Never in my life have I felt so cheated and **** to.

I, Pieter Smuts, purchased a Nissan NV200 panel van from Group One Nissan Kuilsriver. When I arrived home I heard a strange noise from the engine. I returned vehicle few days later but was sent away with the vehicle, Nigel (workshop manager), ”there is nothing wrong”, Themba (salesman), “All diesel engines sound different, there is nothing wrong with the vehicle“, Carika (workshop secretary): "you may collect the vehicle, there is no fault”. I insisted that there is a noise and after an hour or two I was phoned by Carika and was told to collect the vehicle, Nigel has arranged that a specialist take a look, must book it in again. The following week the specialist came to take a look. He and the Group One technician heard the noise but they don't know what the fault is. Group One to me: "collect the vehicle" "drive the van it won't break". Lance ( boss) was never available when I requested to speak to him.

Following week no word from specialist, I phoned Nigel, specialist emailed "Hi Mr Smuts, As discussed telephonically NSA’s response to my technical report is as follows, and I quote: “ADS inspected the vehicle and did observe the noise that the customer complains of but could not determine where the origin of the noise is coming from, what cylinder and if it is from a injector or a valve lifter. ADS suggest that the Customer drive the vehicle till the 15000km service and then for the noise to be evaluated again. ADS feels that the noise at this stage is not due to a part or material failure and might lessen to normal levels when compared with other similar model vehicles as the engine runs in. The Customer need to contact the Dealer if the noise becomes worse”.

I then returned the vehicle. Lance then phoned me insisting that they are an honest business and that he wants to get to the bottom of this but he needs my side of the story. I agree to meet, he comes to me with a new contract and tries to sell me the faulty car but he guarantees it will be fixed in a couple of days. When I informed him that I am not comfortable doing business with his company, he accused me of having buyers remorse.

I discovered that the vehicle was previously registered to a Mr. G. Matthee. When I asked Themba and Carika, they told me it was “a glitch in the system” that “the vehicle was never registered to anyone”. Themba assured me, “it is a NEW vehicle, it has never been registered to anyone. It was only used as a courtesy vehicle”. Lance later informed me, "the van was previously sold to Mr. Garry Matthee, it is a second hand vehicle".

The agreement has unsigned pages with extra amounts added. Extra amounts never discussed and never seen on email nor paper. Any page with price break down as well as invoice never seen nor signed by me. I insisted on new contract. I then declined the new contract and as the vehicle was returned to Group One Kuilsriver. The van is now in their workshop and will most likely be sold as a demo model in their shop.

I now have possession of ALL the documents pertaining to this transaction and have found an invoice labeled “Pro-Forma Tax Invoice” but “Pro Forma” has been covered with Tippex. I had never before seen this invoice. This document was never shown to me nor signed by me. My OTP included “NV200” and “On the road” charges, a blank space was included on the OTP with quantity “1” and amount “0.00”. At a later stage, an amount for a “global service plan” of 5 year/60,000km had been added as well as a warranty charged at R9100 excl. VAT. with no mention of the originally promised 3 year/150,000km warranty which should’ve been included in the cost of a “new” vehicle. On the Group One Nissan Transaction Schedule, I was only shown and asked to sign pages 4 & 7 of 35 pages. The other pages were never shown to me. Sallyanne (finance department) assured me that she had emailed me the price break down as well as verbally gone though it telephonically. These claims are false, I have never received any email from Sallyanne nor any email consisting of price break down.

Never in my life have I felt so cheated and **** to. I now have to purchase a vehicle which will hold it’s value, while I decide which vehicle to buy for my business and where to buy from as I have lost faith in car dealers.

I have incurred unnecessary expenses such as UBER taxi, vehicle/van hire as well as insurance cost.

Is this acceptable? It seems that this is how it’s done there.