Before driving away your new car......

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Mon 9 May 2005 21:14
Before driving away your new car...... - cdb
On collecting your brand new car can the dealer force you to sign something to say the car is cosmetically perfect before you drive it away?

I think under the Sale of Goods Acta you are entitled to a reasonable length of time to examine it, say a week or so? Some things show under different lights for example and are not immediately apparent.

Anyone know the answer?
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Mon 9 May 2005 23:07
Before driving away your new car...... - blue_haddock
We have a handover sheet - basically says that you have inspected the car and are satisfied with it's condition and that you have been shown all the relevant controls.

No idea on statutary rights though.
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Tue 10 May 2005 01:24
Before driving away your new car...... - SlightlyFatRep
When I picked up my first ever new car recently I was not asked to sign anything.

I was asked to check I was happy with the car and left to inspect it at my leisure for as long as I liked. I resisted the urge to point out that the inside of the wheel arches were pretty dirty whilst the rest of the car was as immaculate as you would expect.

Thank heavens I didn't. First time I cleaned the car I discovered that there is some sort of fabric / brush material in the rear wheel arches, (presumably to cut down or spray chucked out the back in the rain?) and it was this that had looked 'dirty' by just looking different from the rest of the car.

For what it is worth, the car was bought from Harratts Volvo in Wakefield (a 4.5 hour trainride from my house) and the service was impeccable. They rang me on my mobile whilst I was on the train offering to collect me from the station to take me to the dealer. I was invited to rest on a sofa for a while with a cup of coffee to 'wind-down' from the trip before we got down to the hand over.

A long run through on the car (an S60), bunch of flowers and a call a week later to check all was well (culminating in them sending a new numberplate for the rear as the one fitted was slightly wonky).

Top Class service and with the discount I got I suspect they made nothing on the car, just a help towards the end of month sales bonus. Top Notch and highly recommended.
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Thu 12 May 2005 10:03
Before driving away your new car...... - patently
On collecting your brand new car can the dealer force you
to sign something to say the car is cosmetically perfect before
you drive it away?


No-one can force you to sign anything. They can just get difficult and petulant if you refuse.

Especially if you insist on annotating the form to the effect that you are signing it at the dealer's request prior to fully examining the car.
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Thu 12 May 2005 14:01
Before driving away your new car...... - mountainkat
If you find any defects within a "reasonable" amount of time the dealer is responsible for rectifying them. If the weather is poor or it's too dark to inspect the bodywork etc simply write on the documentation "not inspected"
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