So, someone I know bought a used Audi. Car is only a year old, he spent ages looking for the right spec and its a corker.

Starts to notice a vibration through the steering wheel. Dealer can't find anything so he gets it back. Vibration gets worse, now seems to be through all four wheels, the steering wheel and seat. Dealer notices nothing.

Third time, he takes engineer out for a drive and yip, now he sees it. So they take the car in...

Few days later he is summoned to a face to face meeting as its "not a conversation to have over the phone". They offer him three options...

1. They'll buy his car back.
2. He can swap it for another car and they'll come to some arrangement if there's a difference in price.
3. If he really wants it back they'll do it, but they'd rather he goes for one or two.

The reason given? Because he's had so much trouble with the car and he has high standards, its going to cost time and money to get it back to his level of expectation. But they won't actually tell him what's wrong....

I've genuinely never heard the like before. So, what's wrong with the car that they want it back so badly? Short of a dead body under the floor I'm stumped.

--

Cheers,

Mike.

Ascender said...

But they won't actually tell him what's wrong....

Hmm, I would have thought they are obliged to tell him

He should be more insistent.

--

Ampera • Women • Car Trade

That's what I thought. And I know him, he would be very insistent but they're not having any of it.

--

Cheers,

Mike.

They're absolutely not obliged to tell him - if they're offering his money back then take it.

The reason they're doing so is that another buyer probably wouldn't moan so they can sell it again easily.

--

[OO=[|]=OO]

It has to be some sort of huge PR fuckup if the news gets out.

Chassis split in two and eveyone would die if it drove another mile is my starter for ten

Jobbo said...

They're absolutely not obliged to tell him

Well, if it was unsafe to drive then surely they have a duty of care ?

--

Ampera • Women • Car Trade

The car spoke to them, flew around the stealership, or did some comical 5hit whilst it was in their tenure.

It is the modern repmobile equivalent of KITT, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, or Herbie.

They plan to keep it and make millions. Millions!

Tell your mate to hold off.

Jobbo said...

The reason they're doing so is that another buyer probably wouldn't moan so they can sell it again easily.

But that's just the thing.... In all my years I've never known a dealer to offer these things so quickly. Even in cases you read about where a customer has plagued them (rightly or wrongly) consistently for months and months to put something right or swap the car etc.

--

Cheers,

Mike.

exiges said...

Jobbo said...

They're absolutely not obliged to tell him

Well, if it was unsafe to drive then surely they have a duty of care ?

Who says it's unsafe to drive? If it was, they wouldn't be offering it back.

--

[OO=[|]=OO]

Demand an Rs6 avant as compensation, new obviously! And a V10 R8.

--

A yellow loltus

Ascender said...

Jobbo said...

The reason they're doing so is that another buyer probably wouldn't moan so they can sell it again easily.

But that's just the thing.... In all my years I've never known a dealer to offer these things so quickly. Even in cases you read about where a customer has plagued them (rightly or wrongly) consistently for months and months to put something right or swap the car etc.

I was offered a refund on my Alpina B3S very quickly - I actually kept it a few weeks and tried to get it fixed before giving up and accepting. Think it's just that general customer service standards are expected to be low from car dealers so it's reasonable to be suspicious if they do what they should!

Plus the fact that they probably won't make a loss on it if they buy it back and sell it to someone else.

--

[OO=[|]=OO]

Ascender said...

The reason given? Because he's had so much trouble with the car and he has high standards, its going to cost time and money to get it back to his level of expectation. But they won't actually tell him what's wrong....

By high standards read "Because he expects the car he bought to be fit for purpose"

Could be the car has accident damage and it has been badly repaired and they are hoping he is not going to take the third option of wanting the car back

Undeclared accident damage is where I'd put my money.

NicDale said...

Undeclared accident damage is where I'd put my money.

Snap. BCA auctions always have a few unregistered/repaired Audi's direct from franchise garages.

That or they want to send it back to Ingolstadt for R&D purposes.

There was a bit in evo fast fleet recently where they had an Audi, and it developed a vibration. So they took it in to the dealer, who gave them a similar loaner. Which also had a similar vibration.

Sounds like there may be a common problem?

Samoht said...

There was a bit in evo fast fleet recently where they had an Audi, and it developed a vibration. So they took it in to the dealer, who gave them a similar loaner. Which also had a similar vibration.

Sounds like there may be a common problem?

Good shout, although Mike's mate's issue sounds a bit worse perhaps.

Take the money and get out. Whatever it is has to be serious for a dealer to readily offer readies. Plenty of other motors about.

--

BMW Car Magazine

Know someone who bought M3 approved used BMW from a dealer and noticed after a while it wasn't quite right. Much the same happened as the dealer realised it was a right off and every panel had been replaced but it wasn't properly repaired underneath.

--

Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.

My money is on it being through a dubious history and not looked after.

Aston Martin dealer did this with my mates Vantage, had an ongoing issue with its brakes that they couldn't sort, eventually told him to pick a car of equivalent value.

NicDale said...

Undeclared accident damage is where I'd put my money.

If that's the case, why is option 3 on the table?

--

[OO=[|]=OO]