Help! Car Deposit Crisis

[shegar]

Hi all ,

I hope someone can help me with a problem.

We went to a car dealersip to buy a new car a month ago now. We had our own finance sorted out and paid a £410 deposit.

We signed all the docs and the dealersip sent our proofs to our finance company. We were due to collect the car when we found out the car dealership could not produce a consumer credit license. Therefore our finance company could not deal with them.

Since then we have tried numerous finance companies only to have the same problem. They told us their previous license expired and a new one has been applied for - and they had never had to produce one before, that they were in their rights not to produce one to the finance company. The dealership then suggested they could sort our finance out. They took our details and we never heard back from them.

We left it for a week as we got married on Friday and had other things to sort out. When I called them today he said it never went through. Fed up with the whole ordeal I told them we just couldn't go ahead due to all the aggro and we would be up tomorrow for the deposit.

They then told us we would not be getting it back as they are out costs from the start and they could have sold the car on.

Can someone advise me of what I can do? We go on honeymoon on Saturday and I would like to set the ball rolling before then.

Thanks in advance
Shelgar

[sequenci]

it is their mess by the sounds of things, i would send a letter requesting it back and then a letter before action after that.

i'm not expert on the motor trade, hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge will be here soon.

congrats on getting married by the way.

[tooth_fairy]

I'd consult your local trading standards too to see if they can offer you some practical advice, they may be aware of similar problems with the dealer.

NB you could always say to the dealer that it isn't your fault they have to apply for a new licence and that they shouldn't have accepted your deposit whilst knowing they were unable to produce their documents for the finance companies.

[calvi36]

I would say you are definitely entitled to the deposit back.

1. Your own finance fell through, due to no cred license.
2. You asked them to find finance for the vehicle.
3. They have not been able to do this same reason as point 1.
4. You did not cancel the order.
5. They cannot provide finance through their own fault.
6. It would be interesting to see what costs they have incurred. It does not cost them much at all to make a proposal for finance. Time to type it up and fax it, email it or do it online.
7. I bet a pound to a penny they might, just might have sold your car to someone else.

I have done 1000's of finance props and the longest it takes is about 20 mins. If they have propped you to lots of finance houses and they have been declined (NOT YOU) as they have to cred license then this is a cost to them and not to you. THEY HAVE BEEN DECLINED, YOU HAVE NOT. PM me the name of the dealer, I should have a good idea what they are like. If you do speak to them by phone only speak to the Dealer Principal or General Manager, do not speak to sales mgr or the salesman who did the deal.

I would be very firm with this dealer. I would send an LBA to them. I wouldn't speak to them on the phone at all as they will deny every conversation. I have been around dealers long enough to know this is fact. Good luck with it. I hope I have helped and gave some clarification.