Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - pls1

I bought a used car from a dealer recently which I saw on Autotrader and Ebay. Both listings showed the car as having heated seats, parking distance control and an iPod AUX input. Turns out after having the car for a few days and consulting the manual the car doesn't have any of these.
Whilst the rest of the car is great and is accurate of the description, I'm a bit annoyed these features were listed and not there. Where do I stand with re-dress or compensation from the dealer? There wasn't any disclaimer that the description may not be 100% accurate etc.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - thunderbird

Rule 1: Do your homework on the model you are looking at

Rule 2: Check car before you hand over cash

Rule 3: Never believe a dealer

Think you will be pretty much stuffed by now.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - pls1

I agree in some respects but in all honesty, its often impossible who knows a car's features inside out before they buy? Its usually only after driving the car for a few weeks and consulting the manual that you actually know what it can and can't do.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - Rumfitt

I had the same issue with a vehicle listed as having aircon. However, I realised that it didn't actually have aircon (just an auxiliary heater for the rear) and tried to haggle a bit off.

The dealer told me to take a running jump, as he had two other folk lined up willing to pay over £500 more for the vehicle as he'd not realised it worth more (it was the rare VW T4 Multivan not a regular Caravelle).

However, if you fancy a fight, or if you think the dealer might be sympathetic, act now. Make sure you have copies of the ad that listed the missing features - crucially, was it misdescribed both on the dealer's site and other sites like AutoTrader and eBay? Autotrader handles sites for dealers as well as their own, so they may have relied on automated pre-filled spec listings.

Realistically, the value of these options to a used car's price might not add up to more than a few hundred pounds, so you may have to take it on the chin.

In future, the best way to avoid this is to take the ad and a check sheet and methodically check and tick stuff off. It's all too easy to like the general appearance and price of a car and miss out on the finer details.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - skidpan

The problem is the 3 items missing are easy to spot. Parking sensors are visible in the rear bumper, an auxilliary input has a visible socket and heated seats have visible switches.

If it was missing ABS, Traction control or some other more difficult to spot item you may have a chance. I would just put it down to experience, learn to check any future purchases more rigourously and enjoy the car.

Dealers often use generic descriptions, I recently PX'd a car and its on the dealers forcourt listed as having a spare wheel. Wrong, no spare, no can of goo, its on run flats, spare not even an option,nowhere to put one. But the daft sod does not mention the fact it has M-Sport Seats, M-Sport Steering wheels with remote controls, Fog lights etc, all good selling features.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - Hamsafar

The dealer has a duty of care to make an accurate description. The goods are clearly not as described. You have a open and shut case for a claim as long as you have proof by way of an advert or invoice which lists the missing features. If you want money, it would be difficult to put a value on the missing items. You would have to compare this car's price to similar ones with the features, or get the prices for retrofits off a website such as Kufatec - think I would go with the latter as it is more objective.

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - Andrew-T

I bought a used car from a dealer recently which I saw on Autotrader and Ebay. Both listings showed the car as having heated seats, parking distance control and an iPod AUX input. Turns out after having the car for a few days and consulting the manual the car doesn't have any of these.

I recently saw a 20-year-old Pug convertible advertised on A-T (it still is) with airbags, air-con and several other things which it clearly could not have. I Emailed the dealer pointing this out and got a rather ill-tempered reply saying that the details were filled in by A-T's software, which he said had just been updated.

Whether or not that is true, I still feel dealers should avoid errors of that sort - if their ads can't be believed, why should anything else?

Edited by Andrew-T on 17/08/2013 at 18:29

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - madf

Car descriptions often have caveats about options which cover mis-description. Check !

As said by others, the buyer of car should check it is as described before paying...

Audi A6 - Used car missing features listed on sales details - pls1

agreed <Andrew-T> , and that is my point really. Whilst I feel a bit short changed, ultimately it looks like there isn't a lot I can do about it. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise features which don't exist on the product they are selling or use a disclaimer which basically says "yeah we might be bending the truth but there is sod all you can do about it".

Edited by pls1 on 17/08/2013 at 19:37