Hi all
Buying a new i20 for SWMBO under the scrappage scheme. Getting a very good deal at £2,400 off list price.
I ordered the car at the end of April and we went to the garage today to provide the evidence they need for the old car - aiming to pick up the new car end of this week. Anyway, as they want a banker's draft several days before delivery, I thought it not unreasonable to see our new car in advance - to check for marks, dents etc. (I had also mentioned several days ago we would want to see it, so they knew we wanted to).
Anyway, went out the back and found the car. It was covered in filth - sticky sap, bird droppings etc - so bad there was no way I could check for marks. Also, had a look on the windscreen and think the car was built last November, so already 6 months old. (I guess with the downturn in the market that having a new car made 6 months ago is not unlikely at the moment).
Have to say I felt a little disappointed to see the car in that state. What's all this I read about not leaving sap on the paintwork? And I thought new cars normally came in some sort of protective wax which was taken off before delivery?
I'm intending to say to the dealer that we are not very happy with its state and expect it to be in pristine condition when we pick up. Should I also be asking them to check on things like tyres as the car has obviously been sitting around for a while?
Am I being unreasonable here?
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Did it have sticky plastic stretched over the bonnet and roof and wing edges etc.
If not were there lines on the panels to show where they've been removed?
If not then it may well still have the makers wax on the paint, and bird sap etc should not have affected the paint at all.
This car may well have been transported in the depths of winter, or stood in a compound during that time, and they can look quite hideous after lurking about for several months.
It shouldn't really come to any harm though.
All i can suggest is to give the vehicle a very close examination on roof and bonnet especially once it's been prepped, any bird lime problems won't be easy to polish out so you'll see evidence.
In a way you are lucky to have seen the vehicle before delivery, you now know the points to examine closely.
I think the sales people were a little slow to say the least, if it had been me i'd at least have had the body washed before you saw it, before proper pre del valetting.
Hopefully our Stu will be along to give the experts opinion here.
Enjoy your new car.
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i hope it does clean up like for your sake
just be aware the salesmen will tell you anything and promise you the world ...once youve paid up they often dont come good with all that they promised
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Cant say as ive ever paid more than a few hundred pounds as deposit before Ive got to inspect a new car. A good dealer asks no more than that.
I wouldnt be too concerned about the state of the new car - new rarely means clean. Bird droppings can indeed damage the paint, but new paint is more resistant to this than older paint. I once cleaned a Rover 825 that was 4 years old when registered but it cleaned up brilliantly despite a thick layer of dust and leaves.
Do check it over thoroughly, if possible, do so in the dealer workshop under artificial light as this will show up any marks on the top surfaces better than in natural light. And dont be afraid to insist either given what you have already seen.
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Why pay with a Bankers Draft ahead of time. In this day and age they could go belly up in the intervening period! Then you have real problems.
My last 2 new cars have been paid with a Debit Card at time of collection. The only risk then is your deposit. If you pay that by credit Card there is no risk then. (Altho they may charge you 2% on the deposit if they are feeling hard done by!
You may have to prime the Bank before the transaction. or extend the limit if necessary.
p
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Agree on paying with a debit card. Advise the bank first and the transaction should go through easily.
I've only once seen a new car before PDI and that was my 1978 Ford Capri S. The salesman offered to show it me, and it was undercover. But someone had obviously used it to have a kip in at some point and there were boot prints on the the passenger dash, and the dash had been pushed back. They had to replace the whole assembly.
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Thanks for the replies, guys.
We're giving them the banker's draft tomorrow and picking up on Friday, so I hope the risk is small!
Don't think there were any protective layers on the paintwork. Should I have any concerns that the car was made 6 months ago, or is that a pretty standard timescale these days? Saw the tyres were Hankooks - don't know how good they are - thought they were a budget brand! Would they be flat-spotted in that time?
On the plus side, at least I know the car's not been driven around as a demo and then clocked. Strangely, while there was no exterior protection, there were lots of covers over the inside.
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And I'm also aware that, if the car was built 6 months ago, that was fairly close to when it was launched - so there might be teething problems not yet ironed out. Oh well, not much I can do about it, I guess!
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It sounds a little odd that when you "ordered" the car in April, the dealer didn't say it was in stock and standing out the back.
Also a little odd that they didn't do anything to the car before you came to look at it.
Good luck with your purchase though it sounds as though the gilt is already coming off the gingerbread.
Edited by Optimist on 25/05/2009 at 23:44
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Strangely while there was no exterior protection there were lotsof covers over the inside.
>>>>> not had growler the rockwell living in there have they?
remember its june next week so its only been built 7 months ago
tell them you want a new one
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Don't think any manufacturer uses the traditional thick wax any more, so the protective layer was probably still on the car when you saw it.
Not sure why they want the draft a few days in advance - it's not enough time to clear it, unless they present it at the branch from which it was drawn.
The balance on my last two cars was paid by debit card, which was straightforward.
Edited by ifithelps on 26/05/2009 at 08:11
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I've just read a review on the i20, it said that ESP would be fitted to all cars built after February, so if yours was built in November then it wont come with this.
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Thanks for the further replies.
HJ, I will check the seatbelt tags when I get the car, but guess it's all a bit academic as I will have taken delivery then. As there is a 4 month lead time, and the car has been sat at the garage for the last month (collecting tree sap), I guess a November build is not unreasonable. No, it was more the state of the car that annoyed me.
Re the ESP - yes, a sore point, really. I would have preferred to have ESP fitted, but, despite all the reviews saying it should now be standard, I was told (by several dealers) that there are no i20s in the UK or on their way here with it fitted, and it would have to be a factory order with a 3 or 4 month wait. Basically, SWMBO was not prepared to wait that long, and there is also a chance that, by then, the scrappage scheme will be over. So we went ahead with a car in stock.
My wife has been assured today that the car will be pristine when we pick up on Friday. She was also told that the salesman had never before been asked about the build date for a new car, but that he would try to find out and let us know - won't hold my breath on that!
Perhaps my expectations are a little too high - can't believe there is much of a profit margin on a metallic i20 with parking sensors for under £7k after scrappage!
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Re the ESP - yes, a sore point, really. I would have preferred to have ESP fitted, but, despite all the reviews saying it should now be standard, I was told (by several dealers) that there are no i20s in the UK or on their way here with it fitted, and it would have to be a factory order with a 3 or 4 month wait. >>
Curious about this point.
The news article www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=6242 "Hyundai i20 Earns 5* NCAP Rating" states that
"Crucially the i20 scored an impressive six out of a maximum seven points in the ?safety assist? category, receiving top marks for its seatbelt reminder and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). ESP helps to minimise the risk of skidding by applying brakes to individual wheels to direct the car where the driver wishes to go. Euro NCAP now insists that 85 per cent of volume sales should be fitted with ESP as standard before a new car can be eligible for a five-star rating."
Yet the Hyundai website www.hyundai.co.uk/newCars/i20/specifications/ claims that it is a cost option and that Please note that ESP is Special Order Only. Please be aware that Hyundai Motor UK Ltd does not hold stock of these derivatives, therefore factory lead times apply.
So how did Hyundai get the NCAP 5 star rating?
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m i love intrigue jbif
is your source impeccable?
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is your source impeccable? >>
Well I have quoted two sources above - one is HJ's news column, and the other is Hyundai's website.
So which one are you asking about?
But then this is the innernet, innit? LOL and all that!
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HJ I will check the seatbelt tags when I get the car but guess it's all a bit academic as I will have taken delivery then. As there is a 4 month lead time and the car has been sat at the garage for the last month (collecting tree sap) I guess a November build is not unreasonable. No it was more the state of the car that annoyed me.
I agree with HJ. If the windscreen was manufactured in November, it is highly likely the car itself was manufactured later. I don't know where Hyundai source their glass from, but windscreens are normally manufactured in batches then shipped on demand to the car manufacturer. The actual final assembly of the car could easily be several months later.
Also, I wouldn't worry about the state of the paintwork. Years ago my parents bought a brand new Ford Orion and went to look at it when it had just been supplied to the (very large) dealer. It was in a right state, covered in muck and the Ford badge on the boot had been fitted upside down! When they collected it was as bright and shiny as when it left the assembly line and the Ford badge was the right way up. Never had any paintwork problems in the 5 years they owned it.
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