Magnet

You are very welcome Jay. Good luck with it all. Fingers crossed here that it all works out for you, and you will soon be able to enjoy it. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jay, I really feel for you, since the seller fairly describes the car as Cat. N, the bodywork in very good condition all round, the interior…. very good all round, he ‘wisely’ doesn’t offer any description with regard to its mechanical condition - which is the all important omission in your case. The only questionable part of the description is ‘..well maintained..’ and I guess he has given you evidence to support that. Is it reasonable to assume that well-maintained = free from mechanical issue? A court might well argue -no - but it would need testing to find out. The fact that he has already given you a £100 refund may not be classed as any admission of a guilty practice, but simply a gesture of goodwill -? If it were mine:- I would be seeking advice (armed with the advert) at the CAB, before spending on any independent report. I feel all I can do at this stage is to wish you good luck with getting it into an acceptable condition, but please let us know if you think we can help further. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jay, I think you are missing the all important point that he doesn’t have to tell you what is wrong with the car - it is up to you to assess the vehicle before you buy it. Now if he uses phrases such as ‘good condition’, ‘drives beautifully’ etc. then the vehicle must meet those descriptions. If his description is non-specific then the court is quite likely to simply judge its condition against that description. If you show us a copy of the advert then I’m sure it will be possible to advise how sound your claim will be. Regrettably, your written contact with him mentioning fault codes etc. dilutes your case by inferring you are ‘….handy with cars…’ which is what you have said, so you should be more capable than most of assessing what you were buying. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but Clifford’s advice maybe worth a coat of thinking about, and you may end up with expenditure on reports etc. which may just result in more hassle than the worth of the outcome. Just send us a copy of the advert description Jay and we will then have a far better idea of what you are up against, and things maybe much brighter than my pessimistic view. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jay, Sorry to hear of your issue. Simple things first:- was the car advertised as a Cat. N, and/or were you made aware of that before you purchased it? Re. faults:- can you recall the wording of the advert, and did it refer to the car’s condition in any respect? If it did, then even as a private seller, the claims made in the advert must be correct. This is why you will find some adverts simply stating ‘ Starts, stops, drives’. Small Claims Court may be an avenue, but beware, you will have to spend out on an engineer’s report on the vehicle, along with the court fee. The court is likely to want the engineer in attendance - for which you will have to pay, but will be able to seek reimbursement if found in your favour. Final pessimistic point is that the seller may not pay even if your case is proved. To try to keep this simple:- carefully read the advert and decide (irrespective of the faults you have) - does the vehicle meet the claims made in the advert ( if any)? Kind regards, Gareth.

Many thanks Jason, but I still find myself rather perplexed by any connection, but let’s put that down to my simple lack of understanding. I’m not aware of any fighting on here, and any differences of opinion have always been freely and amicably aired, and respected on all sides - it’s what we do! Anyway, thank you again Jason.

Hello Colin , and welcome from the other end of the Homeland, to you and your son. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Colin, Glad to hear the car meets your expectations in all respects - except for the spare wheel. As I see it, you have what the car was originally equipped with:- a compressor, and a container of tyre sealant. With these, you won’t have had a jack or a wheel brace, since there wasn’t a spare to replace. Where to go:- I would be looking on EBay for suitable space saver, and a jack and wheel base and their foam holder. Sub woofer will probably have to be repositioned. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks again John for your understanding. I think through all of this, lessons have to be learnt, and as I keep saying you are indeed right - the forum interchange between members is restricted to a relative few, and is unfortunately dwarfed by the number of quests for assistance. Let me come clean - my non-Audi is a Jaguar, the current being the fourth in as many decades, and I have first hand knowledge of the member to member interchange (and banter) on the forum there - it is great, albeit often off topic! , but it is an interchange. So I know full well what you mean. If only we could encourage such interchange on here. It’s pleasing to hear you intend to buy a Q5, and I wish you well in your search, and we really hope the forum maybe of some use to you once you have found the right one. Take care. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Mike, I did gather that, but it’s progressive relevance to the thread, does indeed go over my (and most others?) head. Thanks John, Regrettably, I cannot answer which of the two possibilities you mention was being referred to. What I can, and want to do, is to apologise on behalf of the forum, if any offence has been taken. Kind regards, Gareth.

A little over the heads of most of us, I fear Jason.

Welcome Aran, Not reaching temperature is usually a classic symptom of a failed/failing thermostat, so I would be renewing that first. Kind regards, Gareth.

As I understand it, in these parts, non-retail stock cars are tendered to local dealers. If no interest is shown then the more costly ( and it can be costly) route of sending to auction is followed. Any particular reason for asking Smithy?

Thanks again John, Through all my responses , I haven’t excused the reason for your dissatisfaction, and it certainly would be great to encourage the interchange you seek. I’m pretty sure I have made two requests to you to suggest ways to improve this, but regrettably, nothing has been forthcoming, so come on John, what are your progressive suggestions. As our Welsh poet says ‘Look on our good side, not our bad’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Chris. These bodyshops work on ‘screwed to the wall’ labour rates, and although the final result is generally good, they aren’t going to take the time that you take to prepare the surface. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Malcom, You can fall in love with a supermodel, but she may not cook your dinner - or whatever! Just don’t attempt to live with it. Sounds like someone might have laced the guts out of it?? Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. I would be putting my intention to reject in writing, and not depending on conversations.

Hello Christopher, If this were mine,I would be driving the car around to a local medium sized bodyshop ( where you can talk with the workers rather than the receptionist), and seek advice there on the best product. You appear to have been very thorough in your surface preparation - which is so important. I wonder if the negative reviews for the 3M product is due to inadequate surface cleanliness. I’m sure the answer lies with the bodyshop contact. Let us know how you get on Chris. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Malcolm, Sorry to hear of your issues with this just- bought car. Judging by what you say, I would not be entrusting this to the warranty to sort out, but simply rejecting the vehicle. Kind regards, Gareth.

See my post of 3 hours ago Ken.

Thanks Susan, Some important progressive points remain unanswered, and if the hope was that someone on this site may have been advertising the same specification car for sale, then regrettably that isn’t so. Too late now - and hopefully not required by others at any time - never allow the insurers to remove/ obtain the salvage until a settlement figure has been agreed. I would be seeking advice at the CAB if I was in your situation. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. we take it you have done exhaustive Internet and publication searches for any for sale.

Thanks, but we are waiting for Ken to comeback with some answers. WBAC valuation? I guess as low as /lower than whatever valuation Ken has had.

Hello Ken, Was this a no-fault accident on your part? If you were not at fault, you could inform the offender - in writing - that you hold them totally responsible for the damage caused, and wish to claim all expenditure necessary to return your situation to where it was pre-accident. It might be well worthwhile contacting CAB for advice and assistance. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Susan, Copart are being totally unrealistic in asking you for an exact-match example being offered for sale. There are so many parameters which make that an unreasonable requirement. ‘Hit … by a Police 4x4…’ Are the Police maintaining your husband was to blame for this in anyway, and if so, have/are they initiating prosecution? Kind regards, Gareth.,

Hello ‘D’, ’……where to start’? Simple things first - eliminate the battery as being the culprit, and get its full serviceability tested at one of Halford’s shops. Also worth getting the alternator output checked at the same time. Kind regards, Gareth.

Side mirrors. But we all call them wing mirrors.

Hello John, I would like to welcome you to the forum, and wish you well with your new car. Hopefully you won’t need us to advise on issues, but please let us know if you do. Kind regards, Gareth.