From Thursday 1st October the rights of car buyers are tightened up. This is the short version:
You can reject a faulty car within 30 days of delivery
If a fault occurs after 30 days but within six months, the dealer has one chance to fix it
If that first attempt fails, you can ask for a full refund
If you find a fault after six months, it's up to you to prove it was present on delivery
Some dealers might ask customers to sign saying theyve driven a car and that there were no apparent faults. This wont affect their basic rights. It should prevent people returning a car claiming a fault when its something theyve caused. This is because the Act states that if a buyer finds a defect within six months, its assumed it was present on delivery. If they find it after six months, they have to prove the defect was present when they bought the car.
Suppose you try a demonstrator car fitted with a satnav system. If the sales-person doesnt say that the cheaper trim level youve ordered doesnt feature satnav and you were expecting it, you could reject it.
People getting a car serviced will have more protection, too there are now clear rules for what should happen if a service isnt provided with reasonable care and skill.
Of course, well only know about the Consumer Rights Act if things goes awry. Alcock said: It should make things a bit easier and quicker to sort out if they do go wrong. Robinson doubts the majority of us will notice: For businesses doing their job properly, it shouldnt make a lot of difference, she said.
Quote:
You can reject a faulty car within 30 days of delivery
If a fault occurs after 30 days but within six months, the dealer has one chance to fix it
If that first attempt fails, you can ask for a full refund
If you find a fault after six months, it's up to you to prove it was present on delivery
Some dealers might ask customers to sign saying theyve driven a car and that there were no apparent faults. This wont affect their basic rights. It should prevent people returning a car claiming a fault when its something theyve caused. This is because the Act states that if a buyer finds a defect within six months, its assumed it was present on delivery. If they find it after six months, they have to prove the defect was present when they bought the car.
Suppose you try a demonstrator car fitted with a satnav system. If the sales-person doesnt say that the cheaper trim level youve ordered doesnt feature satnav and you were expecting it, you could reject it.
People getting a car serviced will have more protection, too there are now clear rules for what should happen if a service isnt provided with reasonable care and skill.
Of course, well only know about the Consumer Rights Act if things goes awry. Alcock said: It should make things a bit easier and quicker to sort out if they do go wrong. Robinson doubts the majority of us will notice: For businesses doing their job properly, it shouldnt make a lot of difference, she said.
