[CU2] Advice sought for trouble with dealer

[defibros]

if its new, can you go through consumer protection?

[euromax]

Try the Department of Fair Trading and they will advise you on your course of action. Also let the dealer know that if they do not resolve this for you that you'll take it up with the Department of Fair Trading.

[tony1234]

Make an appointment to see the dealer principal.State to him clearly what you want(a new car is not an option)and tell him how you've been messed around,hear what he has to say,agree on a time frame for the problems to be rectified and state that if the car is not repaired in the agreed time to your satisfaction that you'll take the matter further.Be polite but firm.I'd be surprised if you don't get the matter sorted out after this.

[nickxau]

if its new, can you go through consumer protection?

yes defibros, it is new, well was new now...

Try the Department of Fair Trading and they will advise you on your course of action. Also let the dealer know that if they do not resolve this for you that you'll take it up with the Department of Fair Trading.

Thanks euromax. I called DoFT and they advised that I take this up with the dealer first and try to resolve it with them. If it doesn't work, they I can lodge a complaint.

[nickxau]

I called the SM this morning and unfortunately he wasn't able to give me an acceptable reply (which was expected) and told me to talk to my salesperson about a replacement... does that even sound right???

I told him who I'd address my letter of demand to and he told me it would be the sales manager. The SM's giving me the run around again isn't he???

[nickxau]

Make an appointment to see the dealer principal.State to him clearly what you want(a new car is not an option)and tell him how you've been messed around,hear what he has to say,agree on a time frame for the problems to be rectified and state that if the car is not repaired in the agreed time to your satisfaction that you'll take the matter further.Be polite but firm.I'd be surprised if you don't get the matter sorted out after this.

Thanks for your suggestion tony1234. Unfortunately it's no longer about how long the car's being resprayed for or what deadline I set them to get the car up to scratch. They'd already been given that chance.

I wouldn't have mind if they told me 1-2 weeks if that was the case but don't go telling me 2-3 days if it's not possible. I ring up 2 days later and they told me it's not ready - fine. Called up the following day, still not ready and told me (early) the following week, called up Tuesday and then they're telling me Friday!? If I call up Friday again what are they gonna tell me? Next week again??? I don't think so...

I was told by the SM that they only knew the car had to be "stripped to the metal" and resprayed last Friday. I asked him then what the car was doing for four days at the panel beaters? To which he replied they were trying to "buff and polish out the marks".

Now I'm no panel beater and I was trying to keep them out of this but wouldn't it be more economical and make more sense to spot test THEN decided if paint stripping was necessary? It takes them FOUR days to buff and polish the car??? I wouldn't even want them to touch the car anymore!

[tony1234]

Thanks for your suggestion tony1234. Unfortunately it's no longer about how long the car's being resprayed for or what deadline I set them to get the car up to scratch. They'd already been given that chance.

I wouldn't have mind if they told me 1-2 weeks if that was the case but don't go telling me 2-3 days if it's not possible. I ring up 2 days later and they told me it's not ready - fine. Called up the following day, still not ready and told me (early) the following week, called up Tuesday and then they're telling me Friday!? If I call up Friday again what are they gonna tell me? Next week again??? I don't think so...

I was told by the SM that they only knew the car had to be "stripped to the metal" and resprayed last Friday. I asked him then what the car was doing for four days at the panel beaters? To which he replied they were trying to "buff and polish out the marks".

Now I'm no panel beater and I was trying to keep them out of this but wouldn't it be more economical and make more sense to spot test THEN decided if paint stripping was necessary? It takes them FOUR days to buff and polish the car??? I wouldn't even want them to touch the car anymore!

If they respray the entire car(which looks likely)you'll want compensation for loss of resale value cause most people will know it's been resprayed.

[nickxau]

If they respray the entire car(which looks likely)you'll want compensation for loss of resale value cause most people will know it's been resprayed.

Well apparently it's only the roof of the car that they're doing.

Personally handed my letter of demand to the DP and SM today, will be mailing a copy to HA tomorrow. The DP asked me and the SM into his office to explain the situation.

Won't bore you guys with the minute details but basically the DP said the car WILL be ready this Friday and for me to inspect it first and if I don't like it then we'll work something out. That was not my demand in the letter btw...

[tony1234]

Well apparently it's only the roof of the car that they're doing.

Personally handed my letter of demand to the DP and SM today, will be mailing a copy to HA tomorrow. The DP asked me and the SM into his office to explain the situation.

Won't bore you guys with the minute details but basically the DP said the car WILL be ready this Friday and for me to inspect it first and if I don't like it then we'll work something out. That was not my demand in the letter btw...

If it's only the roof thats not too bad.Make sure its done by a good body shop and a spraypainter that knows what he's doing.

[euromax]

Mate I feel for you. It's a brand new car and a respray from no fault of yours is not acceptable. Or the dealer must compensate in other ways.

[buddah51au]

There is no way a respray, or even a partial respray can be as good as the original paint job, it is basically an impossibility. It may look good initially, but 1 or 2 years down the track you will pick the difference.

In saying that, there are many NEW CARS that have paint repairs due to damage in transport and owners never know about it untill it is too late.

If, as you say, they will only be respraying the roof, the only correct way to do this is by removing the front & rear windows. You can just about bet your life this did not happen. Instead they would have masked around the window in which case there will be an edge to the paint & the possibility of paint peeling back from that edge in the future.

[nickxau]

Thanks for all the advice and information so far guys and/or girls, it is very much appreciated.

@tony1234 - apparently according to the dealer the smash repairer (referred by them as "panel beaters") is "very good" and "all their repair work is done by them" and that "I'd be very satisfied with the results". My research suggests otherwise and their workshop viewed from Google Street View looks very... "if-fy"? and if they really were that good, they would've realised straight away the extent of the damage and straight away use the appropriate method to correct the problem instead of (according to the SM) try to "buff and polish" the marks and failing that "peel away the clear coat and try again" and failing that "strip it down to the metal and re-spray".

@euromax - that is exactly what I'm fighting for. I didn't pay my hard earned cash for a "new" car to be resprayed and I DEFINATELY didn't pay my hard earned cash for a second hand car~!

@buddah51au - when I met with the DP that's exactly what he told me: it's not uncommon to respray new cars due to scratches caused during transportation and storage. But seriously, damage so great that it warrants a strip down and respray??? That's not gonna happen to MY car~! They told me that the work would carry a lifetime warranty but PFFFT... as if I care after what you've said.