New Car Nightmare

[Jonny]

I've posted a few comments about my C4 1.6 VTR+ Coupe buying experience in this topic over the last month or so but the situation has now got worse and I wanted to expand on my problems with Citroen and nicenewcars.co.uk and see if anyone had any advice for what I should do now!?

So... the story:

July 13th: Happily find new C4 1.6 VTR+ Coupe for a very good price (£10250 inc. met paint) on www.nicenewcar.co.uk. Place order for Black car with panoramic sunroof and JBL hi-fi options. Total £11000. Deposit paid = £500. Delivery date note set on invoice, just "TBC", but verbally confirmed expected delivery would be early September (8 weeks)

 

September 22nd (10 weeks after order):[/b] After a bit of a delay over the standard delivery, car is finally said (by nicenewcar) to have left the factory and I'll be getting it reasonably soon.

 

October 6th (12 weeks after order): Car said to "have arrived at dealers". Will take around a week to do the PDI and deliver to me.

... First delivery date agreed to be October 16th (13+ weeks after order)

 

October 13th (13 weeks after order): Nicenewcar inform me that the dealer has gone to the depot (note that this contradicts the information they told me about the car arriving at the dealers) and the car wasn't there! Not known where the car is but guess it must be on a transporter somewhere (other people on this forum seem to have experienced a similar problem)

 

October 19th (14 weeks after order): Nicenewcar inform me that the car has now "definitely" arrived in the country and will be ready for delivery soon. I am in the States with work until November 6th so I arrange delivery for then.

 

November 6th (16+ weeks after order): Car is due to arrive in the afternoon. At noon I get a phone call from nicenewcars to inform me of "more bad news"; the delivery drive went to the vehicle and discovered a "scratch" so the car will need to be checked in to the body shop to be repaired.

 

At this point my level and seriousness of phone calls and e-mails to nicenewcars increases and I demand to stop being messed around, whoevers fault the problems are and receive a definite date and "nice" "new" car as soon as possible.

 

November 8th (17 weeks after order): After chasing up the dealers a lot, nicenewcars say they have got the dealer to admit that the problem is not "just a scratch" and the level of repair required would actually entail that they can't sell this particular car to me anymore! Basically we are back to square one. I am informed that a car has been made for me, delayed, lost, delayed, "scratched" and then revised to effectively written off for sale. I have not even glimpsed the car to verify any of this. Now the dealer is apparently scouring the country to find a same (/similar) spec-d new car to get to me. How likely is this?! Nicenewcar are being very apologetic and saying that they have offered the dealer if they find a better spec-d car to get that and they'll pay the difference (is this even their responsibility if all the fault is on Citroen!?).

 

I am left still not knowing if or when the car that I ordered can be delivered to me, almost 4 months after I ordered it. As the dealer has now effectively written off my new car I guess I have a very legitimate reason to cancel my order with nicenewcar and claim my refund back, but I want my car!! :-(

 

So what are my options?

a) Stick with it - I must get a car soon!

:o Stick with it but impose strict deadlines and try and cancel my order after that (what do I do then?! - possibly a 1/2 yr old c4 of similar spec, of which there are quite a few around for the £9k mark, albeit without my specific options)

c) Walk away from Citroen altogether as they're being absolutely ridiculous!

 

Sorry for the long ramble and rant but this situation has got so stupid I wanted to get your opinion's on it!

[wozza]

Id start giving them a ultimatum but dont let this experience put you off the car. But if you have purchased the car and it is in the country go and have a look at it and see what condition it is in if your able to.

 

They have buggered you about enough start causing some trouble if you know the dealer that has the car go down there on a busy morning and go ape until they sort something out.

[DJVile]

Im kinda getting worried about the delivery on my car now. it is supposed to be due in the next 2-3 weeks. But reading this, maybe its gona be later!

 

I sure hope not, because i cant stand the car i am in at the mo

[hertsnminds]

Not sure how much of a saving you are getting but I would just walk away and get a dealer who does have the car available to price match, or get as close as possible) for the sake of say up to £500 difference (which it must have cost you in time phone calls etc in chasing up).

 

I would also cc my cancellation letter detailing all the reasons you are not happy to local trading standard and consumer watchdogs and the press BBC Watchdog, Motoring mags and TV progs.

 

It's amazing how quickly situations are resoveld after appearing in/on national media

 

Ian

Black 55 VTR+

[CoolCarbon]

This would appear to be a 'Citroen' problem.... :angry:

 

When I ordered my new C4 Coupe in September, I was told "about 8 weeks"..

 

Towards the beginning of November, the salesman called me to tell me my Car would be ready for collection on the 27th Nov. Great!

 

A couple of days before the due date, I called the dealership to arrange a time to collect..." I'll ring you back in five minutes"

 

Half an hour later.."Sorry, I can't tell you when it will be here, .....sorry"...No explanation could be given apart from "The Computer say no"... :angry:

 

I leave it a week then ring again to get an update...my salesman isn't available...." can someone else help you Sir?" the receptionist asks and puts me through to ....shall we call him 'Pete'...

 

I explained my query...."I'll ring you back in five minutes"...where had I heard that before....

 

Sure enough, 30 minutes went by, nothing! As I was due to be going out shortly, I phoned them back and asked for...."Pete"

 

"Sorry Sir, Pete's not in this afternoon."... Now I am really not happy and explain to the Receptionist just that..."can someone else help?" and puts me through to...shall we call him "Ron"?

 

Go through the whole story again..."But Pete's not in the afternoon Sir!"

 

'YES I KNOW THAT!!" I replied...turns out Pete took my call the buggered orf home and that was that.....

 

Anyway, 'Ron' calls me back, actually within the five minutes he promised, and tells me my car is now due on the 18th Dec...I'm not happy, but at least I'm informed...

 

Monday 4th Dec. my salesman calls me " Your car will be here tomorrow so you will be able to collect it Thursday or Friday this week. I wont be here but someone else will hand it over to you". Great, a new car for the weekend...Sir!

 

So...I ring today...and speak to 'Pete', as it turns out, and explain the reason for my call..." Can I have your number and I call you back in five minutes" I give him number which has a distinctive last 3 digits which he comments on....."Oh, I remember that number" and went a wee bit sheepish....

 

35 minutes later, he rings back, which in itself is a result!

 

"Sorry Sir, your car wont be here until the 12th December"

 

Well that was the 'Blue Touch Paper lit'!

 

He got both Barrels.....culminating in my insistence that a note be put on file that they did NOT ring me again until the Bloody car was actually physically with them...!

 

Absolute shower of Tossers!

[lab44]

Must of been lucky with mine - mine took about a week to arrive from the factory to the dealers - think it took about a day to "prepare" which involved adding the spoiler and I picked it up the next day.

 

Spose it all depends on what spec / any extras you order and of course if you have an unhelpful dealer :angry: