Are they being ripped off?

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Ok so inlaws been looking at a 2010 megane start stop, 1.6 petrol with 110k on clock. £2400. Theyve put a deposit on it.
Dealer said theres no MOT. And he will get one put on.
No log book either, no new keeper slip. Dealers told them theu cant drive car til log book comes back-said dvla will jave to trace previous keeper. Inlaws go away 2nd til 9th June. Hes told them log book will be back by time they come home and car will be ready to go.
He never handed them the keys, he fired it up. Never lifted bonnet and was hovering around talking whilst they were looking.
Also never offered test drive.
Looked at MOT history-there IS 11 months test on it but with umpteen advisories. Dealers told them he will put test on and days it will sail thru with no advisories!! Bull. Its failed its test every year since 2013.
My other half has told them to give it a wide berth.

Ultra Sound Guy

28,793 posts

201 months

Friday 25th May 2018

lanny81 said:

My other half has told them to give it a wide berth.

This is the only course of action!

t400ble

1,804 posts

128 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Get a refund and walk away

Get someone to help them look for a new car

Sa Calobra

38,038 posts

218 months

Friday 25th May 2018

They need someone who knows about cars to help them.

At multiple points I'd have avoided that car.

I bought a 09 Focus 1.6 petrol Style FSH that was immaculate privately for 1900 not so long ago.

Good cars can be had at under 2500 but you need to be switched on carwise.

How much deposit was left?

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Ultra Sound Guy said:

This is the only course of action!

We have a couple of mechanics in the family, both said the same thing...french cars arent that reliable and electrics go...a lot.
Mum in law wants something shiny and new (ish). I told them when i took them yesterday, dont look at the age. Look at mileage etc.
Ive got a 15 year old Polo, its only done 78k! Only 2 advisories aswell on last MOT😊
My other half is doing his nut with his parents, says theyre getting ripped off but they wont listen. He says he doesnt understand why his Dad wants a petrol car with 110k on when his Focus zetec has just blown its engine with only 90k on the clock....
Heard a lot of bad stuff about Meganes with the key card too...
Also the fact that the dealer lied, said it had no MOT when it clearly does. They got shown no paperwork at all. No service history, nothing. And when I tried to question the dealer about the logbook he shot me a dirty look. I bought my Polo quite recently, dealer said it hadnt got a log book but gave me a V62 form, I took it to the post office next door to the garage, paid £25 and applied for logbook and sorted tax out at same time. He also knocked me £25 off the price of the car seeing has I had to pay for the logbook. Sods law, when we got home with car, we found the new keeper slip in the bloody front pocket of the car user manual!😂. That was nearly 3 weeks ago and ive still not got my logbook so i dont know why the dealers told them they will have it back in 2 weeks!!

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Sa Calobra said:

They only left £100 deposit.
Imho the dealer seemed desperate to get rid.
I told my mum in law that Meganes were problems...because i got told to avoid at all cost when I was buying a car.
Other half has told them to either get deposit back or lose it....would rather see them lose £100 than £2,400.
In your opinion what would have made you avoid that car? Is it the make or all the other factors i mentioned?

Edited by lanny81 on Friday 25th May 09:43

HTP99

23,280 posts

147 months

Friday 25th May 2018

A 2010 Megane should be fine reliability wise, however this one; with its previous advisories and shady sounding dealer should be avoided.

Sa Calobra

38,038 posts

218 months

Friday 25th May 2018

A deposit isn't a guarantee to buy and if the dealer starts to insinuate that they are committed or else etc explain that the hidden stuff coming to light makes any contract void.

I'd walk. It'll cost a whole lot more than £100 to put right over twelve months

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Yep thats what i thought too.
Theres 5 advisories on it.
Its failed every test, more or less the same stuff everytime from what i can see.

Mechanic in family has said to avoid. Not just because of the car but due to it having MOT but dealer claiming it hasnt.
He will be putting a new MOT on it to 'hide' the advisories on the current test.

Also no log book or any sort of documents could be a case of outstanding HPI or log book loan?? Which dont always show up on HPI checks.

This dealer hasnt even got a website or any sort of social media page which is pretty unusual as most dealers do.

Dodgy is an understatement.

ZX10R NIN

28,358 posts

132 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

We managed to get through to them...they went and collected their deposit today!
Theyve gone, with my other half and a family friend who is a mechanic to look for some more motors.
Can all breathe a sigh of relief now.
Also, the dealer IS dodgy. Hes a bodge it and scarper kind of bloke...enough said

Dan W.

1,196 posts

85 months

Friday 25th May 2018

what on earth possessed them to place a deposit in the first place ?

it sounds like nothing was right about the car or the people running it, best looking elsewhere

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Christ knows what they were thinking.
I tried to tell them while we were there but just ignored my warnings.
I knew the dealer was a dodgy character seeibg as he just shot dirty looks when i tried to question him. He didnt want to know. Just wanted rid.
Its took 4 of us, advice off this forum and various checks (mot history etc which my inlaws never knew you could do as theyre not tech savvy whatsoever) to get them out of the nightmare they were about to let themselves in for.
So glad they havent wasted their money!

Dan W.

1,196 posts

85 months

Friday 25th May 2018

yes mate, better off elsewhere good luck to them.

steve-5snwi

8,986 posts

100 months

Friday 25th May 2018

I'd rather take a risk with a french car than a VAG car.

Original Poster

38 posts

78 months

Friday 25th May 2018

steve-5snwi said:

I'd rather take a risk with a french car than a VAG car.

VAG car????

Bomma220

14,599 posts

132 months

Friday 25th May 2018

lanny81 said:

steve-5snwi said:

I'd rather take a risk with a french car than a VAG car.

VAG car????

Yes, Volkswagen AG, the Volkswagen Group. It's any easy way of saying he'd prefer something French to anything made by VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Lamborghini or Bentley.

Bomma220

14,599 posts

132 months

Friday 25th May 2018

Bomma220 said:

lanny81 said:

steve-5snwi said:

I'd rather take a risk with a french car than a VAG car.

VAG car????

Yes, Volkswagen AG, the Volkswagen Group. It's an easy way of saying he'd prefer something French to anything made by VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Porsche, Lamborghini or Bentley.

anonymous-user

61 months

Saturday 26th May 2018

My French car, a 2005 Mégane, bought from a scrap yard, not damaged he just sold, has done 8k in a year no electricity problems.

Let's be realistic here a 8 year old car will have advisories, you would've to be very precious to think you are getting a new car. But they are ten a penny buy on condition and how it drives now. You don't have to lift a bonnet to tell how well a car is.

Edited by Thesprucegoose on Saturday 26th May 00:58

Sa Calobra

38,038 posts

218 months