'd agree that a car smelling of smoke has a lower value than one that doesn't? The very least the dealer can do is try to properly remove it if not take it back and you won't get that unless you dig the heels in.

It's really not worth the time and hassle for the dealer to fight this if the OP decides to push on.

Oscar_Madison

from past bad experience I don’t touch a car that overly smells of freshener or whatever smelly chemical a dealer might vallet the car with - you really only notice what they were trying to mask after a few days when the chemical small fades and the real smell then emerges

Many people gave up smoking in their cars but I still see a lot of smokers when out and about - you’ll never get rid of that smell ever

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965766#Comment_121965766

Not car related but I had a similar situation when viewing an apartment in Dublin about 15 years ago. The first thing I noticed was the air fresheners on full whack when I got in. I took a good look around and found signs of damp so I found out what they were trying to cover up!

Barr

We were in the same boat a few years ago . Bought a newish car from a SIMI garage.

Tried to return it but they insisted on ozone first. It helped but once you know its an ex smoker , it will always be there

In the end, we traded it in against something else

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965676#Comment_121965676

You are going to struggle if your case is based on what the op described in the opening post, was the previous owner a smoker? The dealer can only go on what the previous owner might have told him, the previous owner may not have been a smoker, but someone else in the household might have been.

I can’t ever remember dealers advertising cars as being previously owned by smoker/non smoker, maybe it is a thing.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963754#Comment_121963754

sorry, I misread the original post!

colm_mcm

The dealer would well know what a car that used to smell badly of smoke smells like after a valet. As a customer, if you’re not used to smelling newly cleaned cars you might assume that the smell is from the chemicals - but the cigarette smell disguised by valeting products is unmistakable to someone dealing in cars and there’s no excuse for lying to the customer.

There are ways of removing the smell properly but they probably just did a standard valet and hoped for the best.