Newly purchased car turned out to be an ex-company car.

[jazztheman]

My daughter recently purchased a car from a large car trader in South Wales. She was told that the car had a full service history, which she later found out that there was no service history. She also later found out that the car is an ex-company car (fleet car), which she was not informed about by the car salesman.

 

She paid over the book price for the car because she was under the impression that the car had a full service history and too later find out that the car is an ex-company car she now feels conned. The car sales company are not interested.

 

Is there an obligation by the car sales garage to disclose that the previous owner was a company and that the car was a fleet vehicle?

[dx100uk]

name and shame

[BazzaS]

Is there an obligation by the car sales garage to disclose that the previous owner was a company and that the car was a fleet vehicle?

 

No obligation to disclose unless asked.

If asked they can’t lie but the salesman might say “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure” rather than “No”.......

 

My daughter recently purchased a car from a large car trader in South Wales. She was told that the car had a full service history, which she later found out that there was no service history. She also later found out that the car is an ex-company car (fleet car), which she was not informed about by the car salesman.

 

She paid over the book price for the car because she was under the impression that the car had a full service history and too later find out that the car is an ex-company car she now feels conned. The car sales company are not interested.

 

How recently?!

 

The trader will say that she got a car of the condition it is and the mileage it is, and that the fact it was owned by a company is irrelevant, and she got to see its condition & mileage before deciding to buy it. She’ll certainly be entitled to the difference between having a FSH and not if she can show it was advertised as having a FSH and they don’t provide one.

[BankFodder]

You really don't give us many details.

 

What is the name of the garage?

when was the vehicle purchased?

does she have evidence that they claimed there was FSH?

Has she contacted the garage about it?

what did they say?

 

We really shouldn't have to tease these details out of people

[colin11]

Most of the nearly new cars sold these days are ex fleet cars, Usually company cars that have been used just like any other privately owned cars

 

If it was an ex fleet car then it should have a full service history as servicing would have been included within the contract

 

Ex fleet cars that i have owned in the past didn't come with a stamped service book as such, But a print out of its history

 

I would contact the fleet company for a copy of it, Failing that contact the main dealer, They should have its service history on their system

[phil40000]

The retailer has an obligation to disclose any facts that may influence the person buying the vehicle. An evans Halshaw branch (in Wales IIRC) lost a small claims case last year due to this exact issue with the car previously being a hire car. If you look at many main agents adverts now they will say 'This vehicle may have previously been owned by a daily hire company'.

[Ethel Street]

The retailer has an obligation to disclose any facts that may influence the person buying the vehicle. An evans Halshaw branch (in Wales IIRC) lost a small claims case last year due to this exact issue with the car previously being a hire car. If you look at many main agents adverts now they will say 'This vehicle may have previously been owned by a daily hire company'.

 

There's a big difference though between having previously been a company fleet vehicle and having previously been a hire car vehicle. There's no reason a vehicle that has been used by a company car driver should be in worse condition or lower value than one of same age and mileage that was privately owned. Quite possibly the company vehicle would be in better condition because the fleet department makes sure it's regularly serviced, any issues are dealt with promptly etc.

[phil40000]

There's a big difference though between having previously been a company fleet vehicle and having previously been a hire car vehicle. There's no reason a vehicle that has been used by a company car driver should be in worse condition or lower value than one of same age and mileage that was privately owned. Quite possibly the company vehicle would be in better condition because the fleet department makes sure it's regularly serviced, any issues are dealt with promptly etc.

 

I guess you are not aware of the class action suit regarding Glynn Hopkin? This suit is based on company/ex-fleet vehicles being sold without this being stated to the end purchaser.

 

I agree that company cars, in theory, are ‘better’ cars sometimes due to often being run without cost constraint and new cars benefit from being run in by a variety of driving styles.

 

The customers angle is that a fleet car has had multiple drivers but is still often advertised as a ‘one owner’ vehicle.

[Gick]

And no one owner car has ever had multiple drivers?

[heliosuk]

All of the above is irrelevant, you have to take the car on face value. The reality is that cars run by a company are a better bet than those sold subject to private use. The seller is under no obligation to disclose previous use or that the vehicle has been used for other purposes. The disclosure would only apply to cars that are subject to an insurance right off!

 

 

Used cars are used by definition and whilst caveat emptor has been watered down it doesn't escape the fact that the definition of a used car means it has been used and is therefore not new!!!

 

 

Gawd this site is so annoying with daft claims, a gun ho attitude without or little factual documentation.

[king12345]

There's not much you can do about the car being ex company, but if they advertised it as having fsh and they don't have any proof of it, she can reject the car or find out the difference in price and ask for a partial refund.

[Surfer01]

Some company cars have multiple drivers, some who are careful and some who hammer the car. Same applies with hire cars. The cars do not belong to the driver so should they be considerate about the way the car is driven?

[heliosuk]

You really don't give us many details.

 

What is the name of the garage?

when was the vehicle purchased?

does she have evidence that they claimed there was FSH?

Has she contacted the garage about it?

what did they say?

 

We really shouldn't have to tease these details out of people

 

 

Lack of relevant information is a perpetual problem on this site which leads to much wrong speculation and false expectations!

[Andrew-P]

I am not in the motor trade but have bought, sold and especially rented a lot of cars in my time.

 

With a car I think most is down to the keeper / user and, as others have said, you get good and bad no matter what.

 

As an example when I have a project which involves a lot of miles I always rent cars for long term but still through the daily rental market and I treat them as if they were my own and can have them for the full mileage of the rental fleet - how can this be worse than a 2 private owner car with one bad driver who never leaves a town or city?

 

The proposed class action is a complete joke in my view as there is no loss to the consumer whatsoever.

[heliosuk]

I'd agree, a class action would fail at the first hurdle!!!

[scaniaman]

It is up to prospective purchaser to ask to see the V5 log book. If refused, just walk away.

FSH is not the B all & end all considering what a service consists of nowadays in large garages.

Low mileage is not a guarantee of good quality----who ever got my first Motability car got a low mileage, fully serviced car, which I had thrashed from new, including towing a heavy trailer.

If you are spending a lot of money on a car then get a proper mechanic to check it out first.

Buy on straight HP. Never believe a word a car salesman tells you---most of them have no product knowledge anyway.

[heliosuk]

Couldn't agree more Scania. The problem being is where to find a proper mechanic, now they are long gone! Now you need software "mechanics"!!