Paying for a dash cam on a Motability car

[thecookiemonster]

I’ve just ordered a motability car, it was one they had in a showroom, they’ve gone and charged me £215 for a dash cam that’s fitted, is this allowed?

 

its caused an affordability issue but if I don’t pay it I’ll be waiting months for another car so I’ve got no choice but doesn’t seem right to me and have never heard of this before.

 

Anything I can do?

 

Thank you.

Edited April 4, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[dx100uk]

so is it full cost of the PIP monthly mobility element?

why cant they take it out?

 

[thecookiemonster]

Yes it is and no idea, surely this is wrong? I questioned it but they weren't having it. 

 

And yes it's hard wired but could be removed. 

Edited April 4, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[dx100uk]

sadly i'm pretty sure they can do it.

pers why don't you go elsewhere?

 

so in a nutshell they want an upfront sum to release the car to you I expect.

 

 

[thecookiemonster]

But I'm paying £595 for the car upfront before paying for that!! 

[dx100uk]

why cant you go elsewhere?

[thecookiemonster]

I can but my car needs to go back due to worsening health conditions which is why motability agreed to cancel my existing car. 

 

I've spoken to a lot of car dealers and the waiting lists at the moment are horrendous, months for cars to come in (August for a lot of them)

 

I can't wait until then because of the issues my car is causing, so I don't have many options and this is the car that was suitable, so its a real pain. 

[AndyOrch]

If its an optional extra and you have not requested it then it should be removed or offered to you at an extra additional price.

 

If its already fitted and included....then surely it cant be an optional extra ?

[dx100uk]

mutability car providers that partake in the scheme work in funny ways

they provide cars with built in extras that bump up the 'take away' sum that needs to be paid before you can take the car then its paid by all or some of the mobility payment of the benefit the buyer gets.

 

you can ask for extras to be fitted at a cost, but you cant have them 'taken off'...its part of the packages the dealers sign up to with Motability that they must provide or bided for to get on the Motability scheme and be an approved dealer.

 

its a really strange set up that I had to go thru myself a few years back

we wanted the winter pack that was offered on our car, took 6 weeks to get it done when the package was already on the shelf at the dealer, they had to get approval to fit it.

[AndyOrch]

Dash cams are not listed on the official Motability scheme as a required optional extra ?

 

https://news.motability.co.uk/motoring/optional-extras-your-next-car-should-have/

[dx100uk]

interesting as that was an option when we had ours 2 trs ago.

wonder if this is an old car on an old option that they  still have left to ship....

[thecookiemonster]

Well, I’m really unhappy with the whole situation I’ll start at the beginning.

 

I’m very unhappy with the service I have had, even though the car is ok, I did not get the car that was 100% suitable for me and should have had because firstly at first they were not honest with me and didn’t tell me that they had a Renault Captur GT Line in stock at Renault Aldershot SMC even though they supposedly checked on their system.

On Monday 1st April 2019, I ordered a Renault Captur Iconic at My local Renault SMC, it was apparently a car that had already been cancelled and was on the forecourt, I ordered it because they informed me that they did not have a GT Line Captur in stock which is the one that met my requirements and the one I wanted.

However, they were not honest with me and I found out that the other local Renault SMC had one in stock at their branch in the showroom which I could have.

So on Thursday 4th April, I went to the other local Renault and I viewed and sat in the Captur GT Line and made sure it was suitable.

Me and Renault agreed I would have it, Even though I already had a Iconic Renault Captur on order from the other local Renault branch, they were happy to change this, so it was all agreed for me to have the Renault GT Line model.

This met my requirements because of the height of the seats and the heated seats which would be beneficial for my pain issues.

So it was all agreed but then suddenly when I got home Renault wanted to charge me £215 on top of the £595 advance payment of the car because it had a dashcam installed, I have the emails to prove this also.

I spoke to someone from Motability on Friday 5th April regarding this and was told by Motability that if I wanted the car without the dashcam then I could do that and Renault would have to take it off.

However, Renault refused and I couldn’t have the car I wanted and which was more suitable and I had to have the Iconic Renault Captur which I really didn’t want. I felt pressured into having it because they wouldn’t let me have the other one unless I paid £215 for the dashcam, making it over £830 in total with the advance payment on top of the dashcam fee.

The GT Line version was more suitable for me and that is what I wanted and what me and Renault agreed I was going to have.

Then I felt I couldn’t back out for the order of the Iconic Renault Captur so I picked it up on Monday, however the other one is what was more suitable.

I’m really not happy with this because I haven’t got the model I wanted to have and not only felt pressured but Renault made it extremely hard for me and went against what I was told by Motability.

It’s been a stressful experience and after having the opportunity to change my car I’m disappointed that I haven’t got the car that met all of my requirements.

As I say I have all emails confirming I wanted the GT Line version and it was all agreed and all emails from both local Renault dealers stating they would go ahead and arrange for me to collect the Renault Captur GT Line model.

Plus the emails stating they would charge me £215 for the dashcam and also then refusing to remove the dashcam therefore leaving me with no choice but to have the other car and going against what I was told by Motability.

I have several emails that will show all of what I have said.

 

I will also add that I wasn’t given the chance to inspect the car when I collected it and just had to enter the PIN and it had 12 miles on the clock.

 

I have put in a complaint to Motability but don’t expect anything to happen unfortunately.
 

[thecookiemonster]

Any advice please? 

[thecookiemonster]

Also to clarify what colour do you think or would you say this car is would you say brown and black? 

[ploddertom]

If it were me I'd have gone for one of the sister cars - Nissan Qashqai. Never did like Renaults colours particularly there take on what you say is brown/black, don't see how the can call that orange unless I need to go to Specsavers again.

[thecookiemonster]

Yep to me it isn’t as advertised, there’s the issues with the Renault I wanted and the dashcam issue meaning I had to have this one.

 

No inspection before entering my PIN.

 

12 miles on the clock and it definitely isn’t Desert Orange/Black, it’s Brown/Black and I really don’t like that either.

 

Plud the other issue above, actually I’ve just noticed that I’ve got a response from a Motability via email, will update shortly.......

Edited April 14, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[thecookiemonster]

And I would have liked to have had a Qashqai but I can only drive automatics and with the heated seats which I wanted it was well over £1,000.

 

The Captur GT Line with heated seats was £595 which was about my maximum budget.

 

I'm not happy with this one but I won’t be able to cancel.

 

i had to cancel my Clio on Motability that I only had for 8 months because of worsening health issues and I needed a car with much higher seat so I could get out without feeling like I was climbing out of the car everytime I got out.

Edited April 14, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[thecookiemonster]

In an email Motability have said I should have pulled out if I didn’t want this one even if I was pressured.

 

I've sent them a response with a picture of the car and again stated all the issues.

 

They've said if I wanted it referred to the Customer Relations team it will be so that’s what I’ve requested.

 

I don’t expect much to happen but we will see.

Edited April 14, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[ploddertom]

There is a good forum for discussing Motability cars - good and bad @ http://tinyurl.com/yxtugtbu

[thecookiemonster]

Thank you I will post there, hoping someone else here has an opinion or advice as well.

 

Thanks for your help,

[thecookiemonster]

What I need to add is this:

 

On 4th April Renault agreed for me to have the GT Line and said they would cancel the order for the Captur Iconic, I have that in writing.

 

Renault didn’t cancel it and started playing hardball and I ended up with the Captur Iconic lower model without what I wanted or needed.

Edited April 14, 2019 by thecookiemonster

[thecookiemonster]

Oh and they failed to offer or provide a test drive in either car, isn’t that against Motability rules?

[thecookiemonster]

Just an update for you all.

 

My complaint was passed onto a customer relations manager who is currently investigating.

 

My biggest reasons were that on 4th April 2019 Renault said they were cancelling the order for my car that I’ve just got and thay didn’t.

 

The colour to me isn’t what was ordered or described and I felt pressured into getting this one with the dashcam issues that Renault caused with the other car that I wanted from them.

 

Also they didn’t offer a test drive and I didn’t get to inspect the car before entering the PIN.

I feel I have a case maybe quite a good one too, what do you think?

 

The latest email today states that the customer relations manager is gathering further information and is going to consult with Motabilitys legal team.

 

Have I got them rattled? Does this mean they will end up letting me change the car free of charge do you think?

Thank you.