Carcraft & Their Warranty

[Anthem]

I purchased a 54 reg (registered Dec 2004) Focus from Carcraft at the end of April.

 

Within a couple of months, the starter motor had gone. Because it was within three months Carcraft replaced it for me (I did start a thread on this board at the time but gave them thumbs up because I could not complain at the time about how they dealt with me.)

 

However, since that thread, within two weeks of having the new starter motor fitted, it had gone again.

 

I was not happy to take it back to Carcraft as I wanted it to be seen by an independent garage.

 

They took out the broken starter and replaced it with a new one. They told me at the time that the starter fitted was a cheap foreign imported one.

 

Anyway, this cost me a couple of hundred but I was happier to pay this than take it back to Carcraft only for them to fit another rubbish one that could have died again within a fornight.

 

Yesterday, I noticed a noise whenever I depressed the clutch. I took it to my own garage this morning and they said it was the flywheel and this is a bigger job (around £700) and told me to get it sorted with my guarantee.

 

(My garage was not happy to work with the Guarantee company however because of the agro they have getting paid from these people).

 

Now, I have a two year Guarantee with NAC (Carcraft's own Guarantee company although they try to make out it is a completely different company).

 

I took the car to their approved garage (Nationwide Garage) and they called the NAC for me.

 

They were told that the maximum payout on any one claim was just £300.

 

When I checked the booklet, this is indeed stated. So, I had a £700 repair job on my hands, £400 of which is my own responsibility.

 

I had no choice but to ask them to proceed.

 

I received a call from the garage a few minutes ago informing me that they had called the NAC after stripping the car down and obtaining a proper diagnosis and had been told that because the flywheel had been worn, it was not covered.

 

So, I am now in a position where I have to foot the entire £700 bill myself.

 

As I said, I bought the car at the end of April (24th April, I think) and I have literally done just around 2k miles and this is the second thing that has gone wrong with it during that time.

 

I rang NAC myself and was met with a typically arrogant man who was not going to give an inch. The flywheel IS covered in the guarantee but not wear & tear so I asked what exactly would it cover and being sarcastic said, "if it snapped in half?" to which he responded "yes, basically".

 

I will never ever buy a car from Carcraft again and please don't be fooled by their "Two year Guarantee". It covers basically nothing and even if it does cover anything that goes wrong, it is only the first £300 (which just about covers the bill for a mechanic lifting the bonnet and telling you what the problem is).

 

It does not make me feel any better when I ring Carcraft and the delightful lady there says, "Well, it is a FREE guarantee"!!!

 

Something just doesn't sit right with me though that I can buy a £5.5k car and within five months of having it, having driven just 2,000 miles, two seperate things have gone wrong with it and Carcraft and NAC can simply shrug their shoulders and say, "Well, it WAS a second hand car, things can go wrong with them and we cannot see into the future and say what exactly will happen with it."

 

Especially when you are sold the car, one of the selling points was a "Two Year Parts & Labour Guarantee".

 

Whilst it is unfortunate that most people will only visit this board and see this message when it is too late, just in case you are passing and you're reading this, my message is clear. No matter how desperate you are, no matter how attractive the sales blurb, no matter how tempted you are, I would strongly, strongly advise you NOT to purchase a car from Carcraft.

 

My own experience has shown me that they are happy to charge top dollar for cars which can break down after minimal usage and basically say "tough" when you go back to them.

[Anthem]

Just as an aside to this post.

 

Can anyone answer me this?

 

When you buy a USED car, is there ANYTHING that can go wrong with it that can not be put down to wear & tear?

 

I mean, if you bought a BRAND NEW car, drove it 100 yards off the forecourt and it died then technically, even that could be put down to wear & tear.

 

The car was perfectly fine when it was stood there doing nothing.

 

It was only when you decided to use it that the problem emerged.

 

Of course this is a ridiculous example. Anything sold has to be fit for purpose and a brand new car that breaks down after 100 yards was clearly not fit for purpose.

 

However, in the case of a used car then surely the risk has to be on the side of the vendor?

 

Personally, I feel that so-called "reputable" dealers have to take more responsibility for the products they sell.

 

Carcraft seem to be okay within three months but this seems a strange timescale.

 

I am a low-mileage user so a problem was not picked up until five months.

 

Had I hammered the car when I first bought it then this problem would have materialised sooner (I do not consider 2000 miles to be a lot of miles before a £5.5k car dies).

 

Surely the law needs to be changed with regards to this so that it is more like warranty covers EVERYTHING for 6 months or 6k miles (whichever is LATER), just as is the case with NAC Guarantees and their Servicing requirement.

[Conniff]

I'm afraid you went the wrong way around this. Your first call should have been to the dealer who sold it to you. You would have claimed under the sale of goods act and the dealer would have had to show, during the first six months, that the fault wasn't there when he sold it to you, 2,000 miles says it was.

 

It's not impossible, but very unlikely that the flywheel was worn, it would have been the clutch. All flywheels will show signs of wear, so it would have been easy for the garage to show you and for you to agree it was worn when in fact it was not. So I fear you have paid for the replacement of something that very likely didn't need changing.

 

Warranties are an attempt to pull the wool over customers eyes in the form of 'get out clause' to your statutory rights to those who are none the wiser. They are an extra which you either pay for or are given free, (although the price will have been included in the price of the car).

 

I wouldn't agree that everything should be covered for six months, there are a lot of things on a car that the owner can wear out within six months and it would then be unfair to expect the dealer to replace it.

 

As you have gone ahead with the repair at another garage without giving the seller the opportunity to examin or do the repair, you will have forfeited your to right to recover your costs from them.

[Anthem]

The problem is, I DID contact Carcraft and they simply said that as it was over 3 months since I purchased the car, it was out of their hands and that I should contact NAC.

 

Thanks for your feedback anyway.

 

The upshot is that they may have made a few quid out of me this time but they will never get a penny out of me ever again and I will advise everyone I know not to buy a car from Carcraft.

 

So, they saved on this occasion but in the long run, it will cost them ten times more.

[postggj]

how much was this crap warrinty

 

thats total for cash and total if on hp

[Anthem]

Well, the warranty was "free" but as the poster above says, it is always hidden in whatever you pay for the car.

 

I do believe people have paid extra for this warranty in the past and if that is the case and it is the same warranty I had then I feel doubly sorry for those people.

[AA99]

I have had exactly the same problem with Carcraft and their NAC warranty! The first major job I had, my appointed garage had such an argument with the unpleasant man at NAC, they only pay a maximum amount on labour charges, they basically said the job doesn't take more than an hour, my garage insisted it was a whole morning's work so I ended up paying half the costs.

 

The second time, I didn't have the NAC warranty leaflet on me so phoned Carcraft saying I had to put a claim in for work that urgently needed doing. They said they'd post me one. NAC's contact number was nowhere else to be found, even on the web, so had the basic straightforward job done, leaflet arrived, wrote in with my claim and copies of work invoice but they refused to refund saying I hadn't contact them first. The gentleman who wrote to me from NAC refusing to pay the claim has the initials AMIMI after his name. So I wrote to the Institute of the Motor Industry to complain but there was 'nothing we can do'.

 

I was promised this warranty for £800 extra spread over 5 years credit for the vehicle but have been charged £43 p.m. (which equates to £2,600)

 

It has proved to not be worth the paper it's written on:mad:

[Guest Carcraft Customer Service Manager]

Hello,

My name is Linzi. I am one of the customer service managers at Carcraft, and I have read through your threads. If you feel that I may be able to help, please feel free to call me on my direct line 01706 753 569 or respond to me via this thread

[postggj]

thankyou for comming onto the forum car craft customer service.

 

i would just like to ask a quick question

 

why do car craft as well as other car sales outfits sell these warrinties that are useless

 

they then get put on a finance agreement at vastly inflated price and the customer get stuffed

 

most of these warrinties cost anything from £5 to 6 hundred quid and the max pay out on these policies one thousend.

does not even cover a labour charge

 

may i ask what the total is in your policy

 

and yes i do have your t&c in my possesion

 

i an not having a go at car craft

 

i complemented only last week for vodaphone comming onto the forum and helping some one out with id fraud

 

so, please be honest

[Guest Carcraft Customer Service Manager]

Hello Postggj,

 

All the cars Carcraft sell come with a free guarantee. However the customer can decide to purchase an extended guarantee if they wish for added peace of mind. Cars are mechanical objects and both new and used cars/mechanical objects do go wrong. The guarantee does cover very many items and the claims limit on each one differs depending on which guarantee the customer decides on.

All customers are provided with a booklet which details what is and what isn’t covered by their guarantee together with the claims procedure.

Thanks

Linzi

[postggj]

double speak

 

take a basic mechanical break down policy to last 36 months

put onto a finance agreement with say, welcome finance

what would the cost be on that policy

what would be the max pay out on that policy

 

simples

[postggj]

silence is golden

[AA99]

Hello Postggj,

 

All the cars Carcraft sell come with a free guarantee. However the customer can decide to purchase an extended guarantee if they wish for added peace of mind. Cars are mechanical objects and both new and used cars/mechanical objects do go wrong. The guarantee does cover very many items and the claims limit on each one differs depending on which guarantee the customer decides on.

 

All customers are provided with a booklet which details what is and what isn’t covered by their guarantee together with the claims procedure.

 

Thanks

Linzi

 

 

And when my NAC booklet was misplaced (I strongly feel it was left with my dealers on a previous repair), there was no phone number to contact them beforehand, no instruction anywhere else that they have to be phoned before any repairs are carried out, no advice from the Carcraft person I spoke to on the phone (recorded!) the day before I had the repairs done either! NAC's reply was sorry, you should have phoned us first! I was forced to borrow the money from my pensioner mother to pay for them. All of £180 for a clutch cylinder!

[postggj]

thats why i praised vodaphone on the way they delt with a complaint

 

but as usual

 

its all corporate sensativity

 

nobody wants to speak english

 

well done car craft (not)

 

bottom of the table for customer service

[Woflfbat]

I purchased a Saab 93 57 reg from Carcrafty and also bought the NAC warranty Ha Ha !! I did everything they asked ,serviced within 6 months and made sure I got receipts and my book was stamped, everything in order or so I thought !!! I have a problem with the driver side electric window it won't close properly "Nothing too serious" I did everthing your supposed to do to make a claim the designated garaged looked at the problem a faxed my service receipts to NACcers they found that on one receipt the engineer forgot to put the mileage on but explained that they also gave me a full breakdown of all work carried out mileage everything that was to do with my car was on this but the nasty man at NACccar just said your warranty is void and it wasn't up for negotiation !! I said please contact the garage that did the work , my book is stamped and up to date! "Not good enough" the very rude and selfrightous man said !! I couldn't beleive it . When I bought the car from Carcrafty (Leeds) there wasn't a service book in it so I didn't drive off untill it was found ,eventually it turned up but they would have let me leave without it realizing how important this book is good salesman would have sorted this out before hand .Also they said they had put some deisel in for me to but I ran out before I got to a garage ! And my son had to come out and get me some fuel,, Not happy !! I bought the car and took it home the same day ! I will admit my eyesight is not brilliant but when my son looked at the car he said Dad all the dash and radio is scratched and it was too, quite badly ! Yes I should have seen this, but I took it back and the rather large slimey salesman said it's just cosmetic and I should have seen it ,, silly me I trusted Carcraft to sell me a good clean car !!! All I can say is DO NOT buy a vehicle under any circumstances from this dispicable company Carcraft I have learn't are one and the same 1 Should really be called Crafty Naccered cars ,or Arthur Daley motors with thanks Wolfbat:x

[Woflfbat]

Hello Postggj,

 

All the cars Carcraft sell come with a free guarantee. However the customer can decide to purchase an extended guarantee if they wish for added peace of mind. Cars are mechanical objects and both new and used cars/mechanical objects do go wrong. The guarantee does cover very many items and the claims limit on each one differs depending on which guarantee the customer decides on.

 

All customers are provided with a booklet which details what is and what isn’t covered by their guarantee together with the claims procedure.

 

Thanks

Linzi

I did everything to make sure my warranty was up to date services invoices etc !! But no the very rude man at NAC said no !! I will not let this lie I will take Carcraft to task I will not give up they are a disgrace . I am a law abiding citizen and I will not let go untill Nac and Crafty car are sorted out ( I have been in touch with the BBC and other media ) This company will be brought to book. Wolfbat man on mission.

[Conniff]

Woflbat would you like to scan and put up here the terms and condition of the warranty please.

 

Nothing identifiable ie reg no, name addresse etc:

Edited July 22, 2010 by Conniff

[Woflfbat]

Hello,

My name is Linzi. I am one of the customer service managers at Carcraft, and I have read through your threads. If you feel that I may be able to help, please feel free to call me on my direct line 01706 753 569 or respond to me via this thread

I rang the number above

I would like to thank Linzi for her help in trying to get my car repaired !She managed to speak to people of Nac and convinced them that my service record was up to date and correct after I had emailed her my documents,, something I tried to tell them but they just kept saying " Your warranty is void and this is not negotiable !! But it seems however the fault with my car is not covered anyway!!!! Phew lucky escape for Nac !! Linzi has a goodwill gesture said that she (Carcraft) will send me a cheque that will cover half of the repair . I can say I found Linzi to be very approachable and easy to talk to , she did her very best for me and I thank her for that. I think she has a very difficult job representing Carcraft ! But if you have any trouble Linzi will do her best for you.

[Conniff]

That's nice - but can you put up terms and conditions anyway please?

[Woflfbat]

That's nice - but can you put up terms and conditions anyway please?

I have scanned them and tried to attach them ??

[Woflfbat]

[ATTACH]20221[/ATTACH][ATTACH]20221[/ATTACH] I have scanned them and tried to attach them ??

Yes they're unreadable send me your email address and I send you a legible copy !!

[Woflfbat]

Please send me your email address and I will send you a legible copy.