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I don’t know if you can help me but here is my story so far.In September 2013 I put down a £7,000 deposit on a brand new Vauxhall Astra GTC at my local Vauxhall dealership. Within a few months of driving the vehicle I noticed that the vehicle was getting a lot of very minut stone chips all along both sides of the vehicle,and the rear and front bumpers. Now I know that when driving ,stone chipping to vehicles are inevitable to the front and on the roof but not along the sides of the vehicle. I am driving on normal road conditions and I do not drive on farmroads or loose gravel roads. I reported this to my local dealership where I purchased my vehicle and they organised for a Vauxhall technician to inspect my car.
Vauxhall authorised the dealership to go ahead and re-spray the damaged areas to my vehicle as they said that there was a fault in the paintwork and the dealership authorised a set of mud flaps to be fitted. My vehicle was re-sprayed but it had not been done to a professional standard as the paint had been contaminated with silicone. My vehicle was booked in again for a 2nd re-spray but yet again the dealership did not do a professional job as there was paint runs and buffing marks all over the vehicle. Vehicle booked in for a 3rd time, yet again no professional standard finish as the vehicle was covered in white/grey patches. I insisted that the dealership take my vehicle to its other workshop to fix the white/grey patches as it was clear to me that I was not getting a professional standard of workmanship from their previous workshop. Vehicle in for a 4th time at a different location, on picking up my vehicle the white/grey patches had been polished out but I did have to return a 5th time as some of the white/grey patches returned after 2 days. Now, on each time that I picked up my vehicle from the workshop and drove it the 50 miles back home I would check for stone chips to the sides and on each rear quarter panel I counted at least 10 chips. With the fitting of the mud flaps there was no stone chipping to the front or rear bumpers.
I included my finance company (GMAC a sister company of Vauxhall) in my complaints regarding the stone chips to the sides of the vehicle and finally after 18 months of hassling them they eventually agreed to replace my vehicle on my terms, which was that they take back my vehicle and replace it with a vehicle of the same spec, that I would be clear of any outstanding finance on the car and that my monthly payments would stay the same for the duration of the contract (5 years 0%).
I eventually got confirmation from the dealership manager that they were trying to find a vehicle of the same spec as my current vehicle but were having problems in finding one. The manager offered me a vehicle the same model as my current one but with different specs but my monthly premiums would be higher. I categorically told him that I would not accept this as the agreement was for a like for like with no extra money changing hands.
My dealership manager text me on 17/03/16 and asked me to come in to the dealership between 18/03/16 & 21/03/16. I went in with my wife and sat down with the dealership manager who said that the reason to why he asked me to come in between these dates was that Vauxhall were running a “£500 FREE FUEL EVENT” between these dates and that he would rather I got the £500 free fuel rather than missing out on it and that as they could not find any vehicles with the same spec as my current one they would have to build me one at the Vauxhall factory. I agreed and then the manager wrote down on a piece of headed paper that Vauxhall would pay £1,200 towards my deposit plus a £2,000 contribution, my finance company would also contribute £2,000 and that I would pay £500 deposit as Vauxhall were building the car for me but that I would receive this £500 back within one month of contract starting. No contribution was offered from the dealership.
Three months after the contract started I still had not received my £500 back from Vauxhall. It then dawned on me that the £500 that I paid was for the FREE FUEL. I have reason to believe that I was misled into signing thisagreement with the dealership and I complained to both the dealership and my finance company who are both adamant that I had not been misled.
I also wrote numerous letters to the dealership asking for my loss of earnings, fuel expenses and compensation for repeatedly having to take days off work to deliver and pick up my vehicle 5 times because of their incompetence in repairing my vehicle, but each time their managing director replied back saying that I had agreed when I was offered the replacement vehicle that it was in full and final settlement. This was not the case as the only agreement that I had was with my finance company to replace my vehicle. Remember that no contribution was made by the dealership when I signed for the replacement vehicle.
On receiving my new vehicle in June 2015, after only 200miles I noticed that the same problem was happening with the stone chips along the sides of the vehicle. The dealership authorised a repair of the replacement vehicle which included re-spraying the damaged areas and applying vinyl along the full length of the vehicle. My replacement vehicle went in for repair but on collection the dealership had not re-sprayed the damage areas but only applied the vinyl on top of the damaged areas and at the rear quarter panels only. When I complained to the manager he said that they got mixed up with what they were supposed to do and would book the vehicle back in for a proper repair. Vauxhall now say that the paintwork is the correct thickness and refuse to fix the damage stating that the damage is being caused by outside influences and driving on loose gravel, this is even after their field technician checked what roads that I was driving on and gave the all clear on them. The dealership have however still accept that the repair that they previously done was inadequate and will fix it but they refuse point blank about any future payment to me regarding misleading me or compensation. Do you think I am correct in asking for these payments or am I daydreaming?
Can you possibly help me as now I am in deadlock and I cannot afford a lawyer to act on my behalf.
Vauxhall authorised the dealership to go ahead and re-spray the damaged areas to my vehicle as they said that there was a fault in the paintwork and the dealership authorised a set of mud flaps to be fitted. My vehicle was re-sprayed but it had not been done to a professional standard as the paint had been contaminated with silicone. My vehicle was booked in again for a 2nd re-spray but yet again the dealership did not do a professional job as there was paint runs and buffing marks all over the vehicle. Vehicle booked in for a 3rd time, yet again no professional standard finish as the vehicle was covered in white/grey patches. I insisted that the dealership take my vehicle to its other workshop to fix the white/grey patches as it was clear to me that I was not getting a professional standard of workmanship from their previous workshop. Vehicle in for a 4th time at a different location, on picking up my vehicle the white/grey patches had been polished out but I did have to return a 5th time as some of the white/grey patches returned after 2 days. Now, on each time that I picked up my vehicle from the workshop and drove it the 50 miles back home I would check for stone chips to the sides and on each rear quarter panel I counted at least 10 chips. With the fitting of the mud flaps there was no stone chipping to the front or rear bumpers.
I included my finance company (GMAC a sister company of Vauxhall) in my complaints regarding the stone chips to the sides of the vehicle and finally after 18 months of hassling them they eventually agreed to replace my vehicle on my terms, which was that they take back my vehicle and replace it with a vehicle of the same spec, that I would be clear of any outstanding finance on the car and that my monthly payments would stay the same for the duration of the contract (5 years 0%).
I eventually got confirmation from the dealership manager that they were trying to find a vehicle of the same spec as my current vehicle but were having problems in finding one. The manager offered me a vehicle the same model as my current one but with different specs but my monthly premiums would be higher. I categorically told him that I would not accept this as the agreement was for a like for like with no extra money changing hands.
My dealership manager text me on 17/03/16 and asked me to come in to the dealership between 18/03/16 & 21/03/16. I went in with my wife and sat down with the dealership manager who said that the reason to why he asked me to come in between these dates was that Vauxhall were running a “£500 FREE FUEL EVENT” between these dates and that he would rather I got the £500 free fuel rather than missing out on it and that as they could not find any vehicles with the same spec as my current one they would have to build me one at the Vauxhall factory. I agreed and then the manager wrote down on a piece of headed paper that Vauxhall would pay £1,200 towards my deposit plus a £2,000 contribution, my finance company would also contribute £2,000 and that I would pay £500 deposit as Vauxhall were building the car for me but that I would receive this £500 back within one month of contract starting. No contribution was offered from the dealership.
Three months after the contract started I still had not received my £500 back from Vauxhall. It then dawned on me that the £500 that I paid was for the FREE FUEL. I have reason to believe that I was misled into signing thisagreement with the dealership and I complained to both the dealership and my finance company who are both adamant that I had not been misled.
I also wrote numerous letters to the dealership asking for my loss of earnings, fuel expenses and compensation for repeatedly having to take days off work to deliver and pick up my vehicle 5 times because of their incompetence in repairing my vehicle, but each time their managing director replied back saying that I had agreed when I was offered the replacement vehicle that it was in full and final settlement. This was not the case as the only agreement that I had was with my finance company to replace my vehicle. Remember that no contribution was made by the dealership when I signed for the replacement vehicle.
On receiving my new vehicle in June 2015, after only 200miles I noticed that the same problem was happening with the stone chips along the sides of the vehicle. The dealership authorised a repair of the replacement vehicle which included re-spraying the damaged areas and applying vinyl along the full length of the vehicle. My replacement vehicle went in for repair but on collection the dealership had not re-sprayed the damage areas but only applied the vinyl on top of the damaged areas and at the rear quarter panels only. When I complained to the manager he said that they got mixed up with what they were supposed to do and would book the vehicle back in for a proper repair. Vauxhall now say that the paintwork is the correct thickness and refuse to fix the damage stating that the damage is being caused by outside influences and driving on loose gravel, this is even after their field technician checked what roads that I was driving on and gave the all clear on them. The dealership have however still accept that the repair that they previously done was inadequate and will fix it but they refuse point blank about any future payment to me regarding misleading me or compensation. Do you think I am correct in asking for these payments or am I daydreaming?
Can you possibly help me as now I am in deadlock and I cannot afford a lawyer to act on my behalf.
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