Too Old At 66

[Titanium]

Went to have my Fiesta Titanium serviced at my local Ford garage in March Cambridgeshire, as my Fiesta is just over 12 months old and has done 7800 miles. I asked for a courtesy car as I live 12 miles from the garage, I was informed that I was too old as it was only available to drivers with 3 points or less and persons under 65 I am 66. I will not be purchasing any new cars from this Ford dealer I will have to go further afield. I think that this is a case of discrimination against the older population. What do you think?

[CAR PARTS EXPRESS]

wonder if they would have refused you a test drive of a 15k car if you wanted to purchase it..... I bet not!!

[fiesta_lad]

Went to have my Fiesta Titanium serviced at my local Ford garage in March Cambridgeshire, as my Fiesta is just over 12 months old and has done 7800 miles. I asked for a courtesy car as I live 12 miles from the garage, I was informed that I was too old as it was only available to drivers with 3 points or less and persons under 65 I am 66. I will not be purchasing any new cars from this Ford dealer I will have to go further afield. I think that this is a case of discrimination against the older population. What do you think?

Does sound like age discrimination to me mate can't beleave they would'nt give you a courtesy car because your 66 but they will give a courtesy car propbaily to a young person that will rag the !Removed! out of it i would take it further mate never head such !Removed! in my life.

[Amie07]

Yes definately age discrimination, they are breaking the law, don't stand for it, threaten them with legal action or at very least let them know you will b contacting a head office and the press.

[AndyZS10]

My car was in the garage yesterday I used one for fords cars the paper work said you only needed to be over 21 and with no more then 8 pionts, nothing about max age my gradad uses the same ford dealer as me and he is 67 he gets offered a car or collection service. You should really complain about this...

[smurfs]

I would really have a go at them via their head office, I am 72 and was offered a car or a pickup by my local Ford dealer.

[catch]

Went to have my Fiesta Titanium serviced at my local Ford garage in March Cambridgeshire, as my Fiesta is just over 12 months old and has done 7800 miles. I asked for a courtesy car as I live 12 miles from the garage, I was informed that I was too old as it was only available to drivers with 3 points or less and persons under 65 I am 66. I will not be purchasing any new cars from this Ford dealer I will have to go further afield. I think that this is a case of discrimination against the older population. What do you think?

Well considering your 66 years old and your existing car is 12 years old. Should you really be using the plural word "cars" when talking about potential new purchases :P

Being serious for a moment, I think they are well out of order.

[AndyZS10]

Well considering your 66 years old and your existing car is 12 years old. Should you really be using the plural word "cars" when talking about potential new purchases :P

Being serious for a moment, I think they are well out of order.

His car is 12 months old

[catch]

His car is 12 months old

Silly me, I blame my age I'm 63 :D

now where did I get 12 years from ...............Margaret.......Margaret.........have we got a pair of jam jar bottom glass's..[in a Matt Lucas, Little Britain shop keeper character type voice]

[Nipz]

Silly me, I blame my age I'm 63 :D

Doh!

[AndyZS10]

Silly me, I blame my age I'm 63 :D

now where did I get 12 years from ...............Margaret.......Margaret.........have we got a pair of jam jar bottom glass's..[in a Matt Lucas, Little Britain shop keeper character type voice]

Haha

[Maffoo]

I would really have a go at them via their head office, I am 72 and was offered a car or a pickup by my local Ford dealer.

You're 72 and that's your car? Respect!

[mintalkin]

if they will not give you a car, go to a garage that will and take your buisness with you.as long as origanal parts are use you warrenty will still be in force.

[stevie j]

I think that is disgusting i wouldn't have my car serviced there go somewhere else :(

[pkr]

Hahah im glad to see some of the older members on this forum have nice taste in cars!

I'm renting a Ford Galaxy to travel to London in for my 18th birthday from a hire company and i'm too young to drive it and my Granddad (Who is also coming in the same car) is too old to drive it as he is 71. So, my dad has to do all the miles rather than a split! However, 66? That's pathetic i'd recheck with the garage to make sure there hasn't been a mixup there pal.

[roversok]

Hit them were it hurts (in the pocket)

Ring local papers they love these stories, draft a letter to send to all the places mature people use ie bowling clubs womans institute etc send dealer a copy and head office

That will get someone a kick up the a55

Also name and shame on here after all if we say a product they sell is superb they dont complain, so they cannot object if you state a service they offer is below expectation.

[hendrix]

It shows once again the brain dead policies these companys have. Under 21 you must be a maniac. Over 65 you must be to short sighted and brain dead to drive. Disabled well you cant possibly drive as well as able bodied people. Complain to everyone and take a bus load of pesioners down and do doughnuts all round their car park and !Removed! up their cars. Not very practical but it would challenge there sterotypical veiw of the world.

[pikestones]

Yes definately age discrimination, they are breaking the law, don't stand for it, threaten them with legal action or at very least let them know you will b contacting a head office and the press.

What a load of tosh,have you any legal knowledge?

Its a courtesey car,

They are not obliged to provide a car to you when yours is serviced,its a courtesey they offer .

Despite what you think they can pick and choose who they lend it to,it isnt your legal right to get one.

Of course you can simply choose to shop(service your car) elsewhere,but you will find it is common practice to restrict car hire to specific groups.

If a dealer does offer you a car,you may find theres a heavy insurance excess due to your age.

Sorry of this is not the reply you want to hear,but most of the above replies are based on emotion rather than fact.

Dave

[Amie07]

What a load of tosh,have you any legal knowledge?

Its a courtesey car,

They are not obliged to provide a car to you when yours is serviced,its a courtesey they offer .

Despite what you think they can pick and choose who they lend it to,it isnt your legal right to get one.

Of course you can simply choose to shop(service your car) elsewhere,but you will find it is common practice to restrict car hire to specific groups.

If a dealer does offer you a car,you may find theres a heavy insurance excess due to your age.

Sorry of this is not the reply you want to hear,but most of the above replies are based on emotion rather than fact.

Dave

Err excuse me, yes I know all about age discrimination acts, have recently written an assignment on issues older people in society face actually inc an obvious major factor of age discrimination. we all know a courtesy car is exactly that a 'courtesy' however the reason this person was refused a car was cited as age and therefore they are breaking the law, just the same as saying someone can't have 1 because they are black or !Removed! etc etc discrimination is discrimination. If they had simple said sorry we don't have any available or it is not our policy to give cars for services they wouldve been within the law however citing the age thing is a breach, they have stabbed themselves in the foot basically.

[Amie07]

Just to confirm the equality bill has just come into effect and this includes a section based on discriminating on grounds of age re services offered, not sure exactly when this will all come into effect as they tend 2 happen in phases, perhaps the poster above me would care to read up on the equality bill.

[DanGull]

Let's take sportscar track experience day - the firm offering the experiences states in the packaging of the experience that is only available to those over 25 and under 6ft 6 in height. This is due probably to the fact that they can't insure under 25s, and the latter is usually because anyone over 6ft 6 will be unable to get into the car.

Now - is that discrimination? Of course not. If you buy the experience knowing this, then more fool you. If you buy the experience and don't realise the clauses are there, then that doesn't mean you can play the discrimination card and they suddenly have to let you do the experience.

I don't agree with the fat that over 65s aren't allowed a courtesy car, but it's probably due to an insurance issue - based on some meaningless set of statistics no doubt, but I digress. However, this is not discrimination. As has been said, a courtsey car is not a legal right - such as schooling, free speech and equal treatment based on race. Therefore, if a company wishes to make exclusions, they are perfectly within their rights to do so. The clause will no doubt be contained in some piece of literature that is probably freely available within the dealership - just because the OP hasn't seen it, doesn't mean it's not valid. Like I said, I don't agree with the principal, but neither do I feel this is discrimination.

My dealer doesn't offer courtesy cars full stop for routine servicing - is this discrimination? No - it's company policy.

[Michael P]

Not that i wish to don a nose of brown complexion, but i'm with Dan on this one.

[DanGull]

Oh - and while I haven't written any assignments on age discrimination, I have fought on behalf of someone who has been discriminated against repeatedly. As a result, I have read much of the equality bill - and it should be noted that there is an exception inserted relating directly to the financial services industry in the same way that there are THOUSANDS of exceptions relating to other things - the armed forces, the judicial system and do on. "Differential treatment based upon age will not be treated as discrimination where it is 'a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim'". It is also stated that it is the originator of the relevant financial product (such as insurance) who makes this decision - not the offerer of the service (ie the dealership). So, if as I suspect this rules has been brought in due to the constraints of insurance - and the insurers have data to show why they have laid down the rule, then I think it would be quite hard to show this as age discrimination.

Nice summary of the way the bill relates to insurance and other products here (some of above taken from the same page).

Click here to view the page in question

Especially this bit (referring to insurers):

'In addition, providers will still be able to apply minimum and maximum age limits to products where this is relevant to risk or cost. Specialisation was seen by respondents to be a good thing. Forcing providers to participate in sectors in which they did not wish to participate, or in which they had no expertise, would merely harm the interests of both consumer and provider.'

[Amie07]

2 b honest as with a lot of laws I think this ones a bit of a grey area, I mean there are others on here saying theyv had courtesy cars at older ages, I guess what is needed is a bit of consistency from motor companies really. Hopefully when this bill is law it'll put an end 2 the uncertainty and every1 will know where they stand.

Anyway hope the original poster gets a satisfactory outcome whatever he chooses 2 do.

[DanGull]

Grey area? Come on now - it's pretty clear and took me 5 minutes to find.

What I have shown you is quoted in the new bill. Insurance companies will still be able to base their products on age relating to cost and risk - I can't see that being removed before the bill becomes law. Therefore - again inserting the caveat that this is all based on insurance - this situation will arise. People over and under a certain age will be refused courtesy cars, hire cars and the like due to their age, and it still won't be discrimination.