Consumer continued to drive vehicle to destruction regardless – claim dismissed

legal updates

The Consumer had wrongly taken it upon himself to continue driving the vehicle to destruction,

Read our disclaimer keyboard_arrow_down

This website content is intended as a general guide to law as it applies to the motor trade. Lawgistics has taken every effort to ensure that the contents are as accurate and up to date as at the date of first publication.

The laws and opinions expressed within this website may be varied as the law develops. As such we cannot accept liability for or the consequence of, any change of law, or official guidelines since publication or any misuse of the information provided.

The opinions in this website are based upon the experience of the authors and it must be recognised that only the courts and recognised tribunals can interpret the law with authority.

Examples given within the website are based on the experience of the authors and centre upon issues that commonly give rise to disputes. Each situation in practice will be different and may comprise several points commented upon.

If you have any doubt about the correct legal position you should seek further legal advice from Lawgistics or a suitably qualified solicitor. We cannot accept liability for your failure to take professional advice where it should reasonably be sought by a prudent person.

All characters are fictitious and should not be taken as referring to any person living or dead.

Use of this website shall be considered acceptance of the terms of the disclaimer presented above.

Last week a client attended Court in Wrexham to face a claim for almost £10,000 by a consumer seeking a full refund for breach of contract who was alleging that the vehicle supplied by the Dealer was not of satisfactory quality.

The Judge found that whilst the reported issue may have been present at the time of purchase, the Consumer had wrongly taken it upon himself to continue driving the vehicle to destruction, despite clear warning signs, third party advice and a specific request from the Dealer to return the vehicle for inspection, immediately once the problem had been reported.

Indeed, upon receiving notice of the problem, the Dealer emailed the Consumer back within just 5 minutes to request inspection.

Unfortunately, the Consumer continued to drive the vehicle for some time thereafter before it suffered a catastrophic engine failure and then he sought to reject the wrecked vehicle and claimed a full refund.

The fact that the Dealer acted entirely properly and in writing so quickly was instrumental in the Courts decision, as was the Consumer’s obvious disregard for the very clear warnings, which had been before him.

Moreover, under effective cross examination by our client and the Judge, the Consumer made many mistakes and was simply unable to answer certain questions.

A good case is one thing, but good preparation is crucial and here at Lawgistics we ensure that all Court cases are prepared fully and properly to ensure that our clients have the best possible chance of success before the Courts. 

Should you require assistance in dealing with a rejected vehicle or a court case Lawgistics members can contact the legal team.

DMS NavigatorDealer Management System software for Car Sales, Aftersales and eCommerce

Our dealers use us to help them be more Efficient and Profitable!

You can use our Dealer and Lead Management software to integrate all dealership departments, both online and physical ; providing all in-house functions; Invoicing, Stock Management, Accounting and Marketing as well as interfacing for advertising, ecommerce and more.

Howard TilneyHead of Strategy / Legal AdvisorRead More by this author

Related Legal Updates

Finance Company Unhappy with Court Ruling

The court found that the claim and particulars were inadequate and the finance company was told they had to submit a compliant claim/particulars.

Disclose or not to disclose, that is the question

It is imperative that you know what is required to be disclosed, when to disclose the documents, and what your legal duty is both before proceedings and when a claim is issued.

Court Rules Against ‘Serial Returner’ in Distance Selling Dispute

It is clear from his evidence that his true intention was that he wanted the ability to reject the car at a time of his choosing.

Indemnities – Handle with Care!

Indemnity clauses are usually onerous by design and drafted in broad terms so dealers should not make the mistake of overlooking them.

Detailed records avoid post-sale issues

The Claimant was only entitled to compensation for the cost of repairs to the locks, which were considered likely to have been faulty at the point of sale and was awarded £385.

Claimant failed to satisfy the burden of proof

No real evidence to suggest the extant problems with his vehicle were in any way related to the repairs that had been undertaken

Metadata matters! Proving dates of evidence

Metadata means “data about data” and is defined as “the data providing information about one or more aspects of the data in question.”

Get in touch

Complete the form to get in touch or via our details below:

Phone
01480 455500
Address

Vinpenta House
High Causeway
Whittlesey
Peterborough
PE7 1AE

By submitting this quote you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.