update on 19 July 2002

I have had no contact from the RAC but the situtaion has now worsened. I have attempted to sell the car privately and happily found a buyer last week. However she decided she would have an AA check done. This
highlighted two problems with the car that yet again the RAC failed to make me aware of.

Firstly the car is registered as having a colour change, something I was blissfully unaware of. When I contacted the RAC yesterday they passed me to the HPI people with whom the details are registered. They felt sure that they would have told me this over the telephone, as you may remember four months on I have still not had any certificate after asking on four seperate occasions and yesterday they did not say they would happily send me one, only that my request would be passed to a supervisor. They have also indicated that they would try to find a taped version of my original conversation, however, it is likely that it has been destroyed by now or not recorded in the first place and that the oweness is on me to prove they didn't tell me.

Secondly and most importantly a mileage discrepancy has been unearthed. At the time the discrepancy occured the car was owned by a main dealer as a lease hire car. It is very clear that it is admin error in that a 7 has been mistaken for a 2 and the mileage has been registered as 12085 instead of 17085. However there is apparantly no way of having the information reviewed, again the oweness is on me to prove the information supplied is incorrect. Even though it was a third party who has supplied the information. Apparantly, when the RAC say that an inspection includes an HPI check it is not a full HPI check which includes a mileage check, in fact it is a shortened version.

I really feel that consumers should be aware of exactly what they are getting for their money where the RAC are concerned. I find it incredible that in this day and age they don't check for four main areas of concern, is the car stolen, on finance, a write off or been clocked?

Nicola Adamson 19 July 2002
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update on 6 September 2002

Just another update on my whole RAC situation. I finally managed to trade my car in yesterday. However there was one more shock the vehicle had in store for me!!!!

As I was signing the paperwork the garage gave my car one more final inspection. I was advised that the car had clearly had both major front end and rear end accident damage.

The RAC in this respect had only ever advised me that the tailgate had been replaced. Apparantly on the front of the car there were clear signs of paint overspill which would not have happened at the time of manufacture. Within the bootspace itself it was clear that there were two different types of paints.

My total loss in less than six months of owning the car now stands at over £1600. Thanks alot RAC.

Nichola Adamson 6 September 2002


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