How to Buy and Sell a Ford!! A one-act Farce By D.Russell
Visit your local Ford Dealer - but NOT the Hartwell Ford Group!!
I did and here's what happened to me!
Salesman will help you make your choice of model from Showroom
display. Mine was a Ford Ka3. He will, with his Sales Manager,
proceed to take your trade-in to pieces. This involves checking
with Glasses catalogue for the recommended trade price then deducting
£1000 for fair/wear./and tear scratches from the lowest
trade price listed.
You pay the agreed price and he makes up the paper work. This
involves recording your name and address details to register the
vehicle with DVLA. He will guess that the initial "D"
in your name stands for David (is actually Dennis) and will get
the post code mixed up, so that the V5 will be issued incorrectly
by Swansea and your warranty details from Ford will be incorrect
and everything will need to be returned for re-issue.
You will collect your new purchase and notice the petrol gauge
is showing "Empty". He explains there is a fuel shortage
(correct - it is Sept 2000) and apologizes for leaving you to
your own devices to find and queue for 45 minutes at a station
who has supplies.
On your first motorway trip the rain penetrates the incorrectly
fitted rear nearside window. You take the car to Hartwell's service
area where they find they cannot fix it. A new window is ordered
from Ford. On arrival (your second visit) it has been "damaged
in transit" and another has to be ordered. On third visit
the fault is corrected.
One year later the 12month service is due as is your Road Tax.
The latter requires your V5 and Insurance cover note. The purchase
included one year's free Ford insurance (which is not amongst
your papers) so you phone Ford who tell you that you are not covered
and have been driving uninsured for the past year (!)
Refer to your friendly Ford dealer. Friendly Ford dealer (Hartwell)
know nothing about it, as the salesman "is no longer with
the Company". After much to-ing and fro-ing Ford say that
as the year has expired, you will obviously need to insure privately,
which you do to obtain Road tax disc, but you have been driving
uninsured for a year!! You book your service 6 weeks in advance
to ensure a courtesy car is available- .. When you arrive, there
is no courtesy car for you!!
After 12 months and with only 4000 miles, circumstances prompt
you to sell so you spend £130 in advertising - local papers,
Internet sites, Autotrader.
First ad in Autotrader accompanied by photo lists mileage as "41,000"
instead of "4000". Would you buy a year old car with
41000 miles on it?
This is corrected in next issue and you get a nibble from interested
party who knows exactly what he's looking for and a price is agreed.
By arrangement, he drives 2 1/2 hours with his Bankers draft and
happily agrees the transaction. As a final check, however, he
phones an agency to check the legitimacy of the vehicle. Standing
by the front and using his mobile phone, he reads off the licence
number only to be told that number is registered to a Ford Focus
Ghia! He is advised not to proceed with the purchase and takes
off!!.
It transpires that you have illegally driven the vehicle for the
past 15 months with two different plates - the rear being the
correct number 596 while the front reads 589. You lose the sale
and get hold of Hartwell who tell you they'll order a new plate
and it should be ready for collection in "a few days."
You are off to the US for two weeks in "a few days."
You leave having assured Hartwell that you are looking to them
to take the car off your hands at the agreed sale price. You speak
to Ford Customer Care who listen sympathetically, allocate a Case
number and tell you the claim is between Hartwell and yourself
and they are unable to intervene.
On return from holiday and contacting Hartwell , you're told the
Sales Manager is "no longer with the company" and you
are dealing with someone else who, while familiar with the case,
is not prepared to do anything beyond replacing the incorrect
plate.
Further approaches to Hartwell results in an offer from Hartwell
some £400 short of the "agreed sales price." That
is their One and Only offer! You check local police who confirm
that whilst not "prosecuteable" you've been driving
illegally and your Insurance say that depending on the circumstances,
if you had been involved in an accident you could well have had
cover denied.
12 days after your return from holiday, Hartwell delivers new
plates for fitting. They have the WRONG number!! 569 instead of
596!!
You decide Ford is a four letter word and start advertising again!!.Watch
this space!
Other Ford complaints: Link1
; Link2
