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Car Dealer Charged Me For Returning Faulty Car

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numan | 15:30 Thu 17th Feb 2022 | Motoring
28 Answers
've tried several time to ask this in the law category, but it just won't go!

Please could someone give me advice? I bought a nearly new, second-hand Citroen car from a well-known dealer, but it was faulty and I returned it after only one week. After a few heated words, he gave in and refunded me most of my deposit of £5,500 but kept £200 back for the 'inconvenience' to him and because he'd kept my old car (for parts), stating that he had the cost of dismantling it. He then went on to sell this faulty Citroen (according to the showroom website) at £150 over the price I originally bought it for! This means that he's made £350 more than he would have if I'd kept it!
Do I have any rights as to demand the £200 back that he kept from me? I have just received the log book (V5), which I have to submit to him of course, but I'd like to know if I can withold it legally until he returns the £200 he kept from me.
I'd like some legal advice please, as I don't want to be breaking any laws over the V5, or demand my money back if he has any right to keep it e.g. for the old car I left there.
Thanks in advance
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The dealers i work with are terrified of a customer who leaves a bad review, google review, auto trader, trust pilot etc. He should refund the whole deposit, if he does not then threaten him with leaving bad reviews everywhere.
16:20 Thu 17th Feb 2022
Tell him you will give him the log book when he returns the £200.
yes you do but TBF you did well to get the 5500 back, they absolutely hate doing that. You could start a small claim for the difference but it's a lot of agro, is it worth it to you?
if the car is faulty then you should be returned to your starting position, how much of your deposit was cash and how much part ex pls?
I would go to trading standards. They may have had similar issues with this dealer/buyers.
Go to trading standards, especially as he has sold it again
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@RandyMarsh
It was all in cash - the car they kept failed it's MOT and was really old, so only fit for scavenging parts. The car was for £8,500 but I didn't want to pay it all in cash as I thought that wiser and so only paid £5,500 up front...
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@dannyk13 Yes, that's what I was intending to do, but I need to know if that's legal. I thought may possibly be against the law to hang onto the V5 if I don't own the car
it is NOT in your interest to hold onto the V5.
Any speeding/other tickets it gets while you are the registered keeper will come back to you
The problem with hanging on to the V5 is that you will receive any speeding/parking etc notices for the new owner.
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@davebro and @gylly That was my next thought. I think I'll probably take the V5 with me and tell them that Trading Standards advised me that I have to have my money refunded in full. If they want to argue with that, then I'll tell them to ring TS themselves. That may put the wind up them! lol
You are lucky in getting back what you got
don't fuss about the returned car - it's up to them and the next buyer what it sells for.
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@ToraToraTora I didn't get the £5,500 back. That's what I paid - he kept £200 of that, the ***!
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@davebro I'm not fussing about the price he charged after me, I'm just pointing out that he kept £200 of mine, when he already made more profit when he sold it again! I'm just 'fussing' about getting MY money back
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@jennyjoan I don't count it as lucky, but just! It was a faulty car - the automatic gearbox to be precise.
You have to contact Citizens Advice, you cannot go to Trading Standards First.
i don't really understand how they let you drive away a car without paying the full amount for it
you are correct, you are within your rights and yes if you want to sue the B'stards go ahead and you'll probably win but be prepared for years of grief, is it worth it for a couple of hundred quid?
The dealers i work with are terrified of a customer who leaves a bad review, google review, auto trader, trust pilot etc.

He should refund the whole deposit, if he does not then threaten him with leaving bad reviews everywhere.
^^^ yep that's a better idea, they all sell on ebay etc so leave some bad reviews etc

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