Discovered my used car has undisclosed repair - what should I do?
I bought an ex-demonstrator from a main dealer but, after some months, I suspected there had been some bodywork repair on the rear quarter. I would have asked about this during purchase but nothing was disclosed. Once I noticed it, I could see the repair was quite extensive but reasonably good.
The fact that the car was repaired has now been confirmed by the dealer but he says that there was no obligation for them to disclose it (even though asked) and there is no reduction in value as a result of the repair. He has offered to tidy up the bodywork for me. Should I just be happy that the repair was good and accept the dealers offer of a polish and buff?
The fact that the car was repaired has now been confirmed by the dealer but he says that there was no obligation for them to disclose it (even though asked) and there is no reduction in value as a result of the repair. He has offered to tidy up the bodywork for me. Should I just be happy that the repair was good and accept the dealers offer of a polish and buff?
Asked on 8 May 2016 by major19
Answered by
Honest John
The dealer does not know his law (or is pretending not to know it). You can reject the car. he contravened the 2008 Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. This creates an offence of misleading omissions which would not previously have been an offence if the consumer had not asked the right questions.
So if a salesman knows a car has, for example, been badly damaged and repaired and does not tell the customer, he could later be held liable if the customer subsequently discovered that the car had been damaged and repaired. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
So if a salesman knows a car has, for example, been badly damaged and repaired and does not tell the customer, he could later be held liable if the customer subsequently discovered that the car had been damaged and repaired. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
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