Inherited Car Problems

S

Shaggy

Guest
My wife bought a second hand car recently, we viewed it in a garage but paid the owner directly for it. Prior to purchasing I spoke (by phone) and asked were there any problems, none were disclosed. I have just noticed a damp patch from the recent rain in the passenger side. What can I do? Can I ask the previous owner to have it repaired? Is there any comeback for me?
 
If you bought it from the garage then they are obliged to disclose any issues they are aware of. If you bought it from a private individual then you have no comeback as far as I know.

Since you seem to have bought it direct from the individuak then I think you are out of luck.

z
 
2nd hand car

Have you an roof aerial on the car? Renaults in particular are prone to letting in rain this way. Also take it into a car wash and have a look around the window seals and door openings. If you use a do it yourself car wash you can even concentrate on where the fault might lie and then maybe have a think about how to fix the problem. If its a roof aerial just take it to a dealer and they will seal it in jig time. Maybe even free.
 
Re: 2nd hand car

Depends on how it was sold to you?
I.E. who was the seller here, the garage or a private individual?
If it was the garage, then why did they involve the private individual directly?
Did the garage take it as a trade in and not register it so that they could sell it on behalf of the private individual and therefore wipe their hands if any problems arose
(which it has in this case).
If the garage sold you the car, you should have paid them and got a receipt for same from the garage.
If you were buying from a private individual you have to be more careful then if you were buying from a garage.
It sounds like the garage will have nothing to do with it as you paid the owner directly.
What did the registration show?
i.e. is the person who you paid, the person registered on the book, if not then it's a member of the trade and you are probably going to have a problem trying to get somebody to take responsibility.
Was the garage a member of S.I.M.I.?
If yes then you should take it up with them (if the garage
washes it hands).

Firstly decide who sold you the car and take it from there.
 
Car Problems

Thanks all ,

We bought the car privately - the garage had no part in the sale. Is there not some comeback in that a known problem wasn't declared? Is there not something about damaged goods?
 
Re: Car Problems

I'm 99% sure it doesn't apply if you buy goods privately.

z
 
Re: Car Problems

Just thought I's pass on this story (even though it is of no help in this particular case).

A friend of mine bought a car (Citroen XM estate) and when buying it noticed that the carpet behind the drivers seat was a little damp. When he questioned the seller the guy said that the people who valeted the car had spilled a small basin of water when cleaning the carpets and it needed to dry out.

About 3 weeks later we had the first heavy rain for a while and lo and behold the area behind the drivers seat became flooded. It turned out to be a leaking windscreen seal with the water running the whole way back under the carpet.

Myself and my friend have looked at a lot of cars and would consider ourselves reasonably well clued-in, but it just goes to show that you can be easily fooled. It was a private seller and my friend had been reassured by the fact that the guy was a doctor and a medical officer for a big company in town.

The moral of the story would be to suspect any stories to explain untoward damage etc.
 
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