People’s champion

Q I bought a pre-owned car last month and within three weeks the clutch failed while I was driving down the Eastern Road. I agreed with the dealer to have the car repaired under a threemonth warranty. What are my rights if another serious fault is revealed within the first year?

D.D (via email)

A

Like any goods you buy, used cars must comply with the fitness for purpose, satisfactory quality, and durability requirements of the 2015 Consumer Rights Act.

First, if you’d rejected the car and handed the keys back to the dealership within 30 days of purchase you’d have had an absolute right in law to a complete no quibble refund of your money.

Secondly, since you declined go down that route, you’ve lost that automatic right and a new set of legal rules have kicked in.

The dealership now has a right to one attempt to carry out a satisfactory repair. Multiple attempts are excluded.

In the event of the fault recurring within the first six months from purchase, the remedy reverts back to you.

You have a further right of rejection, an exchange, or compensation. If you go for compensation that will usually boil down to a partial refund based on any depreciation

during the period of your ownership.

The dealer’s guarantee, which should have been given to you in writing, cannot take away these rights.

You must have reasonable expectations of a used car though. Largely dependant on the price paid, you have to accept you will be buying a measure of wear and tear by previous owners, and it may not drive as new. Q My daughter had a bad experience with a firm who she paid more than £6,000 to replace her front driveway. The firm had a number of excellent reviews on Facebook but she now suspects they were fake. Is there anything she can do about this?

A.T (via email)

A

Your daughter should report the firm to trading standards via her local Citizens’ Advice bureau.

It’s a serious and potential criminal offence under the 2008 Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations to make false claims about a product or service to influence people’s buying decisions.

False online reviews have reached near epidemic proportions. Search instead for reviews posted by individuals who have had real experience of how a firm treats its customers.