Another second-hand car disaster

I bought a BMW X1 from a dealer in Mogoditshane on the 20th June.

On the 31st July, I experienced an engine problem and contacted the owner of the garage the next day, only to be told that the warranty was only 7 days and that I had signed to agree with that since it’s written on the receipt. I was never told about the 7 days before then.

Their salesman gave me the car with a dead left headlamp and promised to fit it but never did it and I had to pay someone P600 to fit it. I also had to buy myself the back wiper for P150 since they did not put it on. Also, a pipe from the water tank started leaking and I had it replaced for another P600. On the 31st July, while on a trip, the car slowed itself down near Mahalapye and we stopped to observe what was the problem and there was some loud noise coming from the engine. We had a towing company transport the car on a truck to Mahalapye since it was the nearest place of safety. I paid P850 for the service.

Please help me get assistance.

Buying a second-hand car is an incredibly risky business. We’ve had hundreds of complaints over the years that were all very similar to yours and the challenge is always the same. Most second-hand car dealers offer almost no warranty on the cars they sell and customers often only discover this when they get a receipt, after having paid a huge amount of money. We could argue that explaining this after the consumer has paid isn’t legal but that would be a job for attorneys.

The lesson is simple. Be VERY careful when buying a second-hand car. You should ALWAYS get a mechanic to inspect any car you’re thinking of buying. Most of us have a friend or relative who knows more about cars that we do. Ask them to take a look. If you don’t have someone, go to the garage that serviced your last car and ask if one of the mechanics wants to earn something extra. I promise you it will be worth a few hundred Pula or a crate of beer to get their expert advice. It might save you a fortune in the long run.

Also, get the dealer to put something in writing about the state of the car you’re buying. Insist that they identify all the known problems before you hand over your money. If they refuse, ask yourself what they’re hiding because they certainly can’t be trusted with your money.