What are my Rights what to do?

[Daisymay20]

Searching for some help and advice:

 

Potted history - purchased used car from main dealer in December,

car came with years warranty (Alfa),

on way home noticed electric seats not working 100% and rear heated screen.

 

Informed garage on return these not working, they advised covered by warranty and to take to local main dealer - did this,

informed that screen not covered by warranty as integeral part of soft top - cost to repalce / fit £5 K and not covered.

 

Seats covered and booked in for repair.

 

Referred screen issue back to dealer where purcahsed - after much badgering they agreed to "carry" out repair

- car though had to return car to them (120 miles away).

 

Car returned to them - after a few days they said repair too costly and offered a free serviec as compensation - refused this.

 

Then offered me a soluction - they had found a car in a breakers yard and were prepared to remove this hood and fit to mine - again refused.

 

Then offered another solution - remove a hood from a staff members car and fit to mine - again refused

(new part is available, didn't want a car with "bits" from other cars fitted).

 

Eventually said they had found a specialist who could repair elements.

 

Repair carried out and car returned.

 

One month later screen failed again, car again returned to them.

 

Car has now come back from garage with visiable white line accross element.

 

Garage expalined that this is not a "poor" repair but will fade with time - can not give time scale for this to happen and will not accept that it is a poor / sub standard repair.

 

Car has also been returned with dents to drivers door.

 

Have informed garage of this in writing, but no positive response,

although verbally the service manager has said "we will need to fix the dents to your car".

 

I am now v stressed this will not be done and that the repair is poor quality - all of which is devaluing car.

 

What to do?

What are my rights?

Thanks for your help

[sailor sam]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

Obviously you are talking about a Spider but more info will be useful as in age, mileage and price paid. You say that you detected the problems on the day of purchase... is that correct?

 

Can we forget about the warranty BTW, obviously it isn't worth the paper it's printed on as it dosn't appear to cover a convertible. In any event, for the first 6 months of ownership, you are largely protected under the SOGA so it's up to the seller to rectify.

 

You say it was a 'main dealer' you bought the car from but not an Alfa dealer. But yet any 'main' dealer would surprise me when suggesting using a breakers yard to source parts. Also, it's a bit of a joke offering a free service to compensate a repair that they are effectively refusing to carry out due to cost.

 

I think you should take the car to an Alfa dealer and get them to cost the repairs and then present the seller with an option. Either they agree to arrange the repairs to be done at the Alfa dealer or you will consider going down the SOGA route.

[Daisymay20]

Thank you for replying.Yes a Spider - 2008, 14,000 miles, one previous owner £12,000. Purchased from an Alfa main dealer (but 100 miles away as closest dealer with car that I wanted). Alfa years warranty.Yes noticed all faults on way home and reported these to garage 2 days later (salesman was away for 2 days and said to speak to him). I backed all vebal communications up via email.Coming to end of 6 months, whats SOGA? And how do I go down this route? I find garage a little bullying, as in what ever I say they have an answer for and they say they did not have to carry out repair by replacement (too expensive - but failed within a month). Local Alfa dealer gave quote for new hood / screen as near on £5,000 including fitting and said in their opinion this was the only way to recify. garage I purchased from disagree and have painted the element (IMO badly as now shows).Where to now? Also dents now in door but weren't there when garage took car back in last week?Many Thanks

[sailor sam]

I am shocked having worked at a Fiat/Alfa dealership myself, to hear this TBH. I would be contacting Alfa Romeo UK Customer Relations and see what they have to say. The number is 008 00253 20000. Lets see what happens from that before we go down the Sales of Goods Act (SOGA). In my experience, Alfa UK will be very concerned about this and will probably step in with some help especially if it's one of their dealerships we are talking about.