Car Buyers Want To Know Their Rights

Customers buying a used car or van are increasingly turning to the industry standards watchdog for information and guidance so they know their rights and are better prepared in the event of a dispute with the dealer.

In a sign that should be ringing warning bells in the used car trade. The Motor Ombudsman said that its Knowledge Base, which was added to its website 12 months ago recorded more than 146,000 views last year, the equivalent of around 400 a day. TMO says there has been no slackening of pace so far this month and that it intends to add more subjects and cover more areas that car buyers feel could cause a dispute.

The most common query was asking how to get a deposit refund followed by searches for consumers’ rights to return a vehicle within 14 days of purchase and the implications of buying a vehicle at a distance and at physical premises.

Other top ten topics from the used car sales section covered mis-sold warranties, the dealership not sending the new keeper slip to the DVLA after a customer had part-exchanged their vehicle, a car being sold without a service and repair history, and a vehicle breaking down in the first few hours of ownership.

Consumers’ Rights To Return A Vehicle

Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman said:

“Use of the Knowledge Base by consumers as the first port of call for information prior to raising a case with our dispute resolution team, has grown considerably during the past 12 months. It has therefore been very encouraging to see just how popular this tool on our website is proving to be. Going forward, we will be looking to expand the subjects included within our existing library to help to ensure that we continue to address the main issues and queries that consumers are ultimately searching for. The first few days of this year have already shown a significant level of activity across the Knowledge Base, and we expect this trend to remain consistent as awareness of this already popular resource grows further.”

The top 10 most viewed articles on the Knowledge Base in 2019:

• Can I get a car deposit refund?
• Can I return my car within 14 days of buying it?
• The garage has not fixed the problem with my vehicle, what can I do?
• I was mis-sold my car, what can I do?
• What do I need to do if I reject my new car?
• The garage has damaged my car or property, what can I do?
• The garage cannot find an intermittent car fault, what can I do?
• How do I complain about my car?
• What can I do if I have a problem with my car purchase?
• Can I complain about a mis-sold car warranty policy?

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