SOMERSET CAR SALES ... THE 'CABLE-TIE' DEALER OF THE YEAR

Buying a used vehicle is already a huge gamble but buying one from Somerset Car Sales, c/o of N2 and Gerber Boulevard, Strand is even a bigger gamble in that they take no responsibility when their outsourced workshop does not know how to repair a vehicle!

I bought a 2006 Mercedes B200 T from them in May 2019 with low mileage and in good condition but the vehicle required new CV boot covers, to pass the roadworthy test, which was undertaken by their outsourced 'tang en draad' mechanic.

When ready I had the vehicle moved to KZN in June 2019 where it is used as a company-owned vehicle. In August 2019 a noise developed in the front chassis area and not being sufficiently empowered to check such mechanical issues I took it to my mechanic.

Guess what? ... Somerset Car Sales's outsourced mechanic, had used cable ties to secure the covers instead of clamps! The foregoing incompetence resulted in the grease leaking through the loosely tied boot covers destroying both CV joints in the process.

Contacted Gideon de Klerk the salesperson who promised verbally to look into having them have my mechanic repair the vehicle at a cost of R 16 000,00 (as the vehicle was in KZN) and recover the costs from their mechanic. Sounded like what one would expect from a company that had never before been listed on Hello Peter (in a direct review).

Gysbert Shaun van Veijeren, the dealer principal, proved to be a typical unprincipled second-hand car salesman in that he was arrogant and did not care a st*ff about my problem and their workmanship, albeit via a third party, but one that they had appointed.

So you asking why don't you claim under CPA (6 month warranty)? ... they don't take on company-owned vehicle related complaints.

The Motor Industry Ombud? ... they don't take on complaints if your company has an annual turnover greater than R 2 bar.

So, had my attorney send Somerset Car Sales' dealer principal a letter of demand for the cost I had to incur as the repairs were undertaken during the pre-delivery phase of the transaction which cost me R 5 000,00. Not unexpectedly van Veijeren ignored what would have been a noble deed!

Going to court costs more than R 16 000,00 (expert witness, etc) as van Veijeren well knows ... so van Veijeren I trust this review costs you more than it cost me to repair your 'cable-tie' mechanic's gross incompetence!