Car Dealers and Consumers – A Modern Day Tale

legal updates

Ambulance chasers and chancer consumers are two pet hates of the legal team and we relish dealing with their issues here at Lawgistics.

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As the ordinary person’s pocket is squeezed, we continue to see more claims of alleged mis-sold finance and complaints by consumers with either complete buyer’s remorse or partial buyer’s remorse, where they think they can complain and lean on a dealer to give them some money for an inconsequential issue.

Those sorts of complaints are usually accompanied by threats of: “If you don’t pay me £x, I will write negative reviews about you all over social media.” Ambulance chasers and chancer consumers are two pet hates of the legal team and we relish dealing with their issues here at Lawgistics.

The car dealer is often saddled with a dodgy reputation based on nothing but old-fashioned stereotypes. We, at Lawgistics, know our clients are generally good people who work hard at their trade and like to go the extra mile for their customers. Mistakes do happen and if we feel that our dealer is in the wrong, we will tell them so. However, if we feel the consumer is trying to unfairly extort our client, we are always more than happy to jump in and defend.

Last week alone saw three customers totally drop their court case and capitulate like Arsenal in a North London Derby, as soon as we had helped our client submit their defence to the court. The customers clearly realised at this point that our clients were not going to roll over.

Helping car dealers fight off pesky consumers is our bread and butter. We do it day in, day out. One of the most useful things a car dealer can do when sending over a case is to provide evidence of the vehicle’s condition at the point of sale. Good evidence of the car being fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality, for its age and mileage, will help you win. So, send over that point of sale MOT, the pre-delivery inspection paperwork, the warranted auction purchase paperwork, and add the exact mileage to the sales invoice, i.e. no rounding up or down, so we can establish exactly how many miles have been driven by the consumer. These simple things can make a huge difference as not only does it help show any issue has happened post sale, it shows you care about the quality of the car you sell and helps a judge move past the car dealer negative stereotype.

Impression Communications LtdPutting the motive in automotive

Impression works with businesses across the automotive aftermarket supply chain such as parts suppliers, warehouse distributors, motor factors and independent garages. Covering all aspects of automotive aftermarket marketing, including social media, event management, customer newsletters and PR, Impression is able to quickly establish itself within a client’s business and work towards their objectives.

Nona BowkisHead of Legal Services / SolicitorRead More by this author

Related Legal Updates

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Your emails may be presented to a judge for review to help decide on how you have handled the matter before the court’s involvement.

Assist your consumer… before it’s too late

If a consumer is ignored or refused assistance by you, and a repair is carried out, you will no longer be able to inspect the failed component.

What? You want me to pay after nearly 6 years?

After 5 years, 8 months, and 41,000 miles, there was a problem with the vehicle, and it ultimately required a new engine costing £4,600.

Consequential Losses

General stress and anxiety is not recoverable, otherwise everybody would claim it, similarly the time spent in dealing with a claim is generally not recoverable.

Car sold with a fault

Ensure the consumer is aware, understands, and most importantly, accepts the vehicle is subject to fault.

What you pay for is what you get

The consumer presented our member with the bill because they wrongly thought they had the right to do what they wanted.

Customer reneges on agreed not distance sale

Our member explained they do not offer a delivery service and do not engage in distance selling.

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