MISLED ON CAR PURCHASE FROM WE BUY CARS

After searching for a car for 3 months, I saw a fantastic buy online at We Buy Cars (Dome), the Dekra report was stellar, it stated that the Diagnostic was clear of any fault codes and it came with a Gold Dekra Certificate sticker too! An amazing find. I went to view the car and it was visually appealing too and purchased it on the 1st of June. Over the next 2.5 weeks I only drove the car a few short trips and only logged 570kms when one morning the steering wheel and seat started shaking badly, got home and visually inspected the car and saw red oil leaking underneath.

This is where my NIGHTMARE started with We Buy Cars. I phoned We Buy Cars on the 28th of June and spoke to a very friendly person called Blake Mitchell, he asked me for my ID number pulled up my purchase history and said my complaint was logged and that We Buy Cars would gladly assist me, he said that one of three things would happen; 1. either they would refund me, OR 2. replace the vehicle with similar specs, OR 3. they would pay to fix the car, and that they would tow the car to a diagnostic company to do an assessment. I was so relieved that they were taking this seriously.... if only I had know what was to follow....

The next step would be for a customer care representative to phone me (which was Derrick Fitzgerald from the Dome branch) and arrange for the best time to tow. But by Friday 1st of July I had not heard a word from them. Phoned again twice on the 1st of July and spoke to Blake who then had to "re-open" my ticket based on my ID number as he had lost the original ticket logged on the 28th of June due to his system crashing... then eventually Derrick Fitzgerald phoned me late that afternoon (gave me my ticket number) and told me the same thing: Refund, replace or fix, he said my car would be towed on Monday or Tuesday and be taken to be assessed. Few days passed, after numerous phone calls, eventually on Wednesday the 6th of July (Clive – Towing truck driver from We Buy Cars) came to collect my car and told me the car was going to JVR Diagnostics in Silvertondale and that they would assess my car. That same afternoon Mayfair Gearbox phoned me and asked me under whose name must the job card be opened up??? I asked him why my car was at a gearbox center as it was supposed to go for an assessment and inquired as to why he was phoning ME about a job card as this was a matter for We Buy Cars. He did not know why and asked who I was dealing with at We Buy Cars, I gave him Derrick's name and telephone number and he said he would contact Derrick. Then I made numerous daily phone calls to Mayfair Gearbox and to Derrick and both said that that they can’t get hold of each other on the phone... (this has now been 7 days since the towing!!!) On the 13th of July I phoned Mayfair again and heard that the Gearbox needed to be replaced/ refurbished and that he would email Derrick the quote to repair (R55 000!!!). He also mentioned there were issues with the engine too and that they (Mayfair) only fix gearboxes... so the car would still need to go to another company for the engine to be fixed. I heard from Mayfair that a diagnostic was done on the car and I requested this report to be emailed to me. It was shocking!!!! 19 Faults found!! Ones that screamed out at me were; 1. 7 Engine Faults, and 2. 2 Faults on the ABS breaks, 3. Air Bag Fault, 4. Accelerator pedal Fault, 5. Power steering Fault stc.. to name a few and WORST of all: 6. MILEAGE MANIPULATED!!! showed up clearly on the diagnostic. I had still not heard back from Derrick by this time so on the 14th of July I tried phoning Derrick and left messages, he phoned me back and said he has given the quote through to We Buy Cars Head Office and it would take 3 days for an answer, I mentioned that there were engine problems picked up by Mayfair gearbox (Mayfair did let Derrick know this via email too) and he said that We Buy Cars Head Office would first fix the gearbox and then take it to another place to fix the engine or send it to a place that does both these two types of repair. I asked him to please expedite this as I have now been without a car now for 3 weeks. On the morning of the 15th of July I phoned Derrick again and he said "no news yet from We Buy Cars Head Office " I then phoned again that afternoon and spoke to him about the diagnostic from Mayfair Gearbox and that there were major faults listed and that it shows the mileage was manipulated (I also mentioned to him that I still have the original GOLD Dekra report that clearly states that "there were NO faults found on their diagnostic report". He requested that I send the diagnostic to him via email which I did.

Then that same afternoon at 4:30 (Friday) I received an email from Derrick stating that We Buy Cars Head Office is not going to pay for the gearbox repair, and that I have no recourse as I bought the car on auction from We Buy Cars and on the email was a “copy and paste” of the auction rules (Shocked! I then went to look at my invoice and in the small print at the back of the invoice it stated in very small type font that auction cars from We Buy Cars are sold as “Voestoots” – Whilst I was waiting for the auction to finish, the Salesmen NEVER informed me of any “risks” that are associated with buying on Auction in that I would be buying the car AS IS. I was under the impression with an Auction car I run the risk of losing my auction deposit if there was something wrong with the car which was explained to me but due to the GOLD DEKRA I was willing to take with the risk of losing the deposit (which was still huge, but it had a GOLD Dekra report and clear diagnostic! (when I was previously at the Midstream branch looking for a car the sales person told me that it’s a wonderful rare find to get a GOLD DEKRA on any second hand car (highest ranking on the car specs), as this means that there is NOTHING wrong with the car, ) I was not informed that I would have no recourse at all for the full amount paid –this was news to me… and this was after 3 weeks of promises) that they will deal with this matter as stated above.

After reading the email (received on Friday afternoon) I immediately phoned Derrick and was told I would need to pay for the gearbox repair myself or he can have the broken car towed back to me. I asked why did they keep me on a string for 3 weeks if those are the rules, should they not have let me know from day 1?.... he just said “sometimes we try to help”…. On Monday the 18th I started phoning We Buy Cars again and was promised call backs... which did not happen, eventually I got hold of Derrick at 13:21 that afternoon and requested the original Diagnostic report that was done on the GOLD Dekra report that said "No faults found" and he said he has no clue on where to look for it but he would try. Then to add INSULT TO INJURY - on the 19th of July Derrick phoned me and told me that Mayfair Gearbox is now requesting a "release Fee" of R 977.50 that I need to pay that myself or they won’t release the car!!!! That's when I finally lost it!!!! I then demanded to speak to a manager as this is getting ridiculous and out of hand!!! I was then put on hold for 5 minutes and then Derrick came back on the line and said the manager is busy, but that he has arranged that We Buy Cars will pay the release fee to Mayfair Gearbox.

In the meantime I still waiting for the original diagnostic report so on 20th of July Derrick (after two email requests and numerous phone calls) finally emailed me the original diagnostic done on the car. It also shows huge faults and especially the MILEAGE MANIPULATED fault!!! I phoned We Buy Cars yet again and asked for a manager, and was told a manager would phone me back... no call. I tried calling again and requested a manager but was just put through to Derrick... I requested that he put me through to a manager and he did not want to but said he would have a manager phone me back. At 11:15am I got a call from Domenico Consentino (Customer Care Manager at We Buy Cars) I then told him my whole story (brief rundown on 22 days after first logging my complaint) he said that the car was bought on auction so they won’t refund/ replace or repair as originally promised to me on the 28th of June, I mentioned that I bought the car based on the stellar Dekra report and mentioned the Gold Certificate too) report and the "no fault found" diagnostic that came with the car, but he said that diagnostic faults would only be listed on the Dekra report if there is a Check engine light present.... (which I’ve subsequently found out is not the case, all other cars on the We Buy Cars site has faults listed if the diagnostic shows any fault found (and for small things like wiper blades etc...) Dominico suggested I tow the car to Volvo and get the car fixed and then send the bill to We Buy Cars (after I have paid) and they would see what they can do to assist, but that is just the same promise they made to me on the 28th of June so I know there will be no joy there and yet more weeks/ months without a car.

Today is the 1st or August and the car (which is still registered under We Buys Cars on Natis) is standing outside in a parking lot at Mayfair Gearbox. We Buy Cars has not done anything in the interim. I was MISLED not only by the Auction Salesmen at the Dome (Dawie and Mathew) who also told me the car was in great condition and they told us the car had a full service history too (which it does not!!!!!) and they suggested that I not wait for the car to go off auction as nobody at We Buy Cars can tell me what the price would be when the auction finishes or where the car will land up with no other bids and they did NOT verbally mention to me that if I bought the car on auction that it would be "voestoots"!!!!! instead of waiting for the Auction to finish and buy the car on normal procedures… (I was just told that I would lose my deposit), mostly I was MISLED by the superb Dekra Report on the car, its no fault found diagnostic and Gold Dekra Sticker too to show what a “great buy” this car was. I based my purchase decision on this GOLD Dekra report which I trusted as true as this covered my bases - the "Gold" Dekra report says this car is in great condition and with low mileage too (which is clearly not the case!!) Why did they make me false promises when I first logged the complaint and keep me on a string for 4 weeks ?? DON'T BUY A CAR FROM WE BUY CARS – ITS BEEN SOUL DESTROYING, FRUSTRATING AND A HEART BREAKING EXPERIENCE.