Bad after sales experience.
8Bought an Audi A5, viewed in the rain and took a short test drive as per instructions, all appeared to be ok.
Got the car home parked it up as you do.
Few days later we had a rare bit of sunshine decided to wash the car and under direct sunlight it showed up three panels that looked hazed over and looked awful, took photos and complained and they agreed to get the work done, reluctantly i might add, got the car back overlooked the work, and again under direct sunlight I could see on the rear bumper a small area that was missed, was offered £100 toward getting it finished which I did not take up.
Car had zero service history which I was not made aware of, only found out when I picked the car up.
The car cuts out on cold morning when first driving off if economy mode is selected, I have learned to overcome this now, but something else to be disappointed over.
And the worst part and the most expensive part I have learned on the first bit of frost that we had, and that is the heating does not get hot enough to warm you up, the colder it is outside the more obvious that something is wrong the the heating, when above 7c and the climate control is set at 21 it's not so noticable other than it takes about 20 miles of driving to feel any heat, after investigating it turns out that the heater matrix is partially blocked, it's a common fault with all Audi's and cost £1200 to fix, and sadly for me even though the fault was present when I bought the car but only became obvious to myself the first time we had frost, the 3 month warranty had expired, having had a enough of the disappointments i tried to return the car but was refused, even tried to px the car jsut to be done with it, a deal was agreed, and because until the owner was made aware of why no longer wanted it, he tried to change the deal so that it would reflect the defect with the car so that I had to pay for a defect that was already present.
I have probably bought more than 20 cars from Squires, and never complained about anything until now, fair to say I won't be returning again, now have to see a solicitor to claim the £1200 to fix the problem.
Clearly not to accurate with the facts detail matter, it's 2018 just to start off, I have proof of how poor the paint work was, also maybe you are not familiar with the law and your obligations if a fault is found within six months, and the fault existed when I bought the car,but only had it confirmed recently due to the cold weather.
Legal Rights and Considerations
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Within the first 30 days, you can reject a faulty vehicle for a full refund. After 30 days, the dealer has one chance to repair or replace it.
6-Month Rule: If faults appear within six months, the dealer must prove the car was not faulty when sold.
Time Limit: Legal action can generally be taken within six years of the purchase.
Mitigate Losses: You are expected to keep costs down, such as not renting an luxury car while yours is being repaired.
Reply from Squire Cars Ltd
EDIT:
We apologise for the incorrect vehicle year stated previously. The car is a 2018 model — the confusion arose due to the 67-plate registration.
The paintwork was, in your opinion, below standard. Although we did not agree it required refinishing, we arranged and paid for the work to be redone as a gesture of goodwill. When you later mentioned a small area on the rear bumper, we offered to return it to the paint shop or provide £100 towards repair elsewhere, both of which were declined.
Thank you for your email outlining your position under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. We have responded to you directly addressing the relevant legal position, including the six-month provision.
We are very disappointed to receive this review, particularly from a long-standing customer. However, we feel it is important to clarify the facts.
You purchased your 2017 Audi A5 from us in early August last year. Shortly after collection, you raised concerns about the paintwork. Although we did not feel the work was essential, we agreed—purely as a gesture of goodwill due to your loyalty—to have three panels refinished at a cost to us of approximately £400.
After collection, you mentioned a small area on the rear bumper. We offered to return the car to the paint shop, which you declined. We then offered £100 (the standard cost for a bumper corner repair) so you could have it completed at a bodyshop of your choice. This was also declined.
Following the paintwork, we did not hear from you again for around six months. The vehicle was not returned to us and no issues were raised regarding the heating, the vehicle cutting out, or any other mechanical concern during the three-month warranty period. We were therefore not given the opportunity to inspect or resolve these matters while the car was under warranty.
With regard to service history, all documentation in our possession was shown prior to purchase. The vehicle was supplied with a service carried out before collection. The car was priced accordingly, and at no point did we mislead you.
Six months after purchase, you contacted us about part exchanging the Audi A5 against a Jaguar. A deal was discussed, but the heating matrix issue was not disclosed initially. Once made aware, the proprietor advised the valuation would need to be adjusted by £500 to reflect the known defect—considerably less than the reported £1,200 repair cost. We believe this was fair and in line with standard motor trade practice.
We are a small independent business and always aim to act reasonably and in good faith. On this occasion, we feel we went above and beyond on the cosmetic work and were not given the opportunity to address the later mechanical concerns within the warranty period.
We are sorry you feel dissatisfied, but we do not accept that we acted unfairly. Our door remains open should you wish to discuss this constructively.