On road to refund after used car hell
THE second-hand motor she was contracted to pay £9,000 for has turned out to be a useless tin heap she claims – but when a single mum tried to reject it no one seemed to give a care.
Atrocious value and abysmal service just about summed up Debbie King’s desperate experience during the six months after she bought the Mercedes E-Class from dealer The Car Guys and lender Blue Motor Finance.
Debbie, from Hertfordshire, has a young daughter and works as a cleaner helping many vulnerable people.
Fearing her problem would end up on the scrapheap, she told Crusader: “I need a car to get to my customers’ homes as well as support my daughter and a sick relative.
“Public transport is very limited where I live and this car has only worked for two months in the time I’ve had it.
“I’m paying for something I cannot use, it’s been a killer time for me.”
After we took up the matter, justice for Debbie is now happening, although it has a way to go.
Despite some better protections, including the vehicle sector’s voluntary membership scheme The Motor Ombudsman, it can still be a wild west out there for motorists.
Debbie chose her 12-year-old Mercedes, that came with a warranty and had 76,000 miles on the clock, in a part-exchange deal.
She paid a £5,000 deposit to Prestige Car Zone, trading as The Car Guys, and took out a £4,000 two-year agreement with Blue Motor Finance, paying £186.24 a month. Three weeks after purchase Debbie claims the car lost power, taking her hours to limp home.
The AA found nothing amiss, but an independent garage’s report detailed concerns.
The dealer collected her vehicle, supplying her with a courtesy car and adding an extra £200 as it kept it for two months.
A further independent report continued to highlight problems. Debbie struggled along but fearing it would breakdown, which it did and just before Christmas.
“I took photos of perished valves and burned areas beneath the engine,” she claims.
“I kept telling Blue Finance I wanted to reject the car.
“At first they said they would provide a courtesy one, but then refused because of my rejection request, saying they were waiting for The Car Guys to respond, so I’m stuck.”
The used car market is currently experiencing record growth.
After Crusader’s request for both parties to do the right thing by Debbie, The Car Guys said: “We are taking the vehicle back and the customer will be refunded.”
Blue Motor Finance told her: “Once your vehicle is collected we will be able to confirm how much you receive back.”
Should this not happen, Debbie could use her credit contract and complain to the Financial Ombudsman (financialombudsman.org.uk).
Debbie felt like she did not count, but Crusader has her back until this problem is sorted fairly.