Buyer Beware It Seems !

[Jimbob27]

Recently purchased as 1 year old Fiesta 1.4TDCi Titatnium from the Ford Hypermarket in Northampton.

The spec on the web page said that the car had a DAB digital module fitted. Ineed, most of the Titatnium cars for sale had this on the spec.

I asked the sales guy about the DAB system and he said yes, its Ford's way of future proofing entertainment systems for when and if the analog is switched off. Good selling point me thinks.

Bought the car, but hinsight, I should have asked for a demonstration.

Checked the manuals supplied, but no indication of any DAB system, indeed the guide was not up to date as I had the new Sony head fitted which was not the one shown in the guide supplied.

After scratching my head for nearly a week, I finally gave up and went back to the garage and service centre. The guy in the service centre knew my problem as he had taken delivery of a Fiesta the previous week for his wife and was struggling to find the DAB settings himself.

The service manager checked both my registration and the service centre guys registration to find that it was not fitted and that it was an optional extra that was not fitted on either on the cars, even though the webpage suggested that they were.

It appears the rule is that they can print whatever they like on a webpage to sell the car, but once you sit in the car, its up to the buyer to check its all there. If I had purchased the car over the phone, it would have been different apparently and I could have either taken the car back for a refund or sorted the problem out.

Its a shame as the car is amazing.

So, let that be a lesson to you all when buying a car. CHECK EVERYTHING on the description !

Jim

[alexp999]

That is a rule they have made up to cover their own butts.

The fact is, you have been mis-sold the car. The fact that you did not check everything on the description is irrelevant, they just want you to believe thats the case so they don't have to cough up.

If you want advice on how to handle it and try and get some money back, ring up Citizens Advice Bureau, they are really good with disputes with retailers, etc.

[Stoney871]

As I've posted on the other thread reference this situation, the sale of goods act applies.

The advert stated a certain specification so the car must match that or it has been mis sold.

They should rectify, replace or refund.

They can not expect you to check everything on a new car on the forecourt.

[jmbrown91]

Not really a surprise it was Ford in Northampton, what was the salesman's name out of curiosity?

[Jimbob27]

OK, I refuse to make this a name and shame post, more of an awareness when buying a car. You know it was Northampton, for now that will do.

I take on board all your comments above and agree, its almost impossible to test and check everything before you buy, especially with cars being so complex these days. I have made the used car department aware the item that is not supplied with the car is on the webpage(s) and they have said they will look into it.

DAB is an optional extra as is several other items - keyless, leather, metallic, etc.

Like I said, its an amazing car, it is a shame the site were not a little more sympathetic towards my request of, "you know you said there is a DAB module in the car as per the webpage, how does it work", thinking it had been switched off in the menus.

Buyer beware.

[alexp999]

You could and should exercise your rights.

The Consumer Protection Laws in the UK are some of the best (imo). They are there to protect the buyer for this very sort of thing, no matter how trivial.

I went through it all a few years ago when a Focus I bought soon turned out to have been involved in a bad accident. With the help of CAB, I exercised my rights, got a full refund from the dealer plus costs for work I had done and losses due to the process.

I did that all without getting Trading Standards involved (although I did have a letter to that effect in my back pocket the day I got the refund).

You have to be forceful and stand your ground sometimes and the dealers know a lot of people won't.

I say dealers beware.

[iNath]

Allen Ford aftersales is crap - yet we all still use them as we now have 3 (three!!) in Northampton.

As above, exercise your rights and get them to buy and install the DAB radio or replace with a car that does have it.

[Motocrossmad]

the DAB is rubbish anyway. Atlest mine is. always looses signal. had it into ford 3 times and they say there is no fault and its just the DAB coverage is pretty poor in some parts of country.

i just use FM all the time now

[Stoney871]

Do like I do and run internet radio on your smartphone and an aux connection.

More choice and better coverage.

[MarkyR]

Internet radio would be cool but you surely need a VERY generaous data plan for it? DAB in the UK is not the best when driving around, but if analogue was switched off then they would have to boost the signals I would think.

But I would be like others on here, if something was advertised and was not sold to me, I would be straight down to the dealers requesting they give me money back or fit the item for free. Afterall they could have charged you for it!

[Stoney871]

DAB is old technology.

they've been fitting it as standard in America for about 15 years.

In the UK the signal is kept below 50% to avoid interference on other frequencies and will be so for at least another 3 years until all adjacent frequencies are freed up.

Internet radio signals are quite well compressed and I can happily run it for a month on 1GB of data allowance.

I don't see the benefit of paying out for DAB when I have the technology capable of broadcasting every channel available in the UK in my pocket for pretty much free.

Even if my 1 Gig runs out I have fair usage so I can still receive radio as its packet size is still small enough to come in under a reduced bandwidth.

[Jimbob27]

All good advice, thanks guys.

I will persue the DAB side once I get this second key from them. Apparently its still in Coventry !

On the down side though,only had the car a week and someone drove into the back of me last night whilst waiting at a junction. Sods law, call it what you like, but heartbreaking none the less. Almost certainly an insurance job though the lass who went into the back of me has asked for numbers to protect her insurance.

New rear stoneguard spoiler and new rear crash guard bar plus fitting. Tiny bit of touch up paint. She hit me doing maybe 10mph or less. she has a broken number plate !!