Purchasing second hand car - should I look for a certification to protect my consumer rights?

A

Acorn22

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Hi,

Do people look for certification when purchasing a second hand vehicle? A lot of the SIMI garages just give a 21 point check and put the vehicle through cartell. I'm considering one that does not have certification. What are my rights should something go wrong with the vehicle? Should I look for written confirmation of what they are selling to me?

Thanks
 
Your consumer rights are protected anyway. All you need is a receipt from the dealer specifying the reg no, milage, make & model and VIN/Chassis number and the amount they are paid. Beware of the SIMI contract and beware of endorsements on the receipt such as "trade sale/', "project car" or "sold as seen". Do not accept a receipt that specifies a guarantee or warranty period, as a consumer the dealer has no right to dictate this to you, consumer law decides.

NoRegretsCoyote said:
You can ask the dealer for a guarantee.
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There is no need. If one is offered, it is on top of your rights as a consumer.
 
Hi,

The car dealer has sent me 3 documents to sign upon purchase.

1. vehicle order/sales contract - 1 page of terms & conditions.
2. protection waiver - it one page and consists of yes or no boxes to the follow items: 1. gardx paint protection 2. RTI insurance 3. smart insurance 4 warranty.
3. warranty disclaimer - this confirms that you have warranty cover for 30 days from purchase and thereafter they offer you warranty products to purchase.

Does this sound ok? I was thinking of not signing the protection waiver and warranty waiver because I won't be purchasing any of those?

Thanks
 
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Sign nothing and ask for a receipt / bill of sale specifying the details of the car and the amount paid as specified above.

Can you scan and and show the vehicle order/sales contract and post it here?

If you buy an expensive piece of electronic equipment, a lap-top or desk-top costing thousands, does the dealer/manufacturer force you to sign all the bits of paper the car stealers insist on, or would you regard such practices by them as anti-consumer? A credit card receipt and an invoice memorialising the transaction and that's your lot, plus 6 years consumer protection.

[EDIT] If you refuse to sign the papers they sent you, will they refuse to sell you the car?
 
Yes, I get the feeling that they will refuse to do business with me should I refuse to sign some of the documents. I was thinking of attaching edited versions of the documents (no company name). How do you attach? I tried to cut and paste it on here but its not working.

Thanks
 
First save the documents to your system from the email.

In the post reply box below, the link (chain / paperclip icon) once clicked will prompt you to find the document on your system and will then include it when you click the blue "Post Reply" button.
 
Hi, it's not prompting me to search on my system. It's looking for a URL and/or text. URL is for internet links as far as I can make out? It's not allowing the option for attaching from my computer/phone/ipad.
 
I'm a bit apprehensive about putting up the standard documents in case I breach the rules here. SIMI is mentioned in one piece but that is a standard rather than an organisation? I've blotted out the company's name and all other information. I should be good to go as I can attach it but just want to double check about the SIMI bit. Thanks.
 
kingvagabond said:
SIMI is mentioned in one piece but that is a standard rather than an organisation?
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SIMI are an industry representative body, they represent the interests of motor dealers who fund them via membership subscriptions, not the public.

Our role is to represent the views of the motor industry by campaigning to the Government, state bodies, the media and the motoring public.
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They provide sample templates for contracts that dealers can use, but don't be fooled into thinking they do anything other than protect their members' interests.
 
This is an edited version of what I received. I have deleted names of organisations and some other details. I would say if I don't sign and comply then I don't get to purchase the car.
 

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They cannot compel you to sign any documents. Ask for a receipt as I said before.

Was signing the SIMI boiler-plate contract(s) a condition of doing business with them that they explained to you upfront? If they insist you have to sign, shop elsewhere.
 
Thanks mathepac, I will chat with them again tomorrow but something tells me I will have to go elsewhere. Are people on here generally meeting this kind of paperwork when purchasing a second hand vehicle? What are people's experience when shopping around? My partner says we may see similar receipts elsewhere.
 
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Leo said:
They provide sample templates for contracts that dealers can use, but don't be fooled into thinking
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They do a lot more than that,

As a member of the SIMI, I’m obliged to act in a fair and decent manner when dealing with the public. They will be quick off the mark if I’m not.

If anything, you have to go above and beyond to prove you have acted responsible in your transactions.

Yes it’s funded with subscriptions from motor dealers who are keen to show professionalism in the running of their business, but by your remark, the RTB which is funded by a rental business, should by and large, be a fair minded body to those supporting it.. which is not the case.
 
LS400 said:
As a member of the SIMI, I’m obliged to act in a fair and decent manner when dealing with the public. They will be quick off the mark if I’m not.
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Yet we have multiple posts here over the years complaining about them. Going back a few years but they were also claiming virtually all complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the claimant at a time the CAI were launching an investigation into poor repair standards.

LS400 said:
Yes it’s funded with subscriptions from motor dealers who are keen to show professionalism in the running of their business, but by your remark, the RTB which is funded by a rental business, should by and large, be a fair minded body to those supporting it.. which is not the case.
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You can't compare an industry representative group to a public body established to protect consumers and establish an independent dispute resolution process.

The RTB are public body funded by central government, yes they collect registration fees that are funneled to government coffers, but they are in no way dependent on those or incentivized to collect more or represent the interests of one party over another. The establishment and practices of the RTB are strictly governed by the Residential Tenancies Act which was enacted to protect consumers and establish an independent dispute resolution process.

If the SIMI were in any way pro-consumer, they wouldn't try to bind consumers to their own dispute resolution process.
 
Does anyone know dealers that are not connected to SIMI contracts? I've rang around a few of them this morning and the all seem to be connected. How/what way are people purchasing their vehicles?
 
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