LAND ROVER MENLYN GAVE MY CAR TO A STRANGER

1. I purchased what I believed to be a BRAND NEW Range Rover Evoque (R980 000) in June is year. I took delivery of the vehicle on the 14th of June 2019. The next day, I realised that the rims and tyres on the car were not what I had been shown during the sale of the car.

2. I immediately made the dealership aware of the rims and tyres discrepancy. I was initially promised that the rims and tyres would be replaced at the end of June, and later, that changed to August.

3. On the 17th of July 2019, I started experiencing problems with the car... the car suddenly refused to start. I contacted Land Rover Roadside Assist, long story short, the vehicle was eventually towed from my house back to the dealership. I was told that the suspicion was that the reason the car would not start was that the key was not correctly aligned to vehicle’s system and the key needed to be re-programmed.

4. At this time, I was already a dissatisfied and frustrated customer who was not expecting an array of problems presented by a brand new car.

5. Upon enquiring on progress made, I was informed by someone from the workshop at the dealership that the problem was not just the key but faulty wiring. I immediately wrote the dealership an e-mail and tried to explain that I was no longer interested in the car. I clearly stated my reasons for not wanting the car back and one those reasons was that faulty wiring posed risk to my family (I have heard of cars catching fire due to issues of this nature). I was also not happy with the horrible after-sale service from the dealership. I was denied the opportunity the exercise my right as a consumer to a refund. The dealership refused to hear me out and insisted I come collect the vehicle. I felt bul**** and undermined.

6. On the 9th of August 2019, when I knew the car to be at the dealership during the ongoing repairs dispute, I received a call from the police informing me that my car had been found abandoned in Soweto. Upon checking with the dealership, I was told that “my husband - Tim Modise” had collected/made arrangements to collect the car (08 August) after giving the details of the car. At no point was I contacted to confirm if this was indeed the case and the dealership requested no form of identification from the collector of the vehicle.

7. My husband did not collect the car nor have any knowledge of any arrangement to collect the vehicle.

8. According to the police officer(s) that recovered the vehicle in Soweto, the vehicle seemed to have had some mechanical problems as there was a tow truck next to it and it was about to be towed away. Logic tells me the person that collected the vehicle also experienced the same mechanical issues that I experienced.

9. The car was taken into police custody and was taken to the police pound in Lenasia. The vehicle was at the pound for about 2 weeks. The dealership did not show any sign of concern nor signs that they were willing to take responsibility for having given my car to a stranger without my consent.

10. On Monday the 12th of August, I contacted my insurer to explain what had happened. My insurer instructed me to go to the nearest police station, give a statement and obtain a case number so they could have the matter investigated. I decided to first stop at the dealership on my way SAPS to find out what exactly had happened.

11. I spoke to the Dealer Principal who did not seem to be bothered that my car had been ****** from his dealership. I asked for an explanation as I needed to understand what had happened. He told me he didn’t know as he was not there when the car left the dealership. I asked him find out and get back to me later that afternoon. He later send me an email confirming that the vehicle was given to the so called husband on the grounds that he seemed to have enough details about the car.

12. My insurer appointed an investigating company to have the matter investigated.

13. On Monday the 19th of August, I approached the bank that is financing the vehicle. They promised to arrange a meeting with all three parties... the bank, the dearlership and myself to see if we reach a way foward.

14. On Wednesday 21 August 2019, the bank contacted me to inform me that the delearship refuses to have this meeting unless they have had an opportunity to assess the vehicle. The bank asked that I make arrangements to have the vehicle collected from the police pound and taken back to the dealership. I had to go identify the vehicle at the police pound. My insurer towed the vehicle back to the dealership, it gets there… it has no key, no battery and parts of it have been strapped.

15. The dealership phones me, asks me for the car keys... the same car keys I gave to them when the vehicle was initially towed to their premises after it refused to start. I still recall the clear intrustion I was given when arrangements to have the car towed in were made that I should ensure that both sets (primary key and spare key) are handed in so both sets could be re-programmed.

16. While I wait for a way forward. The dealership assesses the damages and sends a quote for repairs and for the replacement of the missing parts to my insurer without my consent. I only found out at a later stage that a quote had been sent to my insurer. I honestly fail to understand how the dealership could submit a quote for damages and replacement of missing parts to my insurer without me knowing about this. I have always been clear in saying I am no longer interested in this car. Instead they go behind my back and sent a quote to my insurer. My insurer was very surprised to hear me say I knew nothing about the arrangement to have a quote sent to them.

17. The insurer finalises the investigation and compiled a report. They sent me an email and they summarised the findings of the investigation as follows:

We confirm that this matter was investigated by *** Associates, the findings from the investigation report are:

• The vehicle was collected from the vehicle owner’s premises by the dealer as the vehicle would not start

• The vehicle was collected from the dealer’s premises by people unknown to the vehicle owner

• The vehicle owner did not give permission for the vehicle to be collected

My insurer also forwarded me an official letter stating that the "claim" had been rejected based on the investigation that was conducted, based on their findings the incident occurred as a result of theft under false pretences (negligence) which is not covered under the policy.

18. My insurer has informed the dealership of their decision not to repair the vehicle. The dealership shows no remorse at all, to them it’s business as usual. I tried to enquire on the way forward and the response I was given is that they are waiting for the Ombudsman’s verdict since I have lodged a complaint.

I am a mother, I need to get to work, take my children to and from school and run other errands – does the dealership even care how I do any of these without a car? A car I am paying for every single month in these tough economic times? I do not think there is anyone in the world that deserves to be treated the way that I have been treated. The car failed to serve its purpose and in the process I was treated so badly by the dealership. They refuse to take responsibility for their negliengence. I am without a car since July while an installment goes off my account every month.